5. Almost Famous
Theatrical: 122 minutesExtended: 164 minutes Almost Famous is all about its period setting and music-obsessed subjects awash together in a youthful '70s reverie of drugs, Bowie and promiscuous sex. The 'Untitled' cut, which adds over 40 minutes, offers up nothing in the way of new story. The original plot was already pretty basic: an aspiring music journalist (Patrick Fugit) tours the U.S. with rock band Stillwater, along with its numerous hangers-on, groupies etcetera. What the Untitled edition does do is allow the viewer time to soak in the hazy, sun-kissed atmosphere and witness more nourished versions of some wonderful characters, including Philip Seymour Hoffman's acidic rock critic Lester Bangs, Billy Crudup's heartthrob guitarist Russell Hammond and Kate Hudson's queen of the groupies, Penny Lane. The 'bootleg' cut adds more dimensions to the doomed affair between Russell and Penny, highlighting the great performances of Crudup and Hudson, while giving a clearer look at the dynamic of Hammond's fracturing band, of whom manager Dick (an exceptional Noah Taylor) gets deserved extra screen-time. Like Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused, watching Almost Famous is for hanging out with the characters, enjoying the killer soundtrack and having a good time - the extended edition is like a sweet party, longer. Once you've seen the Untitled cut, it's hard to go back.