When DVD rose to prominence as a popular home entertainment format in the mid-1990s, it also brought with it a wonderful extra feature; deleted scenes, many of which would have changed their respective films for the better. Of course, editing is a fundamental part of the cinematic journey, and while directors may have a great vision for their story and lots of great footage to choose from, not everything can make it into the final cut of the film.
The opportunity for fans to witness scenes from their favorite films on DVD was extremely exciting, a tradition that has continued through Blu-Ray and digital releases. Sometimes scenes were cut for a specific reason. It’s usually for pacing purposes or because the scene may be redundant because it doesn’t add depth to the character or narrative. However, sometimes a deleted scene would have improved the film.
10
Reservoir Dogs
A flashback to Mr. Orange
Quentin Tarantino has always played with timelines in his films, to great effect for the most part. Reservoir Dogs is no exception and is one of Tarantino’s best films. It’s a heist film in which the viewer never sees the actual robbery, only the aftermath, plus flashbacks to before the event. It is in one of these flashbacks that one of the characters is not who he appears to be.
The character in question is Mr. Orange, played by Tim Roth, and the flashback scene would have revealed the real name of Harvey Keitel’s character, Mr. The film is not one of Tarantino’s longest, so the pacing would not have been a problem if it had remained. This scene would also have had some significant influence on the overall plot. Perhaps a future edition of the 90s classic could be released with its inclusion.
9
The Lion King
Scar wants to marry Nala
The Lion King is a wonderful example of the best of Disney animation during the 90s and features great music. It also produced sequels, a stage show, a live-action remake, as well as a live-action Mufasa prequel. There is a scene that was cut at the beginning of the film that would have given some important information about a character.
The deleted scene shows that since Simba was exiled, Mufasa’s evil brother Scar, an amazing Jeremy Irons, has taken control of Pride Rock and wants a queen, which would be poor Nala. Maybe it was too scary to keep in a Disney film, but it would have revealed why Nala was exiled in the first place.
8
The Sixth Sense
The soldier’s story
M. Night Shyamalan has made a career out of pulling the rug out from under the feet of unsuspecting audiences for around 30 years. His 1999 thriller, The Sixth Sense easily has the best reveal in any of his films. Everyone probably knows by now that little Cole has been talking to Bruce Willis’ dead character Malcolm the whole time, and there’s a scene that would have highlighted his pain very well.
The scene shows Malcolm and Cole talking, while the younger character plays with his Civil War figures. Two soldiers are lying on the ground, and when Malcolm asks Cole about them, he becomes emotional and tells a story about how they were killed in battle. This raises the question of how Cole would have known about his death in such detail and would have been a great clue into the twist that ends in The Sixth Sense.
7
Mrs. Doubt
Daniel and Miranda’s argument
The late, great Robin Williams is sorely missed and one of his most memorable performances was playing the title character in the 1993 classic Mrs. Doubt. Mrs Doubtfire has some great quotes and, surprisingly, almost 30 minutes of deleted scenes were removed from the film. One of these scenes would have added much-needed dramatic tension to the film.
The moment comes when Sally Field’s character, Miranda, discovers that her husband Daniel, played by Robin Williams, has always disguised himself as the family’s eccentric nanny, with a Scottish accent. The resulting argument is incredibly well presented and would have added an extra dimension to the troubled couple. However, in the end, it was too serious a moment to maintain what is largely a family drama that could have been done with a touch of violent tension.
6
The mask
The death of Peggy Brandt
Jim Carrey’s comedy extravaganza arrived at a time when his star was on an exponential rise. Ace Ventura: Pet Detective put him firmly on the map as a wildly comedic actor, and thanks to some stunning CGI in literally one scene, his iconic role in The mask further boosted his career. It’s a fun comedy, but a deleted scene suggested it could have been its darker source material.
The deleted scene in question is visually inventive, and although it is darker in tone than the rest of the family-friendly film, it would have added a wonderful touch of darkness that is missing. When the bandit Dorian gets hold of the titular mask, he kills reporter Peggy by throwing her into a print shop, with newspapers coming out reporting her death. It’s clever and would have been a fun addition to the film.
5
Jurassic Park
Why Triceratops was sick
Steven Spielberg’s great 1993 epic, Jurassic Park, is one of the best action-adventure films ever made and has brought the wonder of dinosaurs back into the lives of children and adults forever. His legacy continues, but there is a moment in the original film that would have added some much-needed clues about the overall plot if it had been left.
Jurassic ParkThe Triceratops scene is already legendary, mainly thanks to Jeff Goldblum’s character Malcolm joking about the size of the animal’s feces. However, there is a deleted scene that explains that the beast was sick from having inadvertently eaten poisonous fruit. It showed that the park’s owners were not fully prepared to care for animals of their particular magnitude, and this would have been a huge clue to their incompetence in the film.
4
Back to the Future, Part III
The Tannens kill Strickland
THE Back to the future The series is one of the most iconic franchises of all time and has provided many unforgettable moments. It also featured great visual effects and a wonderful cast. However, while the third 1990 film may have been a Western, it almost featured a deleted scene that would have added great tension but was too dark to be included.
The scene in question features two of the series’ best supporting characters, Biff’s great-grandfather Buford “Mad Dog” Tannen and Marshal James Strickland, the grandfather of future Hill Valley High School principal Strickland. They fight, resulting in Buford shooting Strickland in the back as his son watches him die. It’s dark, but it would explain why Strickland simply disappears from the rest of the film.
3
The Truman Show
Christof’s Dark Plan for Truman’s Future
The entire plot of The Truman Show is based on deceit, betrayal and deceit. It focuses on Jim Carrey’s Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman who discovers that his entire life has been one big reality television show. The premise alone is disturbing, and there is a deleted scene that would have added an extra dimension to the TV show itself.
Truman’s on-screen wife, Meryl, has chosen to leave the show, and the deleted scene shows Ed Harris’ showrunner Christof meeting with key cast members to announce a big introduction to the narrative. He explains that the first conception of on-air TV will happen when Truman’s new love interest seduces him away from Meryl, leading to the “next generation” of the Truman Show. It’s ethically horrifying, but it would have been a suitably shocking revelation about the potential of reality television.
2
The Silence of the Lambs
Hannibal Lecter gets emotional
The serial killer genre has thrived on both the big and small screen over the years, and its success is largely due to Anthony Hopkins’ riveting portrayal of Hannibal Lecter in 1991. The Silence of the Lambs. The film has some great quotes and paints Lecter as the personification of evil, but there is a deleted scene that shows his more human side.
The central pairing of Hopkins’ Lecter with Jodie Foster’s rookie FBI agent Clarice Starling is the heart of the film, and the scenes in which they meet are riveting. In the deleted scene, Lecter talks about the life of serial killer Buffalo Bill, explaining his years of abuse and feeling ignored his entire life. It is rare to see Lecter visually disturbed, and this suggests that he may also have had a similar experience when he was younger.
1
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Resetting Terminator
One of the best elements of the first two Terminator films is how the sequel subverts the intentions of the titular killing machine. The first film shows the cyborg as a relentless killing machine. The sequel raises the emotional stakes by having the Terminator protect John Connor and form a bond with him at the same time. Much of what you do T2 such a great story has to do with how a killing machine can learn and evolve, which was explained in a deleted scene.
It happens when the heroes arrive at their hideout and John asks Deathstroke what he thinks. Schwarzeneggers’ now-good cyborg explains that Terminators can learn, but have a “read-only” setting, prompting John and his mother to reprogram him. This gives the final moment, when the Terminator sacrifices himself, greater meaning. It also establishes the T-800’s ability to “become more human,” which the sequels explored.