Movies that are just too long.

[akiratubo]

The '05 King Kong is a great movie, it's just too damn long.  I got the DVD today so ...

Gonna rip it to my computer and edit out that 90 minutes or so of unnecessary footage. :)

(I'm not going to sell it to anyone or make it available for download, so please don't sue me if you work for Peter Jackson.  This is just for my own amusement.)

What movies would you like to take the axe to in order to improve them?

[Jim H]

Ninja Death 1, 2 and 3.  I've got a plan to edit them down into arounda 2 hour movie, combined otherwise it runs 4.5 hours or so.  Lots of dead weight, but it could be great.

[Ash]

I didn't think King Kong was long at all.
It moves at such a fast pace that I didn't realize that I was already an hour into it while watching it.
King would have sucked if it had been shorter.

You want a really long movie that feels like a really long movie?

The Last Emperor

[akiratubo]

ASHTHECAT Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I didn't think King Kong was long at all.
> It moves at such a fast pace that I didn't realize
> that I was already an hour into it while watching
> it.
> King would have sucked if it had been shorter.
>
> You want a really long movie that feels like a
> really long movie?
>
> The Last Emperor

What I'll cut out is mainly in the voyage to Skull Island.  We didn't need to see it in the '33 version, we don't need to see it now.

I will agree with you that The Last Emperor feels even longer than it really is.  And it isn't short.

[odinn7]

Gigli...it was about 90 minutes too long.

Titanic...I was forced to watch this bloated crap years ago and recall wishing that I had the balls to pull my eyeballs out so I didn't have to endure it anymore.

I will catch hell for this I am sure but...all LOTR movies...I just can't stay awake for them...they bore me.

[Ash]

odinn7 Wrote:
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I will catch hell for this I am sure but...all
> LOTR movies...I just can't stay awake for
> them...they bore me.

I gotta agree with odinn on the LOTR bit.
I want to get into them...I really do.
But they do bore the s**t outta me!

So ok, a few great scenes are in each.
It's all the in between crap (any scene with Frodo & Sam) that puts me to sleep.

[Mr_Vindictive]

odinn7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> I will catch hell for this I am sure but...all
> LOTR movies...I just can't stay awake for
> them...they bore me.
>


I'm with you on that.  Although I'm a bit fond of the LOTR films, it's all I can do to stay awake while watching one.



Akira,

As for ripping King Kong, be ready for some bad sector protecion on that disc.  I recommend using "AnyDVD" if you aren't already.  :)

[trekgeezer]

You guys aren't in LOTR or you could easily sit through them. There are actually whole subplots left out of them.  Not a single bit of them is boring, you guys aren't into it or something like that.


As far as King Kong, the trip was necessary for the story Jackson was telling. I do believe there were about 20 minutes on the island that could've been whacked without affecting anything.

[akiratubo]

trek_geezer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You guys aren't in LOTR or you could easily sit
> through them. There are actually whole subplots
> left out of them.  Not a single bit of them is
> boring, you guys aren't into it or something like
> that.

Something like that.  I tried to read TFoTR a long time ago ... couldn't get into it.  The movies just felt too rushed while also being too long.  They skipped over all that silly plot and just gave us action scenes, most of which were people running around shaking swords and going "Ahhhhhhhh!"

> As far as King Kong, the trip was necessary for
> the story Jackson was telling. I do believe there
> were about 20 minutes on the island that could've
> been whacked without affecting anything.

The story he was telling isn't necessarily the story I wanted to see. ;)  Or, rather, it is but it's buried under a lot of other stuff and I need to dig it out.

[Ash]

Concerning King Kong,
I could've cared less for any of the ship's crew except the captain.
(he was cool AND he saved their asses!)

Jackson spent time too much time focusing on the kleptomaniac kid that Hayes found in the cargo hold and their relationship.
I disliked both characters and felt that the screen time devoted to them were a waste.

[plan9superfan]

"Moonwalker".

I think the opening segement, "Man in the MIrror", wasn't really necessary. I mean, it didn't have a story or MIchael doing anything cool, it was just him in a concert, singing. And that is not exactly one of his best songs.

I would also cut out the wole introduction in the "Smooth Criminal" segement, and just open it with Michael running from Mr. Big's henchmen.

[Andrew]

Five hideous words:  "The Trial of Billy Jack."

Deanzille, aka "Godzilla" (1998) is also padded all to heck.  I could have done without the "Jurassic Park" raptor scene ripoff with the baby Godzillas.  

Oh, and "Jungle Hell" could have cut out one or two scenes where Sabu beat up Kumar without losing anything.  I would not cut any elephant footage out of that one though, it really makes the film.

[plan9superfan]

Man, your review of "Jungle Hell" made me p**s my pants with laughter.


"I know what he's poiinting at: STOCK ELEPHANT FOOTAGE!"

[The Burgomaster]

David Lynch's DUNE comes to mind.  Of course, I probably would have hated that movie even if it had been cut down to 88 minutes.

Ang Lee's HULK would be better (but still disappointing) if they chopped about 15 - 20 minutes out of it.

 

[dean]

On another note, what about films that sorely lack some parts, despite being a full length film?  Or even a shorter film that could have done with a bit of extra time?  Or maybe you were just really enjoying the film, and was so into it that you were dissappointed it ended so quickly, despite having, say a two hour running time [Scarface, I'm looking at you here...]  

From what I've heard, Daredevil is [marginally] better in the extended director's cut version of the film.

First thing that comes to mind is the Anime short film 'Blood: the Last Vampire.'  I bought it on a whim, and sat down to watch it only to have the movie end 45 minutes into it [I didn't pay attention to the running time.]  It basically ended the film right when I was starting to get into it, and I felt there was a whole half missing from the movie.  The half that was there though was pretty good.

Also I agree on the [new] King Kong call, though I'm not complaining by any means [I just enjoyed it, even though the Skull Island plot went on for quite a while too long.]