While the term “fan edit” was largely unknown before an angry Star Wars fan re-edited the first prequel, 1999’s The Phantom Menace, into The Phantom Edit (creating a much better film), it has since become quite a popular alt-art form. Now, sites like www.FanEdit.org host forums for creators and fans of such homespun, unauthorized alternate versions to talk about their work and swap it via mostly torrents (small files that act as maps for file sharing programs like Azureus).

What kinds of alternate cuts can one expect to find? They can be as simple as re-integrating deleted scenes, or can be total conceptual overhauls. For fans of the classics, how about a version of the Humphrey Bogart noir staple The Big Sleep that runs 8 minutes longer? There’s D-Day: Operation Overlord that skillfully cuts together Saving Private Ryan and two episodes of “Band of Brothers.” Guys, ever wish that Titanic was easier to sit through? Now it is with Titanic: The Jack Cut, which the site boasts is now “bearable for men,” in that Old Rose is completely excised here. Not all of this second-guessing may work for everyone, but such an effort is still a fine tribute to the original work, whether or not the studios approve of it. –Klaus Hummersumpf