Julie Walker

I just discovered this information and found it interesting, much like the latest Universal Soldier film, and to a lesser extent The Possession. The U.S. gets only an edited print, while Canada and other countries get the uncut print. Sure it's only a few seconds, but it's interesting to discover since you would think the studios would want to capitalize on the 'uncut' marketing trend, especially if prints are available for both versions in these cases.

http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=531849

RocShemp

I've seen this happening with 3D foreign releases as well (such as Tai Chi Zero and the Hara Kiri remake). I wonder what's the deal.

Solid Snake

wait...what was edited in the US cut?

Edit: NVM. Couldn't get link to work on my phone. Got my answer on the computer.

My Other Self

I don't think being censored changes the fact that the movie was a total snooze fest.

slop101

As long as they didn't edit Chastain nudity, I'm good.

islandclaws

Interesting cuts, however minor they may be. Usually we censor nudity, not violence.

Ropes Pierre

Wasn't the same nonsense done with Casino Royale?

RocShemp

Yup. Only the Australian release is uncut. But the added footage amounts to a few extra seconds.

Jay G.

You mean only the Australian Blu-ray for Casino Royale is uncut? Because I have an uncut Hong Kong DVD.

The edits were likely done to secure an R rating. I remember there being similarly minor cuts of a few graphic shots for the R rated version of Boondock Saints. It's somewhat surprising they didn't offer the Unrated version as an alternate, although maybe the director doesn't care that much about the cuts.

The places that released the "uncut" version have harsher rating systems than we do. With an R rating, technically any age can see the movie while accompanied by an adult. For the UK it was rated 18, meaning nobody under 18 can see it, while Germany rated it 16, meaning nobody under 16 can see it.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1212450/...#certification

Julie Walker

Here is the comparison of what's been cut from the PG-13 version.

http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4011

Considering how License To Kill was cut to avoid an R rating at the time, and has been restored to uncut form and still got a PG-13 today. I'm sure Casino Royale could eventually be re-submitted and get the same rating, but you never know.

DirkUSA

The latest UK Blu-ray release of Casino Royale is uncut too.

Why So Blu?

Lawless is a great film and now I will have to get the import.

DirkUSA

I watched the Canadian Blu-ray last night and loved the movie.

hanshotfirst1138

God, I wish region-free players and HDTVs weren't so expensive. I need to join the 21st century one of these days. You know, I'm rarely an advocate of censorship of any kind, but for the life of me, I've never been able to understand what difference a few seconds make. The removal of a whole scene? Rarely would I advocate such a thing, but at least it's make some sense to cut out a whole offensive scene. I can imagine there's someone somewhere who'd be less offended by a shot if it lasted a few seconds less.

JimRochester

If the other cut had some more skin, I'd be in for trying to score one. She looked good in that flick. Tom Hardy that lucky son of a bitch. The few seconds of extra violence i don't think made a difference, at least not to me. I didn't need to see the pig getting shot to know it happened.

Solid Snake

Which does the director prefer? I don't see how the added violence added anything aside from violence. I'll get when it's cheap.

Julie Walker

I agree. It's strange how a few seconds or even mere frames can affect a rating. But then I can understand how a scenes impact can be changed with a few trims and thus go from NC-17 to R depending on just how graphic it really is. But if a films still 'strong' in impact despite being trimmed like plenty of films today. It makes no sense why the 'uncut' version did not get an R rating over an NC-17.

For example, I've only seen the R rated version of Zombie Strippers so far, and am not in any hurry to see the unrated version despite enjoying the film. The reason being is, very little was actually cut and thus it'd not make a difference to me in terms of impact. The R version is loaded with graphic gore and some nudity, and everything shown in the 'cut list' on movie-censorship.com in terms of gore is still visible in the R version, the only difference being a few frames missing or split second shots. After viewing it, I don't understand why more wasn't cut in the R version and why the uncut version didn't get an R rating in the first place? The cuts didn't do much to tone down the gore and all.

Meanwhile I've sat through both the R rated and unrated versions of The Street Fighter (1974). And this is a film where entire scenes(15 minutes worth!) were cut to avoid the X rating at the time! It's a laughable mess in the R version with jump cuts and jarring edits galore making scenes incomprehensible. I'm sure the uncut version could pass with an R today since the gore is really fake looking and 'tame' compared to effects that came out in the years after the films release. But it's interesting seeing how butchered it was to get an R rating in the 70's, and I'm glad I don't see that much editing done today to get an different rating(with a few exceptions of course).

Though I will admit sometimes an edit to a scene can make it more effective than the 'uncut' or 'more graphic' version. The scene with the pig in Lawless for example works in the R version, and while I haven't seen the 'uncut' version. Just looking at the shots of the pig makes it seem awkward to me and less effective, than hearing what happens and it being left to the imagination. So sometimes edits can be effective and sometimes they can destroy a film.

spartickes

I'm all for uncut/unrated versions if they are the filmmakers original vision. It's interesting to see changes mandated by studios, producers, and, the ratings board. On the other hand if they just slap a few extra frames of gore in to capitalize on the "unrated" double dip market, well, in the (probable) words of Solid Snake "Fuck that noise".