Friday Five: Best Director's Cut Movies You Can Stream Right Now

With most of us still stuck at home self-quarantining many have been passing the time catching up on binge watch lists (Tiger King, anyone?!?). For those of you looking to take a break from new(er) releases or old favorites there’s a lot out there to fill the cinematic gap — including some director’s cuts and extended editions that are worth a look.

It seems that almost every movie that comes out these days on Blu-ray, DVD, or streaming services includes an “Extended Cut”, a “Special Edition”, or an “Unrated” version. What this usually means is that the movie has scenes put back in that aren’t really necessary. There’s a reason scenes wind up on the cutting from floor — but not always. Sometimes the extended edition is better than the original theatrical release.

In today’s Friday Five I’ve rounded up five movies that are better after they got a little (or a big) makeover. From epics like Apocalypse Now and Once Upon a Time in America, to the classic black and white film noir thriller Touch of Evil these directors/extended cuts are definitely worth a watch.

1. BLADE RUNNER: THE FINAL CUT (1982)

Director, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner is now widely regarded as a sci-fi classic, but it received mixed reviews when it was released in 1982 and it quickly came and went at the box office. Stories about the studio interference before the movie’s release have become the stuff of legend, but the film found it’s audience over the years thanks to home video. There are several versions of Blade Runner out there— seven, to be exact. But the ultimate version will always be the "Final Cut" from 2007 which got rid of the narration, left us with an extra final brilliant shot, and fixed many of the plot holes present I'm the original. 

Find It: Netflix

2. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)

Sergio Leone’s gangster epic, Once Upon A Time In America premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in a cut that ran almost four and a half hours. The director trimmed 40 minutes out for the European theatrical bringing the run time down to 229 minutes. In America, the film was cut even more down to a 139 minute running time. That’s right — more than 90 minutes of the footage was cut, removing key subplots, motivational scenes, and worst of all, re-arranging the order of the scenes. The result was a film that was hard to follow, and even harder to care about. Do yourself a favor and watch the 229 minute version of this movie. It’s a Sergio Leone masterpiece.

Find It: $3.99 on Google Play

3. APOCALYPSE NOW: FINAL CUT  (1979)

It’s hard to improve on perfection, and many film critics have argued over the years Apocalypse Now is as close as there is to being a “perfect movie”. The 1979 Francis Ford Coppola masterpiece set during the Vietnam War stars Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Dennis Hopper and explores the duality of human nature (it’s based on Heart Of Darkness). Stories about the chaos on set have become legendary.  Coppola's Apocalypse Now Redux edit, released in 2001, added an additional 49 minutes of footage back into the movie and for awhile was considered the “definitive” version of the film. But in 2019 the director decided to release Apocalypse Now: Final Cut. According to Coppola, this is the best representation of what he wanted the movie to be. It’s roughly 14 minutes shorter than the 2001 Redux edit, making for a tighter and more focused version of the film.

Find It: $3.99 on Amazon Prime

4. Superman II — The Richard Donner Cut (1981)

The story behind Superman II is, much like some of the other films on this list, part of Hollywood legend. Original director Richard Donner wound up leaving the project and was replaced by Richard Lester after more than 90% of the film was already shot. Lester wasn’t a fan of Donner's version and decided to overhaul the whole film, giving it a more comedic tone. Lester’s version received positive reviews when Superman II was released at the box-office. But over the years, some fans wondered how the film would’ve turned out if Donner had been able to complete the film. In 2006 fans got their answer (or at least the closet they’ll get to one) with the release of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. Donner reworked the film using footage he’d shot before being dropped from the film, alongside some Lester footage — and even shots from screen tests. If you haven’t seen it you’ve been missing out. It’s definitely worth a watch and a nice taste of what “might have been.”

Find It: $3.99 on Amazon Prime

5. Touch Of Evil (1959)

After spending almost a decade in Europe Orson Welles planned on making his Hollywood comeback with 1958’s Touch of Evil. Sadly, it didn’t work out that way. Universal Pictures recut and reshot scenes from the movie with the help of journeyman director-editor Harry Keller before releasing it as a B movie. Welles fired off a detailed, 58-page memo listing dozens of suggested changes that Universal ignored. The studio’s 983-minute version of Touch of Evil was considered the definitive film for decades. In 1998, nearly 20 years after Welles’ death, several filmmakers used Welles' notes to create a movie "that was as close to his vision as possible." This version was released at the 1998 Telluride Film Festival, and includes extra scenes, tighter editing, and is better representation of everything that was brilliant about Welles filmmaking than the original theatrical release.

Find It: $3.99 on Amazon Prime

What are YOUR favorite directors/extended cuts? Let me know in the comment below!