Quote:
Originally Posted by Justin101  I have only seen the Arrow Blu, what is the difference to the Theatrical version? |
That's why we *NEED* DVD Compare !
From the 'alternate versions' part of IMDB:
- UK cinema and 1987 video versions were cut by 54 secs by the BBFC. The 1997 Maverick Directors video release was cut by 39 seconds to remove subliminal shots of anal sex during the murder scenes (one of which appears in the film though heavily darkened) and to edit a pan shot of a gay bar interior and shots of a knife being traced over a bound victims body. Although the uncut version was shown by Sky TV the film was resubmitted to the BBFC in 2003 for a FilmFour showing and many cuts were restored apart from a 1 sec edit to remove the subliminal shots. For the initial release on UK DVD in 2008 all the cuts were waived.
- Friedkin made various alterations to the film for a 2007 DVD release, sometimes dubbed a director's cut, most notably adding a blue hue to the entire run time. The original version began with a studio disclaimer that read: "This film is not intended as an indictment of the homosexual world. It is set in one small segment of that world which is not meant to be representative of the whole." In the 2007 cut this has been removed. Two of the other most noticeable deviations from the original theatrical cut include a blurring effect on Pacino while he's under the influence of drugs. Other small changes mainly affect the run time by seconds, including a short scene where Stuart Richards' roommate talks to two police officers after the arrest.
- A 2019 Blu-Ray edition supervised by Friedkin maintains some of the changes of his 2007 version while removing some others. Among the biggest alterations is that the blue hue has mostly been done away with for more natural colors. The blurring effects on Pacino's drug trip have been removed as has some visual effects that were added to the murder in the park. The film's title cards now include two black and white insertions of scenes from the film. Short hardcore subliminal shots in the film have been restored to remove scratches and add color (they were originally either blue or black and white). A bedroom murder scene flashback that was black and white in the 2007 version is now color. Other minor changes that fade some scenes to black or extend cross fades have been added.
- The French version contains an extra shot during the opening credits of the film: a wall marked with graffiti depicting homosexuals having sex and holding hands, with an inscription below the drawing saying, "We Are EVERYWHERE!!"
- The CBS / FOX video release (now out of print) was the most complete version available. It has about 45 seconds of footage of SM bondage and sex (during the Police Night scene) that has been deleted from the Warner Video release, and two lines of dialogue near the end of the film when detectives are searching the killer's dorm room and mention the killers father has been dead for ten years