In order for TITANIC to easily surpass STAR WARS all-time box-office record (this could be one of a kind event too!)... we suggest this: JAMES CAMERON and/or the producers of TITANIC should release the TITANIC : SPECIAL EDITION or COLECTORS EDITON or DIRECTORS CUT in the the theaters first... not in DVD or VHS or hold off any further showing in TV documentaries of all unshown footages of the TITANIC! TITANIC lovers should not be made to wait for 15 or so years (in the case of STAR WARS TRILOGY) or a couple of years (in the case of CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND) for that to happen! They should prepare the SPECIAL EDITION NOW and release it right before of the VHS/DVD release ofthe regular TITANIC or when everythng subsides in the current's TITANIC B.O. This would ensure TITANIC's unprecendented box-office place in history! If they added up and will add up the SPECIAL EDITION Box-Office grosses of STAR WARS and/or E.T's (they are still planning?), GONE WITH THE WIND(re-issue? only), CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND to their original B.O's grosses, TITANIC's ultimate B.O gross should be unbelievable (any forecast TITANIC wathers?)!

TITANIC fans/lovers/historians, what do you think of this suggestion?

-- ariel chavez (ayesir@hotmail.com), February 15, 1998

Answers

Of course, us "Titanatics" would love to see the Director's Cut in the theatres, but has that ever been done? I don't ever recall having an opportunity to see a different version of a movie at the theatre. Aren't those special editions all released solely on video? Would it make a difference in the box office receipts that are tallied for these lists? I agree, though, that it would be terrific to see James Cameron's full "Titanic" in the theatres instead of watching it on video on a much smaller screen.

-- Kathleen Marcaccio (dkosh@msn.com), February 15, 1998.

This is a great idea! Yes, the special editions were in the movie theatres. However, I think that they should release it on April 14, 1999. That way they will have made a lot of money from home video release, and some of the Titanicmania will have subsided. Does this make sense? It might be hard to get people excited about a director's cut on the big screen if the home video has just been released. April is usually a pretty dead month anyway. Also, I heard that on april 14, 2012, they are going to show the movie in theaters and time it so that it hits the iceberg at exactly 11:40. That is going to be very, very cool.

-- Natalie (mlent@erols.com), February 15, 1998.

A couple of years ago the Directors cut of BLADERUNNER was re-released on the big screen,so there is a precedent for doing this.

-- Danny (dss40@ix.netcom.com), February 15, 1998.

For those of you who know these things (I know you are out there. If the theatres were to show Titanic so the iceberg hit at the exact time, what time would the movie start?

-- crystal smithwick (crystal@9v.com), February 15, 1998.

Crystal: Let's see: movie=3hrs 15min., Iceberg struck about 2 hours into the movie, Titanic struck iceberg at 11:40 p.m.......Hmmm....I would say about 9:40 p.m. . Of course, that depends on what time zone you are in! Is this a trick question?? Good One!

Regards, Peter (btw, I have only seen the movie once.)

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), February 15, 1998.

I remember the A&E documentary saying the ship sank shortly after midnight New York time, or just after 9pm Pacific. So two hours before that would be like, 9:40pm Eastern and 6:40pm Pacific wouldn't it? Or is my math off? Oh well, it's something like that.

-- Dave Phillips (Sonitus@USA.net), February 16, 1998.

Yes, I definitely want a director's uncut version of Titanic. I heard him say in an interview that there are better scenes left on the editing room floor than in any other film he's made. He no doubt cut the low budget (but excellent) scenes between characters in favour of the high budget FX scenes. To justifiy the high cost of the film. Personally, I thought the FX scenes went on ad nauseum and would have preferred much more in terms of character and plot develop

-- C. Rieger (crieger@rogers.wave.bc.ca), February 20, 1998.

Like Ariel said, the most obvious example of this (re-releasing a new version in theaters) is Star Wars, they released THREE new versions. I think the fans would go, I know I would, even if the 'original' was available on tape! I'm so curious to see what else Cameron did for this movie.

-- Becky Gordon (becky.gordon@pfs.sprint.com), February 23, 1998.

I keep hearing all this stuff about The Titanis Special edition, is there even plans to relaese the special at all or is this all just wishful thinking?

-- Edward Darbinian (Kingbytor@aol.com), April 03, 1999.

I think it is wishful thinking. James Cameron is involved in other things now and "Titanic" is ancient history to him, I believe. It could be down the road somewhere, but not anytime soon. I personally believe a sequel about some of the controversy after the fact would do much better. By the way, for all those bazillions out there that have not seen "Titanic" yet or do not own the video, it will be on HBO next Saturday, April 10th, the anniversary of her sailing.

Regards,
Peter

-- Peter Nivling (pcnivling@capecod.net), April 03, 1999.

Also on April 10th, the 87th anniversary of the voyage, somewhere in the world, they are auctioning off an original ticket previously owned by a survivor. They are expecting the ticket to fetch anywhere from $2000 to $2 million. I'm sure they'll get alot more than what the original purchase price was...not sure where the proceeds are going, though.

-- Courtney (theclarkes@sprint.ca), April 04, 1999.

I'm really sorry but is the Titanic directors cut being released and if so when!!!

I'd buy it straight away on video.....I've seen uncut clips and some should've been left in.Hopefully though....they won't have some bits changed beacuse the origional script is very different in parts to the movie.....

-- Jo Duggan (katewinslet_2000@hotmail.com), April 04, 1999.

I dont think they should release a special edition because Star Wars will probably be a way better movie, and Titanic isnt the best movie ever made so why should it stay that way?

-- Aaron (Psychotron70@hotmail.com), April 05, 1999.

You moron Titanic is way better than Star Wars, Star wars is a kids movie, no movie has come close to Titanic you moron James Cameron will kick George Lucas' ass back to 1978.

-- Jorge B (Gone2srf@aol.com), April 17, 1999.

You moron Titanic is way better than Star Wars, Star wars is a kids movie, no movie has come close to Titanic you moron James Cameron will kick George Lucas' ass back to 1977.

-- Jorge B (Gone2srf@aol.com), April 17, 1999.

I heard the sequal to Titanic is going to be way better than the first one, Since James Camoran is still goin to direct it they are going to use Arnold Schwartzenneger, he is going to be the lead character and he will blow Leonardo Dicaprio away.

-- Marc C (Ler5150@netscape.net), April 17, 1999.

Ya I heard about the sequal also but I heard its actually a prequall to Titanic and Arnold is a robot from the future thats goes on the Titanic to try to kill a character that is soppposed to be John Conners Great grandpa. Its sopposed to come out before Star Wars.

-- Aaron (Psychotron70@hotmail.com), April 17, 1999.

The movie Titanic was soooo fake, nothing like that could really ever happen in real life, you guys will buy anything, Now Star Wars on the other hand really happened a long long time ago in a galaxy far far away, George Lucas really studies his history, and James Cameron makes stupid stories up.. come on, like they can actually built a ship that big that just happens to sink by an iceburg in the middle of nowhere.

-- Erin (Dfleshbourne@hotmail.com), April 17, 1999.

Personally, I don't really care about the profits of the movie BUT I would LOVE the opportunity to see TITANIC on the big screen again. I would definitely go and see the Director's Cut at the theaters.

-- Nonnie Parker (x96smock@wmich.edu), April 20, 1999.

I rather have Titanic Special edition on video rather than watching it in the theaters because I cant wait that long untill I can own the Special edition, I need it as soon as possible. Plus I dont think it will come out in theaters because as big as James Camorans' movie Terminator 2 was the special edition came out on video never in the theaters as well as the Abyss which he also did, so I think and hope he will do the same thing for Titanic soon.

-- Dante Tucker (thguy@webtv.com), April 23, 1999.

Why don't directors just release the film that _they_ want in the first place?

-- Matthew (u05mdp@abdn.ac.uk), April 23, 1999.

Matthew:

In general, the director may not have "final cut"; the producers and/ or the studio may have the right to decide the release version. For example, Terry Gilliam's director's cut of Brazil is supposed to be much better than what was finally released by the studio, but the studio had final cut privileges.

In the case of James Cameron, he himself has stated that special editions are usually are no-win situations: if the special edition is better than the release version, then the question is: "Why didn't the powers-that-be just release the director's cut, instead?"

If the release version is better than the special edition, then the special edition was just a marketing ploy or a tarted-up version of the original.

In the case of Titanic, Cameron has stated that the final version *is* the director's cut.

There are numerous scenes that didn't make the final cut which are important either historically or story-wise; some are on the CD-ROM, others were on TV specials. They may be on the upcoming DVD this fall, but I somehow doubt that.

-- Thomas M. Terashima (titanicshack@yahoo.com), April 23, 1999.