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Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

#331
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1/25/09 at 7:35am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaneClark
I just thought of something. Does anyone else think it might be possible that the presence of the NBC Stero logo on the uncut masters may have something to do with why the syndication versions were used? Maybe Lionsgate didn't want to pay royalties to NBC to use it?

If that was the case -- wouldn't they just replace the opening with a version that didn't have the NBC-related "in stereo" slug?

I can see accepting reality and acknowledging something along the lines of "this is all that's available, and likely all we'll get," and you have to pick your battles. But to not care at all that the shows are incomplete, as if it doesn't make any difference? That floors me. (Especially since some of the episodes were released by a different company uncut.)
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#332
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1/25/09 at 8:45am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Talmadge
It's Alf and it will always be Alf. I suppose if someone lost their leg you would tell them to kill themselves because life isn't worth living.

Despite what you want to believe, Alf continues to be a profit maker for Lion's Gate. Even Amazon.com lists the Alf DVD series as the top sellers in its category of Movies and Television > Comedy.

You can stomp your feet all you want but it will remain a solid performer for the studio as there are fans who continue to buy the DVD's. Matter of fact, I have to order three more sets for family members.

The reason why it's a top seller on amazon.com is because Lion's Gate got away with lying. They claimed that the original unedited episodes were in terrible condition (which is untrue, and quite possibly the biggest lie that has ever been told in the history of TV-on-DVD). I will be very disappointed if you believe in that stupid, retarded phrase (which I wouldn't be one bit surprised if you do).

After they got away with lying, and made money off of consumers by defrauding them, they don't deserve to be in the TV-on-DVD business ever again.
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#333
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1/25/09 at 8:54am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

OK, the issue has been thoroughly aired, and it's unlikely that anyone's mind will be changed. So let's drop the debate about releasing syndicated episodes before it gets even more heated. Thanks.
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#334
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1/25/09 at 9:10am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Quote:
Just look at movies that are broadcast on television. It's the same thing. Why do people watch a movie being broadcast on television that has been edited for content and allotted time when they have the unedited version on DVD or home video? There's no real difference.

People watch the televised versions because they are free. People don't normally watch televised versions of movies that they already own on DVD. Most people, if they bought the DVD of a movie and the DVD contained the edited for TV version, they would be very angry.
Quote:
There are a lot of people who buy the syndicated versions on DVD and there's nothing anyone can do to get the studios to release to broadcast episodes.
Most of those people are probably unaware that the episodes on the DVD have been edited, because it is not advertised on the package. If they could choose between a box labeled "ALF Season 1 Unedited version" and "ALF Season 1 Edited version", do you really think anyone would buy the Edited version?

Some people need to re-read the HTF mission statement again. "We the members of the forum are interested in the film product to be recorded and reproduced as closely as possible to the way the original creator(s) of that particular film intended."
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#335
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1/25/09 at 9:54am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Actually, they do know that they are edited. The packaging on the original case did read that the content may be edited from the original network episodes.

Quote:
We the members of the forum are interested in the film product to be recorded and reproduced as closely as possible to the way the original creator(s) of that particular film intended.

I don't know about everyone else but I consider myself a pretty informed and intelligent entertainment consumer. I'm also pretty good at math. "As closely as possible?" I don't know about everyone here but 22 minutes out of 24 minutes is pretty close as possible.

As far as consumers not knowing? They know more than you think they do. They just aren't as consumed and fanatical about the one or two minutes of edited material as most internet surfers are.

Perhaps the HTF Statement should read:

Quote:
We the members of the forum are interested in the film product to be recorded and reproduced exactly as they were broadcasted in their original network versions

But, then again, the entertainment industry doesn't go by what a few paltry consumers might think.

Sales of DVD's and TV shows released to DVD are much higher than those sold online and most entertainment fans don't have access to the internet.

And you're wrong ... most families continue to watch edited movies on television despite having the DVD because of that family interaction that's involved.
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#336
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1/25/09 at 10:04am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Did moderators suddenly become invisible?

Messrs. Jacobson and Talmadge, take a break. If anyone else would like to join them, just disregard the instruction posted above.
Zoloft and Paxil and Buspar and Xanex, Depacon, Chronaphin, Ambien, Prozac,
Ativan calms me when I see the bills.
These are a few of my favorite pills.
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#337
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1/25/09 at 10:12am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

So just HOW LONG are the edited episodes anyway?
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#338
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1/25/09 at 10:16am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

They're even shorter than the way they aired in syndication.
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#339
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1/26/09 at 2:39pm
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Y
If that was the case -- wouldn't they just replace the opening with a version that didn't have the NBC-related "in stereo" slug?

Most episodes of ALF have a cold opening before the opening credits.
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#340
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2/11/09 at 8:18am
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Yeah, Walmart finally received some Season 2 sets and I just picked up my copy. This set is worth having just for the Alf Christmas Special itself. I figure that for 22 half hour episodes, it's worth the $15 for the set.

Despite these being syndicated episodes, the series is still really good and entertaining to watch.
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#341
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2/16/09 at 5:29pm
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

I've still got a bad taste in my mouth over this. Now that "A.L.F." is airing re-runs on TV, I see NO NEED to buy the DVDs (not that I was going to do that in the first place).

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Number 6: "Like balzes. The first chance I get."
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#342
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2/16/09 at 11:01pm
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Re: Warning: ALF Season 1 cut!

Quote:
Originally Posted by vnisanian2001
They're even shorter than the way they aired in syndication.

And that's the primary reason why I didn't purchase the DVDs. I am not going to settle for TV-DVD sets that are just full of edited episodes.
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#343
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9/2/09 at 5:57am
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For all American ALF fans, I have the message that the newly released Code 2 DVD set has all episodes UNCUT, plus all original music is present:

http://www.amazon.de/ALF-komplette-erste-Staffel-DVDs/dp/B002G5U1SS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1251895219&sr=8-1

It has English audio and subtitles! It's from Warner Home Video.
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#344
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9/2/09 at 6:12am
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And Mark_To/Michael Alden (who is long gone) had the nerve to claim that no "pre-existing transfers" for the original network episodes exist.

Um, they were shown on Odyssey Channel once, so of course they exist. Oh, and Oliver, is "Try to Remember" the original 1-hour version?

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#345
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9/2/09 at 12:36pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oliver_A View Post

For all American ALF fans, I have the message that the newly released Code 2 DVD set has all episodes UNCUT, plus all original music is present:

http://www.amazon.de/ALF-komplette-erste-Staffel-DVDs/dp/B002G5U1SS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1251895219&sr=8-1

It has English audio and subtitles! It's from Warner Home Video.

Is it PAL or NTSC?

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#346
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9/2/09 at 12:55pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MatthewA View Post

 

Is it PAL or NTSC?
The show was shot on videotape, so PAL speed-up shouldn't be an issue.

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#347
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9/2/09 at 1:08pm
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There are also Japanese sets of season 1:

 アルフ 〈ファースト・シーズン〉 コレクターズBOX [DVD]

and season 2:

 アルフ 〈セカンド・シーズン〉 コレクターズBOX [DVD]

And they also appear to be done by Warner Bros.

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#348
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9/2/09 at 4:58pm
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vnisanian2001 View Post

Um, they were shown on Odyssey Channel once, so of course they exist. Oh, and Oliver, is "Try to Remember" the original 1-hour version?
 

Both episodes are shown as one episode, which means just one intro and outtro, with a total running time of 48:12. I have watched half of the box so far, and everything is totally uncut, with every episode running between 24-25min. "Help me Rhonda" for example has all original music intact, and each episode has the original full length intro and outtro (including a "Lorimar" logo at the end). No NBC Stereo Logo or other ridiculous excuses why the syndication masters have been used for the US release.

The discs are PAL, but as some other HTF member already pointed out, they are also released in Japan in NTSC video format. I strongly presume they use the same, uncut masters.

Edited by Oliver_A - 9/2/09 at 6:08pm
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#349
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11/3/09 at 12:23pm
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I have every episode of Alf on VHS Tapes from their Original Airings. They are really showing their ages too.
The picture jumps up and down in alot of the episodes and some are starting to Blur. But hey, they're 20 to 23 years old.
Every NBC episode is 25 + Minutes in length, making season 1 runtime 625 minutes.
Season 1 DVD runtime says 619 minutes, (Wrong), These episodes all have an aprox runtime of maybe 21 to 21 1/2 minutes, meaning that 2 Hrs of season 1 that are MIA.

Also, Japan and Germany along with Warner Home Video just released Season 1 (Uncut?)
Run Time for Germany says 612 Minutes and the Run Time for Japan says 572 Minutes
That's a 40 Minute difference and a 13 Minute difference between Germany and NBCs Original Airings

Season 2 is also coming soon in these countries
Germany Run Time 553 Minutes And Japan Run Time 624 Minutes
That's a 71 Minute difference and a 1 Minute difference between Japan and NBCs Original Airings

So buyer Beware, Who's really got The Original Uncut Versions?

Also, I'd really like to know if Season 1 episode 16/17 is The Original Try To Remember, where Alf Electrocutes himself in the Bath Tub with Kates Electric Mixer.
Alfs Fur Smoking as he walked into the living room, Priceless.
At the end of the episode Alf did a 1 Minute Lecture about not mixing Water and Electricity.

As i've said before
I have 5 Conditions when buying DVD Movies and Box Sets

1. Movies MUST be WIDESCREEN, Complete and Uncut

2. TV Shows MUST be COMPLETE

3. TV Shows MUST be UNCUT, Just because it says COMPLETE doesn't mean it's UNCUT. See ALL 4 Seasons of ALF, Father of the Pride, Season 1 of Rosanne, ALL 5 Seasons of Two and a Half Men---One of the Season 1s episodes was only 18:30.

4. They MUST be WHOLE Seasons, Not Season 1 Vol 1..See Mister Ed, Lost in Space and Perry Mason

5. I DON'T do Best Ofs


I'll stick with my 23 year old Jumpy VHS Tapes
And my Try To Remember episode is the Edited Version.
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#350
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11/3/09 at 12:45pm
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I thought the only scene missing from the Geman DVDs was a scene from "For Your Eyes Only" with ALF singing along with "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't be Late)", which was 40 seconds long

And finally, did you not read Oliver A's post? He clearly stated that each episode ran between 24-25 minutes. 24x26 (including the double-length clip show) equals 624 minutes.

BTW, did the uncut Odyssey reruns feature the missing scene from the "For Your Eyes Only" episode?
Edited by vnisanian2001 - 11/3/09 at 3:00pm
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#351
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11/3/09 at 3:53pm
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Yes i did read Oliver A's Thread.
What i'm going on is the Huge Gap in the Run Times between the Germany 612 Minute and Japan 572 Minute DVDs. A 40 Minute Difference
As far as i know, Telling Time is Universal all the way around Planet Earth
And if you notice on the Season 2 DVD, Japans Run Time is 624 Minutes
And Germanys Run Time is 553 Minutes, A complete reversal.
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Oliver A's Quote
The discs are PAL, but as some other HTF member already pointed out, they are also released in Japan in NTSC video format. I strongly presume they use the same, uncut masters.
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If they used the same Uncut Masters, then why the Huge Gaps in the Run Times.

A Question to Oliver A's
Where did you purchess your Season 1, Japan or Germany
Are there English versions to these sites, I don't speak or read either and i would really trust the Germany DVDs over Japanese, because of the Run Time.

Also, I'd really like to know if Season 1 episode 16/17 is The Original Try To Remember, where Alf Electrocutes himself in the Bath Tub with Kates Electric Mixer.
Alfs Fur Smoking as he walked into the living room, Priceless.
At the end of the episode Alf did a 1 Minute Lecture about not mixing Water and Electricity.

The DVDs i was refering to in my Post Above were the American Lionsgate Releases
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