4 Different Versions of 8-Mile? Why? Why? Why? (1 Viewer)

[James Reader]

Looking at Amazon.Com's listings I see the following for 8-Mile:

8-Mile Widescreen
8-Mile Full Screen
8-Mile (Censored Bonus Materials) Widescreen
8-Mile (Censored Bonus Materials) Full Screen

Why? Why? Why?

Firstly has nobody ever heard of the Parental Lock feature on DVD Players? Has any disc actually used this feature to lock some of a discs contents? When such a feature exists, there is no need to release Censored and Uncensored versions seperately.

Secondly - how can it help anyone - studio, vendors and customers to have 4 versions of the same movie available for sale? There's bound to be a high number of returns as people pick up the wrong copy.

If Universal seem to think the average parent is unable to use the Parental Lock feature of the DVD and insist on releasing the film in Widescreen and Full Screen wouldn't they be better of making the release a 2 disc set with both ratios of the movie available in the same pack? At least then there would only be 2 releases of the film (Censored and Uncensored).

[fixed spelling]

 

[Rolando]

typical of universal, didn't they do this for American Pie 2? rated, unrated and separate P&S and OAR release for each. Like average consumer needs to be confused further. Not that I am picking this movie up but this is a bad practice. You just KNOW Wal Mart will have the full screen censored version only...

 

[Qui-Gon John]

Do they have a version without Eminem in it?

 

[Scott D S]

If American Pie 2 is any indication, the censored version will most likely be carried by Wal-Mart, Target, Blockbuster, Kmart, and the like while the uncensored version will be carried by Circuit City, Best Buy, and Internet retailers.

My problem is this: It's an R-rated movie! If one is old enough to view an R-rated movie, why do the special features have to be censored at all? I could see if it was a PG movie like Star Wars (the cursing in the documentary is bleeped), but this is just too much.

 

[Christian Preischl]

If one is old enough to view an R-rated movie, why do the special features have to be censored at all?

Because Eminem and/or rap music is involved. At least that's my guess. And no... it doesn't make any sense, but I still think that's the reason.

Chris

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Because Blockbuster and WalMart consider themselves the guardian of American morality, and insist that alterations be made to appease their feewings.

The most famous alteration is the censoring of the nude scene in Titanic

 

[Richard Kim]

The most famous alteration is the censoring of the nude scene in Titanic

I thought that was done by an independent video store, not Blockbuster or Wal-Mart.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Richard, it may have ALSO been done by cutting the tape by some Utah video store

But Blockbuster ordered censored copies of Titanic

 

[Travis_W]

I'm planning on picking this up along with Empire (for the free DVD offer),

So, let me get this straight. The version saying censored bonus material is the R-Rated cut while the other is the unrated right?

So if I just pick up 8-Mile (widescreen) I'll get the unrated copy right?

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

But Blockbuster ordered censored copies of Titanic

No, they did not. The distributor I worked for at the time sold Titanic to retailers, including Blockbuster. There was only ONE version available from Paramount. This is just another urban myth that refuses to die...

 

[James Reader]

So if I just pick up 8-Mile (widescreen) I'll get the unrated copy right?

And so the confusion starts

I'm not 100% sure, but I think the feature is the same on both censored and uncensored discs. The only meterial censored on the censored disc is some of the bonus materials.

 

[Dan Rudolph]

Maybe some of the bonus materials were much stronger than the movie?

 

[Travis_W]

James:

That's a REALLY dumb move for Universal. I mean this just defies all lines of stupidity. Why censor bonus features? Thanks for clearing it up.

 

[Randy A Salas]

typical of universal, didn't they do this for American Pie 2?

Yes, and it turned out to be a stroke of genius on Universal's part. All four versions of AP2 debuted in the top 10 of the sales chart. In the long run, only the unrated widescreen version was left in the top 10, but the publicity of coming out with four versions obviously worked in the studio's favor.

 

[Matt Pelham]

You are correct Peter. Blockbuster carried and still carries the regular PG-13 version of Titanic.

On the other hand they might get the unrated version of 8-Mile, as all the (corporate owned) stores in my area carry the UNrated versions of Y Tu Mama Tambien, American Pie 2, Van Wilder and the Sweetest Thing. It seems they are getting better on this policy while at the same time effing up their OAR stance.

 

[Travis_W]

Hmmm... I've always thought it cost more for a studio to put out seperate releases but I didn't stop to think that they could have practically 4 movies selling great. Just as long as a widescreen version stays on top as it usually does I'm fine.

 

[DeanWalsh]

It irks me that they can release 4 versions of a film yet can't issue seperate full bitrate dts releases like they used to... the market for dts titles has grown considerably since it's introduction on dvd. If people want to buy a full screen version they should just give them the censored version since they are already deliberately buying a compromised feature in the first place.

 

[John Berggren]

Do they have a version without Eminem in it?

I'm looking for a version of reality with this feature.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Oh well, he'll soon be on the soup kitchen line, doing duets with Vanilla Ice.