LEGAL DISCLAIMER:
To watch these, you should own a digital copy or Blu-ray of the movie. What if they’re available on Netflix, etc.? Couldn’t someone download the fan edit, watch it, then delete it? This seems like a gray area to me. It’s your call and legal responsibility.
A fan edit is “a version of a film modified by a viewer, that removes, reorders, or adds material in order to create a new interpretation of the source material. This includes the removal of scenes or dialogue, replacement of audio and/or visual elements, and adding material from sources such as deleted scenes or even other films.” [Wikipedia]
The issue is what the movie or show is doing for your brain. A 7-minute film can feel too long if your mind isn’t engaged. Conversely, a 3-hour movie doesn’t feel long if it keeps your attention. Movies and TV shows should be lean, with nothing unnecessary or redundant. Everything should move the plot along. And, plot elements should make sense. For example, it didn’t make sense that Kylo Ren idolized his grandfather and spoke to his grandfather’s helmet. Anakin Skywalker turned away from the dark side. In the end, he wasn’t Darth Vader anymore.
(1) Right click on the download link, and save the file to your computer.
(2) Cast the movie from your computer, iPad or iPhone to your TV. Or hook up laptop to TV with an HDMI cable, and use the TV as a monitor.
My webhost stopped "unlimited" storage, so these files are now being stored on Google Drive. Let me know of any problems.
**It’s best to download the files, rather than watching them through Google Drive playback. Sometimes the Google Drive playback will limit the video to 720p or 360p, even though it should be 1080p.
If you have any problems, email: johngay1964 [at] gmail.com
Removal: 14 minutes
Original Running Time: 1:57
Fan Edit Running Time: 1:43
"Blade Runner" color version
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file size: 9.5 GB
"Blade Runner" b/w version
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file size: 7.4 GB
MAIN EDITS: no Deckard voiceovers; no “happy ending”; quicker opening credits; some quicker transitions. For more explanation of my edits, see this article. B/W version: For fun, I also did a black-and-white version, which seems to work.
Sources: iTunes purchases (Blade Runner 1982 theatrical release) © 1982 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (Blade Runner: The Final Cut, used for a few edits) © 1982 Blade Runner Partnership. (both) Director: Ridley Scott; Screenwriters: Hampton Fancher, David Peoples; Producer: Michael Deeley
Removal: 46 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:44
Fan Edit Running Time: 1:58
"Blade Runner 2049"
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file size: 9.5 GB
EDITS: This was a movie I didn’t want to rewatch. I tried to figure out why; then edited the movie accordingly. Full explanation of my edits are in this article. Summary of main edits: K doesn’t think he’s the missing child; no hologram girlfriend for K; quicker transitions.
FEEDBACK: “In terms of the narrative changes, the ideas here may be the best I’ve seen for this film. They really work and the story becomes better.” —GS
Source: iTunes purchase © 2017 Alcon Entertainment, LLC., Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc., and Columbia Pictures, Inc. All rights reserved. Director: Denis Villeneuve; Screenwriters: Hampton Fancher, Michael Green; Producers: Andrew A. Kosove, Broderick Johnson, Bud Yorkin, Cynthia Sikes Yorkin
Removal: 30 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:44
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:14
"The Dark Knight Rises"
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file size: 9.7 GB
The least popular of Nolan’s Batman movies was also the longest. No surprise. The Dark Knight Rises had many problems. Too many to mention. My guess is, Nolan came up with the prison-pit escape idea, and then built the entire screenplay around that. Whatever the reason, Knight Rises had many unnecessary and illogical plot elements.
MAIN EDITS: no plane-crash intro; no letter found by Bane in Gordon’s coat pocket days after he put it there; and no romance between Bruce and Miranda.
Source: iTunes purchase © 2012 © DC Comics. © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Legendary Pictures Funding, LLC. All rights reserved. Director: Christopher Nolan; Screenwriters: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan; Producers: Christopher Nolan, Emma Thomas, Charles Roven
Removal: 31 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:35
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:04
"Dune" (better quality)
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file size: 16 GB
"Dune"
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file size: 8.8 GB
Denis Villeneuve did it again. Another visually stunning movie, but one that feels too long. The main culprit is the movie’s first half. Most of my edits were done there, which gets you to the good stuff quicker. Also, people unfamiliar with the Dune story can be confused from the start. So I did a new, explanatory intro. Apologies that the dialogue is much softer than the background noises, which is often the case with action movies these days. See longer explanation of edits here.
Sources: iTunes purchase & Blu ray purchase © 2021 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. and Legendary. All Rights Reserved. Director: Denis Villeneuve; Screenwriters: Denis Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth; Producers: Denis Villeneuve, Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr.
Removal: 13 minutes
Original Running Time: 1:55
Fan Edit Running Time: 1:42
"The Girl in the Spider’s Web"
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file size: 7.4 GB
Like Spectre did, this movie whipped up a sibling out of nowhere for our protagonist, with the new sibling being the main villain. Read articles about this here and here. So this fan edit was an experiment to see what the movie would be like with Camilla not being Lisbeth’s sister. Imo, the result is a better movie, but it also became more of an action movie.
Source: iTunes purchase © 2018 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Inc. and Monarchy Enterprises S.a.r.l. and Regency Entertainment (USA), Inc. All rights reserved. Director: Fede Álvarez; Screenwriters: Fede Álvarez, Steven Knight, Jay Bassu; Producers: Scott Rudin, Eli Bush, Ole Søndberg, Søren Stærmose, Amy Pascal, Elizabeth Cantillon
Removal: 38 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:50
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:11
"Godfather III"
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file size: 9.5 GB
No fan edit could fully fix this movie. Its problems are too vast. So this fan edit merely makes GF3 less flawed, imo. For an explanation of the edits, see this article.
Source: iTunes purchase (The Coppola Restoration) © Paramount Pictures. Director: Francis Ford Coppola; Screenwriters: Francis Ford Coppola, Vincent Patrick, Dean Riesner, Mario Puzo; Producers: Fred Fuchs, Nicholas Gage
Removal: 37 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:50
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:13
"Heat"
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file size: 9.6 GB
EDITS: A great movie that feels too long due to weak, unnecessary, melodramatic scenes. The first onscreen pairing of Pacino and De Niro. Main edit was removing some of the personal relationship drama of the cop and robbers. More explanation in this article.
Source: iTunes purchase © 1995 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved. Director: Michael Mann; Writer: Michael Mann; Executive Producers: Pieter Jan Brugge, Arnon Milchan
Removal: 62 minutes
Original Running Time: 3:20
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:18
"King Kong" (better quality)
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file size: 25.6 GB
"King Kong"
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file size: 10.1 GB
Peter Jackson did this right after his LOTR trilogy. That’s probably why it’s so ponderous, which has hurt the movie’s legacy. One IMDb member called it “a 10-star 2-hour movie screaming to get out of a 7-star 3-hour movie.” I took that as a challenge, and discovered he was right. This movie was massively overweight. The edit kept all of the key elements intact, and resulted in a movie that can better withstand repeat viewings.
Sources: iTunes purchase © 2005 Universal Studios and MFPV FILM GmbH. All Rights Reserved. Director: Peter Jackson; Screenwriters: Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Philippa Boyens; Producers: Jan Blenkin, Carolynne Cunningham, Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson
Removal: 35 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:28
Fan Edit Running Time: 1:53
"Spectre"
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file size: 8.23 GB
EDITS: This is the longest Bond film in history. But the main problem I had was Blofeld being Bond's adoptive brother. See articles about this here and here. Removing that weak, out-of-nowhere plot element makes the movie much better. I also substituted in a different theme song, taken from Star Trek Beyond.
FEEDBACK:
“I watched it and definitely preferred your edit over the original – having Blofeld as just a villain with no relationship with Bond. The whole stepbrother thing seemed forced and just silly. So, this will be my go-to move for Spectre. Thank you for the work you put into this.” —SP
“Thanks very much for your Spectre fan edit. I enjoyed it far more than the theatre release. In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig saved 007 from a painful lingering death as the cartoonish character he had become over the years. In Spectre, even Craig couldn’t rescue Bond from Hollywood’s ridiculously contrived plot. You’re the true hero in this version!” —LS
“Your edit of Spectre is brilliant, especially the scenes inside Blofeld’s compound.” —JW
Sources: iTunes purchases (movie) © 2015 Danjaq, LLC, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. and Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. Director: Sam Mendes; Screenwriters: John Logan, Neal Purvis; Producers: Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson (music) Sledgehammer (from “Star Trek Beyond”) © 2016 Westbury Road Entertainment. Artist: Rihanna; Writers: Jesse Shatkin, Sia, Rihanna
Removal: 22 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:14
Fan Edit Running Time: 1:52
"Rogue One"
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file size: 8.14 GB
NOTES: I removed the cheesier stuff. Less K2; less Krennic; far less Saw Gerrera; no Darth Vader "bathing" scene; two muppet-like creatures removed; added in a few Star-Wars-esque transition wipes; and we don't meet the pilot, Bodhi Rook, until they meet him in the jail cell. I felt like the strength of the movie was the final battle scene, so tried to get there quicker.
Source: iTunes purchase © 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. Director: Gareth Edwards; Screenwriters: Christ Weitz, Tony Gilroy; Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Allison Shearmur, Simon Emanuel
Removal: 15 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:15
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:00
"Return of the Jedi"
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file size: 19.18 GB
MAIN EDITS: Shorter Jabba fiasco (less cheese); less ewok cheesiness; no cheesy celebration or young Anakin force ghost at end; ended movie at older Anakin’s funeral pyre.
NOTES: The first quarter of the movie is Jabba. The second quarter is the best, most mature part: rebels readying for battle, Luke with Yoda and Obi-Wan force ghost, speeder-bike chases in the redwood forest (which are still thrilling). Then we’re introduced to the ewoks for the rest of the movie. Had they gone with the original plan of wookiees (not ewoks), the movie would have been tons better.
Source: iTunes purchase © 1983 and 1997 Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Director: Richard Marquand; Screenwriters: Lawrence Kasdan, George Lucas; Producer: Howard Kazanjian
Removal: 6.5 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:18
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:12
"The Force Awakens"
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"The Force Awakens" (subtitles)
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file sizes: 11.16 GB
Notes: Not perfect, but still the best movie of the Sequel Trilogy. I only removed some of the cheesier stuff. But a little bit here and there can make a difference.
Source: iTunes purchase © 2015 Lucasfilm Ltd. Director: J.J. Abrams; Screenwriters: J.J. Abrams, Lawrence Kasdan, Michael Arndt; Producers: J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Bryan Burk
Removal: 20 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:32
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:12
"The Last Jedi"
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file size: 9.64 GB
NOTES: The Last Jedi is the longest Star Wars movie ever. This edit makes the movie better, imo. However, it still contains some illogical things that couldn’t be removed. Edits are detailed in this article.
IMPORTANT: Near the beginning of the movie, please pretend Luke never takes the lightsaber from Rey. She held it out for him (ending of previous movie), but he just walks past her, and she still has it.
Source: iTunes purchase © 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. Director: Rian Johnson; Screenwriter: Rian Johnson; Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Ram Bergman (voice of Slowen Lo on Canto Bight) Audio taken from "anti-cheese edit" of The Phantom Menace
Removal: 16 minutes
Original Running Time: 2:22
Fan Edit Running Time: 2:06
"The Rise of Skywalker"
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file size: 9.17 GB
This fan edit is an experiment. I hated Palpatine’s illogical return, his illogically massive fleet, and his illogically large number of Sith followers. I also hated the hunt through space for MaGuffins. Such weak writing. So why bother doing a fan edit? Mainly to change Rey’s parentage. In this edit her parents remain as nobodies. This doesn't fix the film, but it does remove a hugely bothersome element.
Great video about the movie: https://youtu.be/6a3dggHrtiQ
Related articles on this site:
Star Wars: The MaGuffin Awakens
Star Wars: The Rise of WTF
The Top 4 Mistakes of Star Wars
Source: iTunes purchase © 2019 Lucasfilm. All rights reserved. Director: J.J. Abrams; Screenwriters: J.J. Abrams, Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, Chris Terrio; Producers: J.J. Abrams, Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan
NOTES: Someone else, not me, did edits on the Prequel Series, calling them the "Anti Cheese Edits." An edit example: Jar Jar Binks speaks with an alien voice, and subtitles are given for what he's saying. Brilliant.
YouTube took the Anti Cheese Edits down. But they've been posted elsewhere on the Web, and I grabbed them up a long time ago. Btw, the fan editor of the Anti Cheese Edits used to have a video on Youtube explaining why his videos were taken down. But even that video was taken down.
"The Anti Cheese Edits"
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MORE NOTES: My Star Wars fan edits are essentially anti-cheese also. What about the Prequel Series? I've started on fan edits of the Prequel Series, but given up. If I ever do an edit, it will probably be similar to Topher Grace’s infamous fan edit — using all three film to cobble together merely one film that non-cheesily shows Anakin’s rise and fall. I've heard that he used only one scene from the first movie — the Duel of the Fates.