The so-called “restored director’s cut” of Lawrence of Arabia that’s now up and viewable on Hulu doesn’t include Maurice Jarre‘s overture. Which means it’s not the “restored director’s cut.” This is a gross error on Hulu’s part. It makes them look like they don’t have a clue.

All I want for Christmas is the Blu-ray Lawrence, but the work is proceeding very carefully and slowly, I’m told, so we probably won’t see it until 2010. Unless Sony’s home video division decides to delay its release until 2012 so they can call it a “special 50th anniversary collector’s edition.”

HE reader Carl LaFong asks, “Did you see how Hulu breaks to an advertisement just as Lawrence blows out the candle with that landmark cut to the sunrise?” I never got that far into the film. Now I have to watch it again. Has anyone else noticed this and is this in fact the case? If so, it would appear that Hulu has a two-point strategy. One, they’re actively trying to denigrate the Lawrence experience. And two, they’re trying for some reason to convince viewers that they’re morons.

As LaFong writes, “Maybe when Hulu shows 2001: A Space Odyssey they can break to a commercial just as Moonwatcher’s bone falls and jump-cuts into a spacecraft!”