Cut scenes, alternate endings, growing DVD collections

[thistlechaser]

For the first time all week, I actually had an hour to myself last night. I spent the first 10-15 minutes of it somewhat lost, searching for what MUSH work needed doing that I was forgetting about. Eventually it made it into my head that I actually had an hour (45 minutes by then) to do with as I wished.

Wow.

I stuck the Training Day DVD into the player, all excited to see all the extras. The box mentioned an alternate ending and cut scenes. Keen! Right? Well, not really... I always thought alternate endings and cut scenes were cut because of time issues... but these just didn't fit in the movie. They were clunky, they slowed the flow of things, they were right to be cut out. Hm. It was somewhat okay to see them (they're just a little more time spent with the characters of the movie), but... Donno. If the quality of them wasn't as high as the movie, and they didn't really fit into the flow of the plot, what's their value?

I've gone from having zero DVDs to having "a bunch" in no time flat. Two new ones came in last night. Devil's Own (Mmm, Brad Pitt with an Irish accent. I don't like Pitt normally, but I *loved* this movie.) and an Escaflowne box set. I'd make a long, detailed list like Tersa did, but I don't have nearly as many as hers. That I can recall:

* Ice Age (saw in the theater, haven't had time to watch it at home yet)
* Spirit (wanted to see in the theater, but missed it)
* Hearts in Atlantis (wanted to see in the theater, missed it, snatched the DVD. The book was better.)
* Harry Potter (first one)
* Training Day (Can't wait to have time to watch the whole movie again.)
* Devil's Own
* Escaflowne

I feel like I might be forgetting one or two, and okay maybe that's not a "bunch", but after pretty much ignoring DVDs it seems like a nice collection to me. :)

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Ooo, Escaflowne box set? Like, the entire series?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I wish. :)

Three disks. One is a movie, one is the "extras", and one is the soundtrack.

I'd love to get the whole series...

[aberdeen.livejournal.com]

Most of the cut scenes that are put on DVDs as extras are, IMO, right to have been cut. That doesn't make them less enjoyable to watch on their own, though. One of the directors I was listening to noted that these cut scenes were some of his favorites of the footage shot, but that they didn't belong in the movie - they slowed down the pace, or changed the tone of the movie, or whatnot. But he was really glad to have the chance to present them to the audience.
There are some that directors really wanted to keep in movies, but were cut for other reasons. Those are the ones that I hope get released as Director's Cuts, or with the ability to play those scenes in the sequence of the movie.
B

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think you have it right on the nose. I guess I was feeling off about this because I thought that the scenes were ones that really did belong in the movie... Ah well. I'll still watch them on their own.