What is your favorite versions of the following movies: Apocalypse Now, Alien, Aliens, Blade Runner and Terminator 2?

Hello everyone! I'm just curious to see which cuts people like of these films which have various cuts floating about. These are some of my favorite movies, so I'm curious to hear the opinions of everyone hear at originaltrilogy.com on them. Here are what you have to choose from:

The Choices of Cuts:

Apocalypse Now- 1979 Theatrical, Redux, or the Workprint

Alien- Theatrical or "Director's"

Aliens- Theatrical or Special Edition

Blade Runner- the Workprint, 1982 US Theatrical, 1982 International Theatrical, the Director's Cut, and the Final Cut

Terminator 2- Theatrical, Special Edition, or Hidden (ultra-extended) cut

When you answer about your favorite cuts, can you please clearly tell your favorite cut and briefly explain why.

My Choices

Apocalypse Now- 1979 Theatrical; I didn't particularly like the extra material in Redux and thought that it was mostly extraneous. The French dinner completely broke the pacing and mood of the movie, pulling the film to a hold. Additionally, the Playboy scene made the characters seem less sympathetic. The added stops in the journey destroyed the feel of isolation as the crew could easily stop at places. Most of all, I really despised the scene where Kurtz's face was seen in full view, as it ruined the mystery about him. As for the workprint, I don't like it much for the same reasons; however, I do miss Apocalypse Pooh.

Alien- I like the theatrical simply because it was perfect and suspenseful. The director's cut didn't add anything really bad or good.

Aliens- I like the theatrical because all the added scenes of the Special Edition interrupt the pacing of the movie. The movie becomes more bloated in the Special Edition and it starts dragging. The sense of fast pacing and rising terror with Aliens is replaced by more interesting, albeit extraneous exposition.

Blade Runner- The workprint seems by far the best version of Blade Runner. Though "noir"-ish, the narration of the theatrical cuts seems to give too much information and leaves not much for the audience to guess. The Director's Cut and the Final Cut are interesting but Deckard should not be a replicant! It undermines the man vs machine themes of Blade Runner and kills the original "dream/unique Rachel" meaning of the origami unicorn.

Terminator 2- My favorite cut is the Special Edition. Though a bit superfluous at time, the added scenes don't interrupt the pacing too badly. Also, they give pretty interesting information and add a lot of depth to the story.

So that's my choices. I'd love to hear yours! If you'd like a movie to be added to this thread, simply suggest it and I'll add it to the thread title and this initial post.

Aliens - SE, mainly because of the scene where Ripley learns her daughter is dead.  Why was this not included in the Theatrical?  It makes her connection to Newt that much more believable.

^Oh yeah, spoiler alert!

T2 - SE.  The ultra-secret-super-extended-SE sucked Arnold-balls because it just included the alternate ending (IIRC) and it's a terrible scene.

The Aluminum Falcon said:

Hello everyone! I'm just curious to see which cuts people like of these films which have various cuts floating about. These are some of my favorite movies, so I'm curious to hear the opinions of everyone hear at originaltrilogy.com on them. Here are what you have to choose from:

The Choices of Cuts:

Apocalypse Now- 1979 Theatrical, Redux, or the Workprint

Alien- Theatrical or "Director's"

Aliens- Theatrical or Special Edition

Blade Runner- the Workprint, 1982 US Theatrical, 1982 International Theatrical, the Director's Cut, and the Final Cut

Terminator 2- Theatrical, Special Edition, or Hidden (ultra-extended) cut

 

Apocolypse Now: Theatrical (only one I've seen)

Alien: Theatrical. The added scenes slowed down the movie too much

Aliens: Special Edition. It added a little more heart to the film.

BLADE RUNNER! FINAL CUT! This version of the film is perfection. My favorite change is when they fixed the Zhora stunt-double

T2: Judgment Day: Special Edition. The added scenes, especially the Reese sequence, should have always been there.

Apocalypse Now - Theatrical. Brilliant. Redux is interesting in some ways but the pace is terrible and the plantation scene is super boring, the film has no impact.

Alien - Director's Cut, but only barely. Nothing wrong with the theatrical, I just like the added scenes and couple of nips in the DC, find it slightly stronger. Should have cut out the cocoon scene though but its not a deal breaker.

Aliens - The first version of this I saw was the "TV version" and it's still my favourite. It adds the scene where Ripley finds out about her daughter, all the scenes in the sentry guns sequences and the moment at the end where Ripley and Hicks exchange names. All the best footage from the SE, IMO. Otherwise, I find the SE too bloated and prefer the tighter theatrical (but I miss those three deleted sections).

Blade Runner - Final Cut. Every change improved the original and none of them detracted. Definitive version of the film.

Terminator 2 - Theatrical. I like the terminator-John Conner moments in the desert and an extension here and there but otherwise find the SE unnecessarily bloated. The original is stronger. Like Aliens an ideal version for me is in between the two but since there isn't one I watch the theatrical. I miss those desert scenes though.

Apocalypse Now
Theatrical all the way.  "Redux" lags really badly - it's a chore to sit through rather than a treat.  Never seen the workprint.

Alien
Theatrical as well.  The cocoon scene slows the pace down too much, and while I like some of the other additions to the DC, I wish some things hadn't been cut out.  This one's more of a toss-up, though, I could watch either and be happy.

Aliens
Neither.  I prefer the Special Edition overall, but hate the scenes on LV-426 before the Marines arrive.  I guess I'd go with theatrical, but I do really like most of the Special Edition, so I have to say neither.

Blade Runner
Final Cut.  I may be biased as this is the only version I've seen in a movie theater, but I don't care.  It's pretty much perfect IMO.

Terminator 2
Special Edition.  Theatrical feels stunted and incomplete.  Admittedly, the SE is a little bloated, but I'd rather have too much of a good thing than not enough.

Great topic! My choices:

Apocalypse Now- 1979 Theatrical

One of my all-time favorite movies. I feel that Redux really messed with the pacing without adding anything substantial thematically that's not already there. A good watch for a fan, but I've argued many times that the first time you see AN, it has to be the theatrical.

Alien- Theatrical

Aliens- Special Edition

I wish there was a true "director's cut" of Alien 3. I think there's an above-average movie hiding somewhere in between the theatrical and assembly cut. Fan edits have gotten close, but fall short in various places.

Blade Runner- The Final Cut

A brilliant film refined to its utmost. I got to see the Final Cut in theaters, and it was amazing.

Terminator 2- Special Edition

Actually, I prefer ADigitalMan's fanedit that adds in the T-1000 searching John's room.

asterisk8 said:Blade Runner- The Final Cut

A brilliant film refined to its utmost. I got to see the Final Cut in theaters, and it was amazing.

 Aside from seeing SW in 1997, the one screening of Blade Runner I saw in 2007 of the Final Cut was the most awesome, awe-inspiring theatrical experience I have ever had. I still remember, the first time there was that bass-thunder in the opening credits, it's the most powerful sound I have heard other than seeing Manowar live, and Manowar are the loudest band in the world. Like Star Wars, this film cannot be seen nor heard until it's seen and heard on the big screen, and the Final Cut is the most technically accomplished incarnation of it. My memory of this screening still lingers.

All theatrical except Blade Runner. As Paul Hirsch just said in an interview, things are cut for a reason. My only real beef with the Blade Runner final-cut is it's so dark now I can't see all the little tchotchkes and shit they spent so much time on with the set design, it looks very modern. And I've tried to be open-minded about the whole Deckard-replicant thing but there's still one big hurdle I just can't get over. Watch the last scene when Ford finds the unicorn. THAT'S his reaction? "Well, I guess I'm a robot."  I'm sure we'd all react that way when realizing all our memories are fake and we're probably gonna die soon.

zombie84 said:

 Aside from seeing SW in 1997, the one screening of Blade Runner I saw in 2007 of the Final Cut was the most awesome, awe-inspiring theatrical experience I have ever had. I still remember, the first time there was that bass-thunder in the opening credits, it's the most powerful sound I have heard other than seeing Manowar live, and Manowar are the loudest band in the world. Like Star Wars, this film cannot be seen nor heard until it's seen and heard on the big screen, and the Final Cut is the most technically accomplished incarnation of it. My memory of this screening still lingers.

I wholeheartedly agree. I saw Blade Runner opening night of The Final Cut's release at Music Box Theater in Chicago -- a gorgeous 800-seat theater built in the 1920s that resembles the inside of an aging cinephile's mind. Its atmosphere perfectly complemented the film. It was electric in there. I saw the recent Metropolis restoration there too, which I'll also never forget.

That sounds pretty awesome. Like SW 1997, I had seen the films a million times on video but seeing it in remastered form on the big screen was like seeing it for the first time. I wish I could repeat both of those experiences. I missed a screening of a 1982 print last month but its not the same. The Final Cut really was a life-changing screening like I've never had, and this is coming from someone who was slightly disapointed when he first saw BR DC three years earlier. As much as the film grows on you, unless you see and hear it on the big screen, you will never never truely truely know the film.

Apocalypse Now:
Didn't see it, not planning to.

Alien:
I like both Versions, but I did not watch them so often that I can tell which one I like more. Isn't the DC even shorter than the theatrical?

Aliens:
I think I only know the SE.

Blade Runner:
Bored to death with either version.

Terminator 2:
I really like the SE, though it was released almost 15 years too late in Germany. I don't know the extended-whatever-cut. Did they only add the alternate ending? Or the scene where the T-1000 searches John's room, too?

Anchorhead said:

Aliens - Haven't seen, never going to.

Why not?

I first saw "Blade Runner" as the directors cut. Ive sense seen the theatrical cut, and prefer the director's cut.

All those other movies, I've only seen the 'normal' editions. I just don't see a big need to bother seeing a different version... same for the 18 new versions of "Blade Runner" that seem to be available.

doubleofive said:

 

asterisk8 said:

Anchorhead said:

Aliens - Haven't seen, never going to.

Why not?

Are you really asking Anchorhead why he refuses to watch a sequel to a movie that came out in the 70's? ;-)

LOL!

doubleofive said:

definitely didn't fit into canon with the extra stage of the Xenomorph lifecycle.

The xenomorph has an extra stage in the DC? I'm going to have to read up on that. I recently rewatched the first three Alien films (Theatrical, DC, and Q2 fanedit respectively), and I have to say it's a fascinating, and terrifying, personal journey that Ripley undertakes. I noticed she never manages to get back to Earth. I also realized for the first time that Alien is really about rape. So much genital symbolism, the facehugger shoves an organ down your throat and plants a seed in you that bursts out in a violent parody of childbirth. Suddenly, the whole thing became much creepier to me.

Apone said:

A xenomorph?

I don't see why it isn't plausible that in the absence of a queen, a lone alien could instigate an alternate reproductive process where eggs can be created out of hosts. Its like how some reptiles and amphibians can change their genders in a single-gender environment in order to ensure procreation, a cool survival mechanism. According to Alien, the creatures have a lifespan of only a day or two, which is evolutionary suicide unless every specimen can reproduce on the spot, which in the film is exactly what it starts doing from the moment it matures. It also explains why it would be attacking and carrying off people if there was no queen. So, a queen can be used for mass-producing eggs in a colony/hive environment, or single specimens can reproduce using hosts on a one-to-one basis for pure survival reasons.

Wait, so Dallas was turning into a facehugger egg? I need to see this scene. I'd only read that he was cocooned and just assumed it was similar to the cocooned colonists scene in Aliens.