Italian for Beginners DVD Cut!!! (1 Viewer)

[Francis Yee Loy]

I just watched the Danish movie "Italian for Beginners" on DVD. I thought it was quite entertaining and a great introduction to the Dogme 95 style of filmmaking. However, I was a bit shocked to find out afterwards that the DVD release of the movie was cut down to 97 minutes by Miramax!

The original running time was 112 minutes in North America and 118 in Europe!! Was there any logical reason for this? I would assume that for a DVD release they would have at least presented the North American cut or (wishfully thinking) the original Danish version. But to edit the movie even further for DVD release?!

Is there a way to complain to Miramax about their rampant editing and/or rescoring of foreign movies? What they already do to all the classic Hong Kong cinema films is a total travesty, but this decision does not make any sense. Did they think this movie would be such a blockbuster with the public that they would need to tamper with it so much?

Francis

 

[Jon Martin]

Is there a way to complain to Miramax about their rampant editing and/or rescoring of foreign movies? What they already do to all the classic Hong Kong cinema films is a total travesty, but this decision does not make any sense. Did they think this movie would be such a blockbuster with the public that they would need to tamper with it so much?

They know people are upset by it, but they really don't care. They feel they know the best way to edit and market foreign films. Harvey Weinstein doesn't get the nickname Harvery Scissorhands for nothing.

Editing foreign films is very common with them. Even the big ones, like CINEMA PARADISO. In fact, when the recent director's cut was released, most critics felt that Harvey did the right thing in ordering the cuts.

As for ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS, I really liked it. But, was there really anything THAT important that ended up on the cutting room floor? One of the major ways of hurting films is making it too long.

 

[Kenneth Vestergaard]

It really DOES NOT matter if some people SUBJECTIVELY believe that a shorter cut of the film -- by someone who has no investment in the film otherwise in any way -- is better or not.

It is NOT Harvey Weinstein's job to modify a film's cut to "fit" the American market. These weren't cuts because of violence, sexuality or bad language, they were cuts that Harvey Weinstein thought were necessary to make J6P appreciate the film. When last I looked, Harvey Weinstein was neither director nor editor on this film, and had nothing to do with the film when it was released to the Danish market.

I think Dogme is WAY overrated, and that it's a bad film regardless of the cut, but there is absolutely no justification whatsoever for this.

 

[Runar_R]

What was the quote? " I don't cut because I want to, I cut to get the shit to work"...........


I agree with Kenneth that Harvey should keep his hands off the scissors. On the other hand the film-maker makes his own deals. It's no secret that Miramax cut foreign movies. So the film-makers can choose not to sell to Miramax in the first place. Of course you'll loose out on their marketing-power, but then Dogme-movies are about the art of film not money. Right?
;-)

 

[Jeff Adkins]

It is NOT Harvey Weinstein's job to modify a film's cut to "fit" the American market. These weren't cuts because of violence, sexuality or bad language, they were cuts that Harvey Weinstein thought were necessary to make J6P appreciate the film.

That was exactly my argument concerning Cinema Paradiso, but apparently I am in the minority on this one.

Jeff

 

[Jean-Michel]

I think Dogme is WAY overrated.....

If you ask me this is the equivalent of saying "science fiction movies are overrated."

 

[Ted Lee]

I think Dogme is WAY overrated...

amen to that and sorry for the thread-jack!

 

[Jan Andersen]

I think Dogme is WAY overrated

It's just a gimmick and Lars Trier and Peter Aalbaek has always been great at gimmicks & selfstaging. Just look at their crap new years eve 2000 "tv-movie" D-dag.

Festen would have been just as good a movie without the headache-inducing camerawork.

Dogme95 doesn't make the plots or the characters more "real".

Cameras, lights, costumes are part of the artform called movies. Tools of the trade. Movies are not reality no matter how you make them.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Yeah, unfortunately:

1) Harvey & Miramax are notorious for cutting -- Hong Kong film fans have been screaming bloody murder for a long time now for the cut & dubbed versions on HK stuff that Miramax has been putting out. I wouldn't object to putting both the original and Miramaxed version on DVD, but denying us the original should not be tolerated.

2)

On the other hand the film-maker makes his own deals. It's no secret that Miramax cut foreign movies. So the film-makers can choose not to sell to Miramax in the first place.

That unfortunately is almost never true. The people who put up the money make the deals, not the filmmakers, who are in no way complicit in the butchery of their films.

Ted

 

[Runar_R]

That unfortunately is almost never true. The people who put up the money make the deals, not the filmmakers, who are in no way complicit in the butchery of their films.

Ted, I would agree on this in general. I don't know if this is the case, but I would think it would be different with the dogme-movies, with all their rules to keep their movies 'pure'. That wouldn't make much sense if they didn't keep enough control over the marketing to avoid any unwanted editing by a third-party, would it?

And just to make it clear; I don't think Harvey should be re-cutting and editing foreign movies. Buy them as they are, or leave well alone........

 

[Runar_R]

double-post.........