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Lionsgate also doesn't participate with Movies Anywhere, making buying digital versions of their films a pain. It's definitely the worst part of the increasingly curated "experience" of engaging with an A24 film to have to buy some barebones Lionsgate disc or buy a digital version that's non-transferable.

Midsommar (Director's Cut) will get a wider release starting this Friday.
https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/358 ... rs-friday/
As the upcoming DVD release will only feature the theatrical cut, this may be the only opportunity to see this for quite a while.

I haven't seen the film yet but this news may get me out to the theater. So how long of a runtime should I be looking out for--close to 3 hours?

swo17 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 3:25 pm I haven't seen the film yet but this news may get me out to the theater. So how long of a runtime should I be looking out for--close to 3 hours?

About that much yeah. It apparently is less full of scares and more so exposition.

I wonder if it's AMC exclusive - I don't see an entry for it at all in the Regal app.

swo17 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 3:25 pm I haven't seen the film yet but this news may get me out to the theater. So how long of a runtime should I be looking out for--close to 3 hours?

171 minutes, apparently

mfunk9786 wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 3:50 pm I wonder if it's AMC exclusive - I don't see an entry for it at all in the Regal app.

Definitely not AMC exclusive. The article FigrinDan linked to mentions an Alamo Drafthouse screening, and it's also going to be at an indie theatre here in Portland (though the decision to screen a 3 hour movie only at 9:30pm feels a little weird!). It's also on Regal's web site, so maybe they just haven't updated the app yet?

Hmm, I've seen a few different articles link to that page so maybe other people's experiences are different, but in my case it's only showing me screenings for the original theatrical cut.

The biggest and scariest twist of all would be if A24 released the director's cut in a 500-print limited edition, a la Krisha.

DarkImbecile wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:22 pm Here’s the site showing screenings, with more to potentially be added during the week

Kirkinson wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 5:30 pm Hmm, I've seen a few different articles link to that page so maybe other people's experiences are different, but in my case it's only showing me screenings for the original theatrical cut.

I thought so too at first, but it's definitely inconsistent. For example, the Coolidge Corner theatre in MA lists showings for Wed and Thurs only but they link to the theatrical cut and I just called and confirmed that this ticketing link is incorrect and they don't get the director's cut until Friday (for those in the Boston area who are interested in seeing it at this theatre, it seems that they will release tickets tomorrow afternoon and host the print for at least a week and may renew).

I think it's safe to say that theatres listing tickets starting on Friday are probably the right cut, but it's probably worth calling your local cinema personally to double check.

Huh, you're right... I was thrown off because the page wasn't (and still isn't) showing the one theatre in Portland that had already started advertising the director's cut screenings when I first checked. I'm guessing this whole thing must have come together very suddenly and that's why A24's web site and Regal's app have inconsistent/incomplete info.

Guys - I wouldn't trust the link that DarkImbecile shared - it doesn't seem to be populating all the showtimes that are out there in my area. The film is playing at several Regal theaters that just don't list when searching by zip code on the film's site, so you'd probably be best served just looking at the theater(s) you'd prefer to go to and seeing if this film pops up on Friday or later (seems to be one showtime per evening at most). Also playing at some indies in cities, too - it's playing at the nonprofit Philadelphia Film Center twice a day at much friendlier times than the chains, for example.

Actually sort of amazed by how many places will be screening this.

mfunk9786 wrote: Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:19 pm Actually sort of amazed by how many places will be screening this.

Even my rinky dink town is getting it. Pretty impressive all things considered.

Anyone had a chance yet to see the director's cut? I just came back from it, and it was a rewarding experience for a couple of reasons.

It was rewarding just to be able to see the film again. There's a lot to admire the second time, especially how subtly the performances are working to guide your interpretations of the characters. There's a lot in the reactions of characters not the main focus of the scene. It also let me appreciate how the film has layered its symbolism, especially bear symbolism. Dani has hanging above her bed a large picture of a small girl facing off with a large bear. I think this is a scene from a folk tale, but I can't remember which. Anyway, the small girl is being dominated by the large bear physically, but in the picture she has brought the bear to heel by placing her hand on its snout, defeating it and overcoming her adversary. This picture tells in miniature the whole story of her relationship to Christian throughout the film, since we know by the end that he is the bear. Additionally, when waiting to see the matriarch in the cabin following Mark and Josh's disappearance, Christian stares at a picture of a bear engulfed in flames, presaging later events.

As for the changes in the director's cut, they were appreciated. I was right that they keep better track of Will Poulter's character and more properly establish the girl who gains his attention. These additions are small and not strictly necessary, but they do allow the film to feel more in command of its material.

The rest of the additions are mainly there to make things more explicit, including an extended fight between Dani and Christian that amplifies both Dani's growing awareness and self-esteem and Christian's gross immaturity and petty resentments. The scene isn't needed; the film properly communicates these beats in less explicit forms elsewhere. But it's well acted and written, and it was nice to see my interpretation of the characters and their relationship confirmed so bluntly. There are a few other scenes that reinforce what a shithead Christian is, tho' I can't be totally sure they're actually additions and not scenes I'd just forgotten. Even without them, I don't know how you could come away from this film not feeling Christian is the villain. His character flaws just build and build to a crescendo. The way he fucks over his friends, seems to care nothing about them when they vanish, pursues his own self-interest time and again--and as much as he is manipulated into that one ritual in the cabin, he's also open to it from early on and spends much of the movie considering it (all communicated with glances and facial expressions). He never actually says 'no' during the meeting with the matriarch, I noticed. And I didn't appreciate on the first go just how keenly the movie shows him giving in: there's a moment when he's given the laced drink, tries to give it back, looks over at the redhead, looks back at the drink, and then just downs it. A decision was being made there. He is a pawn of the commune, yes, but a pawn to his own weaknesses, too.

It's still a terrific film, one that doesn't suffer from being three hours because the pace is so deliberate and unfolding that once you've given yourself over to that rhythm, it little matters how long you spend in it. There's no rush.

Sausage, thank you so much for sharing these thoughts and reinvigorating my desire to get to the theater by the end of the week to see this cut.

What cut was preferable to you long term? Are you buying the UK or US edition of The Shining, in other words?

It would make it easier to decide what cut I preferred if I could have a list of what was added, but tentatively the Director's cut. It's a bit more blunt than it needs to be, but it felt fuller and more in command of its narrative and characters, so it was more satisfying.

I cannot fathom who though this would be a good idea. I mean what?

Boosmahn wrote: Tue Aug 27, 2019 6:46 pm The biggest and scariest twist of all would be if A24 released the director's cut in a 500-print limited edition, a la Krisha.

This option doesn't look so bad now. There's no chance at a release even in markets outside of the United States? ](*,)

Presumably this is part of their previously-announced deal with Apple - we can absolutely expect more of this in the future

Probably a good time to remind folks that Apple TV will be an app that is downloadable across essentially all devices in the weeks to come, and that it won't require a subscription to access material that is purchased (like this, presumably) - so even if you don't own an Apple device, you'd still be able to buy this and watch it with ease. The only impediment I can see people having is that it's not a disc, which is a whole other ball of wax. But this is a pretty easy gate to get past, as far as streaming exclusivity goes.

Also, it looks like Bloody Disgusting only has that text to go by - it's possible when they say "exclusive to Apple TV" they mean vs other streaming apps, and that a disc could still be in the offing.

More information on the upcoming Apple TV app

I saw the DC with a friend and he said the biggest addition was a new ritual

Spoiler

directly following the cliff dives which shows a kid volunteering to be drowned as an offering to the gods. I thought this was a great scene that let Dani assert herself and also reined in the menace of the commune to a slightly more relatable space, which keeps you guessing about them for a little longer anyway

He also said there was more background this time about the thesis project

Took me a while to figure out that the tense utilized in your post was because you hadn't seen the film prior

Yes, this was my first viewing