i just watched the director's cut or recut version of this film and man was it so much better. i think in my previous review (which was based on 2 year old memories) i might of overrated it as this time around it didn't get a much higher review but boy was this fun. first the bad and why it didn't make 4 stars: the acting, other than the always fantastic john lithgow, was ho hum to passable to decent. there was no split screen moments here (i could of sworn there was and i even mentioned it in my last review--oops!). the sex was too tame, not a single boob shot or even partial nudity. the violence was also too tame, not enough blood or gore. the story structure/certain scenes/certain ideas were unoriginal/copies of de palma's previous thrillers. that's the bad and that's why it gets 3 and 1/2 stars. but even still i loved this recut version of this film. it was so enjoyable and even though i have seen this film many times i had no idea what was going to happen, or how or when? i loved the pacing of this film. i loved how john lithgow didn't show up for 20 or so minutes. i loved how the movie switched gears the moment he does show up. i loved how you weren't sure who was dead or if things were flashbacks or who was real or what was going on plot wise. i love the twists and the mind fuckery that de palma pulls off here. and make no mistake, this recut version is vintage de palma. this version feels, looks and acts like a de palma film more so than the theatrical cut. watching this version i couldn't help think that de palma took what he started with sisters, continued (to a lesser extent in carrie), perfected in dressed to kill and blow out and missed the mark in body double and tried to outdo them all. by which i mean he played with editing and camera tricks in those films to perfection sometimes and this time out he said i am going to outdo them all. i'm going to take what i did before and bend and twist and meld them together in a barrage of flashbacks and flash forwards and dream sequences and i'm going to make the audience not know what the hell is happening but by films end it will all make sense. and it worked. this is a great version of this film and one that any de palma fan, or any fan of thrillers and genre filmmaking will love. hell yeah. it doesn't get 4 stars but it does get my seal of approval for being a great thrill ride from start to finish. production design: 7 out of 10 cinematography: 8 out of 10 re-playability: 8 out of 10 originality: 7 out of 10 costumes: 8 out of 10 directing: 8 out of 10 editing: 8 out of 10 acting: 8 out of 10 music: 8 out of 10 script: 8 out of 10 78/100