Splendid Isolation

How about this one:

“It’s a Wonderful Life” fans have expressed outrage that Amazon Prime cut a crucial scene from the beloved Christmas classic.

An abridged version of the 1946 film has been edited to leave out a scene that many consider the most important in the movie, which follows the character of businessman George Bailey as he considers taking his own life.

The scene in question, known as the ‘Pottersville scene,’ sees George wish that he had never been born before his guardian angel reminds him that he needs to earn ‘his angel wings.’

In the original version of the movie, George tells the angel that he believes he is worth more dead than alive. The angel then tells George that he does not know all he has done in his life, before showing him a version of a grim world where he never existed.

That’s when George realizes he has a wonderful life and has positively impacted his loved ones, who he is desperate to get back to as the film comes to a resolution.

But in the abridged version of the film on Prime, the moment where the angel tells George he has to earn his wings abruptly cuts to George happily running through the streets after he’s reconciled with his own life — without including what led him to his newfound acceptance.

…and harking back to the title of this post:  this is why I have bought and continue to acquire the DVDs of all my favorite movies (Casablanca, 1984, It Happened One Night, all the Fred/Ginger movies, etc.) and I have a backup multi-format DVD player in case my new one ever breaks.

That way, nobody (e.g. Amazon) can ever take them away from me or “abridge” them.  Just who the fucking hell do they think they are?  The Pope who had all Michelangelo’s nude works defaced by painting over the women’s pudenda?

Fuck ’em all, and the nanny horse they rode in on.

Bastards.