DVD Talk Forum - Beyond the Gates (AKA Shooting Dogs) UR Version is Edited!!! (WTF Fox!)

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Beyond the Gates (AKA Shooting Dogs) UR Version is Edited!!! (WTF Fox!)

SO yesterday i went to Best buy and a few different Wal-Marts and I saw this movie and noticed that it had a strange sticker on it that said "Edited for Content-Clean Language Version". I thought it was strange but didnt think too much of it because i knew that earlier in the day Netflix shipped out a copy of Beyond the gates that said a should receive it on 9/19. I assumed i would be getting a regular edition of the movie since Nexflix always tends to carry the regular edition or UR editon of a film.
I have been wanting to see this movie for a while now because I'm a big fan of Juhn Hurt but enough I get my rented Netflix copy today and WTF do I know, Its the clean language Version!!!! Why, in the name of Fuck would Fox release an "Unrated" version of the movie that eliminates "bad language" but I guess keeps the violence? Does this make sense to anyone? Apparently they have the R-rated version also available but I have yet to see it anywhere and now it doesnt look like I am going to be able to see it.
Regardless, I am disgusted and ashamed of Fox for this inexcusable butchering of a film to try and target it toward thier Fox Faith crowd.
Anything for a buck right, Fox?

Update: Tried watching it, couldn't do it: example of how bad this is :

John Hurts character: "Why don't we just say "STUFF" the mandate!"?

That doesn't even make sense...

I'm not sure why they couldn't just have two different audio tracks on the same release and let the consumer decide after purchase.

I remember wanting to see this movie, but I had forgotten about it. Amazon lists both versions as having a runtime of 112 minutes. Is it possible that the unrated version contains no additional footage, but simply is unrated because Fox didn't bother to submit the edited version to the MPAA for a rating, and the R-rated version is actually the complete one? (Although IMDB shows the runtime as 115 minutes?!?!?).

Also, Chris, do you know what the aspect ratio of the one you rented was? I see that IMDB lists the OAR as 2.35:1, but both DVD versions are listed at 1.78:1. Does anyone know what the actual OAR of this movie was, and it the DVDs are MAR?

I just found this interview on an apparent Christian film site, Dove.org, wherein the director, Michael Caton-Jones, comments on the two versions:

Quote:

As we wound up the interview, we asked Mr. Caton-Jones how he viewed the differences in the two versions of “Beyond the Gates,” the regular edition and the edited version. “I think the only difference is probably the exclusion of some swear words,” he replied. He added it was “a very conscious choice” to not graphically show all the violence but to make people aware of what was happening in the scenes. He said that although it is not “mindless entertainment,” he believes it is good for the human spirit to see this film.

When we commented that the edited version is a nice choice to have for families who want to see this story but not hear all the language in the regular edition, he agreed. “Absolutely,” he said. “I have no problem with that whatsoever.” This was nice to hear as some directors do not like any lines or language to be removed from their films.

Doesn't solve the aspect ratio question, though.

Gotta love that "Unrated" label.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris_sc77

Why, in the name of Fuck would Fox release an "Unrated" version of the movie that eliminates "bad language" but I guess keeps the violence? Does this make sense to anyone?

South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut addresses that very issue.

I have the PAL DVD and recently rented the UR US edition so I had both to compare side by side. I can confirm that the 2.35 aspect ratio is actually matted from a 1.78 ratio, i.e., we are seeing more in the US versions. So, unless you're Terry Gilliam or something, the aspect ratio should be of no concern. I'm not sure where IMDb is getting the runtime of 115 minutes, however. The PAL DVD has a runtime of 108 minutes, which is roughly 112 minutes in NTSC which shows one less frame per second (25 in PAL versus 24 in NTSC).