Summary
A lot can go into the making of a horror movie, but due to various issues from pacing to simply keeping within a certain runtime, scenes get removed in the editing room. In some cases, entire portions are reshot, for better or worse, which has led to the release of different director’s cuts on home video.
From monster movies to iconic slashers to horror movies that were already good, director’s cuts have become just as famous as the theatrical cuts. Not only do they give an insight as to what the director originally had in mind, which could lead to drastic tones and styles, but some director’s cuts manage to be superior to what came before.
8Saw 3
What Could Have Been An Epic Finale To The Franchise
Initially intended to be the epic finale for the gore-fueled horror franchise,Saw 3already features a lot with multiple plots going on at once. As a result, certain things were cut down by the studio but were later included in Darren Lynn Bousman’s director’s cut, which was only slightly longer, but enough to make a difference.
The extended cut ofSaw 3featured more gore and disturbing shots,thus extending every trap sequenceto be even worse to witness. New scenes, including the return of a legacy character from the first Saw film, were added to give the story more fan service, and it remained the longest Saw movie in the entire series beforeSaw Xcame out.
7Mimic
Guillermo Del Toro Hated The Theatrical Cut
While it was a mostlysuccessful horror movie of the 90s,Mimicwas despised by one important person: Guillermo Del Toro, the director. Del Toro expressed that he was not happy with howMimicturned out because producer Harvey Weinstein clashed with him, forcing certain choices, and denied the director any say on the final cut.
However, in 2011, Del Toro was allowed to come back and spliceMimiccloser tohow he would have wanted it. Deleted scenes were added, some scenes were reduced, others were extended, and the color grading was changed, and the result is a monster movie that Gullermo Del Toro as well as fans appreciate far more.
6Friday The 13th (2009)
Jason Voorhees Is More Deadly And Developed
Also known as The Killer Cut, theFriday The 13threboot was not loved by critics, which is commonwith slasher horror movie franchises, but it has become a beloved entry in the series thanks to its dark and gritty return to the classic style of slasher killer while updating Jason Voorhees to be at his most terrifying, and that is only enhanced with the extended cut.
As the name of the cut suggests, the Killer Cut ofFriday The 13thfeatures more of the kills that Jason is known for, especially in the already gruesome prologue sequence. However, there are also new scenes that develop Jason Voorhees as a character, showing that he is more than just a mindless killer.
5Stay Alive
A Movie About A Cursed Horror Game Should Never Be PG-13
It is not required for a movie to be R-rated to be good, but editing a movie likeStay Alive, which was made to be R-rated asa love letter to horror video gamesto have a PG-13 rating is not wise. The movie is about a group of friends who play a cursed horror game and begin to get killed in the real world as they were killed in the game.
In the PG-13 version, nearly all the death scenes are cutaways and are blatantly watered down, relying more on the tension and scares. However,Stay Aliveis considered far superior in the Unrated cut, featuring more gore to make for a darker and more fitting tone, whereas the theatrical cut’s tone was inconsistent.
4Alien
Ridley Scott Created The Definitive Version Of The Movie
Ridley Scott revolutionized sci-fi horror with 1979’sAlienandthe creation of the terrifying Xenomorph. In 2003, Ridley Scott was able to restore deleted scenes, including the now-beloved Xenomorph lair scene that helped generate multiple theories in the fanbase about what it was doing with its victims.
Other scenes in theAlienextended cut showcase more of the crew and flesh them out a bit more. More scenes with the Xenomorph are present, such as the extended death of Brett. Even the cat Jonesy gets extra time when he goes face-to-face with the perfect organism, and it may not be a lot of new, but it’s enough to help the movie feel expanded without slowing the pace.
3Doctor Sleep
Three Hours Of Pure Stephen King Horror
Adapting Stephen King’s novels into movies is no easy task as his stories are as long as they are complex, andDoctor Sleepis no different, while also being a legacy sequel toThe Shining. While the theatrical cut was already praised as a strong adaptation, director Mike Flanagan’s cut is also praised for over half an hour of extra content.
Focusing on character development,Doctor Sleepfeatures more scenes throughout that flesh out characters like Ewan McGregor’s Dan Torrence, Kyliegh Curran’s Abra, and Rebecca Ferguson’s Rose along with some extra fan service in the last act. It is longer at three hours, but the extended and extra scenes giveDoctor Sleepa streamlined pace that never feels too fast or slow.
2Aliens
More Action And Suspense Brought By James Cameron
James Cameron’sAlienswas already considered a master class in how to make a sequel, with many considering itthe best of the entireAlientimeline. However, in 2003, Cameron gave the same treatment to his film that Ridley did to the original, adding new scenes that flesh out certain aspects better.
Ellen Ripley’s story is given more depth, especially in the opening, which delves more into why she becomes so protective of Newt throughout the film. Newt is also introduced far earlier in the film with a sequence showing the colony before the Xenomorph infestation and there is more tension added by the now-famous auto turret scenes.
1Nightbreed
Clive Barker’s Cut Proves That Only He Should Control His Movies
Clive Barker is an unorthodox storyteller, but that’s also what makes him so memorable, creating beautifully graphic horror tales such asHellraiserandNightbreed. However,Nightbreedinitially was released as a version that Clive Barker was not happy with, stripping away much of his nuance and style forsomething akin to a slasher moviethat was more satisfactory to the studio.
However, in 2009, Clive Barker released his cut ofNightbreedwith over twenty minutes of new and alternate footage that transformed what was an unwatchable mess into a far more coherent story. It was what Clive Barker originally wanted, with a better tone, development of the titular monsters, and an alternate ending.
