’54’ Director’s Cut Delivers The Goods

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It's hard to deny that there was a bigger disappointment in film in 1998 than 54. What seemed like such a promising film was notoriously taken away from its director and butchered by Miramax before being dumped out in theaters and then fading into obscurity. Thankfully the film has now been restored to its original version and released On Demand, so we can finally see what was excised.

As I told you back in March, this version has been circulating the festival circuit for some time now, but is finally available for all to watch. I have yet to revisit it, but this newly released footage certainly has me interested. Restored are two scenes of Ryan Phillippe kissing his co-stars, including the much hyped Breckin Meyer kiss which you can see above. Honestly, it's pretty tame, even by 1998 standards. I get a feeling that all of the newly added scenes will carry that same issue with them. Yeah, they might have been daring back in the 90s, but now they just seem quaint.

If nothing else, this is the ultimate proof that studios shouldn't meddle with films like this, and they certainly shouldn't test them in New Jersey shopping malls, nor take the advice of anyone found in a New Jersey shopping mall. For the record, I grew up in New Jersey and spent a year working at Suncoast in The Bergen Mall, so I know of what I speak. This isn't blind hatred for New Jersey, this is the truth as you'll only get it from someone who escaped. 

To see all of the best scenes from the newly restored 54 Director's Cut, visit MrMan.com