Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
06-08-17, 07:08 PM
#26
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
Is anything cut out of ghostbusters when it airs on TV?
Violence in anything rated PG and higher has been toned down a bit too, according to Sony. I remember when Star Trek II aired on TV and they cut out the shot of the slug going into the guy's ear. It's not just nudity or cussing that gets trimmed.
As much as I disapprove of cut versions, currently the ONLY way to get these is to buy the UNCUT version along with it. You can't rent the cut version, and you can't buy it by itself. So like the pan and scan versions that came with many DVDs, I'll consider this an extra to watch and laugh at.
06-15-17, 07:57 AM
#27
Moderator
Thread Starter
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
UPDATED, Wednesday, 6:20 PM with DGA statement: After the DGA and some filmmakers came out against Sony Home Entertainment’s Clean Version initiative which basically removes profanity and violence from films so they can be shared with a wider, family audience, Sony’s division president Man Jit Singh put out this statement today to calm fears.
“Our directors are of paramount importance to us and we want to respect those relationships to the utmost. We believed we had obtained approvals from the filmmakers involved for use of their previously supervised television versions as a value added extra on sales of the full version. But if any of them are unhappy or have reconsidered, we will discontinue it for their films.”
Similar protests from filmmakers have taken place over the years with colorizing films and films edited for the airlines.
The DGA later this evening was pleased with Sony’s pullback on the initiative, but said in a statement it wants the “cleaned” versions taken down pending approvals from directors.
“While we’re pleased that Sony is acknowledging its mistakes in this area, the DGA has notified Sony that it expects the immediate removal of all ‘clean’ versions of the affected films from availability until Sony secures permission from each and every director, and provides them with an opportunity to edit a version for release in new media – consistent with the DGA Agreement and the directors’ individual contracts,” the guild wrote. “These are hard-fought-for rights that protect a director’s work and vision, and are at the very heart of our craft and a thriving film industry. As we have throughout our history, we are committed to fighting the unauthorized editing of films.”
PREVIOUS, Tuesday, 7:45 PM: The DGA has come out against Sony’s recently announced Clean Version, an initiative launched last week that offers the edited broadcast or airline versions of 24 of the studio’s movies along with the uncut versions on sites like iTunes, Vudu and FandangoNow.
The guild today said the program violates the DGA’s contract with the studios.
“Directors have the right to edit their feature films for every non-theatrical platform, plain and simple. Taking a director’s edit for one platform, and then releasing it on another — without giving the director the opportunity to edit — violates our Agreement,” the DGA said.
It added: “Throughout the years, the DGA has achieved hard-fought creative rights gains protecting our members from such practices. As creators of their films, directors often dedicate years of hard work to realize their full vision, and they rightfully have a vested interest in protecting that work. We are committed to vigorously defending against the unauthorized alteration of films.”
The movies on the list include all of Sony’s Spider-Man titles (not the unreleased one), the original two Ghostbusters, two Grown Ups movies as well as Step Brothers and Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby, two movies produced by writer-director Judd Apatow.
“Our directors are of paramount importance to us and we want to respect those relationships to the utmost. We believed we had obtained approvals from the filmmakers involved for use of their previously supervised television versions as a value added extra on sales of the full version. But if any of them are unhappy or have reconsidered, we will discontinue it for their films.”
Similar protests from filmmakers have taken place over the years with colorizing films and films edited for the airlines.
The DGA later this evening was pleased with Sony’s pullback on the initiative, but said in a statement it wants the “cleaned” versions taken down pending approvals from directors.
“While we’re pleased that Sony is acknowledging its mistakes in this area, the DGA has notified Sony that it expects the immediate removal of all ‘clean’ versions of the affected films from availability until Sony secures permission from each and every director, and provides them with an opportunity to edit a version for release in new media – consistent with the DGA Agreement and the directors’ individual contracts,” the guild wrote. “These are hard-fought-for rights that protect a director’s work and vision, and are at the very heart of our craft and a thriving film industry. As we have throughout our history, we are committed to fighting the unauthorized editing of films.”
PREVIOUS, Tuesday, 7:45 PM: The DGA has come out against Sony’s recently announced Clean Version, an initiative launched last week that offers the edited broadcast or airline versions of 24 of the studio’s movies along with the uncut versions on sites like iTunes, Vudu and FandangoNow.
The guild today said the program violates the DGA’s contract with the studios.
“Directors have the right to edit their feature films for every non-theatrical platform, plain and simple. Taking a director’s edit for one platform, and then releasing it on another — without giving the director the opportunity to edit — violates our Agreement,” the DGA said.
It added: “Throughout the years, the DGA has achieved hard-fought creative rights gains protecting our members from such practices. As creators of their films, directors often dedicate years of hard work to realize their full vision, and they rightfully have a vested interest in protecting that work. We are committed to vigorously defending against the unauthorized alteration of films.”
The movies on the list include all of Sony’s Spider-Man titles (not the unreleased one), the original two Ghostbusters, two Grown Ups movies as well as Step Brothers and Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby, two movies produced by writer-director Judd Apatow.
06-15-17, 09:58 AM
#28
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
Elysium is a weird choice. That's a consciously R-rated movie full of graphic violence and profanity every fifth word.
06-15-17, 01:51 PM
#30
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
So why did they allow those versions to be produced in the first place? Now that I've got access to them, I'll be all the more annoyed with digital in general if they get taken off.
06-15-17, 02:21 PM
#31
06-15-17, 03:26 PM
#32
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
I remember back in 1978, Paramount re-released "Saturday Night Fever" in theatres as a cut-up PG version after the film became a huge success.
I guess there are certain films that may not suffer too badly with few minor cuts to make them accessible to a younger audience.
I guess there are certain films that may not suffer too badly with few minor cuts to make them accessible to a younger audience.
06-15-17, 03:40 PM
#33
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
It's a legal technicality. Although the directors agreed to have the films modified for television, studios must ask their permission again put same modified version online.
06-15-17, 07:08 PM
#34
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
Not the ideal way to watch films but I can see why some parents might watch these versions.For instance in Pretty Woman, Richard Gere says to Julia Roberts "We both screw people for money". The TV version has him say, in an alternate take, "We both hustle people for money."
The studios are always looking for ways to make their films more accessible to a wider audience.
06-16-17, 01:30 AM
#35
DVD Talk Ultimate Edition
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
How about parents stop watching adult movies with their kids, and stop altogether if they are offended by words and scenes?
Fuck, we've really become pathetic.
Fuck, we've really become pathetic.
06-16-17, 03:45 AM
#36
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
Whenever a movie like Goodfellas shows up on AMC, I like to tune in for a bit and see how they cleaned it up.
The strangest was when they showed The Shining, particularly the scene where Jack meets Grady in the bathroom, and Grady warns Jack that his son has contacted "a naughty cook".
I'm morbidly curious enough to check out some of these "clean versions" for a laugh.
The strangest was when they showed The Shining, particularly the scene where Jack meets Grady in the bathroom, and Grady warns Jack that his son has contacted "a naughty cook".
I'm morbidly curious enough to check out some of these "clean versions" for a laugh.
06-16-17, 04:07 AM
#37
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
But I can sympathize with families that don't want to limit their movie experiences to Pixar and the Hallmark channel.
06-16-17, 05:54 AM
#38
Re: Sony Debuts ‘Clean Version’ of 24 Movies Via iTunes, Vudu, Fandango
Once upon a time, the Production Code existed to clean films up before they got released and, in most cases, before they got made. Parents could see every film with their children. Foreign films, however, weren't made that way and when they started getting released in the U.S. en masse after WWII, critics and audiences began demanding more maturity from Hollywood films and filmmakers began demanding more freedom. It took a couple of decades but it finally happened. The upside is we got films that looked more like real life--at least for a decade (roughly 1968-78). The downside is that genre films got too violent to show to children and family-friendly films got blander and less interesting to adults than they used to be. There's been a trade-off and the drop-off in movie attendance over the decades would indicate that not all audiences see the benefit in it.
