Edition Philosophy
Back to WikiBy default, Dictionarry's profiles prefer the 'Special' Edition of each movie. This is because these editions are often considered the more 'definitive' version of the movie because they contain the director's complete creative vision without studio interference or runtime constraints, and are often recommended over their theatrical counterparts.
| Movie | Preferred Version | Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| Aliens (1986) | Special | James Cameron's Special Edition enhances the film with crucial character development, particularly the scenes about Ripley's daughter which add emotional depth to her relationship with Newt. While the theatrical cut has tighter pacing, the added content like the sentry gun sequences adds valuable world-building and tension. The colony scenes provide important context that enriches rather than spoils the story. |
| Blade Runner (1982) | Final Cut | The Final Cut (2007) is considered the definitive version over theatrical, workprint, and Director's Cut releases. It removes the theatrical's controversial voice-over narration and "happy ending" that were studio-mandated and disliked by cast and crew. It preserves the original's ambiguous ending about Deckard's nature while fixing numerous continuity errors and technical issues. Key improvements include: cleaned up wire removal in spinner scenes, fixed lip sync in Zhora's death scene, digital correction of the obvious stunt double's face, properly matching the number of replicants mentioned to those shown, correction of the dove release scene's obvious day-for-night shooting, improved color timing that better matches Jordan Cronenweth's original cinematography, and restoration of the full unicorn dream sequence that better supports the film's central mysteries. While some defend elements of other versions (particularly the 1992 Director's Cut), the Final Cut represents Ridley Scott's complete creative vision with modern technical capabilities to properly realize it. |
| The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003) | Extended Editions | Each film's Extended Edition adds crucial character development, world-building and plot points that enrich the story: Fellowship adds the gift-giving scene and more Lothlorien. Two Towers expands Boromir/Faramir's backstory, adds Theodred's funeral for deeper Rohan culture. Return of the King adds the Witch King destroying Gandalf's staff, Saruman's fate, and House of Healing. The additional 30-50 minutes per film are so seamlessly integrated that many fans consider these the definitive versions. |
| Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) | Ultimate Edition | The 3-hour cut restores crucial plot threads that explain character motivations and fill plot holes. Added scenes show Superman actually helping people, Lex's manipulation of both heroes, and clearer reasons for the African incident blamed on Superman. The extended cut makes the story more coherent while better developing both protagonists' perspectives. |
| The Abyss (1989) | Special Edition | The extended version restores a crucial tidal wave sequence that better explains the aliens' motivations and adds a stronger environmental message to the ending. Additional scenes provide more context for the NTIs (non-terrestrial intelligence) and their purpose, while expanding character relationships. Most notably, the restored ending gives the film a more impactful and complete conclusion that Cameron originally intended. |
| Midsommar (2019) | Director's Cut | The 171-minute version adds key scenes that provide deeper insight into the relationship dynamics, particularly Christian's gaslighting of Dani. Additional folk-horror rituals and customs make the Hårga community feel more developed and their practices more grounded. The added character moments make the emotional climax more impactful. |
| I Am Legend (2007) | Alternate Version | This version's different ending completely changes the meaning of the title and stays truer to Richard Matheson's novel. Instead of Smith's character killing himself to stop the creatures, he realizes they are actually intelligent beings protecting their own, making him the monster of their legends - their "legend." This ending better serves the film's themes about humanity and perspective. |
| Watchmen (2009) | Director's Cut | The 186-minute version adds essential character depth and crucial plot elements from the graphic novel, including more of Hollis Mason and his death scene. The extended cut better develops the complexity of the alternate 1985 setting and the moral ambiguity of its characters. The Ultimate Cut, which adds the Tales of the Black Freighter animation, is considered by some fans to be even more complete, though the Director's Cut is the most widely preferred version. |
| Superman II (1980/2006) | The Richard Donner Cut | Released 26 years after the theatrical version, Donner's cut restores his original vision before he was replaced by Richard Lester. It removes the slapstick comedy, restores Marlon Brando's scenes as Jor-El, and features a different ending that ties better to the first film. The more serious tone and stronger character development make it the preferred version for most fans. |
However, while special editions often expand and enrich films, theatrical versions have their own merits that many cinephiles and critics prefer. Theatrical cuts typically offer tighter pacing, maintain the mystery of intentional ambiguity, and preserve the historical significance of films as they were originally experienced by audiences. Here's why some prefer theatrical versions:
| Movie | Preferred Version | Key Reasons |
|---|---|---|
| Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) | Theatrical | The theatrical cut is nearly perfect in pacing and storytelling. The extended cut's additional scenes (like T-1000 glitching after freezing, John reprogramming the T-800) are interesting but unnecessary. The theatrical version maintains better tension and momentum. Most notably, the "happy ending" playground scene in the theatrical cut is preferred to the extended cut's darker alternate ending. |
| Alien (1979) | Theatrical | The theatrical version is considered a masterpiece of pacing. The Director's Cut adds scenes that, while interesting (like Ripley finding Dallas in the cocoon), actually harm the rapid-fire tension of the final act. Scott himself has stated he prefers the theatrical cut. |
| Star Wars (1977) | Theatrical | The original theatrical cut is considered more pure and less cluttered than later "Special Editions". Fans particularly dislike added CGI elements and the infamous "Han shot first" change. The pacing of the theatrical cut is also tighter. |
| The Empire Strikes Back (1980) | Theatrical | Like A New Hope, fans strongly prefer the unaltered theatrical version. The Special Edition's added CGI and altered effects (like the Emperor hologram replacement, added windows in Cloud City) are considered unnecessary changes to a perfect film. The original practical effects and cinematography are considered superior. |
| Return of the Jedi (1983) | Theatrical | The theatrical version is preferred over the Special Edition's controversial additions, particularly the changed ending music and added CGI celebration scenes. The "Jedi Rocks" musical number in Jabba's Palace is one of the most criticized Special Edition changes. The original Ewok celebration song "Yub Nub" is often preferred to the new ending. |
| Apocalypse Now (1979) | Theatrical | While Redux (2001) and the Final Cut add interesting material, many feel the additions (especially the French plantation sequence) harm the pacing and dilute the core narrative. The theatrical cut maintains better tension and forward momentum. |
| The Exorcist (1973) | Theatrical | "The Version You've Never Seen" adds the famous "spider walk" scene and several other moments, but the theatrical cut's pacing is superior. The original version better maintains its sense of building dread. |
| Donnie Darko (2001) | Theatrical | The Director's Cut over-explains the film's mythology through added scenes and graphics, removing much of the mystery that made the original so compelling. The theatrical cut's ambiguity encourages viewer interpretation. |
| Amadeus (1984) | Theatrical | The theatrical cut maintains better pacing and tighter focus on the central Salieri-Mozart conflict. Director's Cut adds 20 minutes of historical context and servant relationships that, while interesting, don't enhance the core psychological drama. The theatrical version better preserves the opera-like structure of the narrative. |
| Payback (1999) | Theatrical | The theatrical version's blue-tinted color scheme better fits the neo-noir tone. The original ending with Kris Kristofferson provides a more satisfying conclusion than the Director's Cut ("Straight Up" version"). Mel Gibson's voice-over is more engaging, and the slightly lighter tone makes Porter more sympathetic while maintaining the film's edge. Despite extensive studio interference, the theatrical cut became more commercially and critically successful. |
| Almost Famous (2000) | Theatrical | While the "Untitled: The Bootleg Cut" adds interesting character moments and music scenes, the theatrical cut's tighter 122-minute runtime provides better pacing and more focused storytelling. Cameron Crowe's theatrical version better captures the whirlwind feeling of being on tour, while the 40 extra minutes in the extended cut, though enjoyable for fans, can make the journey feel too leisurely. |
A Custom Format: Special Edition (Unwanted) has been created to negate special editions for these specific movies, but does not yet work due to radarr/sonarr's parsing of release titles. The parsed 'Title' is removed from the release title, so you can't actually identify movies from custom formats (yet). Once this becomes possible, a single profile will be able to selectively prefer theatrical releases over special ones.
To mimic this behaviour in the current system, you have to copy the profile you want to use and set it's Special Edition score to the negative of whatever it was. Then apply the profile to whatever movie you want in it's theatrical version.
Last updated April 4, 2025
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