how much is too much?

[boon23]

I will (just for you) make an update on the download number statistics within the next days. And I am up early, just came in before going to work. It is 7 am here now.

 

[Remixed by Jorge]

okey dokey. thanks boon.

 

[lewis886]

i'll admit... i don't watch dr. zhivago a lot.... but when i am in the mood for it i don't have a problem sitting thru the whole thing... i like it.... but the ten commandments, i watch that fairly often... yes, the whole thing the whole way thru

 

[dark jedi]

The 10 Commandments is a GREAT movie!

I just have to sit through all of that one.

 

[stomachworm]

I agree with the majority that it does in fact depend on how interesting a 4 hour flick is such as Kill Bill The Whole Bloody Affair or my full chronological version.

Yes, sure we can sit down to a 4 hour epic movie but repeatedly? how much does the long length limits us from repeated viewing?

Not looping it over and over. This is why we have large movie collections. So that we can watch different things. I don't watch every movie I have once a year but it's good to know (for me anyway) that when I want that 4 hour epic that it's there for me. Isn't something like Kill Bill kind of pointless if you only watch 1 without 2? You sometimes NEED the epic.

 

[GyRo567]

I voted for the 2 hour option, but I'd like to explain that a bit.

Yes, I will watch incredibly long films, and I probably won't even notice if that's just poor pacing or meaningful. But most of the time, I don't. The condition separating the films is just interest.

I don't think there's a problem with going that long. I just think it's riskier. In the fan edit world, I'll probably go after shorter versions of the films that I initially did not like. However, for films that I do already enjoy (like the Back to the Future trilogy and its back to back to back edit) I'll gladly go along for the six hour ride.

A big exception would be the trilogy sequel "squaring" efforts. Even if I don't like the originals, I'm willing to go longer. But again, there's still a somewhat lower chance that I'll be interested in the first place.

Overall though, I don't have any problem with super long films.

 

[messenjah14]

I've seen that long-ass cut of Dances With The Wolves like 9+ times and it never fails to amaze me for some reason.

 

[Remixed by Jorge]

I've also seen the "long-ass cut" and have to confess I find the shorter theatrical cut to be much stronger.

 

[Zebedee]

If its a film I fully enjoy and am fully engrossed in, then the longer the better. If its that good, then I want to remain in that world for as long as possible. My rule is, if its good enough, then length is unimportant as long as the duration is needed to tell the story.


You cant beat getting some fresh crusty bread in, along with a few bottles of red wine and watch the entire Godfather trilogy back to back in the same day!

Some other classics that I can enjoy again and again without issue are (but not limited to):

War and Peace
Heavens Gate
Magnolia
Schindler's List
LOTR trilogy
Apocalypse Now
Das Boot
The Deer Hunter
The Last Emperor
The Green Mile
Once Upon a Time in America
Dances with Wolves DC
Kingdom of Heaven DC

And probably many more.

 

[joebshmoe]

i'm glad to see das boot on that list, Z

great film

i'll also add:

the seven samurai
the unbearable lightness of being
lawrence of arabia
the big blue
barry lyndon
the great escape

 

[blankfist]

Don't forget WaterWorld on an infinite loop. [crickets]

 

[Remixed by Jorge]

This has been a very interesting poll and awesome feedback.
The poll clearly indicates at an unscientific 3-1, you guys are fanatics for your longer movies. Amazing!
And true to his word, Boon managed to provide some numbers.
These number reflect more accurately what's happening as far as what people are downloading.

Bellow are the 14 highest downloaded fanedits.
Of these, 7 fanedits are shorter than the original film release.
3 are compilations from 2 movies such as Matrix: DeZionized, and essentially also shorter.
The remaining 4 fanedits are longer than released.

ADigitalMan:
SW 1: A Vergence In The Force: 155
DELETED -4 mins.

SW 2: Path To The Dark Side: 159
DELETED -2 mins

SW 3: Revenge Of The Sith: 193
ADDED +6 mins.

Adywan:
Star Wars IV Revisited (av): 183
ADDED +6 mins

Blankfist:
Star Wars Fall Of The Republic (DVD): 101
from 7 hours to 3 hours.

Blofelds Cat:
Never Say McClory Again: 134
DELETED -6mins

CBB:
Blade 3 - Behead the Kind Edition: 164
DELETED -26 mins

Kirkless Generations: 144
DELETED -42 mins

Matrix Dezionized: 185
from 267 mins to 143 mins

DoctorM:
Matrix Hacked - Reloaded: 100
DELETED -20 mins

Remixed by Jorge:
Hellblazer: 132
ADDED +5 mins

David Kerin:
Battlestar Galactica The Saga: 112
ADDED +10 mins

Pauley79:
Trials And Tribbleations: 112
DELETED -20 mins

Your Mama Video:
Resident Evil Regenerated: 161
from 195 mins to 151 mins

Of course these numbers might mean nothing at all.
I personally don't download a movie according as to how long it is but instead as to what the editing approach is.
But what about those fanedits which are exclusively about adding length?
They are called Extended Editions.
How well did they fare? since the poll shows a definitive love for a longer cut.

Alien Hybrid: 12
Alien 2 Hybrid: 9
Alien 3 Hybrid: 8
From Hell Extended: 15
L.A.Story Zell Edition: 27
Red Dragon Extended: 15
Helloween Origin Of Evil: 16
Re-animator Re-Animated: 38
Chuck And Larry Extended: 19
Remember The Titans Extended: 13
HP And the philosopher#s Stone Extended: 5

Curious isn't it?
Even ADM's SW Extended series do only about half as good as his shorter fan edits. Check it:

SW 1: A Vergence In The Force: 155
SW 1 Extended: 63
SW 2: Path To The Dark Side: 159
SW2 Extended: 45
SW 3: Revenge Of The Sith: 193
SW3 Extended: 63

Now I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this.
But right now I watching a triple bill: THE 10 COMMANDMENTS, DAZ BOOTY and WATCHING AN APPLE TURN BROWN - Director's Cut.
Man, this is gonna be sweet!

 

[boon23]

all the extended ones you mention are rather new. They were all uploaded less than 3 months ago.

 

[Remixed by Jorge]

how old is Adywan:Star Wars IV Revisited (av): 183 ?
really boon? ALL of them? Well I guess that explains it.
All those extended edition fanatics like to wait until a fanedit has been posted for longer than 3 months and then they download them.
make sense to me.

 

[boon23]

yes, ALL of them.
RS gives people time and they sure take it. There are exceptions, like adywan's Star Wars IV, but this is the most successful RS upload ever and will soon be number 1.
People really enjoy Extended Editions, I think this is because they are kind of failure safe and just offer more than DVD owners already have. No risk. Just extended fun.

 

[Remixed by Jorge]

I looked up the posting for Adywan:Star Wars IV Revisited and it appears rapidshare links went up Jan 20.
thats 26 days ago. To me, that says that went people really want something they get it right away.
Hey I know the poll is very unscientific, but at a 3-1 margin, doesn't that mean that the EE downloads should be 3-1 higher numbers than regular fanedits?
maybe we need an statistician for this.
And of the top 14 fanedits, none of them are actual EE.
I'm not out to diss the EEs. It just seem that the feedback was very much in favour of longer length but I'm not sure the RS download numbers support that.
Is there a silent majority that doesn't bother with polls? or even this forum?
And also what happened to AUSTIN POWERS EE? ELF EE? TENACIOUS D EE?
I couldn't find them in the rs download list.

 

[ThrowgnCpr]

well, I think as far as statisticians go, let me add my 2 cents. Each edit needs to be standardized somehow, or else include a covariate for # of days available. You would probably also need data on when (what day since date of availability) each of those download incidences occurred. perhaps this would be a simple regression analysis.

ok, enough dorkiness

 

[Remixed by Jorge]

T, I was thinking of you when I thought statistician.
I was actually thinking of using scream therapy.

 

[Finn]

I was thinking about this topic the other day when i read the idea for the Lion king Full Circle edit.
I think that sometimes there is an over-ambition.
More than 3 hours is ridiculous in Fan-edit terms, better making a series of episodes if the material can be stretched that far.

 

[nOmArch]

I know my JayBob and BTiLC extended edits went down very well.