Firstly I must point out to those people not in the United Kingdom that some of this article may appear strange as you may have much less stricter censorship laws than we have. On the other hand you may have worse censorship laws than us (unlikely but true in some countries) or you may have simply not realised that material was missing from the films listed in this article. This text was originally written for two main reasons. The first is that the UK suffers heavily from brutal censorship tactics by the BBFC, the British Board of Film Censors (a non governmental body, self appointed, self sustained and self parodying body), that cuts and dubs films for the benefit (sic) of our nation. The second is due to the fact that many a film may get cut (or dubbed) for reasons beyond the BBFC e.g. the production company, the director or simply for timing purposes. Where possible I have tried to list the latter such cutting in the article "Cut & Dubbed II: The Return Of (Self) Censorship".
The other crazy aspect of the BBFC is that although they have (legal) age ratings such as U(niversal) PG(Parental Guidance), 12, 15, 18 and R18 (restricted 18 to be sold in "licensed sex shops" only) these do NOT translate directly to video tape/laserdisc/DVD. For instance for a couple of years there was a 12 rating in British Cinemas but no such rating for video meaning that many 12 films appeared as 15 certificate films on video tape. You could be 12 years old and watch the film in the cinema without parents but only someone 15 years of age or older older could hire the equivalent video out - CRAZY! The BBFC seem to think that someone watching in a cinema is completely different to those watching at home via a video tape. Latterly this has gone one step further with films shown in one version on cinema release and then edited for video tape/laser disc/DVD release.
This brings about the question of age in the home and the cinema. What's the difference? Hello! Wake up BBFC. Age ratings are age ratings. As stupid as they are why have different ideals for home and the cinema?
The first common argument is that it is more likely that an underage person can obtain a video than it is to get into the Cinema. How? Certification in this country is supposedly a law so how can anyone have more chance of getting a video than getting into a cinema? The law is the law. If for some reason it is easier to get a video tape than viewing a film in the cinema it means someone is breaking the law so shouldn't the BBFC be more active in finding these people breaking the law than cutting the films further to protect the sensibilities of underage people?
The second argument for this scenario is that underage people can obtain the video through their parents or from other people making video tapes easier access than the cinematic release. Well excuse me but if this is true then those people supplying the video are breaking the law. Yet again shouldn't the BBFC be more active in finding these people breaking the law than cutting the films further to protect the sensibilities of underage people?
With either argument the answer is the same. The law should be used properly rather than the BBFC cutting films to shreds just so someone can't see something. Where is the UK people's right to freedom of speech and expression. YOU don't have it in this country. If you are interested in films in this country then be assured that films are being cut and dubbed all around you especially for consumption in the home and that is a liberty. These decisions are being made by a panel of people at the BBFC. They are not YOUR decisions. Someone somewhere is taking away your rights. WAKE UP!
And now to the list of films...
The British video editions have several drug taking scenes cut from it.
Availability: The US NTSC laser disc and British cinema versions are uncut.
Due to the fun entertaining atmosphere of this film it's not a film that suffers too much, a PG here in the UK and PG-13 in America. However, one major scene is edited down and it is the initial big fight between the two clans. Plenty of martial arts and eastern weaponry (see Enter The Dragon and Teenage Mutant hero Turtles) used in the full version.
Availability: US NTSC laser disc
Major editing of this film took place. Original version available to buy runs in at just 84 minutes whereas the full length version lasts for 126 minutes. Yes that is correct the original tape is missing 42 minutes of footage. More recently a "Director's Cut" was shown on BBC2 but this was actually still cut as were the subsequently released rental and sell through VHS tapes. Missing from these versions include the infamous exploding head scene during the police raid at the beginning of the film!
Availability of full uncut edition: US NTSC laser disc.
This film was rather brutally hacked to pieces by the BBFC in order for the production company to bring the film down to a 15 rating. Many dialogue scenes in the film were reduced to comical "freak you" dubbing whereas several major fight/gore scenes were edited down. These scenes include:
1. McLean attacking bad guy in airport baggage hold with golf club.
2. Bad guy's head getting crushed in airport baggage mangler.
3. Gun battle at the Annex skywalk.
4. McLean's fight with patrol guard at the church including icicle in eye scene.
Best availability: UK widescreen video tape/PAL laser disc (with 18 certificate).
Once again, like its predecessor, this film was cut down to allow for a 15 rating. Unlike its predecessor though the cuts this time around were spectacularly badly edited. Other than a couple more uses of the dubbed "freak" word the edited scenes include:
1. Upon the raiding of the vault the final guard being dispatched by the nasty lady with a curved knife.
2. McLean being taken down to the vault in the lift. (In the UK cinema release and video tape McLean enters the lift with four bad guys. You see him very briefly kill two of them and then he exits the lift with all four bad guys dead and he's covered in blood. Do the math!
3. McLean's fight towards the end of the film with a tough guy bomb expert where a hefty chain is used. The fight does not flow and scenes are obviously missing. However, after reviewing the US laser disc edition it is the same. Either this scene was badly edited, which is unlikely, or it was cut by the US MPAA too. If so roll on a Director's Cut unrated edition on laserdisc/DVD.
Availability: US NTSC laser disc.
One scene was heavily edited due to the use of a pair of Nunchuks (see Enter The Dragon) below. The full scene sees Don Wilson display his prowess at using the weapons both in defence and attack against the demon which haunts his nightmares. A thoroughly amazing scene that really takes the breath away especially if seen in surround sound.
Availability: US NTSC laser disc standard signature edition.
This film, like many other martial arts films and Eastern (Hong Kong/Japanese) films in general, is severely edited down. The tape you can buy off the shelf has a running time of 94 minutes whereas the full length version runs in at 108 minutes so you are missing 14 minutes off footage. Most of this is where Bruce Lee uses a pair of Nunchuks to dispense with many a bad guy. Weapons are a sore point with the BBFC (see also Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles) and basically to date only one film has ever been allowed to show Nunchuks properly in a fight scene (Romper Stomper) but even this tiny scene pales at the mastery that Bruce Lee shows of the weapon in Enter The Dragon (incidentally all of the Bruce Lee films are cut on the . And to top all of blatant censorship the BBFC even made the film company change the poster and thus sleeve to depict Bruce Lee holding a wooden pole instead of, you guessed it, a pair of Nunchuks. Makes you sick doesn't it?
Availability: US NTSC laser disc standard or 25th Anniversary Edition. It is also rumoured that the original British rental video tape was uncut. Can anyone confirm this as all the rental editions I have come across are the cut version?
According to the remastered special edition the film was originally dubbed for bad language and some of its violence. The Columbia restored classic edition on video tape and PAL laser disc is the original print.
Availability: UK restored Columbia Classics video tape and PAL laser disc.
This film got edited to make sure it wouldn't have a 15 or 18 certificate. The single edit allowed the film to pass with a PG certificate. The scene that got edited? Well the bit where Mola Ram pulls the hapless human sacrificial guy's heart out. Edited down to just fingers touching chest and then cuts to distant shot of Mola Ram raising the heart into the air until it bursts into flames.
Availability: Any US version of the film.
There are various small violent and gorey scenes slightly edited for the British editions including the Predator ripping the spinal cord from a dead body.
Availability: US NTSC laser disc.
The '18' certificate British version of this film is substancially edited down to remove plenty of graphically violent and gorey moments and these are edited from the US version which was drastically edited in itself just to get an American 'R' rating.
Availability: Any American version of the film.
See also: "Robocop" in Cut & Dubbed Part II.
Various scenes with one of the Turtles carrying/using Nunchuks!
Availability: Any American version of the film.
Violence edited from the standard US version let alone the UK BBFC version. Major scenes like the motel fight between woman and gangster severely edited for the UK market.
Availability: US NTSC laserdisc.
See also: "True Romance" in Cut & Dubbed Part II.
Violence edited from manyy (death) fight scenes including Seagal brutally murdering a room full of workers including the jigsawing of someone's shoulder! Plus ripping the throat out of a sentry guard. And to top it off (literally) there is a full length frame set of the knife in the head during the final fight scene with Tommy Lee Jones.
Availability: US NTSC laserdisc.