Deleted scenes were the holy grail of the DVD revolution, this new format allowing fans to see moments and characters excised from the final cut for time or pacing. They can be a fascinating insight into the creative process and how the film developed. Yet the harsh truth is that most deleted scenes were cut with good reason; they might be really boring, repeat information learned somewhere else or maybe the acting wasnt good enough. There are some rare examples that are great (the famous Spider Walk from The Exorcist, for example) but most of them belong on the cutting room floor. In the era before deleted scenes became widely available there were certain scenes whispered about in hushed tones; alternate endings seen on television versions, deleted subplots or maybe extra gore in a horror movie. As is often the case, the anticipation was more exciting than the final result when these scenes started becoming available. No director has ever cut a sequence because they thought it was just too good, and often the missing footage fans obsess over ends up being incredibly disappointing. This list examines some of the most famous examples that might have been better off living in peoples imaginations.
