Captain America: The First Avenger (2011)
The Deleted Scene: The Howling Commandos engage HYDRA in combat at the Battle at Azzano, getting their first look at the Cosmic Cube technology in the process.
If They Had Left It In: It would have helped flesh out the HYDRA story arc, as Bucky gets kidnapped by the organisation shortly after this scene.
Bridesmaids (2011)
The Deleted Scene: A ten-minute argument between Kristen Wiig and a teenage girl at the jewellery store. Brilliantly petty.
If They Had Left It In: It might have tested audiences’ patience just a tad…
X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
The Deleted Scene: On the eve of battle, Beast decides to rally the troops with his rendition of the St. Crispin’s Day speech from Henry V .
If They Had Left It In: It would have been a nicely comic moment to offset the “I’m The Juggernaut, bitch” awfulness.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
The Deleted Scene: The cast perform The Jitterbug , a musical number that was cut from the final edit. The footage no longer exists, but for the home videos of composer Harold Arlen, as seen above.
If They Had Left It In: We would have been treated to the sight of our heroes compelled to dance like marionettes by the fiendish Jitterbug.
Jackass the Movie (2002)
The Deleted Scene: Johnny Knoxville attempts to return a blood-stained sex aid to a store (0:30), prompting the owner to utter the immortal line, “you don’t need to take your penis out in the store, sir, that’s not necessary.”
If They Had Left It In: They should have done! Knoxville’s awkward encounters are always funnier than the bog-standard injury shots.
Knocked Up (2007)
The Deleted Scene: Jonah Hill launches a rant about Ang Lee’s reluctance to show any guy-on-guy action in Brokeback Mountain . Sample quote: “I can’t see Jake Gyllenhaal taking a mouthful from Heath Ledger?”
If They Had Left It In: We’re sure GLAAD would have appreciated Jonah’s support.
Jackie Brown (1997)
The Deleted Scene: Pam Grier surfs her way through the airport in this alternate opening to Jackie Brown…
If They Had Left It In: It would probably still have worked, due to the fact that Pam Grier dancing is one of the cooler things committed to celluloid.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
The Deleted Scene: Xavier shows off his powers of mind control by making Erik appear to Angel as though he is wearing a dress.
If They Had Left It In: Slash fiction fans would have had a field day!
Clerks 2 (2006)
The Deleted Scene: Randall and Dante run through some fairly extreme hypotheticals in this on-road debate…
If They Had Left It In: People everywhere would be using the phrase, “sex nuts and retard strong.”
In Bruges (2008)
The Deleted Scene: Matt Smith makes a cameo as a young Ralph Fiennes, strolling into his local police station to settle a score.
If They Had Left It In: Smith’s on-screen persona might not be quite so clean-cut!
Army of Darkness (1992)
The Deleted Scene: An alternative opening in which Bruce Campbell puts on his best scary voice to introduce the Evil Dead canon to newbies…
If They Had Left It In: It would have made a bit more sense than the rushed recap that made the final cut. Still, most of the audience already know the story, so it probably wasn’t crucial.
Old School (2003)
The Deleted Scene: Vince Vaughn enlists the fraternity to help out at his son’s birthday party, with Will Ferrell acting as his trusty number two…
If They Had Left It In: It would have been yet another scene stolen by Ferrell. “WHAT’S SO FUNNY? THERE’S NOTHING FUNNY!”
Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
The Deleted Scene: Judge Doom sends Eddie for a visit to Toontown, from which he emerges with a hideous pigs head in place of his own. Terrifying stuff…
If They Had Left It In: More nightmares to complement those about Judge Doom’s transformation…
The Goonies (1985)
The Deleted Scene: The gang encounter a giant octopus. Sadly by this point, the special effects budget appears to have already been spent…
If They Had Left It In: Sloth would have had competition as the movie’s ugliest creature…
Clerks (1994)
The Deleted Scene: The film’s original ending has Dante shot dead by an armed robber, who empties the till and leaves our hero slumped motionless on the floor. He wasn’t even supposed to be there today…
If They Had Left It In: It would have been a bit of a downer, wouldn’t it? We’re glad Kevin Smith changed his mind on this one…
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
The Deleted Scene: The news team rescue Veronica Corningstone from the clutches of a cell of radical bank robbers, one of whom is played by a gleefully mugging Maya Rudolph…
If They Had Left It In: We wouldn’t have seen the sequence with the Kodiak bear which eventually took its place.
Step Brothers (2008)
The Deleted Scene: Rob Riggle and Adam Scott do their macho salesmen routine as a bewildered Will Ferrell plays the straight man…
If They Had Left It In: It would have made a nice change of pace to see Ferrell take a break from playing the clown for a couple of minutes.
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
The Deleted Scene: Simon Pegg and Peter Serafinowicz recreate their on-screen argument, with the addition of two bang-on Beatles impressions.
If They Had Left It In: It might not have made a lot of sense, but it would have been extremely funny!
Superbad (2007)
The Deleted Scene: Seth Rogen and Bill Hader shoot the shit about “handskis” and “mouthskis” in a bar scene (2:50). Top quality improv…
If They Had Left It In: “Mouthskis” and “handskis” would have entered the cultural lexicon, which would have been awesome.
Back to the Future pt 3 (1990)
The Deleted Scene: Buford Tannen proves himself an utterly despicable coward when he shoots Marshal Strickland in the back, leaving him to die in the arms of his son…
If They Had Left It In: Biff would have looked an angel by comparison! What a yellow-bellied son of a gun!
Hancock (2008)
The Deleted Scene: Hancock takes a superhero groupie back to his trailer for a wild night, before blowing three holes in the roof with his, er, “excitement”.
If They Had Left It In: They would have answered the long-standing debate as to just how strong super-sperm really is…
Natural Born Killers (2004)
The Deleted Scene: Mickey’s trial, in which he stabs a young witness (Ashley Judd) through the heart with a pencil in the middle of the cross-examination. Jesus…
If They Had Left It In: This might have pushed Mickey beyond anti-hero territory… it’s absolutely terrifying!
Best in Show (2000)
The Deleted Scene: Michael McKean and John Michael Higgins make an ex-military man extremely uncomfortable with a barrage of camp bonhomie…
If They Had Left It In: An equally good scene would probably have had to have been bumped. It’s already crammed with brilliantly funny moments.
Phone Booth (2002)
The Deleted Scene: Jared Leto crops up for a cameo as one of Colin Farrell’s clients, “Bobby”, a grinning TV idiot with an inability to spell the name “Chloe”.
If They Had Left It In: Leto’s character is probably too obvious a “comedy creation” to have really fit into the finished article, but it’s an amusing scene all the same.
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
The Deleted Scene: An extended introduction to the race of Hobbits, in which Bilbo lovingly explains what makes the Halflings tick.
If They Had Left It In: It would have better explained just what the Hobbits are giving up, and how out of character such a quest would be for members of their kind.
High Fidelity (2000)
The Deleted Scene: A brilliantly played back and forth between John Cusack and Beverly D’Angelo, who’s looking to sell off her adulterous husband’s record collection for a criminally low price…
If They Had Left It In: We would have had an even clearer idea of just how obsessively Cusack’s character adheres to the idea of fair play between collectors.
Menace 2 Society (1993)
The Deleted Scene: A CCTV recording of a convenience store murder, as watched by the killer and his whooping, hollering mates. Chilling stuff.
If They Had Left It In: So famous is this deleted scene, it probably wouldn’t have made much difference. A truly nightmarish vision.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt. 2 (2011)
The Deleted Scene: Tonks runs to Lupin before the Battle of Hogwarts, who despite his reproaches, is clearly delighted to see her.
If They Had Left It In: Tonks and Lupin’s deaths aren’t given much consideration in the final cut. It’s only a very brief moment, but it would have been a welcome reminder of what they had sacrificed for the greater good.
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
The Deleted Scene: A dream sequence in which the dearly departed Kyle Reese returns to Sarah Connor in order to give her a quick pep talk (5:05 of the above slushfest).
If They Had Left It In: It would have been a pleasing call-back to the first movie, and a reminder of that film’s love story.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
The Deleted Scene: Mr. Orange runs a background check on Mr. White, uncovering that White has previous with undercover cops…
If They Had Left It In: Orange would have found it a lot harder to bond with White if he already had him pegged as a cop-killer. Still a cool scene though.
This is Spinal Tap (1984) #1
The Deleted Scene: The band pay a visit to the zoo, leading to an informative discussion on ape behaviour.
If They Had Left It In: “Think of the baboons as the counterculture” would have become as iconic as “it goes up to eleven”.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Return of the King (2003) #1
The Deleted Scene: The Mouth of Sauron greets Aragorn and company at the Black Gates, taunting them with news of Frodo’s death.
If They Had Left It In: It would have been nice to see Sauron given voice, if only for one brief scene.
Spartacus (1960)
The Deleted Scene: A homoerotic encounter between Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis. The dialogue was lost when the original footage was recovered, so Curtis and Anthony Hopkins (standing in for the late Olivier) returned to the studio to re-record the lines.
If They Had Left It In: It would have gained a more authentically Roman feel…
This is Spinal Tap (1984) #2
The Deleted Scene: Bruno Kirby appears as the band’s limo driver, who has his first taste of Marijuana, and ends up getting his kit off and belting out Sinatra.
If They Had Left It In: It would have made a welcome addition to the film’s slight running time.
Lethal Weapon (1987)
The Deleted Scene: Riggs faces down a sniper before emptying his beretta into the hit-man’s vantage point.
If They Had Left It In: Riggs would have been so badass, audience’s heads would have spontaneously combusted. It can happen. It’s science.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
The Deleted Scene: Professor Flitwick conducts the school choir as they sing a haunting rendition of In Noctem , clouds gathering over Hogwarts as Snape ponders the task that lies ahead…
If They Had Left It In: It would have hinted at Snape’s reluctance to kill Dumbledore, which happens shortly after. Too much of a giveaway for those unfamiliar with the books? Perhaps.
Jaws (1975)
The Deleted Scene: Quint enters a music store to buy some piano wire before tormenting a small boy playing a clarinet…
If They Had Left It In: Audiences probably wouldn’t have been quite so fond of Quint. He comes off as a raving loon here!
Kill Bill vol. 2 (2004)
The Deleted Scene: Bill lays waste to Michael Jai White and his crew of goons in this tongue-in-cheek homage to the Shaw brothers.
If They Had Left It In: Bill vs. Black Dynamite? Instant classic.
Borat (2006)
The Deleted Scene: Borat receives a hotel-room massage from an extremely tolerant masseuse…
If They Had Left It In: We’ve no idea why they didn’t! It’s funny stuff…
Pulp Fiction (1994)
The Deleted Scene: John Travolta and Uma Thurman shoot the shit together in an extended version of their Jack Rabbit Slims conversation.
If They Had Left It In: It would have been a pleasure to savour a few more minutes of Travolta and Thurman’s crackling chemistry. It makes an already classic scene even more enjoyable.
Boogie Nights (1997)
The Deleted Scene: Dirk Diggler bags best actor at the porn awards for the second year in a row, basking in the adulation of his skin-flick peers…
If They Had Left It In: There might not have been time for that final member-revealing scene. And we couldn’t have had that, now could we?
Star Wars (1977)
The Deleted Scene: The oft puzzled over Biggs Darklighter makes his grand appearance, chatting to Luke about his impending departure from Tattooine.
If They Had Left It In: It would have rounded out Luke’s backstory a little, showing him in a more conventional, average-joe light.
Almost Famous (2000)
The Deleted Scene: Patrick Fugit plays Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to Heaven to his disapproving mother in order to convince her of the merit of rock music…
If They Had Left It In: They would have had to shell out a few extra dollars – the only reason Cameron Crowe cut the scene was because the studio couldn’t secure the rights to the song. Or didn’t want to shell out for them…
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) #2
The Deleted Scene: Saruman wishes death upon Gandalf and co. before being cast from the top of Isengard by Grima Wormtongue.
If They Had Left It In: Christopher Lee might not have fallen out with Peter Jackson in such spectacular style.
The Dark Knight (2008)
The Deleted Scene: Heath Ledger’s Joker boards one of the school buses evacuating the demolished hospital, not even giving the explosion a second glance…
If They Had Left It In: It would have lent further weight to the idea that the Joker is utterly, utterly insane.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 1 (2010)
The Deleted Scene: Dudley says farewell to Harry as the Dursleys flee to safety (1:24), telling his cousin that he doesn’t think he’s a waste of space and effectively burying the hatchet at long last.
If They Had Left It In: It would have been a welcome addition, a touching moment that offers Dudley some redemption after seven years of twattishness.
Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines (2003)
The Deleted Scene: Ever wondered why the Terminators look like Arnie and speak with an Austrian accent? Well wonder no more…
If They Had Left It In: It would have answered the age-old question as to why Cybernet would create a race of ludicrously accented robots!
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The Deleted Scene: As Leia tends to Luke in the medical centre, the boy wonder openly laments how he might never get the chance to tell Leia how he feels. A kiss looks imminent before those bungling droids show up to ruin it.
If They Had Left It In: It emphasises the pair’s mutual longing, and would have built up the drama of the eventual kiss still further…
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
The Deleted Scene: Boromir and Faramir celebrate the rescue of Osgiliath, before Denethor arrives and commands the former to recover Isildur’s Bane (the ring) for Gondor…
If They Had Left It In: It would have explained Boromir’s motivations in the first film, and further mitigated his desire to possess the ring for himself. Pity it was cut, really.
Magnolia (1999)
The Deleted Scene: Tom Cruise’s Frank T.J. Mackey instructs his class in how to “form a tragedy”, in order to “get some bush”. Cynical stuff…
If They Had Left It In: Mackey, though utterly despicable, would have been even more memorable. What a role for the Cruiser…
