"The Professionals" DVD isn't very.
07-15-99 | 12:16 AM
#1
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Just got "The Professionals" on dvd, and I must say this is the most disappointing disc I've bought so far. Great 60's westerns with a lot of action and a great cast, but the quality of the disc leaves much to be desired. During the sandstorm scene, at about 1 hour 23 minutes,(on the widescreen side)the disc becomes riddled with artifact and locks up. Then a bit later when Claudia Cardinale tries to seduce Burt Lancaster by taking off her shirt,the scene is optically censored with a fuzzy black bar near the bottom of the frame covering her breasts (this occurs in both widescreen and full frame versions). Oddly enough, this scene is shown uncensored(no bar) in the trailer-- there wasn't anything to hide, since you don't see anything much in it either. Also, the disc is rated PG-13! There are about 3 cuss words and a tiny bit of suggestive female nudity (backs and the above mentioned breasts which are never actually shown). This movie is like "Bambi" compared to current PG-13 films like "The Spy who Shagged Me." Just thought I'd warn others who might want this disc.
07-15-99 | 01:24 AM
#3
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I heard The Professionals was due out this year. Is this copy the one that was JUST released? Or are we talking about another one due out next year?
Jeremy
(Looking forward to Cousin Burt's performance.)
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Hollywood, California
Circa 1982</font
Jeremy
(Looking forward to Cousin Burt's performance.)
</font
Hollywood, California
Circa 1982</font
07-15-99 | 08:48 AM
#4
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Well, I was talking about the 1966 western "The Professionals" directed by Richard Brooks, and starring Burt Lancaster, Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode and Claudia Cardinale. It was just released on dvd this week by Columbia/Tri-Star. I had pre-ordered my copy from DVD Expres.
07-15-99 | 09:27 AM
#5
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From: USA
Hello DVD Trekies,
Well, I almost ordered this DVD yesterday after reading a very positive review about the quality of the DVD at Digital Eyes.
Digital Eyes Review
Now, I'm not to sure if I want this DVD or not. Not to criticize anyones opinion of the DVD, but this is just another example of how our perceptions and experiences differ from individual to individual when we review identical DVD titles.
One thing that I would suggest is that when you provide a review in the forum you always include the equipment you reviewed it with.
That way, when their is a problem with a disc another forum member can try to duplicate the error in order to determine whether it's a faulty disc or a hardware issue.
Well, I almost ordered this DVD yesterday after reading a very positive review about the quality of the DVD at Digital Eyes.
Digital Eyes Review
Now, I'm not to sure if I want this DVD or not. Not to criticize anyones opinion of the DVD, but this is just another example of how our perceptions and experiences differ from individual to individual when we review identical DVD titles.
One thing that I would suggest is that when you provide a review in the forum you always include the equipment you reviewed it with.
That way, when their is a problem with a disc another forum member can try to duplicate the error in order to determine whether it's a faulty disc or a hardware issue.
07-15-99 | 10:57 AM
#7
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Okay, time to remove at least part of my foot from my mouth. Cleaned the disc and the glitch went away. Can anyone tell I'm new to dvd? Duh! Oh well, not an authoring problem after all. Sorry for raising such a premature stink. Still want to know why (and when) the optical censoring was added.
07-15-99 | 06:41 PM
#9
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From: USA
Siringo,
I don't blame you for being upset with the censoring. I can't comprehend why the studio would censor this scene or at least acknowledge this information in the description of the DVD. I've seen AMC and TMC censor on occasion, but never on a DVD title.
[This message has been edited by ed (edited 07-15-1999).]
I don't blame you for being upset with the censoring. I can't comprehend why the studio would censor this scene or at least acknowledge this information in the description of the DVD. I've seen AMC and TMC censor on occasion, but never on a DVD title.
[This message has been edited by ed (edited 07-15-1999).]
07-16-99 | 12:24 PM
#10
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I believe the reason for the censored version on this DVD is because of a poor original master that could not (or would not) be restored for a nominal expense.
Many films were made in digital format for broadcast on cable, etc . . . with the censored bar in place. Perhaps this was the only decent master available for the DVD.
The same is true of older Pan & Scan films where the original widescreen master was never made to digital.
Just a thought.
Jeremy
(I'll still buy the DVD)
Many films were made in digital format for broadcast on cable, etc . . . with the censored bar in place. Perhaps this was the only decent master available for the DVD.
The same is true of older Pan & Scan films where the original widescreen master was never made to digital.
Just a thought.
Jeremy
(I'll still buy the DVD)
07-16-99 | 04:29 PM
#11
Uber Member
Are you sure the censor bars weren't in all versions of the movie?
Trailers are made well before a movie ever comes out and are often unrated. So the censorship could have been applied to the movie after the trailer was released.
Also you used to be able to have some nudity in PG films (re: Barbarella with Jane Fonda per a recent review in DVDFile.com). But now that the film is being rereleased in todays market the studio could have been worried about possible complaints from parents who were expecting a PG film by today's standards. (No that doesn't make much sense, but I'm describing decision making by studios, so what do you expect?)
Finally it is possible that when they renegotiated the rights for the movie the actress requested the censorship for what ever reason.
Just some possible explanations.
------------------
-David
Trailers are made well before a movie ever comes out and are often unrated. So the censorship could have been applied to the movie after the trailer was released.
Also you used to be able to have some nudity in PG films (re: Barbarella with Jane Fonda per a recent review in DVDFile.com). But now that the film is being rereleased in todays market the studio could have been worried about possible complaints from parents who were expecting a PG film by today's standards. (No that doesn't make much sense, but I'm describing decision making by studios, so what do you expect?)
Finally it is possible that when they renegotiated the rights for the movie the actress requested the censorship for what ever reason.
Just some possible explanations.
------------------
-David
07-16-99 | 11:18 PM
#12
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Good possible explanations for the censoring, folks. My thinking was that maybe this was a
tv print or something, but it doesn't follow that they would leave the minimal swearing in and block the merely "suggested" nudity out. It has probably been 15 years or more since I last saw the movie on tv, and I don't remeber the black bar. However, the full frame version is so badly cropped it's hard to spot it unless you're looking for it. If for anything the dvd is worth getting just to finally see the "whole" picture.
tv print or something, but it doesn't follow that they would leave the minimal swearing in and block the merely "suggested" nudity out. It has probably been 15 years or more since I last saw the movie on tv, and I don't remeber the black bar. However, the full frame version is so badly cropped it's hard to spot it unless you're looking for it. If for anything the dvd is worth getting just to finally see the "whole" picture.
