More Legendary…The Director’s Cut of Legend set for UK release

Read more Latest UK Cuts at MelonFarmers.co.uk

See article from bbfc.co.uk

Legend is a 1985 US/UK fantasy by Ridley Scott with Tom Cruise and Mia Sara. See IMDb The Director’s Cut was passed PG uncut for: UK 2012 20th Century Fox Online UK 2012 20th Century Fox Blu-ray at UK Amazon The details of the UK haven’t been released yet, but hopefully the UK Blu-ray will follow the 2011 US Blu-ray which features both the Director’s Cut and the Theatrical Version. The additional material is non-contentious See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com

Shrill Censorship…The Director’s Cut of The Tin Drum set to be released on Arrow Academy Blu-ray

Read more Latest UK Cuts at MelonFarmers.co.uk

UK 2011 Arrow Academy (Theatrical+Director’s Cut) Blu-ray at UK Amazon for release on 9th January 2012 See trailer from youtube.com

The Tin Drum is a 1979 West German film by Volker Schlondorff. See IMDb Director’s Cut The Director’s Cut was passed 15 uncut for: UK 2011 Arrow Academy (Theatrical+Director’s Cut) Blu-ray at UK Amazon for release on 9th January 2012 See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com Uncut Theatrical Version Previously the Theatrical Version was passed 15 uncut with previous BBFC cuts waived for: UK 2011 Arrow Academy R2 DVD/Blu-ray at UK Amazon UK 2003 Nouveaux Pictures R2 DVD at UK Amazon The cut’s were waived when the BBFC decided that the disputed scene did not constitute an indecent image. You do not see Maria’s pubes and it seems likely (from other evidence – eg the book about the making of the film) that Scholndorff made her wear masking tape at this point. The offending shot simply shows a young boy pressing his face against a woman’s pubic region (not actually her vagina). It is  a serious film with little else to comfort paedophiles and expert views agreed that the scene was no more indecent (or vulnerable to misuse) than some of the other scenes in the film, such as the sherbert licking. Cut Theatrical Version Before that the Theatrical Version was passed 15 after 19s of BBFC cuts for: UK 1997 Disc VHS UK 1994 Connoisseur VHS UK 1980 cinema release (X Rated) The BBFC cuts were: A shot has been deleted from the scene where the young Oskar is seen burying his head in Maria’s pubic area. Release Details Arrow Academy presents Volker Schlöndorff s masterpiece in its original theatrical version and the Director’s Cut, seen for the first time in the UK after its Cannes Film Festival premiere. Extras: High Definition and Standard Definition presentation of the original theatrical version High Definition presentation of the Director s Cut [Blu-ray only] New restoration of both the theatrical version and the brand new Director s Cut approved by director Volker Schlöndorff Brand new interview with Volker Schlöndorff Comprehensive booklet featuring brand new writing on the film by George Lellis and Hans-Bernhard Moeller, authors of Volker Schlondorff’s Cinema: Adaptation, Politics and the Movie-appropriate, as well as extracts from Volker Schlöndorff s diary, writing by Jean Claude Carrière and Günter Grass, illustrated with archival stills. More extras to be announced!

Justice Seen to be not Done…Alternative versions for Law Abiding Citizen

Read more BBFC Cuts and Bans at MelonFarmers.co.uk

The Director’s Cut UK Blu-ray is available at UK Amazon for release on 12th April 2010 The Director’s Cut US Blu-ray is available at US Amazon

Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 US thriller by F Gary Gray The US Unrated Version or Director’s Cut was passed 18 for the 2010 Technicolor Blu-ray The Theatrical Version was passed 18 without cuts for the 2009 cinema release and 2010 Technicolor DVD The additional material for the Director’s Cutis is mostly plot and dialogue, but the violent scenes, including the rape and torture, have been extended too. See pictorial version details from movie-censorship.com The BBFC explained the 18 rating: Law Abiding Citizen is a thriller about a man who feels let down by the US justice system after his wife and daughter are murdered. The film has been classified at 18 for strong bloody violence, torture and sexual violence. The film contains several scenes of strong violence, with a bloody and protracted stabbing in one instance. BBFC Guidelines at 15 state that violence may not dwell on the infliction of pain and injury. At least one of the scenes was judged to go beyond the scope of the Guidelines at 15. Other scenes imply strong violence, including torture, but in most instances the strong detail is not seen on screen. The film includes one scene of sexual violence, with the attack implied rather than portrayed. Law Abiding Citizen contains a vigilante theme, with a man taking the concept of justice into his own hands and using violence against those who he judges to have failed him. This theme was also considered suitable only at 18. The BBFC Guidelines require caution with themes that appear to endorse illegal behaviour, such as violent revenge. In this instance there is some ambiguity as to how the vigilante is presented, with some dialogue references to the lack of wisdom of his choices, but this is counterbalanced with him being presented as a sympathetic character. The film also includes frequent use of strong language.

The Devils…Warner Brothers are sitting on the Director’s Cut of The Devils

Read more UK News at MelonFarmers.co.uk

Thanks to Callum

Mark Kermode points out that, despite being finished and waiting on the shelf for five years, the director’s cut of The Devils has still not been released by Warner Brothers. Mr. Kermode also says in his video blog Kermode Uncut – film school 101:deadpossessfilm school 101 that film fans should try and do something to remedy such apparent inactivity. Thus, I thought it appropriate to forward this suggestion so any fans can participate in the debate should they wish to.

Salvage Sale…The Director’s Cut of Terminator Salvation

See Moon Bloodgood topless scene at movieweb.com The uncut UK Blu-ray is available at UK Amazon for release on 23rd November 2009 The uncut US Blu-ray is available at US Amazon for release on 1st December 2009

Terminator Salvation is a 2009 US/German/UK/Italy action film by McG The (US PG-13 rated) Theatrical Version was passed 12 without BBFC cuts for the 2009 cinema release and 2009 Sony DVD. Director McG cut one shot to earn the US PG-13 rating. The quick cut involved featuring Sam Worthington’s character Marcus stabbing a screwdriver through the shoulder of a thug. But McG also removed the nude Moon Bloodgood shot claiming it: felt more like a gratuitous moment of a girl taking her top off in an action picture, and I didn’t want that to convolute the story or the characters. The pre-cuts were restored for the (US R rated) Director’s Cut (Extended Cut) which was passed 12 without BBFC cuts for the 2009 Sony Blu-ray. The BBFC put the triviality of the nudity cut in good perspective: Terminator Salvation is the fourth instalment in the Terminator franchise and sees a grown-up John Connor leading the human resistance movement. It has been passed 12 for scenes of moderate violence and intense action. The setting of the narrative in this film is an all-out war between the human resistance movement and Skynet with its army of Terminators. There are some spectacular battle sequences with heavy explosions and gunfire which include sight of many robots being destroyed, including a close-up shot of a robotic head being crushed by a helicopter. This sets the tone for much of the violence in the film. Most of the damage and injury is caused to the robotic characters while the human characters generally emerge unscathed. There is some injury detail seen, to the Connor character in particular, but these sequences do not dwell on detail and do not contain any emphasis on injuries or blood. For the most part the injuries are impressionistic and the fantasy setting is always well to the fore. Given this approach to the depiction of violence the film is contained at 12 under the terms of the Guidelines for violence at that level. The film as a whole does have an unrelenting intensity which is a well established feature of fantasy films at the 12 level but the tone is comparatively light and plays very much to audience expectations for the genre. There is none of the darker, sadistic, elements that occasionally take such works to the higher category. Mature themes and sustained moderate threat and menace are allowed at 12 in the Guidelines and these are all elements that contributed to placing Terminator Salvation at 12. The extended version of the film also contains a scene featuring brief sexualised nudity as we see a woman remove her top, revealing one of her breasts. This is only seen from considerable distance and there is no clear or sustained nudity present within a sexual context. At 12, the BBFC Guidelines state that in a sexual context nudity must be brief and discreet and this sequence in Terminator Salvation falls within those limits.

More Menace…New release for Menace II Society Director’s Cut

Read more at MelonFarmers.co.uk

The Director’s Cut region 2 DVD is available at UK Amazon The Director’s Cut UK Blu-ray is available at UK Amazon The Director’s Cut region 1 DVD is available at US Amazon The Director’s Cut US Blu-ray is available at US Amazon

Menace II Society is a 1993 US crime drama by Albert & Allen Hughes The BBFC passed the 2009 Entertainment in Video Director’s Cut DVD/Blu-ray, 18 uncut From cuts details on IMDb The director’s cut version makes the following changes: An extra shot of bullets leaving the back of the guy Samuel L Jackson kills. An extra shot of Awax holding the gang member while he shoots him. A small scene showing how Caine and O Dog brake into the car in the garage. Two extra shots of bullet wounds during the final scene. It also includes two deleted scenes, the funeral of Caines cousin and a scene at his grandparents house after the funeral.

Killer Version…The Director’s Cut of Leon to be released by Optimum

The Director’s Cut region 2 DVD is available at UK Amazon for release on 14th Sept 2009 The Director’s Cut UK Blu-ray is available at UK Amazon for release on 14th Sept 2009 The Director’s Cut region 1 DVD is available at US Amazon Read the Latest Cuts Info on MelonFarmers.co.uk

Leon is a 1994 French action film by Luc Besson The BBFC passed the Director’s Cut uncut 15 when submitted in 2009 by Optimum Previously the 18 rated 1994 cinema release and 1995/6 Buena Vista videos weren’t cut by the BBFC but this was a shortened version missing out on the development of the relationship between Leon and Mathilda From cuts details on IMDb: Missing scenes: Mathilda asking Leon to have sex with her and Leon refusing Leon explaining why he had to leave Italy and go to New York when he was 19 years old Mathilda and Leon sleeping together in a bed Mathilda threatening to shoot herself playing Russian roulette Leon and Mathilda hitting the home of a tattooed drug dealer, and setting fire to his supply of drugs New training missions where Mathilda learns the ropes of becoming an assassin Leon and Matilda going to a restaurant to celebrate her first hit From US Amazon: Uncut version is worth the price! I own both the US and international versions of this film, and the international edition is much better. Both versions carry a slight sexual tension throughout between Leon and Matilda, and the uncut version is more pronounced in this area, but that isn’t the reason to buy it. The extra 24 minutes on the uncut version provides a deeper understanding of the relationship between the two as the film progresses. For example, in the US version Matilda never becomes a real “cleaner” or hitman. It’s only hinted at when they shoot a jogger from a rooftop with blanks. In the uncut version, Leon takes her completely under his wing and teaches her the trade, including scenes where the pair run around killing bad guys and such. In the process, Leon teaches her the “ring trick” by tossing a grenade at a victim and keeping the ring and grenade pin in his hand. This scene sets up the final scenes in the movie in a way that the US version left short and unexplained. If you enjoyed the US version, you’ll probably love the uncut version more, if only because the characters and their relationships are much deeper.

What the Director Watched…The Director’s Cut of Watchmen

The Director’s Cut region 1 DVD is available at US Amazon The Director’s Cut US Blu-ray is available at US Amazon The Director’s Cut region 1 DVD is available via UK Amazon The Director’s Cut US Blu-ray is available via UK Amazon Read the Latest Cuts Info on MelonFarmers.co.uk

Watchmen is a 2009 US Action film by Zack Snyder There were no BBFC cuts to the 2009 Theatrical version released at  UK cinemas and on Paramount DVD. However there is an Director’s Cut waiting to be released in the UK. Version details from US Amazon: The director’s cut runs about 25 minutes longer, and incorporates more elements from the comics, adds more violence, as well as more shots of Dr. Manhatten’s schlong. Some of the previous scenes are reworked with additional dialogue. Overall, the storyline and conversations are better fleshed out, and this version is truer to the comics. The largest additional addition is that of Hollis Mason’s death. Rorschach gets additional dialogue, some straight from the comics. When Rorschach searches the Comedian’s apartment shortly after the opening scene, he encounters two cops still stationed there. He fights briefly with them before jumping back out the window. Conversation between Dan and Rorschach (beans scene) is extended. All flashbacks extended, with the exception of Sally’s. Dr. Manhatten discussing the symbol on his forehead. Additional questions in the face to face with Dr. Manhatten. Dan and Hollis watch Dr. Manhatten go crazy on their TV set. Laurie getting interrogated by the military as they try to determine Dr. M’s whereabouts (on Mars). Alessandro Juliani’s scene has been reinserted. He plays one of the scientists who bursts in during the interrogation of Laurie to tell the military that they’ve located Dr. M on Mars. Probably the biggest addition is the depiction of Hollis Mason’s death at the hands of the knot heads. Interestingly, the death is done from poor Hollis’ POV, where he imagines himself fighting the gangsters of the 1940s. He delivers left and right hooks to Captain Evil, before being done in by “Moloch”. The score for the death scene is very fitting. Dan taking revenge on an isolated knot head at a bar, post Hollis’ death. It’s a brutal revenge. The shootout by hired hitman Roy Chess is much more brutal- e.g. more blood and gore, fingers blown off. Conversation between Dr. Long and Rorschach is extended. Longer jail-break scene with arguments between Rorschach and Laurie. Prison guards open fire on Dan’s ship. Longer conversation between Dr. M and L on Mars. Riot scene is longer with more conversation between the Comedian and the rioters. Agent Forbes (Fulvio Cecere) has a larger role as the government agent in charge of handling all the Watchmen.

99 Cuts…Versions of Jess Franco’s 99 Women

The Director’s Cut region 1 DVD is available at US Amazon The X rated region 1 DVD is available at US Amazon The X rated region 0 DVD is available via UK Amazon Read the Latest Cuts Info on MelonFarmers.co.uk

99 Women is a 1969 Liechtenstein/Spain/Italy/West Germany/UK women in prison film by Jesus Franco The Redemption video was cut in 2007 with the following BBFC comment: Distributor was required to cut sight of animal cruelty (a snake being stabbed and hacked at by a woman using a knife) Previously the cinema version was rejected way back in 1969 Presumably the UK releases are based on the director approved version. There are two ‘uncut’ versions doing the rounds: An official unrated Director’s Cut as approved as the preferred version by Franco A French local version with nearly irrelevant hardcore added in by another director shooting new footage. This is generally referred to as the X rated version See review from IMDb: A bit disappointing The newest batch of detainees arrives at a remote women’s prison. The fortress-like prison is ruled with an iron hand by Thelma Diaz (Mercedes McCambridge), a woman who has no qualms against death or torture. But when a new state official takes notice of the body count coming out of the prison, Diaz must prove her ability and hide the truth. As the powers that be turn up the pressure it sets up a daring escape by several of the ladies. “Women in prison” flicks can be a mixed bag. Many offer the usual softcore action (usually of the lesbian variety) and / or nasty torture sequences that often exploit. But 99 Women doesn’t really offer too much of either. 99 is actually more artistic than most of the “W.I.P.” films that I’ve seen and as a result it comes off as a bit bland. The photography is fine but with most of the action taking place indoors the camera-work is not flashy. The acting is pretty decent but the script is a bit “talky” in an unnecessary way. The softcore action is not awfully titillating since many of the scenes are shot in an “artistic” fashion the X-rated version does offer some hardcore inserts but you can easily tell they were added much latter since they don’t match. “99 Women” has some style but not a lot of substance. A bit disappointing.