THE CHOPPING LIST |
'f' titles |
Faces of Death (1978) | |
Director | John Alan Schwartz aka Conan le Ciliare |
Classifications | R 18+ (30/3/2007 - DVD), Banned (1980 and 1983) |
Uncut Releases | US DVD (MPI Home Video), US VHS. I thought it had been released uncut in New Zealand, but a reader pointed out that it was never officially classified or released there. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. |
Entry Last Updated | 20/12/2007 |
Faces of Death II (1981) | |
Director | John Alan Schwartz |
Classifications | Banned (17/12/2007 and earlier) |
Comments | Umbrella Entertainment tried to have this mondo film classified. The OFLC seem to come down hard on real-life carnage, perhaps to discourage the proliferation of copy-cat criminals posting their own footage on the Internet. Note that part one (above) did received an R 18+ classification earlier in 2007. Perhaps Umbrella will have better luck with parts 5-8 and the best-of compilations. |
Uncut Releases | US DVD (MPI Home Video), US VHS. It may have been released on NZ VHS. Yet to be confirmed. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. |
Entry Last Updated | 20/12/2007 |
Female Vampire / Bare Breasted Countess / Erotikill (1973) | |
Director | Jess Franco |
Cut Formats | VHS |
Classifications | R (1980), Banned (1995 and 1983) |
Cut Footage | Unknown. One version of this film contains hardcore sex inserts. |
Reason | Cut to avoid being banned. |
Uncut Releases | Softcore version: US DVD (Image). Hardcore version: Erotikill on German DVD (X Rated) |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |
More Details | Visit Cutlass Video. |
Fingers (1978) | |
Director | James Toback |
Cut Formats | DVD, VHS |
Classifications | R |
Cut Footage | (a) Perhaps some sexual content.
(b) The climax seems to be missing a glimpse of gore, which instead shows a jarring cut between one shot of Harvey Keitel staring at his handywork and another. Toback does not mention cuts to the violent climax in his DVD commentary, but refer to his remarks below. |
Reason | Cut to obtain a US R rating. |
Uncut Releases | None. |
Comments | Regarding his dealings with Warner Brothers, Toback mentions his "great experience with the people at Warner Bros. on Fingers, which had to be resubmitted 13 times before it got the 'R' it needed to be released. That was 1978, so I don't think the original cut of Fingers even exists." [Source: Las Vegas Weekly] |
A Fist Full of 44s (1975) | |
Director | Jaacov Jaacovi |
Cut Formats | VHS, Film |
Classifications | Banned (1984), R (1978) |
Cut Footage | "Indecency and indecent violence". [OFLC via Refused Classification] |
Reason | Cut to avoid being banned. |
Uncut Releases | The German DVD is longer but its cut status is unknown. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |
The Fog (2005) | |
Director | Rupert Wainwright |
Cut Formats | Film |
Classifications | M (19/1/2006 - DVD, 9/11/2005 - 100 mins) |
Comments | The theatrical print is rounded up to 100 mins film by our ever-precise OFLC.
The BBFC lists the theatrical running time at 99:48 film, which is comparable to the Aussie
running time. DVD Compare lists the
Australian and Scandinavian DVD releases at 99:02 PAL or 103:10 film, putting the DVD roughly
three minutes longer than the theatrical edition. For the record, the US unrated DVD (Sony)
clocks in at 103:16 NTSC, which matches to the second the PAL duration with 4% speed-up.
Curiously, the BBFC has the UK DVD (Sony) running to 98:57 PAL – that's still comparable
to all other uncut DVD masters.
When reclassifying the longer version for DVD, the OFLC retained the M 15+ rating and "Moderate horror violence" consumer advice. Like many recent examples, minor (i.e. token) cuts to on-screen violence seem to have been made to satisfy the MPAA. Additional dialogue probably accounts for most of the three minute discrepancy between versions. More details about cuts will be added if they are discovered. |
Cut Footage | The following shots are mentioned in a review of the US unrated disc on DVD Compare
by Jari Kovalainen:
(a) "Additional shots of a man burning, after he has been thrown through the window in flames." (b) "Additional shots of a man burning at the end scene. When there were around 3 shots in the PG-13 version, the scene is now about 8 times longer showing more coverage of the burning man." "It seems, that two latter scenes were shortened due the MPAA, and rest by the studio. It's quite clear when you listen the audio commentary, that this Unrated version is the one that Wainwright prefers, saying a few times lines like I don't know why [the] studio cut that one out?" Eric D. Snider at DVD Talk had this to say in his review: "This 'unrated version' has about 3 minutes of additional footage incorporated into the story, and director Rupert Wainwright identifies the moments in his commentary, always declaring that he wished they'd remained for the theatrical version. In other words, this is a director's cut that's been called an 'unrated version' solely as a means of fooling viewers into thinking they'll be seeing more gore or nudity. We do get a little bit more gore, mostly in the form of people being on fire, but nothing spectacular. And no nakedness." |
Reason | Cut before release to obtain a US PG-13 rating. |
Uncut Releases | Local DVD (Columbia Tri-Star), US unrated DVD (Sony), UK DVD (Sony). |
Entry Last Updated | 14/4/2008 |
Fox Tang Gi (1980s) | |
Director | Unknown |
Cut Formats | Film |
Classifications | R (1989), Banned [assumption] |
Cut Footage | Sexual content [speculation]. |
Reason | Cut to avoid being banned. |
Uncut Releases | Unknown. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |
The Foxy Ladies / Gou Ge Nu Lang (1979) | |
Director | Lu Kei / Chi Lu [IMDB] |
Cut Formats | Film |
Classifications | R (1981) |
Cut Footage | Violence. |
Reason | To avoid being banned. |
Uncut Releases | Unknown. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |
Framed (1975) | |
Director | Phil Karlson |
Cut Formats | Film, VHS |
Classifications | R (1976 and 1985), Banned (1975 and 1985) |
Cut Footage | Rape scene [speculation]. |
Reason | Cut to avoid being banned. |
Uncut Releases | Unknown. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |
Frankenstein (1931) | |
Director | James Whale |
Cut Formats | DVD, VHS [confirm] |
Classifications | M (24/9/2002 - DVD, 13/7/1992 - 69 mins PAL) |
Cut Footage | The usual cuts including the bit where
the monster throws the little girl into the water. The special edition DVD (Universal) has a DVD counter
time of 67:09, while the poor quality censored MRA release runs to 70:09 PAL, "converted from NTSC" [Stephen Dawson].
"Then there's the censorship. Some found one line in particular to be offensive. In the MRA version this is rendered, just after the monster comes to life, as Frankenstein saying 'In the name of God, now I know what it', and while his mouth keeps moving, his voice is muted (25:10). But in the Universal version, the full line is delivered: 'In the name of God, now I know what it feels like to be God.' (24:08) Interestingly, the subtitles say: 'In the name of God?! Now I know what it ...', and next, '(voice drowned out by thunder)'. Seems like they lifted the subtitle track from a previous version. As far as I can tell, the monster throws the girl into the water identically in both releases." [Thanks to Stephen Dawson] |
Reason | Sourced from an old cut print, not the restored uncensored version. |
Uncut Releases | Local VHS and DVD (Universal). |
Freeway (1996) | |
Director | Michael Bright |
Cut Formats | VHS, DVD |
Classifications | R (4/2/1997 - 102 mins film, 24/4/1997 VHS), Banned (28/11/1996 - 104 film) |
Cut Footage | Lewdity and crude spoken language. There is still confusion about what is missing and/or modified. The common wisdom says that the Australian DVD is still not the full uncensored version. This release was not reclassified by the OFLC. |
Reason | Cut to obtain a US R rating. It was also cut by the BBFC in 1997 and 2001 by 7 secs for home video for distributors High Fliers and Video Collection International respectively. |
Uncut Releases | Dutch DVD [confirm] according to an E-Bay seller, unrated US laserdisc. The US DVD is cut. |
More Details | Visit Refused Classification to get an excellent overview of the history of Freeway's bumpy censorship history. |
A French Vampire in America / Innocent Blood (1992) | |
Director | John Landis |
Cut Formats | VHS, DVD [confirm] |
Classifications | M |
Cut Footage | "When Innocent Blood was finished,
Landis had to cut some sex and violence - sex being nudity only...One shot
Landis had to trim in Innocent Blood featured LaPaglia jamming a
gun into a vampire gangster's mouth and pulling the trigger. The back of
the vampire's head flipped up a little - no blood, no brains." [Bill
Warren at MHVF].
The Australian VHS (Roadshow) version does contain the bit where Anthony LaPaglia handcuffs the naked vampire before having sex with her, which was cut from the US R-rated version. I have not checked the budget DVD release yet. |
Reason | Cut to obtain a US R rating. |
Uncut Releases | None. |
Comments | "There were cuts made to obtain a US R rating, but the local video version features a stronger sex scene than the one featured in the US cut of the film. The fact that LaPaglia hand-cuffs Parillaud before engaging in simulated sex with her was of primary concern to the MPAA, however the OFLC passed the unedited sequence with an M classification. Landis was most vocal that the MPAA made him cut the sex scene for domestic release in the US, although he claimed he wasn't concerned with the other (pre-release) cuts imposed on the film." [M. C. Thomason] |
Friday the 13th (1980) | |
Director | Sean S. Cunningham |
Cut Formats | VHS sell-through [confirm] |
Classifications | R (20/8/2003 - DVD, 4/6/1984 - 91 mins PAL) |
Cut Footage | (a) Includes an extra few seconds in one
bloody
death scene where a girl jabbed with a sharp object. The first throat slashing
of the girl in the woods fades to white in the Australian VHS and HK VCD
releases. In the Japanese version and the Australian DVD, she actually
slumps to the ground before the fade to white happens.
(b) The VHS sell-through should also be missing the second shot of Kevin Bacon's death scene after the close-up shot where the arrow pierces his neck and blood spurts out. Note that this uncut version on DVD was officially classified R 18+ by the OFLC. According to information on hand, the original theatrical prints and VHS rental tape (Warner Home Video) were also uncut and rated R back in 1981. Two sell-through tapes were released by Warner, one with the bloody axe on the pillow, and a tamer one showing a cabin surrounded by forest. I have not verified the cuts to one or both of these releases yet, but the general concensus is that the cut US print was used for these re-releases. |
Reason | Cut to obtain a US R rating. |
Uncut Releases | Local DVD (Warner) with a DVD counter time of 91:23 PAL, which includes about 25 seconds of extraneous Warner logos, local original VHS rental (Warner) with the girl in the canoe cover, the original theatrical film print was also apparently uncut, Japanese laserdisc (Warner), Hong Kong VCD first release only [confirm]. Cutlass Video also lists the following as uncut: UK X-rated VHS (Warner), Swedish VHS (Warner), Danish VHS (Warner/Metronome). |
Comments | The original VHS rental is uncut. I verified
this by renting a copy of the now rare original tape release, which has
the cover showing the heroine in the canoe. All death scenes match those
on the local DVD. I used the picture-in-picture feature on my TV to compare
the entire feature side by side. The tape ran about 35 secs faster than
the DVD due to the addition logos on the DVD and perhaps imperfect VHS
duping. However, every shot was identical to the uncut DVD except for the
brief opening title, "A Sean S. Cunningham Film", which is missing on the
original VHS rental. Instead, the first shot in the movie is of the moon
at night.
The new HK VCD (Warners) appears to be the cut US R version, since it does not show the girl in the first murder slumping to the ground before the image fades to white. It is also missing the second shot of Kevin Bacon's death scene, cutting at the point where the blood spurt from his neck wound during the initial close up shot touches his lips. Reportedly the first VCD release in Hong Kong was uncut as per the Japanese laserdisc. The new VCD with the Warner logo on the cover is not uncut. |
The Fruit is Swelling (1997) | |
Director | Chin Man Kei |
Cut Formats | VHS |
Classifications | R (1997) |
Cut Footage | So-called sexual violence. |
Reason | Cut to avoid being banned. |
Uncut Releases | Hong Kong DVD. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |
Fugitive X Innocent Target (1996) | |
Directors | David Heavener |
Classifications | Banned |
Uncut Releases | Unknown. |
Original Entry | Refused-Classification. [Thanks to RC] |