The Mysterious Disappearance of the Original LBT

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

@ WeirdRaptor

Hey, is it just my imagination or you seemed rather snarky in your comment? I wasn't making things up and I am not imagining things as you say. I saw what I saw and I trust my own eyes.

Mr Don Bluth actually said the edition of the movie is a right decision? When did he say it? And where's the proof? I don't think I had seen him quoting anything like that anywhere?


Hi, o1s1n. It's nice to see another new member here. You can introduce yourself in the Welcome Centre so we can all greet and welcome you. So, you have seen the original copy as well? Is it the original English dubbed?

[Justin1993]

For my part, I never said that I had seen the original film before the scenes had been cut. I had simply stated two-one, I admit, that has no basis and is possibly inspired by my thoughts at the time-things I remember from watching the VHS at my former stepmother's parent's house. I am skeptical of my own memories. It was a long time ago.

Edit: I read over your post a couple of times and came to the conclusion that I was a little sensitive in my response, so I edited some stuff out. It wasn't bad, just a bit too defensive.

[WeirdRaptor]

@ Blue Mage: I was dead serious. I think you're being very unfair to the released version of the film by basically calling it crap. Where's the proof? It's been brought up before on several other topics. You'll probably have to dig through a few pages, but the quote does exist.

You're one to talk about supplying proof. You have no evidence of ever having seen the extended edition of the film. So unless you can produce it, you are imagining things as far as I'm concerned. Every other claim to have seen the Director's Cut over the years has come up completely and utterly empty and without a shred of evidence. Yours' will be no different.

You know what, I hope we never do find this fabled "perfect, superior, unruined" version of the film. I hope it actually was burned. Rumors about this have grown pervasive and annoying over the years and always, always end in the same "lol not found" conclusion. I think it's time we just shut the door of this stupidity. We all know we're never going to see it. And I especially hope it stays lost with this "Spielberg and Lucas RUINED this film" attitude floating around.

[Malte279]

It is true that in spite of a number of people saying they did see an uncut version it has nevertheless been impossible in all the years for anyone to provide the uncut version or to describe in detail scenes which have not already been described in sources like the illustrated movie book or for which evidence like the released pictures from deleted scenes exist.
Now please do not get me wrong. I am not accusing anyone of lying or exaggerating, but especially with regard to claims to have seen the original movie at the time when it was in the cinemas 25 years ago I think it is not implausible to assume that memory may cheat some who in good faith say that they saw the movie in its original cut. Indeed the movie was cut before its release (obviously) and while some images and describtions leaked out and ended up in books or cinema showcases it would be a whole different thing if the entire uncut movie was released somewhere (it would be some 10 minutes longer or so).
One source in which Don Bluth himself (reluctantly) stated that the cut was right would be the January 2001 issue of his Toon Talk magazine in which he stated about his reaction to the cuts:

Directing a movies is like birthing children. To see it rushed into surgery, even for commercial reasons, somehow fractures one's enthusiasm. On that day, nineteen fully colored Rex scenes were cut from the movie. I moured for a week.
Were Steven and George rigt to do it? In hindsight, I think yes. Land grossed $72 million worldwide, and became one of the supporting pillars for the animation renaissance.

The cut scenes have become a bit of the holy grail for LBT fans and with such enthusiasm involved it is quite likely that memory can play tricks on us. But however sad the cutting of the scenes and however unlikely our getting access to them is, I agree that the land before time has not been ruined by it. If it had become such a bad movie because of the cuts we would have to ask ourselves what on earth we are all doing here. Most of us probably liked LBT before even knowing about the cut scenes, is learning about them enough to curb our enthusiasm for LBT?

Welcome with us o1s1n
I take it you are from Ireland then? You're hearty invited to post in the welcome section of the board to introduce yourself and be welcomed

[jansenov]

I, for one, have always accepted the possibility that my mind is playing tricks on me. If people can see UFOs, then people could might as well see missing LBT scenes. However, when you have vivid images in your mind it takes a lot of self-discipline to dismiss them completely.

[Ludichris1]

The whole time I've owned LBT (without critically looking for possible cut scenes), there were only two parts in the movie I thought were weird. When the t-rex first discovers Cera and Littlefoot, it shows them seeing him in another scene, and then running away in the previous scene or something lol

And then when the do the final t-rex battle, sometimes it looks like it jumps to an inconsistent background.

That's about it. And I barely notice 'em xd

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

Excuse me, WeirdRaptor? When did I say the edited version of the movie is a crap? In fact, I even said most people who watched the film love it because it is still brilliant and because Mr Don Bluth is a brilliant man. Sure, I admit I don’t have proofs to prove to you people that I had watched the original version of the movie and I can’t do anything about it. You can call this topic a stupidity or say us imagining things or call us being delusional and you are free to do so. I respect that. Also, I didn’t start this topic just so I can end it with some “lol not found” joke as you say. I’ll be honest. The reason I started this topic is because I wanted to know just how many people in the Land Before Time fan-base had seen the original version of the movie like I did and how many people want to see it being released someday and see if our number will be enough to make a difference. Another reason being to be able to watch it at least once again in my life is my life-time’s biggest wish.

You probably don’t care about this but I still want to tell you that I fear I don’t have much time left with me. Many of my maternal relatives had died from cancer; it is heredity and I am very likely to have inherited the gene as well. Every few years one of my maternal relatives will die from cancer. The youngest of them that had died was as young as thirty year-old, and she died from stomach cancer. My grandfather passed away from liver cancer eight years ago and one of my aunts, who were very close to my family and I, had passed away from brain cancer in January of this year at the age of forty-seven. Every time when I attended a funeral, I was wondering if I will die from cancer as young as thirty years old as well. I am twenty-one now and my lungs’ health have started to deteriorate and, if I will die from some cancer around thirty, then I don’t have even a decade left to live.

I know my life-time’s wish is rather selfish but if I can see the original version of the movie at least once again in my life, then I will be really happy and I can die with no regret. And if you have not the intention to see the original version of the film being released, it’s your choice and again, I respect that. However, just because you don’t want to, it doesn’t mean everyone else shouldn’t see it as well.



Thank you for providing the quote, Malte279. I must say I found it quite disappointing. Still, he has his own reasons. Though I still hope he will release the original version of the film for his fans one of these days, if that is ever possible. And also, like jansenov, I once believed my memories were playing tricks with me and I really wanted to believe it. But I can’t. Not anymore. Because those images are still vivid in my mind and I don’t believe I am just imagining them. I started to remember images very well when I was four. And although I admit I don’t remember much of the dialogue of the movie, but I remember most of the scenes very well.

[jansenov]

Barroth, you've just made the discussion a lot more difficult for all sides involved. I think I can vouch for everyone here that we wish you only well, but don't be surprised if people don't know how to go from here and ignore the discussion altogether.

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

I'm sorry, jansenov. To make the discussion more difficult wasn't my intention. If I had made you think so, then, my apologies. I was being too emotional. You guys can just ignore what I said about my life-time's biggest wish. Still, thank you for your comforting words, jansenov.

[Ludichris1]

Not everyone gets cancer, and most who do fight it for a long time.

On another note, I don't think 'the original LBT' is a correct term, since, if it was incorrectly released on Finnish television or whatever, but absolutely nowhere else, and was never meant to be seen again once the movie was compiled together, I just think it would be called something else. I'm not sure what though

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

Ludichris1,

Actually, you are right about "the original LBT" is not a correct term. Initially, it was meant to be "the original version of Land Before Time". However, because the title's space isn't enough, I had to make it short and so the title is what it is now instead.

[WeirdRaptor]

Excuse me, WeirdRaptor? When did I say the edited version of the movie is a crap?

to me, it [the movie] is ruined.

That is the same as calling it crap in my book. If you don't have any respect for the theatrical cut of the film, then why did you even bother coming here?

In fact, I even said most people who watched the film love it because it is still brilliant and because Mr Don Bluth is a brilliant man. Sure, I admit I don’t have proofs to prove to you people that I had watched the original version of the movie and I can’t do anything about it. You can call this topic a stupidity or say us imagining things or call us being delusional and you are free to do so. I respect that. Also, I didn’t start this topic just so I can end it with some “lol not found” joke as you say. I’ll be honest. The reason I started this topic is because I wanted to know just how many people in the Land Before Time fan-base had seen the original version of the movie like I did and how many people want to see it being released someday and see if our number will be enough to make a difference. Another reason being to be able to watch it at least once again in my life is my life-time’s biggest wish.

Well, you're never going to get that wish fulfilled, so you might as well appreciate what you have. The film is brilliant as is. I hate this attitude amongst film-goers that theatrical cuts are inherently bad when in fact they're usually an improvement.
Oh, and just for the record: the film ISN'T ruined, no matter how much you try to push the idea that it is.

You probably don’t care about this but I still want to tell you that I fear I don’t have much time left with me. Many of my maternal relatives had died from cancer; it is heredity and I am very likely to have inherited the gene as well. Every few years one of my maternal relatives will die from cancer. The youngest of them that had died was as young as thirty year-old, and she died from stomach cancer. My grandfather passed away from liver cancer eight years ago and one of my aunts, who were very close to my family and I, had passed away from brain cancer in January of this year at the age of forty-seven. Every time when I attended a funeral, I was wondering if I will die from cancer as young as thirty years old as well. I am twenty-one now and my lungs’ health have started to deteriorate and, if I will die from some cancer around thirty, then I don’t have even a decade left to live.

I'm very sorry for your loss, however, coming in here and calling the film that people have appreciated for decades "ruined" was just uncalled for. If the film is SO ruined, then how come this board and all these people have congregated here out of love for this horrid, ruined mess of a film, eh? You want to watch The Land Before Time? Buy it off of Amazon and settle in like the rest of us.

I know my life-time’s wish is rather selfish but if I can see the original version of the movie at least once again in my life, then I will be really happy and I can die with no regret. And if you have not the intention to see the original version of the film being released, it’s your choice and again, I respect that. However, just because you don’t want to, it doesn’t mean everyone else shouldn’t see it as well.

The film we have now IS the original film, like it or not.

Thank you for providing the quote, Malte279. I must say I found it quite disappointing. Still, he has his own reasons. Though I still hope he will release the original version of the film for his fans one of these days, if that is ever possible. And also, like jansenov, I once believed my memories were playing tricks with me and I really wanted to believe it. But I can’t. Not anymore. Because those images are still vivid in my mind and I don’t believe I am just imagining them. I started to remember images very well when I was four. And although I admit I don’t remember much of the dialogue of the movie, but I remember most of the scenes very well.

This only thing this proves is that you had a vivid imagination as a child. Nothing more. You never saw the original version of the film, no one outside of Bluth and his associates. Learn to accept it.

[Phantom]

Ludichris1,

Actually, you are right about "the original LBT" is not a correct term. Initially, it was meant to be "the original version of Land Before Time". However, because the title's space isn't enough, I had to make it short and so the title is what it is now instead.

I remember hearing about a deleted scene where Sharptooth trips and slides towards LF, landing him on his snout. Confirmation?

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

@ WeirdRaptor,

In your book, huh? You just can’t seem to accept it when I said I didn’t call the edited movie a crap. Say you other people are believing what they want to believe when that is what you are doing yourself. Sure. I did say Steven Spielberg and George Lucas ruined the film for me and I was just voicing up my opinion. Is that wrong? And I didn't go out there and shove my believe down people's throat as you said. You also deliberately ignored the part where I said the edited movie is still brilliant. In fact, I still love the edited movie because it still contains the very plot that I (and everyone) love, in case you didn’t know. You can read the second last paragraph of the first post in this thread and see how I summarised the entire movie. Then, you will see what I mean.

And, like I said before, you can go on and believe that I am imagining things as you like. You don’t have to keep mentioning that over and over again.


@ Phantom,

Um, what does "LF" mean?

[Phantom]

@ WeirdRaptor,

In your book, huh? You just can’t seem to accept it when I said I didn’t call the edited movie a crap. Say you other people are believing what they want to believe when that is what you are doing yourself. You also deliberately ignored the part where I said the edited movie is still brilliant. In fact, I still love the edited movie because it still contains the very plot that I (and everyone) love, in case you didn’t know. You can read the second last paragraph of the first post in this thread and see how I summarised the entire movie. Then, you will see what I mean.

And, like I said before, you can go on and believe that I am imagining things as you like. You don’t have to keep mentioning that over and over again.


@ Phantom,

Um, what does "LF" mean?

Little foot.

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

@ Phantom,

Actually, there were many times Littlefoot and Cera were almost crushed by sharp-tooth and mama long-neck during the fight by their stomping feet or when they toppled over because the two kids were frequently stuck between the two fighting adults.

[Phantom]

@ Phantom,

Actually, there were many times Littlefoot and Cera were almost crushed by sharp-tooth and mama long-neck during the fight by their stomping feet or when they toppled over because the two kids were frequently stuck between the two fighting adults.

Did LF kick Sharptooth in the face at one point?

[FreckledOne]

This has already been brought up by Malte, but the quote he mentioned from that magazine article is also in the storyboard book that I have.

You know, Barroth, there is a topic here where people were discussing remaking the deleted scenes into some kind of fan project, if you would be interested.  

[WeirdRaptor]

So the movie's ruined for you, but you love the theatrical version. Does not compute. In general, when something's ruined for you, it means exactly that. Alright, I'm sorry if I jumped the gun and thought you were hating on the theatrical version.

[Barroth the Blue Mage]

Sorry for replying late, people. I’ve been quite busy with my part-time job lately.

@ WeirdRaptor

Different people have different ways of expressing thoughts, you know? Just to let you know, I am a very straight-forward person. If I wanted to call something a “crap”, I would have used that word already. But I didn’t. And I’ve always loved Land Before Time, even the heavily edited version.


@ FreckledOne

I think I’ve seen a few topics like that in this forum, though I don’t really have the time to go through them all. Can you provide the link of that topic, please? I will appreciate that.


@ Phantom

You mean when sharp-tooth fell down on his face during the fight and Littlefoot took the opportunity to kick him in the face? I think yes. And that only angered sharp-tooth even more. Though I’m not sure if Littlefoot did it out of anger for hurting his mother or out of plain mischief.