A Few Words About A few words about...™ Executive Decision -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[TonyD]

the changes made here don't have the impact like the change of the plastic in "the devil's advocate". that change has a bigger impact.

plastic?
The sculpture was changed, is that what you mean by plastic?

 

[EnricoE]

yeah... sorry about using that word. it's a german word. but re-checking it i'm wrong... a plastic is different kind of art. so sculpture is the correct word for this matter.

 

[TonyD]

Figured that's what you meant but wasn't sure.

 

[JoshZ]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/12/teenager-arrested-burning-poppy-facebook
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/16/entertainment-us-greece-blasphemy-idUSBRE8AF0MU20121116
http://www.volokh.com/2012/11/12/secular-blasphemy/
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/57824/Egypt/Politics-/-Islamists-file-lawsuit-accusing-ElBaradei-of-insu.aspx
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-10-29/entertainment/sns-rt-us-poland-blasphemybre89s19g-20121029_1_court-rules-parts-of-polish-society-polish-television

Which of these took place in the United States, where freedom of speech is constitutionally protected?
Oh, right, none of them.
We were talking about an American movie in this thread, weren't we?

This rational, reasonable sense of free speech also has an ugly sister who is just as important: the freedom to offend, within the law. This fundamental right has been just as maligned and abused in recent times.
As Evelyn Beatrice Hall said in an increasingly relevant quote: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

"Freedom of Speech" does not mean freedom from accountability for saying stupid or offensive things. The U.S. Constitution protects its citizens from being imprisoned for something they said. It does not shield them from any other repurcussions for their actions.
Executive Decision contained a scene that many viewers deemed offensive. The studio that owns the film decided that this scene hurt the film's profitability, and cut it. They were well within their legal right to do so, and the First Amendment has no bearing whatsoever on this matter.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

^This.

 

[Douglas_H]

I like lots films that offend people.
If I find myself viewing a film that offends me I turn it off, send it back etc.,
What's more offensive, showing Muslim terrorists using the Koran as their justification or a film like JFK a story about a nutcase, directed by a nutcase.
How about we take the word "darkies" out of Gone With Wind or digitally replace the "Step and Fetchit" dialog? I'm postive that many people are offended by it.
On the surface this is no big deal but imo it is a big deal because it denies the obvious reality that Muslim terrorists DO use the Koran as justification for their slaughter and no amount of "sensitivity" by anyone is going to change that.

 

[Charles Maesschalck]

I like lots films that offend people.
If I find myself viewing a film that offends me I turn it off, send it back etc.,
What's more offensive, showing Muslim terrorists using the Koran as their justification or a film like JFK a story about a nutcase, directed by a nutcase.
How about we take the word "darkies" out of Gone With Wind or digitally replace the "Step and Fetchit" dialog? I'm postive that many people are offended by it.
On the surface this is no big deal but imo it is a big deal because it denies the obvious reality that Muslim terrorists DO use the Koran as justification for their slaughter and no amount of "sensitivity" by anyone is going to change that.

Agree 100%.

 

[Will*B]

Thank you to Douglas and Charles above. They completely understand what this argument is all about.

Executive Decision is a great action movie. I won't be buying the BD due to the cuts. I don't agree with the reasons for this censorship. I'll stick with the uncut DVD.

I have no desire to get into political arguments with people who share my interest in movies.

And with that, I withdraw from this thread.

 

[Robert Crawford]

Originally Posted by Will*B /t/325358/a-few-words-about-executive-decision-in-blu-ray#post_4004963
Thank you to Douglas and Charles above. They completely understand what this argument is all about.

Executive Decision is a great action movie. I won't be buying the BD due to the cuts. I don't agree with the reasons for this censorship. I'll stick with the uncut DVD.

I have no desire to get into political arguments with people who share my interest in movies.

And with that, I withdraw from this thread.

Which is a good way to end this discussion slant about politics which is forbidden in our posting guidelines.

For 3.99, I bought the BD and will play it despite the cuts.






Crawdaddy

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by JoshZ /t/325358/a-few-words-about-executive-decision-in-blu-ray#post_4004779
Executive Decision contained a scene that many viewers deemed offensive. The studio that owns the film decided that this scene hurt the film's profitability, and cut it. They were well within their legal right to do so, and the First Amendment has no bearing whatsoever on this matter.

I'm not going to argue with you, i'm just going to say three words to you Josh, YOU ARE WRONG, the film played to cinemas in a different version and it's made it's money back over the years, the cinema version should be on this blu ray, political correctness be damned, legal right or not it's wrong and defending it is also wrong, when you go down this road of cutting older films where does it all end, what is next to be cut because it "may offend" someone. Put a warning on the cover, hell you can put a large disclaimer on the disc about its content, just don't censor based on the idea it may offend someone.

If you really must do this sort of thing then i'd go so far as to say use seamless branching and give people the choice of watching the censored version or original version and that way the people who might be offended can be told fair and square they had the choice of watching a version with the scenes cut out that had offended them.

Many viewers deemed offensive. ? I don't think so, a vocal minority, i deem very offensive that this type of censorship takes place in 2012.

 

[JoshZ]

I'm not going to argue with you, i'm just going to say three words to you Josh, YOU ARE WRONG, the film played to cinemas in a different version and it's made it's money back over the years, the cinema version should be on this blu ray, political correctness be damned, legal right or not it's wrong and defending it is also wrong, when you go down this road of cutting older films where does it all end, what is next to be cut because it "may offend" someone. Put a warning on the cover, hell you can put a large disclaimer on the disc about its content, just don't censor based on the idea it may offend someone.

You know what, I don't even disagree with you about wishing that the disc contained the original theatrical version. I'm just tired of people ignorantly tossing out the "Freedom of Speech" argument as if a movie were Constitutionally guaranteed to be released without any edits. That's just pure nonsense.
"Freedom of Speech" has nothing to do with anything here. The First Amendment protects U.S. citizens from being imprisoned for what they say. That's all it does. No one was ever in danger of being imprisoned for making this movie.
Whether the film is released edited or not edited is solely at the discretion of the studio that owns it. We may not like what they choose to do with the movie, but there's no legal recourse we can take to prevent them from editing it other than complaining or boycotting the product.

 

[cafink]

Which of these took place in the United States, where freedom of speech is constitutionally protected?
Oh, right, none of them.
We were talking about an American movie in this thread, weren't we?

No. The post you responded to, when you wrongly suggested that no one's freedom of speech was under assault, was about freedom of speech generally, not about the U.S.-specific First Amendment. It also said nothing about Warner themselves infringing upon anyone's freedom of speech directly, but rather warned about the consequences of pandering to those who take offense at speech.

You know what, I don't even disagree with you about wishing that the disc contained the original theatrical version. I'm just tired of people ignorantly tossing out the "Freedom of Speech" argument as if a movie were Constitutionally guaranteed to be released without any edits. That's just pure nonsense.
"Freedom of Speech" has nothing to do with anything here. The First Amendment protects U.S. citizens from being imprisoned for what they say. That's all it does. No one was ever in danger of being imprisoned for making this movie.

No one in this thread has actually said anything close to either of these statements. You're arguing against a straw man.
The issue isn't that Warner Bros. is violating anyone's freedom of speech by editing their own movie. The issue is that they're pandering to a group of people who *are* trying to curtail other people's freedom of speech. Like Will, I don't like that. Like Douglas, I think it's okay to be offensive sometimes.

 

[Robert Harris]

Like many situations in life, my read on this one, is that balance is a virtue. Personally, I'd prefer to be working than waiting on a line to get through corporate gates, while every vehicle is searched for devices that may be attached to a vehicle's undercarriage. Just an unfortunate fact of life.
RAH

 

[FanboyZ]

It actually isn't newly censored to make the villains "less muslim", this is actually the original international version of the movie.
Since the WB disc is the same worldwide, they simply opted to use the international version instead of the American Theatrical version.
Kind of like the reverse of how WB handled "The Shining".

 

[WillG]

It actually isn't newly censored to make the villains "less muslim", this is actually the original international version of the movie.
Since the WB disc is the same worldwide, they simply opted to use the international version instead of the American Theatrical version.
Kind of like the reverse of how WB handled "The Shining".

Have to disagree with you on this one. Really, how often does an International version of an American film become the sole option for release in the US? Yes, I know they do release international versions of films in the US, but that's usually when that version contains extra/uncensored footage not seen in the US release. Think "Eyes Wide Shut" for example. Many times an international cut is included alongside a US theatrical cut.
I agree with Josh that this movie is property of WB and it's their decision on how to release it. It's not a First Amendment issue. But at the same time, I find it wishy-washy (and let's not pretend we don't know the "why" behind the version that was chosen for release).
I'll challenge with this, would you be ok, if the day ever comes when we get an anamorphic, Blu-Ray release of "The Abyss" but Fox decides to use the British version where the scenes of the demonstration of the rat breathing in the oxygen liquid were censored because it was deemed "cruel" to animals (even though the rat they used was not harmed). How about the censored "international" versions of "Temple of Doom" or "Lethal Weapon 2." Don't tell me fans wouldn't be going ape shit if that were the case.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by WillG /t/325358/a-few-words-about-executive-decision-in-blu-ray/30#post_4008664
I'll challenge with this, would you be ok, if the day ever comes when we get an anamorphic, Blu-Ray release of "The Abyss" but Fox decides to use the British version where the scenes of the demonstration of the rat breathing in the oxygen liquid were censored because it was deemed "cruel" to animals (even though the rat they used was not harmed). How about the censored "international" versions of "Temple of Doom" or "Lethal Weapon 2." Don't tell me fans wouldn't be going ape shit if that were the case.

I fully get your point but there is no anamorphic when it comes to blu ray, that's strictly DVD, also i would say that even though the rat used in The Abyss survived that it would have been a very traumatic thing to go through and it was cruel, that doesn't mean i want the film to be censored, i'd rather Cameron hadn't shot the scene at all, Temple Of Doom is now uncut in many international locations including the UK, same with Lethal Weapon 2.

 

[Mark-P]

I fully get your point but there is no anamorphic when it comes to blu ray, that's strictly DVD, also i would say that even though the rat used in The Abyss survived that it would have been a very traumatic thing to go through and it was cruel, that doesn't mean i want the film to be censored, i'd rather Cameron hadn't shot the scene at all, Temple Of Doom is now uncut in many international locations including the UK, same with Lethal Weapon 2.

Maybe he should replace the rat with a CGI rat so that when we watch it we know we're not watching a real rat being traumatized.

 

[JoshZ]

Small point: It was a mouse, not a rat.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Originally Posted by Mark-P /t/325358/a-few-words-about-executive-decision-in-blu-ray/30#post_4008699
Maybe he should replace the rat with a CGI rat so that when we watch it we know we're not watching a real rat being traumatized.

Pointless, they already filmed it, i just don't go along with people who treat living creatures this way, i don't care if it's the smallest insect or the largest mammal, to me there is right and wrong and you treat other species as you yourself would like to be treated, we aren't cavemen anymore, we are supposedly an intelligent species and yet we can inflict such horrendous cruelty on so called "lower species" and i disagree with it, especially for entertainment purposes.

 

[JoHud]

There was a discussion about this a while back.
It turns out the reason the edited version was released was more out of laziness and penny-pinching than censorship as this version of Executive Decision was what was considered the "International Cut" -- the international version later released outside of North America. It looks like rather than remaster both the original cut and the International cut, for their respective regions, WHV decided to just release the International cut globally.