What movies were altered from the version shown in theaters for their home video release? For example, minor editing in the movie compared to the theatrical version, changed dialogue, updated or "fixed" special effects, different song used and so on? By the way, I am only referring to movies that didn't indicate there was a change on the packaging, not different versions of a movie, such as a Director's Cut or Extended Cut that make it very clear it is different from the original theatrical version.

I think we've had a thread or two like this before. Usual ones I remember are Michael Mann movies - Heat, Last of the Mohicans, Miami Vice.

Thanks for the info, trespoochies. I did a search but obviously didn't find those threads.

Found one:
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/dvd-talk/61...ome-video.html

The Recruit and The World's Fastest Indian were both released theatrically with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio but were released on DVD with a director-approved 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

^ Both directed by Roger Donaldson, and both including reflections of camera crew and equipment in a few shots- he is one of the kings of having those show up in his movies! And speaking of that, "Detroit Rock City" had a nice boom mike reflected in a restroom mirror that was cropped out of all the video releases

The Devil's Advocate with Keanu Reeves and Al Pacino... The sculpture in the background of the office scenes was copyrighted and artist objected to the use. Everything after the original DVD pressing was altered. Fortunately I still have my original unaltered copy.

The Crush (1993) with Alicia Silverstone and Cary Elwes.

Apparently Dressed to Kill was changed, reviews are butchering it too.

Paramount's The Sender (1982) was edited for its home video release. Most likely for pacing. TV version had extra scenes not seen in the Theatrical or vhs version. Quentin Tarantino who is a big fan of the movie somehow obtained all missing scenes and edited those into the vhs version for "private use." IMDb doesn't list any alternate version though.
Olive's DVD contains the home video version. I doubt the upcoming Blu-ray will restore all missing scenes.

The issues with Dressed to Kill are more technical in nature though. As in there was a flaw in how they transferred/cropped the image for the blu-ray. Also color timing, but that sort of thing is a whole other ballpark. I don't think those are the kinds of things the OP is talking about.

Hello? Star Wars?

Aladdin having the altered Arabian Nights still bugs the shit out of me because the dubbed line, tonally, stands out from the other vocals. Still have the original soundtrack with it. I wonder if all soundtrack re-releases have the dubbed version?

lol of course, all 6 of them!

Thanks for all of the replies, and those are all very interesting. Mostly I wondered about this because the other day I was watching the special features for the Extended Edition of The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug where they mentioned in the original prologue for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey the dragon Smaug had four legs and wings, but after the movie was released to theaters they decided to change him so that he only had two legs and used his wings as his front legs and then made the decision to "correct" that for the DVD/Blu-ray release so that Smaug's design would be consistent in the three movies on DVD/Blu-ray.

Star Trek VI

Until the Blu-ray version was released I don't believe the theatrical version was ever available.

Wonder Boys

Executive Decision recently had scenes cut on the Blu-ray. Same scenes are there on the DVD, and of course, were there when it played in the theater.

Blurred nudity on Muholland Drive

What was cut?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116253/alternateversions

Interesting. I was not aware such cuts were made. Was that done with the director's approval?

I've heard those "Executive Decision" cuts were done for releases in other countries, and when it came time to do that Blu-Ray that was the only master they could get for it. Whatever, I've got the laserdisc and just keeping that. I have the laserdisc of "The Crush" too (guilty pleasure) which has the original names in it- I checked when it was on Netflix and that was the altered version. (Would like to know more of the true story behind that movie.) I have the laserdisc of Devil's Advocate too which includes the sculpture but there's a disclaimer about it added to the end of the credits (with the music still going) that wasn't in the theatrical version.

Battlefield Earth says it's a "home video version," I heard they cut some scenes which were just too intentionally funny to most people- too bad, as that's a masterpiece of bad cinema I would have bought otherwise.

The Hulk Hogan movie scene in Gremlins 2 was removed for the home video, replaced with Gremlins taking over the VCR instead of the film booth.

Didn't Problem Child have some random scenes that weren't on home video but were in TV cuts?

Missing songs: all home video releases of Weird Science (1985) was missing Van Halen's Oh, Pretty Woman during the escalator scene. This was finally fixed with the Blu-ray release.

Home video version and DVD of Valley Girl (1983) is missing Men At Work's Who Can It Be Now during the party scene.