Channel 5 Uk TV cuts

[Greeny]

Sorry, but I have to have a bit of a rant about Channel 5. Last night they had an American Werewolf in London on at 9pm.

Whilst I love this film, I actually switched off at about half way into it because the presentation p****d me off so much! I couldn't believe how much Channel 5 cut this stuff by.

I was watching it with my wife (who has never seen it) and was going on about how great it was, only to have the viewing experience ruined by a cut print. I just don't think it has the same impact without Jack's uncut mauling plus the other bits that were cut out.

It was the same with some other movie they had on the other night too...P****s me right off!
:mad:

[zanner]

i see that film 4 have got the texas chainsaw massacre on next week !!...do you think that will be cut as well ??

[Mikey]

Don't take offence, but people who watch films broadcast on commercial TV (especially on Channel 5) generally get what they deserve. You should all know better by now. How you can sit through a film interrupted by countless commercial breaks and then complain about cuts is beyond me.

[wanyon]

Watched it too! Thought there was stuff missing but wasn't sure if i blinked and missed it or was tired and kept drifting off! Also, did anyone notice how they kept messing around with the speed of the film? There were so many occasions when you could see a visual 'stutter' effect (sometimes for up to 10 seconds at a time it appeared) where it was like Channel 5 were either slowing the film down or speeding it up but never to the extent where it was majorly noticable. They were like someone on editing equipment tampering with it very slightly as it went on!!! UNBELIEVABLE!

[Wonderboy]

I've got the DVD... but I still watched it.

What bugs me is that the abrupt edits during the dream sequence are what makes it so effective. Channel 5 probably thought they were doing us a service by fading the sound, but it just sucked.

:p

[Graham]

Originally posted by zanner
i see that film 4 have got the texas chainsaw massacre on next week !!...do you think that will be cut as well ??

Film Four have a policy of only broadcasting uncut prints wherever possible. All that stops them from an all out uncut status is the BBFC.

[Wonderboy]

There's nothing to cut out of Texas Chain Saw Massacre anyway...

[CJ34]

Buy the UK 2-Disc SE of American Werewolf in London. There ya go, a nice easy solution to the problem :D

[agent cooper]

ch 5 are showing frankenstein unbound tonight i hope the f**kers dont show a cut print. it is on at 1am so hopefully they wont. but i bet they only show it in 4.3 though:rolleyes:

[Marv]

Channel five showed the same cut print they showed 2 yeras ago. They made pointless cuts too it. If you wanna get it on dvd get the R1 version since it has a DTS audio and the original trailer.

[Matt]

Channel 5 is abysmal - they always cut practically every film they show: recently they chopped out the "sex in the shower" scene from THE SPECIALIST (OK so they spared us the sight of Stallone's arse but still...) - they also manged to show EXCALIBUR a few months ago, shorn of all its sexual/gore content and in the process rendering much of it incomprehensible. I don't usually bother watching films on commercial TV these days, better off just picking up the DVD.

Film Four is excellent and actually cares about the presentation of their movies.

[Wonderboy]

Originally posted by Matt
Film Four is excellent and actually cares about the presentation of their movies.

This appears to be at the expense of Channel 4's presentation. Now they've taken up the annoying habits of the other channels and either cutting out or speeding up the end credits, or plastering a huge great ad over the top of them.

At least they still show things uncut.

C4's Shriek Week's got some good stuff on. Check out the listings. (http://www.channel4.com/scary)

I forgot to tape Frankenstien Unbound. I'm annoyed. Haven't seen it for at least a decade.

[Matt]

Yes I hate it when they bugger up the end credits like that - didn't realise Channel 4 had let their standards slip as you described, very disappointing.

Nice selection of upcoming horror titles - including NIGHT OF THE HUNTER, one of my all-time faves.

[Mark Y]

Channel 5 had the best print I've seen of Emmanuelle 2, but this was heavily cut. Fortunately the uncut UK DVD seems to be the same print and can be got from HMV for about a fiver. Well worth the money. Earlier prints of the film on video were incredibly dark.

[wanyon]

If you own a DVD recorder and the Tartan dvds of RING and RING 2 may i suggest that you record the broadcast of Channel 4's versions instead and ditch the Tartan abominations!
Tartan, as we know, are consistent in two things: shortchanging us on extras and providing the UK fans with substandard (nearly always overly dark and often grainy) transfers from substandard prints. Their versions of these films are very dark (even bumping up the levels on your tv will not reveal most of the detail their releases darken) and have a scratchy and grainy look that while not horrendous is always noticable (and IS horrendous at real changes).
Channel 4/Filmfour's broadcasts which i saw some time last year or the year before are simply SUPERB. The prints are relatively dirt free and as clean as can be expected considering Asian territories are notorious for not looking after their materials as well as they could do. The transfers from these materials look great (sometimes very slightly too bright but never to the point of giving blacks that 'milky' grey feel) with bright image, accurate colours and vivid detail. Virtually SPOTLESS presentations with superior subtitles too!
I wholeheartedly recommend these versions over the Tartan releases.
Does anyone know if these versions were directly prepared FOR Filmfour? Or were they from the same materials as the U.S. dvds? What are the U.S. releases like for quality?

[the dude]

Those late Friday night Channel 5 films got me through my teenage years quite nicely and a lot of my friends too ;)

[Marv]

Originally posted by the dude
Those late Friday night Channel 5 films got me through my teenage years quite nicely and a lot of my friends too ;)

Amen to that brother.

Pity they dont show thoughs "PG" rated porno's any more. They used to be a good start for the weekend.

[Greeny]

Looking forward to Shriek Week, have never seen Audition and I can't wait to see Chopper Chicks in Zombietown!

[SicCoyote]

That was one film I didn't get, it's crap.
Watched it once, thought it was crap, my online gf of the time said it was great, I watched it again thinking maybe I was a bit tired, no it's crap.

Some of the others look very interesting, especially Threads(although that's not on shriek week it's on BBC4 on wednesday), it better live up to the hype. Got my DV camera at the ready to record it.

[SicCoyote]

Oh forgot to mention I was talking about Chopper Chicks

[Donna Dasher]

Channel 5 cut films/programmes mainly due to time constraints than because of violence/sex.

They cut quite a few episodes of Prisoner Cell Block H (some people would say that this is a good thing but they are wrong...)

Channel 5 really is a nothing channel.

[MarcMorris]

Ch5 do however dig up some incredibly obscure movies you won't see easily anywhere else. I've taped things like 'Daddy's Gone A-Hunting', 'The Strangler' (with Victor Buono), 'The Shuttered Room' and others.

So, less of that Female Trouble Mrs Dasher! By the way, how's Donald?

[Greeny]

Do you two know each other?

[TheGriz]

...MARKED FOR DEATH with Stevie "Godzilla" Seagal!!!

& it's rather nasty as well...eye pokings, beheadings, limp snapping...the usual Seagal vio-lence

[Greeny]

Ahh, Marked for Death one of Seagal's greatest along with Hard to Kill, before he turned into a w***er that is.

[Donna Dasher]

Mr Morris- thats very true. I remember when Channel 5 first started (ahh, the kitsch Spice Girls jingle!) that they were kind of a cult channel. They showed loads of oddities which I hadn't seen since I was a kid.

But now they're sort of the TV channel equivalent of The Sport newspaper- just plain bad.

It reminds me of when Bravo the cable channel started. Very cult to start with but now just smutty and crap.

Oh and Marc- Donald is fine! You have a pretty pretty taste in films!

[MarcMorris]

Donna, remember that I AM the filthiest person alive!

Be warned or I'll take that hairdo back...

[Donna Dasher]

I was just looking at the BBFC website (you can do that y'know!) and the cuts to Waters' films are unbelievable!

Also, Desperate Living was actually banned first time round!

Thank God for the Region 1 releases.

One great curiosity that I saw after many years on Channel 5 was a short called (I think) The Voice-Over Queen about a struggling actress in New York who found that she could imitate lots of household appliances. What follows are sequences of her imitating food processors, vacuums etc.

If only Channel 5 could show more of these freaky little features. Oh, and government information ads (the 'Charley Says' DVD is excellent though...)

'Nice girls don't wear cha-cha heels'

[Greeny]

I'd say you two were flirting!:D

[Donna Dasher]

No- we're just victims of John Waters Syndrome- there are so many fantastic one-liners in his films that its impossible to e-mail just one to a fellow convert.

Its also great to find someone who has seen the light and is a Waters fan. Its like meeting a Sparks fan- not many of us around but we know we're right :)

[MarcMorris]

Did you know that until the recent US DVD release, Britain had the only uncut version of FEMALE TROUBLE anywhere?

Let's test your Waters loyalty... Have you seen MONDO TRASHO and MULTIPLE MANIACS? I have the ancient UK video releases on Palace Video.

I think it's time to start a Waters thread, don't you? None of his early classics are on UK DVD...

[zanner]

i like sparks !! it's the number one song all over heaven :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[SicCoyote]

I got a trailer for female trouble on The Evil Dead and it was enough to make me get basket case instead.

[Donna Dasher]

Strange that Britain had the only uncut version of Female Trouble- I remember the Castle version being without the scene where Earl tries to 'seduce' Taffy with his (literally) scabby cock being cut.

I have indeed seen Multiple Maniacs and Mondo Trasho- both classics.

Lets test you Marc- have you seen The Cockettes? Love Letter to Edie? Lust in the Dust? Also, do you have Waters books? ON TAPE??? Say it- LIQUID EYELINER!!!

I love the trailer for Pink Flamingos- 'its the future of city living!' Also I was in Australia recently and saw the Oz poster for Pink Flamingos for $2000- I was tempted!

Also, I love Sparks- the video for Number One Song in Heaven is genius- three Rons and lots of dry-ice. I hope trhey are on the next Whistle Test DVD.

[MarcMorris]

I do indeed have the SHOCK VALUE audio tape - in fact, I picked up two at the time and gave one away as a presents to a Waters fan friend.

Love Letter to Edie - of course! There's a guy on eBay.com who sells some really cool Edie photos, check 'em out. There's a nice US DVD of THE COCKETTES (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00007M5JD/mondoerotico). And don't forget the must-see DIVINE TRASH (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000092T3A/mondoerotico).

Regarding FEMALE TROUBLE - the scene where the hairdo is 'taken back' was missing from the US version. The Castle version was cut, but the earlier palace release (big box rental) was uncut.

I still watch my old tapes rather than the DVDs - I just don't think they look right matted off to 16x9. And the new PINK FLAMINGOS soundtrack? Give me the original anyday!

And the fight scene where the eyeball is ripped out in DESPERATE LIVING has undegone some slight digital tweaking for the DVD. It's now just a black blur!

This essential John Waters diiscussion continues here (http://www.anchorbay.co.uk/forum/showthread.php3?threadid=1967)