The Original: Orson Welles’ planned Hollywood comeback hit the skids with Touch Of Evil, which Universal took off him and gave to director Harry Keller to rechop. Naturally, Welles was incensed.
It didn’t hurt the film, though – it became a film noir classic applauded for its sinister edge and visual design.
Extended Version: During the height of the scandal, Welles wrote a 58-page letter to Universal breaking down how the film should have been assembled.
In 1998, the film was re-edited in accordance with Welles’ notes.
Best Addition: This one’s actually a subtraction.
In the new edit, the opening credits are removed from that three-minute opening shot, allowing them to breathe in all their glory.
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Comments
Hadouken76
Jan 22nd 2013, 9:15
Total Film should reunite the cast of Leon for an interview, before Empire does it.
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FBMHobbs
Jan 22nd 2013, 9:49
HOW annoying is that F**king Denzil Washington pop up.....
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QuietLife
Jan 22nd 2013, 11:52
I know the film was (probably quite rightly) panned but the director's cut of Sucker Punch improves and renders the story much more coherent.
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Jareth64
Jan 22nd 2013, 12:20
Yeah, TotalFilm that Denzel W. Flight advert is beyond f*****g annoying. Note to the advertisers: I AM NOW NOT GOING TO SEE THE FILM DUE TO THIS ADVERT.
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Monkeynuts30
Jan 22nd 2013, 12:46
Woah, WTF TotalFilm? Calling Saladin a kurdish Muslim crook? The man was one of the few leaders in any of the Crusades to be respected by his enemies and was a paragon of chivalric honour; a great deal more so than many of the european Crusaders. Even the film portrays him as such! Next thing you'll tell us is McCarthy was a beacon of moral virtue solely concerned with the safety of his fellow americans...
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TheDigitalZombi
Jan 22nd 2013, 12:48
Watchmen?
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hectorgzz
Jan 22nd 2013, 13:54
You left the best extended cut I've ever seen, and one that makes justices to the movie that should have been instead of a shoddy butchered theatrical release: Watchmen
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badblokebob
Jan 22nd 2013, 13:54
Sucker Punch is much misunderstood and underrated. But then, I've only seen the extended cut.
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apo1978
Jan 22nd 2013, 14:01
Didn't realise PAUL WELLER was Robocop!? How could I forget the scene where his mod-sideburns are blown off??? C'mom TF, your mistakes are getting worse......
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Jeffbiscuits
Jan 22nd 2013, 14:09
The guy from Ocean Colour Scene is playing him in the remake.
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SiMan
Jan 22nd 2013, 14:14
I'd be a rubbish editor as i do prefer the extended cuts of most films that have them. Surely Cameron has to be the master of this - T2's little snippets are all excellent and the extended cuts of the Abyss and Avatar are also impressive, but the additional scenes in Aliens are brilliant - especially those sentry guns. Only thing in that i think works better in the theatrical release is the fact you don't know the colonists have found the face-huggers for definate until Ripley and the Marines arrive and find the lab - don't really like the scene where Newt's family find the ship at the beginning.
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dangoodfellow
Jan 22nd 2013, 14:15
i found that the aliens special edition did effect the pacing of the movie, more charscter sure, but lessmomentum. And killing off Saruman at that point of return of the king was a sham.
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TheMovieGuy
Jan 22nd 2013, 14:16
There's a Kinowelt 3 DVD Director's Cut release of "Untill the End of the World".
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writerdave87
Jan 22nd 2013, 14:48
'Kurdish Muslim Crook Saladin', wow. Josh Winning, I kind of got used to these lists taking a nose dive in quality whenever you're in the writing seat (it's PETER weller, by the way), but describing Saladin in those terms? Really? Saladin was a competent and widely respected military commander- which both cuts of Ridley Scott's film demonstrate, so I wonder where your prejudiced description comes from. I suppose you cheered at the scene where Saladin's sister was raped and murdered too? Moron.
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devilsfoxes
Jan 22nd 2013, 15:37
One I'd really like to see is the rare screened original cut of "54"... Miramax butchered and removed 45 minutes of footage, completely changing the film, which is supposed to be a 90's gay cult classic. Also yes Watchmen much better extended.
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BobbyTwoTimes
Jan 22nd 2013, 15:46
For all those who love Leon I urge you not to watch the Directors Cut - it'll change your outlook on the film forever. The fact that TF called it 'creepy' and 'disturbing' should set alarms bells ringing for most people.
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FBSDeMorgan
Jan 22nd 2013, 15:51
Can't believe you confused Paul and Peter Weller. Can't believe you missed out Watchmen. Can't believe you decided that more Jack Black on any film would be anything other than a trail of one's patience (that being said, the DC of Waterworld is better).
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aardvark1973
Jan 22nd 2013, 15:56
abyss special edition! why no mention as it drastically improves the fil's ending whilst giving a much better background to the cast of the drilling rig
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thelimopit
Jan 22nd 2013, 16:32
I'm glad you didn't include Apocalypse Now: Redux in this list. It turned one of the 20th century's most brilliant war movies into one of the most boring ones.
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marc96
Jan 22nd 2013, 17:00
i have to agree with @aardvark1973 about The Abyss, should be on the list, along with Alien 3 which is a much better version of the film & makes more sense, although i hate how they changed the chestburster scene at the end
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WayneT23
Jan 22nd 2013, 17:18
Aliens is there, but no mention of either Alien or the much re-edited Alien 3
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writerdave87
Jan 22nd 2013, 17:52
God damn I was so busy protesting about the Saladin comment I didn't even realise Alien 3 wasn't on here. Never has someone had such an inappropriate surname as Josh Winning.
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Tokeiihto
Jan 22nd 2013, 18:35
Two corrections: Blade Runner was, of course, released in 1982 (not on 1987), suffering the same box office fate as the equally pessimistic and grim "The Thing" in a year the audience went wild for the optimistic tale of an adorable and cute alien (E.T.) stranded on earth. The extended cut of "Once Upon A Time In America" that screened at Cannes last year is actually longer than the 229 minute version you're referring to. The 229 version is already available and is the same that, to my knowledge, was released in 1984 everywhere around the world but in the US, featuring the non-chronological cut intended by Leone.
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georgeWW
Jan 22nd 2013, 19:06
love how half the list is ridley scott ...seriously why does Fox always cut up his movies
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Ali1748
Jan 22nd 2013, 20:22
Doesn't Alexander have an extended cut that's quite the improvement from the theatrical release ?
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1637inc
Jan 22nd 2013, 23:58
Small geeky correction but we got your 'best' in the 'Director's Cut' previously but hey! As long as we got em, eh?
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Toph80
Jan 22nd 2013, 23:58
I don't know if anyone else feels the same, but after YEARS AND YEARS of this site and others like it raving about how awesome Bladerunner is/was, which ever way you want to spin it, I took the plunge over Christmas as it was on the Beeb, and watched. Not sure which edit it was, think it may have been the final cut, but not sure. Now as an avid Sci-fi fan for as long as I can emember I sat there thinking this is going to be good....... BOY OH BOY was i let down. Yes ok for the time when the film was released visually the effects are very good but as a whole the entire film did nothing for me except a few hours of my life that I will never get back. Pleased though to see the LOTR up there,having watched each one in the cinema at least twice upon release I natrually was out money in hand to get the extended versions. Yes they may be a hell of a lot longer, but arwe they worth spending an entire day in front of the TV, and much more closer to the books then what was released in the cinemas. Lastly have to agree with a few of the people above on the constant pop up for the new Denzel Washington film. Yes I know they have to advertise the film but why can't you put it in a banner at the top of the page like everyone else and spot bugging the hell out of everyonw when I keeps popping up when your in the middle of readin something.
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JBrandMB
Jan 23rd 2013, 4:35
Loved Daredevil directors cut.
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Hadouken76
Jan 23rd 2013, 14:53
I Didnt know Tarantino was in Nightbreed. :)
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chrisrieley
Jan 24th 2013, 13:38
Suprised that the extended versions of Godfather 1 and 2 didn't make the 'cut' here. I used to have it in a massive VHS box set. Perhaps it was because they cut the 2 films chronologically, so you got all of the good stuff from G2 at the start...
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ariboy
Jan 25th 2013, 17:19
I think somebody has already pointed it out, but the write up for "Once Upon A Time In America" makes no sense? Or were those at Cannes simply treated to the same 229 minute cut we've seen for years?? I'm also amazed "The Shining" doesn't make this list.
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