10 Movies With Amazing Alternate Cuts

Warner BrothersThere's an argument to be made that some extended versions of films are made exclusively for the completionist, and are virtually useless for the average moviegoer. After all, the Lord of the Rings films are perfectly fine as they are, and only real Tolkien enthusiasts would feel the need for the 14-hour extravaganza that is the full extended trilogy. That's not to say that it isn't wonderful that we have them, but they're not absolutely necessary for your typical viewer. The real function of an alternate cut or an extended edition is to rescue a film that has been unfairly savaged by the unholy alliance of overzealous editors and money-grubbing producers. A lot of times the version of the films that makes it to theaters is not what the director originally intended audiences to see. Studios, after all, are under a lot of pressure to make a film that is going to be palatable to traditional audiences. Long run times, depressing endings, excess sex or violence -- these are all things that might get the kibosh on the run of the mill production. Occasionally, the director feels so hard done by that the studios feel pressured to release an alternate edition of the film, which features additional footage cut from the original release. Sometimes the new material comes off as self-indulgent, and you can see why it ended up on the cutting room floor, but everyone once in a while, it creates a masterpiece.