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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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…
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.
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?
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…
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.
