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James Cameron
The Film: Aliens
Year: 1992
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What makes it special?: The Aliens Special Edition splits fans right across the middle, like Bishop after a run-in with the Alien Queen. The 17-ish minutes of additional material we were first shown during its television premiere in 1989, with two further scenes incorporated into the 1992 laserdisc release. Unlike most special editions on this list, rather than mere visual effects tweaks Cameron adds in lengthy new scenes which, for the most part, create a genuinely experience.
Ripley discovering that her daughter died as an old woman is crucial to the themes of motherhood throughout the film; the sentry gun scenes add tension and a sense of hopelessness to the marines’ plight; and Hudson’s monologue during the Sulaco drop contains lines which might have become as iconic as “Game over man, game over,” had they been included originally, such as, “Me and my squad of ultimate bad-asses will protect you!” or, “We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks…”
However, the most significant new addition is a tension-killer and arguably ruins the first half of the film as we actually see the colonists on LV-426 and witness the Jordens as they happen across the Space Jockey’s ship from the first film. Skip this scene, however, and you’ve got the definitive version of Aliens . Curiously, the Special Edition was the only version available on VHS and DVD for years, at least until the DVD Quadrilogy.
The Film: The Abyss
Year: 1993
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What makes it special? If there’s one thing we’ve learnt so far, it’s that when it comes to special editions you have to take the rough with the smooth. When it comes to The Abyss , however, there is no rough. It’s the Barry White of Special Editions. We’d even go as far as to say it’s the only version you should consider watching – even at a near three-hour runtime.
The most egregious omission from the original theatrical cut isn’t the climactic wave sequence, but the scene aboard the alien vessel, where the NTI’s communicate with Bud using television broadcasts. Cutting this scene meant the loss of an entire sub-plot and the clarity of the movie’s message – that humanity still has it within itself the ability not to destroy the planet.
The wave sequence is the most infamous omission though, cut by Cameron himself (not the studio) because of concerns over the film’s runtime and ILM’s ability to complete the sequence in time. It was first made available on laserdisc in 1993 after the success of Terminator 2: Judgment Day secured Cameron $500,000 to complete work on The Abyss , abandoned three years earlier, including recording new dialogue, cleaning up effects work with ILM’s new tools and inserting over a dozen new scenes. In all, the 2001 DVD release lists 29 changes in its swanky inlay. You don’t see enough nice inlays these days.
The Film: Terminator 2
Year: 1993 and 2001
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What makes it special? Several scenes were shot during the making of Terminator 2 which were cut from the final film, mainly for reasons of time and pacing, which makes the theatrical cut Cameron’s preferred Director’s cut. However, there are a number of interesting additions to the special edition which make it a must-watch for fans of T2 and our preferred version.
The biggest difference is a dream sequence featuring a cameo from Michael Biehn as Kyle Reese, who visits Sarah in the hospital. Cameron cut the scene to avoid confusion among those members of the audience who hadn’t seen the first film. Other additions include a scene where the T-1000 kills John Connor’s dog Max and a neat in-camera effects shot where Sarah removes the microchip from the T-800’s head. As she tries to destroy it, John stops her. His actions are critical – an important milestone on his road to becoming the leader of the human race. There’s also a goofy scene where the T-800 learns how to smile and a scene showing T-1000 malfunctioning after being frozen – a fatal flaw that gives away that he’s not functioning at 100% at a decisive moment.
A couple other scenes were included in an Extended Special Edition available as an Easter egg on certain DVD and Blu-ray releases including two more scenes where the T-1000 scans John’s room for more information, and an upbeat future coda with Sarah as an old woman. The only downside to the Special Edition is that it extends the run time to a slightly unwieldy two and a half hours – admittedly not a problem for most.
The Film: Avatar
Year: 2010
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What makes it special? Unlike Cameron’s three other special editions, Avatar ’s doesn’t change anything as significant as narrative focus or the entire meaning of the film. Rather, the new additions offer additional insights into the world of Pandora and answer the question on everyone’s lips after the theatrical release – how do Na’vi have sex?
Two additions we’d argue should have been included in the theatrical cut are one where Jake and Dr Augustine, in their Avatars, visit the school where Grace once taught (and find a copy of The Lorax – thudding symbolism alert!) and a scene in which Jake gives Tsut’sey a warrior’s death after his fall from and is made leader of the Omaticaya. There’s also a visually arresting aerial hunt sequence, an explanation for the Hallelujah Mountains and, yes, hair sex. Not essential, but for a film celebrated for offering a window into a world, more is only a good thing.
The special edition was released theatrically worldwide in August 2010, a mere eight months after the original theatrical release and a couple of months before the Extended collector’s edition on DVD and Blu-ray. This included a new “Extended” cut which was basically the same as the Special Edition, but with an Earthbound opening on Earth that gave us a glimpse of future society. The extended cut runs at just over 15 minutes more than the theatrical, whereas the special edition is eight. Cameron is said to prefer the original zero-g spaceship opening but released the extended edition on DVD as a thank you to fans.
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