What Is a Director’s Cut? Definition & Examples From Films

What is a director’s cut DVD? According to DVD experts, it is a DVD release that has been “edited” by the director.

In other words, it is a DVD release that has been altered in such a way that it better suits the vision of the director.

What Is A Director’s Cut?

There are many Blu-Ray and DVD distributors that offer director-cut DVD movies.

These DVD releases often come with a special “cut” of the movie that adds extra elements or makes other changes that the distributor desires.

These DVD releases are not released through standard DVD distribution channels. Instead, these are normally offered through online retailers that specialize in DVD rentals.

A director-cut DVD contains all of the special and/or other elements that the distributor wants to include in the release.

It is usually a condensed version of the original release. The length of time for which it is presented varies from one distributor to another.

Typically the cut DVD will be presented for a shorter period than the original movie because of the time and cost it takes to properly edit the DVD.

An example of a cut DVD is the Quentin Tarantino-directed Pulp Fiction.

The movie was originally shown in what was called a “special screening” at the Sundance Film Festival.

In order to get the film shown at the festival, the filmmakers had to edit the movie to remove certain scenes they felt were offensive to some audiences.

   

They also had to cut out portions of the sex scenes that they felt took away from the viewing experience for some people.

Cut DVDs are not necessarily bad. In fact, some distributors offer them as a bonus for people who purchase the original release.

The only reason to consider a cut DVD is if you want the option of watching the movie without any extra or different elements.

If you like the film and have not seen the version that was edited, it may be interesting to you to view the alternative version and see how it compares to the director’s cut version.

One thing that many people find offensive about directors’ cuts is the use of stock footage. Some distributors use this technique more than others.

For example, in Star Wars you would never expect to see any planet outside the Death Star, and yet you see these clips being used by almost every Star Wars movie ever made.

This seems to suggest that although Star Wars fans love Star Wars, they have little respect for the directors of these films, and as a result, choose to view the less pleasant elements of the Star Wars franchise through the cut release.

If this is the case with you, and you prefer the original version to any other version, then why not see what is in the original instead of waiting until you have acquired the less pleasant cut?

Director’s Cut DVDs

A director’s cut DVD can contain special scenes, alternate endings, deleted scenes, or other special effects that the director did not intend to include.

It also may have some interviews or other segments that were not included in the original release. The DVD master copy would have been altered, which is why it is called a director’s cut.

Why would anyone want to make a cut on a DVD? A DVD release that has been altered is more legitimate than a pure uncut DVD.

A DVD should always remain intact and all DVD extras, such as trailers, interviews, trailers, and other extras should be intact.

Even if the DVD master copy has been altered, any extras still remaining should remain intact.

Why would a person want to make a cut on a DVD? Some DVD releases are actually edited to remove scenes that may have been offensive to some audiences.

   

Other DVD releases are done so that the director can better connect with his or her audience. Other times DVD releases are done in increments to increase the drama, genre, or overall tone of the film.