uncut re-releases Vs R1's

[beemerduck]

I have been doing some research tonight, and I have found approx 80% of the banned video nasties of the early 80s have now been released fully uncut!

So why do USA region 1 disks still cost so much more than their UK counterparts? I know a lot of the movies in question have been released via cheap DVD labels, with poor transfers and no extra's, but surely some of the US versions are just as bad, yet their is a great call for such discs...

Your opinions are appreciated..

[ecc]

Any specific titles?

[thehamish]

im happy enough with my ZFE (shriek show 2dscr)..screw what it cost me..its never looked better and i wasnt going to wait for the fucking norns in this country to put out a genre classic intact....

[beemerduck]

Rosemary's killer vs The prowler
The Burning
Evilspeak
Cannibal Apocalypse
Living dead at Manchester morgue to name a few!

[Myersfan73]

When you go to the US stores sell there DVD's as cheap as the UK. It's the import sites that don't drop the prices. Amazon & Movietyme are 2 of the very few who do reduce titles to good prices. Just don't rush into buying.


Rosemary's Killer vs The Prowler US VS UK on Parr.
The Burning US Better Picture, Sound, Ertra's. UK Not legal release.
Evilspeak UK Better all round package and both versions.
Cannibal Apocalypse UK Way Better picture, same extra's.
Living dead at Manchester morgue US VS UK Anchor Bay on Parr.

[beemerduck]

ahh ok.. interesting.

So let me pick your brains a little more..

Is the sanctuary version of Halloween II the best? or is there anything in the Uk worth having?

I have the MIA version of H3 season of the witch, although I believe fully uncut, the print is awful... is there a alternative?

Best cut of Zombie flesh eaters? I used to have a R1 Zombi,
this one, which if I remember was good... has the UK got anything on offer?

and finally... is there a fully intact Intruder available in the UK, or is it the R1 route again?

thanks

[claire]

Intruder is uncut in the UK (you might even find it in Poundland). If you love the film though, wait for Synapse's American SE - it'll be the best version by far.

ZFE - the Shriek Show 2-discer is great, pisses all over the old AB release (despite some grumblings about the audio). Blue Underground will apparently release their own SE next year.

If you want ZFE on UK disc, it's available uncut and in anamorphic widescreen on one of the old AB Box Of The Banned sets ... don't know much about this set, but someone here (especially Marc) will.

Welcome to the boards.

[beemerduck]

Thank you..

Intruder in poundland eh? mmmmm...

[Fuad Ramses]

Rosemary's killer vs The prowler
The Burning
Evilspeak
Cannibal Apocalypse
Living dead at Manchester morgue to name a few!

I think the UK disc of Cannibal Apocalypse is cut by a couple of seconds. Pretty sure I read about it on this very site.

[Myersfan73]

I think the UK disc of Cannibal Apocalypse is cut by a couple of seconds. Pretty sure I read about it on this very site.

It is. But as Marc will tell you, it's Picture quality wipes out a cut that's hardly noticable. And makes it an essential purchase.

[claire]

I thought the picture quality of the uncut US DVD for Cannibal Apocalypse - with all the same extras as the UK disc - was great. Admittedly, I haven't seen the UK disc to compare, but ... really, is it much better? I'd have thought it used the same (in my eyes) excellent transfer from the R1 disc?

[silverferox]

@Claire - I thought it was great too until I saw the UK disc.

@thehamish - the current BU US disc has a slightly sharper transfer of ZFE compared to the SS.

[MarcMorris]

The Image disc looks OK - until you see the original Cinema Club disc which is miles ahead.

[ecc]

Rosemary's Killer vs The Prowler US VS UK on Parr.
The Burning US Better Picture, Sound, Ertra's. UK Not legal release.
Evilspeak UK Better all round package and both versions.
Cannibal Apocalypse UK Way Better picture, same extra's.
Living dead at Manchester morgue US VS UK Anchor Bay on Parr.

I haven't seen the UK disc of THE PROWLER but I would not call the US DVD bad since the film is grainy as hell. The US DVD has an audio commentary and other extras. If Optimum used the same master, then go with it if you don't care about the extras (if Studio Canal supplied a master due to their arrangement with Optimum, then it is likely it will be a good transfer).

The US DVD of THE BURNING is from MGM. From what I hear, the quality of the uncut R2 discs that preceded it was not that great.

The US and UK ANchor Bay editions of LIVING DEAD AT MANCHESTER MORGUE used the same master. UK DVD has a couple additional extras (alternate title sequences and the initial run had a great booklet). The Blue Underground Blu and 2 disc version are a new transfer.

Image CANNIBAL APOCALYPSE is PAL-NTSC. The original UK DVD has the same extras. The Optimum re-release is barebones.

EVILSPEAK was heavily cut in the US theatrically but I believe the Anchor Bay US and UK discs use the same master provided by the same licensor. The inserts are apparently bad quality in both.

The Goodtimes DVDs of HALLOWEEN II and III were non-anamorphic but looked good. The 16:9 Universal discs look great (Dean Cundey's night photography on both really benefited from the higher budgets of De Laurentis compared to the original film. I believe part II was initially announced with a Rick Rosenthal commentary which did not appear on the final product. I don't think you can go wrong with the US editions of these two.

It really does depend on the title. In the case of the two HALLOWEEN titles, Universal not only owns the US rights but they also distributed the titles and have the negatives, so it would be likely they would have the better transfer.

Some of the US releases of former Video Nasties may be "just as bad" because they too come from unauthorized sources, but a few on that list are held by major US companies (VISITING HOURS was licensed by Fox to Anchor Bay).

The unauthorized label discs might be expensive to import because they don't have as wide distribution as titles from the majors so you won't be seeing as many price drops or as many used copies in the Amazon Marketplace and on eBay.

If the choice is between a Vipco and a Substance/Televista DVD, then you might do just as well with the UK disc (unless you know it is cut, then again the Substance DVD might come from a PAL tape so it might be cut too like PRANKS). If it is Anchor Bay US vs UK then they probably do use the same master and the extras might be the decision-breaker. If its Fox/Universal/Paramount of the like in the US, then you are pretty safe transfer-wise compared. If the UK company is Optimum, then the US and UK releases might use the same Studio Canal master. If BFI is the UK rights holder, even as an American I would be more interested in what they came up with versus the American company (even Criterion).

If the film doesn't belong to the majors and the US and UK editions are authorized, they might be using the same masters provided by the rights holders.

[Rich]

The Image disc looks OK - until you see the original Cinema Club disc which is miles ahead.

I'm glad I got the Cinema Club DVD now, even if it is cut by 2 seconds (rat burning footage).

[Someone Weird]

Glad I got the Image disc - nice quality and uncut (rat burning).

[Rich]

Glad I got the Image disc - nice quality and uncut (rat burning).

Damn you, I so want to see that rat being toasted!

[silverferox]

Glad I got both - rat burning version for when the mother-in-law visits, rat friendly version for when my pet gerbil Junior Vengeance is running around the room.

[thehamish]

@Claire - I thought it was great too until I saw the UK disc.

@thehamish - the current BU US disc has a slightly sharper transfer of ZFE compared to the SS.

waaah....was just going to say that the Arrow COTLD is the best looking print ive ever seen (of this film anyhow)...during the seance at the start me and mate we staring more at the pattern on the couch cushions etc...