garyh@iddic.UUCP (05/08/84)
<<<>>> The question of 'censored' movies on cable is not as easy as it may at first seem. As far as I have ever heard, the pay tv companies claim that they show exactly what they are given by the movie companies, without cuts. The problem comes in what the movie company gives them. The companies may release several slightly different versions to different audiences; ie. domestic first run, domestic second run, overseas, home video, cable, and network tv. The reasons for this are many; the director may change his mind (particularly between first and second run, ie. Kubrick, and Spielbergs 'special editon' of Close Encounters); there may be more/less sex/violence, ie. network tv, 'European' versions, home video; and running time considerations, seen in (of course) tv networks, home video, and (maybe) cable. Runtime is a two way street; making a film shorter can include cuts and alsotime compression to fit into a limited time slot. On the other hand, sometimes films are lengthened, a practice sometimes used on networks to try to build audiences (Superman 1 springs readily to mind; 15 new minutes from the cutting room floor to ABC.) Dressed to Kill on cassette had some gratuitous sex added, Blade Runner had some extra violence on cassette. I have'nt seen either of these on cable, so I don't know which version they used. Also consider Star Trek 1, which had scenes added for its network tv showing; as it turns out, these scenes helped the plot considerably, and the videocassete was reissued including the new material. So, you see, it isn't quite so simple as nasty hbo/showtime/movie channel/... viciously hacking up the movies for their own perverse reasons. Maybe they do, I don't know. I (for one) would like to hear about such changes, for no other reason than mere curiousity. (Have you ever heard about all the different versions of their songs the Beatles released? But that's another subject entirely.) On another issue, did you notice a few weeks ago that (abc,cbs, whatever) was more than a little dissapointed by the ratings for the network showing of Star Wars? They were finally hit over the head by the fact that they simply can't compete with cable and home video; anybody with access to these sources has had plenty of opportunity to get bored to tears with the film. They have now officially redirected their efforts towards mini-series and tv movies, ironically, exactly what the pay tv services are trying to do to differentiate themselves one from another. Gary Hanson Tektronix IDG
burton@inuxg.UUCP (Thomas Burton) (05/10/84)
xx <- two footed bug stomp! Just another data point: I just saw two movies on Showtime last night: Summer Lovers, and Goodbye Emmannuel. I saw Summer Lovers at the Drive In two years ago, and as far as I could tell, there were no scenes cut by Showtime. However... I am positive many scenes were edited in Goodbye Emmannuel. Even though it was "After Hours" (their term for late night soft porn movies), they severely edited most of the sex scenes. Now neither Emmannuel nor Goodbye Emmannuel would be considered hard-core even uncut; so why was the film cut? Showtime has shown other soft-porn films with the sex scenes left uncut; it almost appears to be somewhat capricious (even random) the way they cut films (anyone ever watched any of the Robin Askwith/British Sex Comedy films, such as "Confessions of a Window Washer/Driving Instructor/Camp Director/etc"? They don't cut any of those scenes). So, one film was left alone, and one was cut up. Maybe the Emmannuel film was sold to them that way, I don't know. Doug Burton ATT-CP Indianapolis inuxg!burton
hitchens@ut-sally.UUCP (05/12/84)
[Go ahead, make my day] There is a movie running right now on Cinemax called "Young Lady Chatterly", it's another T&A fest like "Goodbye Emmanuelle". It's been severly cut, to the point of containing almost no nudity. What's really disturbing is that it's a repeat from a few months ago, that's where I first saw it. I don't know if Cinemax cut it or if it's a reissue, but either way someone is looking out for my sensibilities, and I don't like that. I'm becoming very frustrated by the conservative, LCD tendencies of HBO and Cinemax in particular and Time-Life in general. Austin Cabelvision is owned by T/L so we have no other movie channel choices, and the only other channel worth watching is ACTV public access (:-)). I think Joe Bob Briggs ought to start a movie channel, The T&A Network. I'd subscribe. If I see "Silent Rage" or "How to Beat the High Cost of Living" one more time I'm going to plug the cable into the power socket. I pay good money for that trash, I want my money's worth. Low-Budgetedly yours, Ron Hitchens hitchens@ut-sally.UUCP -------------------------------------------- [eschew obfuscation]