Example:
The Cave (2005)
Quite good B-movie horror very little in way or special features although material is available.
Two articles on it.
https://movieweb.com/movieweb-goes-into-the-cave-with-cole-hauser/
http://horror-movie-a-day.blogspot.com/2008/05/cave.html
Seems like they butchered the movie going up against the descent 2005 and tried to turn it into a TV movie. There are obvious cut’s going on. Cole Hauser stresses that a directors cut will come out… Never did. Article sites numerous fades to black to insert TV adverts not Theatrical. Very little gore for a horror film. Opening mountain shots had flicker on it on my Dvd. No profanity when in a very streesful situation f-bombs are no doubt censored.
I thought the film was pretty good though. Good special effects. Trailer has extra stuff in it not in the film a tell tale sign something or quite a few things changed. Was Rushed editing was rushed.
Idea - Release a directors cut or unrated extended cut or deleted scenes on the side with the film. A directors cut or unrated cut would be preferable. Give this movie a chance to be a horror film and have more character engadgement. Sound effect of sonic scanning machine was well dodgy find a different sound effect! Ruined the use of it. Credits song was poor also. Audio was good for most part though but could do with some edits. Heartbeat style score music was very good. 2 soundtracks were released one for score one for licensed heavy metal music. Problem is heavy metal does not fit with catacombs or underwater caves… Needed something else there. Poor judgement on atmoshere. Another matter of Dialogue when Divers have regulators in their mouth should not only not be able to talk but the silence and lack of communication would benefit those scenes cave diving. I think the diving sign language element was cut out which I would assume could of played a part in not being detected by the creatures also. But some of the dialogue could have been prep talk deleted scenes before the dive whilst other dialogue were just forced ADR and did not a lot. Removing dialogue from those parts would be the way to go and restore whatever the original plan was before films running time was sacrificed.
Collect together all scattered extras from various releases or construct new documentary. Especially on the set’s and the expert cave divers and the story / lore and special effects and location shoots.
This film deserves a 2nd chance although it’s always pitched against 2005 the descent almost as if this film does not exist. The creatures make more sense than in the descent in the cave. I can’t help but feel there is a better movie locked in a can somewhere. I miss films like this we don’t get this quality production set’s in Horror that much these days it’s all green screen cheap crap. Give this film another chance.
https://theasc.com/magazine/aug05/cave/page1.html
Here is an interview with Bruce Hunt
https://youtu.be/m7eZFu7_0rw?si=QD3sEBMxBdwRclG6
The bit where he talks about “the cave” starts at 19.55
He confirms there were many changes imposed and he did not have the control he would have liked in the editing room. I doubt it was shot but the opening in the church was meant to be Nazi Soldiers not Brittish and Russian. I guess the Nazi soldiers were written out but still. It confirms that the film was meant to be R rated and a different tone. No doubt it had character beats lost. Directors resume includes Dark City and The Matrix trilogy as well as Austrailia with Hugh Jackman. Mostly 2nd Unit but a talented guy who had very little control over his first and only directional effort.