Attack Force Z (1982) from Severin on Blu-Ray (1 Viewer)

[Winston T. Boogie]

So, Severin have released this picture as well. Same approach to advertising it with Mel Gibson featured in the cover art. However, this is being called "The Complete Version" which has me confused. It appears this has a running time of 94 minutes and the running time I found on the picture in most places was 93 minutes. So, does that mean a minute of additional footage is in this release? Is this the same as the Umbrella release? While Severin calls this the "complete version" on their website, they do not at all say what makes it complete. They do not mention anything about an additional minute of footage if that is what is here. Does anyone know what makes this the complete version? Does anything make this release different than previous releases?

Here's a bit of info on this release:

scanned in 2K from the original negative at The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia.

Special Features:

• The Z Men Debriefed – Interviews With Executive Producer John McCallum And Actors John Waters And Chris Haywood
• Photo Gallery
• Trailer

Disc Specs:

• Aspect ratio: 1.85.1
• Audio: English Mono
• Closed Captions / English Subtitles
• Region Free
• Run time: 94 mins

Now, here is what the Umbrella/MVD version promoted:

Making its debut in high-definition, Attack Force Z boasts a brand new 4K scan and restoration from the film's interpositive, presented for the first time ever on 1080p Blu-ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio along with the original uncompressed dual channel mono audio.

Special Features and Technical Specs:

• BRAND NEW 4K REMASTER of the film from original interpositive
• Original uncompressed dual channel mono audio
• 'The Two-Men Debriefed' (SD, 25 mins) featurette with executive producer John McCallum and actors John Waters and Chris Haywood
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Photo Gallery

So, I assume here we have two different scans of two different things and one claiming to be the complete version of the picture. Anybody know anything about this?

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

To add further to the confusion here, looking at Blu-ray run times on this picture I have seen the following:

Umbrella - 90 minutes

MVD - 93 minutes (this I think is supposed to be the same as the Umbrella release)

Severin - 94 minutes

Now, I assume the Umbrella 90 minute time is a mistake and it is actually 93 minutes.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

And just for laughs, there are also German and Spanish Blu-ray releases:

Germany: 96 minutes

Spain: 94 minutes

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

On the film itself, I find it a fun "men on a mission" war movie with early roles for Gibson and Sam Neill. You will enjoy this if you are into this genre of pictures. I believe I have the Umbrella/MVD version on Blu but was intrigued by this Severin release. Mainly made curious by the "complete" claim and that this appears to be a new scan of the film...in 2K this time rather than the 4K used on the older Umbrella/MVD release. Now, same extras, so no difference there, but there is that mysterious additional minute.

 

[jayembee]

It's often unwise to make too much of different running times displayed on packaging or in press materials. Especially when it's only a matter of a minute or two. As I posted not long ago in the On Her Majesty's Secret Service thread, running times can be affected depending on how many distributor or studio cards -- or even home video company cards -- are added to the front or back of the video, and what is considered the demarcation point between one minute and the next. Sometimes it's a simply rounding-up or -down. There are some cases where it seems 15 seconds past the minute mark is where the demarcation is. If it's 93 minutes and 12 seconds, they'll consider it 93 minutes; if 93 minutes and 18 seconds, they'll consider it 94 minutes.

There's also the issue of NTSC vs PAL. It shouldn't matter for Blu-rays, but if one or another of the labels is simply copying the info off a DVD, you might get a different running time if it's a US label or an Aussie label.

I haven't heard of any longer or shorter cuts for this particular movie, though, so the "complete" remark is puzzling.

 

[Winston T. Boogie]

It's often unwise to make too much of different running times displayed on packaging or in press materials. Especially when it's only a matter of a minute or two. As I posted not long ago in the On Her Majesty's Secret Service thread, running times can be affected depending on how many distributor or studio cards -- or even home video company cards -- are added to the front or back of the video, and what is considered the demarcation point between one minute and the next. Sometimes it's a simply rounding-up or -down. There are some cases where it seems 15 seconds past the minute mark is where the demarcation is. If it's 93 minutes and 12 seconds, they'll consider it 93 minutes; if 93 minutes and 18 seconds, they'll consider it 94 minutes.

There's also the issue of NTSC vs PAL. It shouldn't matter for Blu-rays, but if one or another of the labels is simply copying the info off a DVD, you might get a different running time if it's a US label or an Aussie label.

I haven't heard of any longer or shorter cuts for this particular movie, though, so the "complete" remark is puzzling.

Yes, the most common runtime I have found for the film is 93 minutes. Now, it's a small picture that probably only really appeals to people that enjoy war films or maybe people that really are into Mel Gibson or Sam Neill. So, I think people could have been careless with listing other runtimes, particularly that German one that adds three minutes to the picture.

It is the idea that they made the distinction of calling this release "the complete version" because that implies previous versions were missing something. It's possible there is something in this version that was not in others because it seems to come from a different source. I guess I can try contacting Severin to see if they can comment on what they meant by it. I thought I would ask here first to see if anyone knew anything and I did not know if someone from Severin hangs out here and maybe could answer.

Curiosity and cats and all that.

 

[Simon Lewis]

I watched the Australian blu-ray a few weeks ago and noted a runtime of 93:26.