It doesn’t just look that way. That is what’s happening. The “director’s cut” has become a staple of marketing Scott’s films on video. That said I do think the for-DVD cut (I think this terminology is more accurate) slightly improves Kingdom of Heaven and American Gangster, but still these films are disappointing in all forms.
i just found out it was released in cinemas 14th may and today is 21st september… that’s like 12-13 weeks between the original and directors cut!
i have a feeling they must be preparing the directors cut at the same time as editing the original
does ridley scott not care about his movies anymore? if he really cares about a film he should use that extra 12-13 weeks in making a better solitary film edit forgetting about dvd marketing cash-ins and everyone would be happier with the initial impression seeing it the first time
Aside the cynical marketing value, producers often make demands like ‘tone down those violent scenes, make it Blockbuster-friendly, keep the running time down’. Making two cuts means you can have your cake and eat it (Except that the value of the cinematic experience is reduced further, and it comes across as a cynical marketing ploy).
Now releasing your director’s cut at the cinema a few months after the first run is a purely $$ focused move..
^ precisely.
cha-ching$
I have no interest in any cut of this film
I don’t see how Robin Hood can be singled out like this. This has been a fact of the market for awhile now. In fact I think it works to benefit films in many ways. Studio’s release the shackles much more with the secondary market. We shouldn’t complain about that at all. If it results in a better film, then all the power to the director. Kingdom of Heaven for instance benefited enormously without the expectations of time constraints and such. There’s a presumed fact that the audience is more accepting of slower pace, etc on dvd/blurays. I’m not saying they’re right. Personally I would rather director’s had the freedom at the theatre through and through but it’s a fact of the system concessions are made to get more bums on seats.
If it’s just a couple of extended action scenes or even moments within action scenes, for an already terrible film, then no one is worse off either.
like2sleep
i saw ridley scott’s robin hood a few months ago at the cinema and now the dvd is being advertised as a directors cut
surely it should be years before ridley scott is familiar with his theatrical film and any additional footage for a comprehensive and dedicated director’s cut
i mean the way it is advertised just looks like the producers are desperately saying look we know the original version wasn’t great but now u can expect a true directors vision which is insulting our intelligence really