The great debate: watching deleted scenes before or after the movie?

Back in the DVD days I always watched deleted scenes after the movie to avoid spoilers, but now with streaming I find myself clicking them first to get extra context before the main feature. My buddy in Chicago swears it ruins the pacing and only does it on rewatches. Which side are you on and did something change your mind on this?

3 comments

3 Comments

jamie_white14d ago

Your buddy is right about the pacing thing. Watching deleted scenes first messes with the flow and sets up expectations the movie never meant to give you.

dixon.spencer14d ago

Watched the deleted scenes for Napoleon Dynamite before the actual movie once and it totally ruined the vibe because there was this whole subplot about Uncle Rico trying to sell Tupperware at a school fair that never made it in. Spent the whole movie waiting for that moment to come up and it just never happened, felt like I was watching a different film than everyone else. Now I just fast forward through them halfway through the credits if I remember, but half the time I forget they exist until I'm already asleep.

fox.derek13d ago

Actually I gotta push back on that. Watching deleted scenes first can actually make the movie better if you know what you're doing. I've done it with a few comedies and it kinda works like a cheat code for the jokes. You already know the weird tangents that got cut so when the movie sticks to its main story you appreciate the focus more. Plus with Napoleon Dynamite specifically that whole Uncle Rico subplot sounds like it would've dragged down the pacing anyway. Knowing it exists and seeing how the filmmakers trimmed the fat makes you respect the editing choices more. I dunno, to each their own but I've had the opposite experience a couple times.