This is why I hate buying movies

I just learned a tough lesson.

Has this ever happened to you?

You have a favorite movie you remember from your youth--something that made you laugh, or cry, or scared the living daylights out of you--and then when you watch the movie again as an adult, you wonder what the big deal was? I thought this was the most epic . . . movie . . . ever!?!

Sure, I bet you have. It's happened to me a lot.

But here's a new twist on it: what if the movie is totally different?

I'm not talking about "you remembered it differently"; I'm talking the movie is actually different.

It just happened to me.

I happen to pass by the electronics department in Wal-mart, and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a movie on the shelf that I haven't seen in years: Legend!

Tom Cruise, Mia Sara, and Tim Curry, in an epic fantasy full of fairies, unicorns, and dancing ball gowns.

Naturally, I bought it. Right from the start, things seemed different. Mia Sara spent a lot of time in singing. I didn't remember her singing so much. And when the unicorns were playing while Tom and Mia watched in secret . . . wasn't there supposed to be a unicorn theme playing at that point?

Turns out, this movie has NONE of the original soundtrack. No "Loved by the Sun" by Tangerine Dream, no "Is Your Love Strong Enough" by Bryan Ferry, nothing. And during the dancing dress seduction scene, some Disney-esque music plays instead of the freaky carnival music that played for the theatrical release.

It changed the whole experience of the movie for me (AND showed me how important soundtrack selection can be).

I went to Amazon.com and found out there were two versions of the movie, one a director's cut, the other a theatrical release. And unlike most movies, this one does not have both versions on the same DVD. Sigh.

Here's what an Amazon reviewer (Brett D. Cullum) says about the two:

"This DVD collection gives you two versions of LEGEND -- the original director's cut with over twenty minutes of added footage and the original Goldsmith score; and in addition, you get the original US release. In essence you get two different movies! The moods vary, the characters seem a little different, with whole new speeches and images to enjoy."

Two very different movies indeed!

So now I've got to go back and buy the original theatrical release. So disappointed.

Moral of the story: make sure you know what you're buying!