DVDs - cut/added stuff with no reason?

[sniffles]

I'm relatively new to the whole business of buying movies. I've only had a DVD player for about 2.5 years, and my home library is less than a dozen movies.

I just bought Last of the Mohicans and watched it tonight. I noticed at least two added scene, and several cut lines. The first new scene added nothing to the movie, in fact it confused me even more, since it was unnecessary. The other extra scene was at least not annoying. The cut lines were some of my favorites in the movie, and I have no idea why they were cut.


When I buy a DVD, I want at least the exact movie I saw in the theater. Extras are fine, so long as I have the option of not watching them. And sure as hell don't *cut* anything. What's up with this?

Quasqueton

This may be a silly suggestion, but in what form did you last watch the movie? If you saw it on tv then it was already altered, as I'm sure you know.

Sadly, there has also recently been a piece of legislation passed that will permit certain companies to edit films without risk of being sued for copyright infringement. Now the censorship nazis can chop scenes to their hearts' content without any care for how much it screws up the plot.

 

[haiiro]

Just looked over the package again, and saw, "Director's Cut". Crap. I won't make that mistake again.

I wouldn't have thought the "Director's Cut" would actually *cut* good stuff out and add unnecessary junk.

I don't think there is an edition of LotM on DVD other than the one you have (I own it as well, and quite like the new material -- to each their own ).

In my experience, the majority of films don't come out on DVD in both theatrical and extended editions -- notable exceptions include LotR and Army of Darkness, mentioned above. I'm sometimes pretty fussy about whether or not I want an extended version -- with The Grudge, for example, I don't know what the extra 7 minutes include. They might suck! So I'll probably poke around online before deciding which edition to own.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Speaking of cutting big portions in DVD releases, Oliver Stone is releasing Alexander on DVD with great portions (but not all) of the homo-erotic innuendo removed... Something different though, I heard he was going to re-release the new cut to theaters at about the same time hoping that people will give the movie a second chance.

 

[Kesh]

I hope the regular edition comes out on DVD as well, then. I haven't seen it, but I don't want a movie chopped up because some folks were offended by part of the content.

Same goes for the "less intense" version of Passion of the Christ.

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Sadly, there has also recently been a piece of legislation passed that will permit certain companies to edit films without risk of being sued for copyright infringement. Now the censorship nazis can chop scenes to their hearts' content without any care for how much it screws up the plot.

If it's what I'm thinking of, they're not editing the movie. They're not altering the movie at all. They've simply programmed a proprietary DVD player to skip over selected portions of the DVD. And the viewer has to pay for the service.

You see, this is different than censorship. A person chooses to purchase the proprietary DVD player. They choose to pay for the service which tags violent, sexual, or vulgar content (which the DVD player then skips).

They're not forcing viewers to get edited DVDs. They're providing a service that people would have to do manually otherwise. (E.g., diving for the remote to get past a scene of a nude woman.)

Now, if you want to get upset, get upset at Walmart, which forces vendors to deliver edited media. I've ended up with several of those through eBay, and how I wish they had been labeled! I don't mind Walmart doing this (though it makes it expensive, since they have to release multiple versions), but make it VERY CLEAR that you're getting an edited version... Sheesh...

 

[Viking Bastard]

I wonder if my Hot Shots! two-in-one was something like a Walmart edit. Because, if
I simply have the 'American' version (since we sometimes get less edited versions of
American movies in theatres here than you yanks do) I don't get how the movies could
have gotten as popular as they were.

 

[Kai Lord]

I hope the regular edition comes out on DVD as well, then. I haven't seen it, but I don't want a movie chopped up because some folks were offended by part of the content.

*shrugs* Some people's moral standards are a little more important to them than what some random Hollywood director considers "artistic." Maybe Stone is finally getting a clue, if for no other reason than he's had one too many pictures tank. I doubt it, but you never know.

Same goes for the "less intense" version of Passion of the Christ.

Some people believe that there is a difference between what's immoral and what's appropriate for children. I haven't seen the recut "Passion" but it'd be cool to be able to show it to my kids before they turn 14 years old, or my grandmother for that matter.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

*shrugs* Some people's moral standards are a little more important to them than what some random Hollywood director considers "artistic." Maybe Stone is finally getting a clue, if for no other reason than he's had one too many pictures tank. I doubt it, but you never know.

And, as always, people's "moral standards" are more important than historical fact.

 

[Kai Lord]

And, as always, people's "moral standards" are more important than historical fact.

I certainly hope so. And I'm glad that there are directors who know how to convey issues of questionable morality without flaunting them on screen.

Its the same in fictional movies. We know what Vader did in the Jedi Council room. No need to show it.

EDIT: And that's all I have to say about the matter here on ENWorld.

 

[Quasqueton]

I don't think there is an edition of LotM on DVD other than the one you have (I own it as well, and quite like the new material -- to each their own ).

The couple of added scenes were acceptable. The cut dialogue (some just one sentence) made me mad because they were some of my favorite lines, and there was no reason for the cuts.

For whoever asked, I saw the movie thrice in the theater, and then another few times on laser disk (someone elses).

"Your people are a breed apart and make no sense."

"Sometime, major, you and I are going to have a serious disagreement."

"Got nothing better to do on the river today, major?"

All cut.

Quasqueton