Saw this, and wanted to post it here for everyone who felt screwed on Eternal Sunshine, I robot, Day After Tommorow, and so on.


From Davis DVD


Robots

In a recent interview, Robots director Chris Wedge has said that he hopes to eventually release a more adult version of the computer-animated film as a "director's cut" on DVD. "I was going to do a director's cut one of these days," Wedge said. "It won't be on the first [release], but I actually want to put some things back that we took out. We thought at one point the movie was going to be too long, so we cut some stuff out that I want to put back now." Wedge does not anticipate a longer running time, as some of the new footage would actually replace scenes from the existing film. "My director's cut is a little darker than what's out there right now," he said. The darker cut was never submitted to the Motion Picture Association of America for a rating, as the filmmakers always intended to make a 'PG' film for theaters.

However, fans can still expect to see some deleted material on the DVD release of the theatrical film, as many of the omissions would not be utilized in the eventual director's cut. "There are probably some scenes that I won't cut back in, and those will be on the [first] DVD - entire scenes that we cut just because we thought it wasn't helping the story," Wedge said. Some other possibilities for DVD extras include, test material used to sell the concept to the studio, tests for the characters, sight gags and physical gags. Look for Robots on disc later in the year. (thanks to Home Media Retailing)

movie was weird and sucked anyway but im intrigued by a more 'darker' cut

Hey . . . at least they're letting us know early. I have no problems with pre-announced double-dips. I just wait for the one that I want.

Exactly..

Different cuts of movies really isn't double-dipping IMHO, since you can choose which version you want to see. If there are different extras on it as well, then it almost makes it like two different movies.

Although, for Robots, I would prefer a double-disc set with branching options, and all the extras...

I'm sure they are announcing it so that everyone will know about it that may want to buy this. Right...

Double Dipping right out of the gate is still a cruel trick.

Good business sense maybe, but still a cruel trick.

Then again, we hear about different cuts of movies like the first Harry Potter film, Dick Tracy, and even The Horse Wisperer, and they never materialize.

I thought this movie was pretty decent, I would love to check out the Darker Dir Cut

i did not thing this is all that great.

I'd consider this a "potential" double-dip. There's a very good chance a "more adult" version of this film will never see the light of day, whatever the director might like.

Studios consider films like this as family films, period. They don't want to take the flak from indignant parents who whose precious kids got exposed to "offensive" material. (Never mind how a PG-13 "Robots" might be labeled to prevent that from happening. No studio executive ever got fired for making a conservative decision.)

RichC

Thanks for the heads up. The problem is that usually these remarks by directors turns out to be just remarks of what they would want to do. I am still waiting on Spidey 2.5, Kill Bill, and so many other movies. The bottom line is that you are screwed either way with double dips.

Having said that I liked this movie alot. And it sounds like this would be a double dip anyway since you would get the "light" version for the kids and the "darker" version for me.

spide 2.5 will hit around the time spidey 3 goes to theaters....kill bill is on slate for a short theatrical run later this year...and a dvd before xmas...august 9 is still the date I keep seeing

I don't mind this for 2 reasons:

1) They are giving us the heads up

2) Different cuts of the film. Technically that's not a double dip in my book. For me, a double dip is the same cut of a movie with new features/transfers. Look at Donnie Darko, no one really called that a double dip - because it was a different cut.

Thanks!
I guess the reality is that it is still nice to know ahead of time that some thing is planned.

ok, so robots comes out in a few days. just wanted to bump this in case anyone missed it....not saying don't buy it, just saying don't bitch about not being warned...

this is nowhere near being a release announcement

Oh yeah, this should prevent THAT from happening...

Appreciate the bump, because I forgot about it . I might still buy now.

Have other regions got better releases of this DVD?

It appears that is one of the clear signs of a region 1 double dip. If that isn't the case I'm thinking of picking this one up since I doubt the "adult" release will ever come out or be something I want. A better release like the new Man on Fire however is something I would want, and that had a better other regions release from the beginning I believe.

Also, anybody pick this up from Target and get their bonus disc of games? Wondering if they are any good. Some of those movie themed Disney game discs can be pretty good. Wondering if it's anything like the Disney discs.

Both the Region 2 and 4 editions are single disc affairs, with basically the same features as the Region 1 I think. So if past experience (Man on Fire, I Robot, Day after Tomorrow) is any indicator, a 2-disc SE of Robots shouldn't arrive too soon. As for that rumored darker cut, I have to wonder how much "darker" the movie can really be. I mean c'mon. If I find this cheap enough used I might just pick it up, purely for the image and sound.

And 6 months later, I reply . . .

How is this a cruel trick? Cruel trick is when they tell you after you've just bought the original release. This is fair warning . . .

I liked Robots. Saw it in a packed house, with an audience of varying ages. It got applause at the end, something I haven't seen at most films for years.

No complaints from me about another possible edition being a double dip. These will be two versions.

I'm still waiting for the Special edition of Lilo and Stitch.

I will go ahead and pick this up since it will be for the kids anyway. IF a darker version is released later, I might pick that up for myself if the reviews are positive.

You have to remember that not all consumers parallel the people on these forums, reading up on every piece of rumored DVD news that hits the internet. I say that if a company is planning on releasing a better version of the DVD, they should do it on the same day that the barebones version is released (a'la the new Raging Bull releases, I Heart Huckabees, and so forth). Sure, you can place the blame on consumers for not educating themselves before buying a product, but most buyers simply have neither the time nor the inclination to keep up with every bit of DVD speculation that's posted online. I agree with the poster in saying that there's definitely a level of trickery involved with this practice.

-JP

I see your point but, honestly, the people who aren't going to keep up on that kind of release information are also ones who, likely, couldn't care less about a new director's cut release. They want the version that they saw in the theater and they want it fast.

The ones who want to be informed about all of the choices are the people like us and we find out this kind of news way ahead of purchase time.

Point taken, though I'd say that the problem lies in those admittedly few exceptions (and even, I'd assume, some people like us who try to keep up with the word on the internet, yet will still be taken for a double-dip beacuse they didn't see this news).

-JP