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austin powers aspect ratio? (1 Viewer)

Dan Brecher

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It's still in the US version, but the intention of the joke is destroyed due to their want to keep it PG-13 with the MPAA.

It's the "I never forget a pussy... cat" joke. In the US release the beat between pussy and cat is INCREDIBLY short, almost as if it were "I never forget a pussycat"... The intention of the joke, kept in the overseas versions is "I never forget a pussy.............cat". The beat is much much longer.

Dan
 

Scott H

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I wonder if Roach realizes he's hit the ultimate low of blasphemy to us OAR buffs... preferring something other than the theatrical aspect ratio!
OAR and theatrical aspect ratio are absolutely, unequivocally, not the same thing.

There are only four SMPTE 35mm theatrical projection ARs, and none are 2.35:1, for example.


Additionally, S35 and regular 35 may both be re-reframed, matted different, etc. Those who cite this as an issue unique to S35 are in error.
 

Kajs

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Is it just me or does the transfer suck? This was my second DVD 4 years ago and I always thought it was good but watching it today after a few years, it has a lot of problems with it.
 

John CW

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Dan: You seem to be talking as if you know Jay and Mike personally, how exactly do you know the reasons why the "slow" jokes were cut out of the R1 version??

The reason as explained to me was that the longer scenes were homages to Myer's father's sense of humour (very British) and it was thought the US audiences wouldn't "get them", so they were left in for us Brits. Admittedly the second "henchman" gag DOES run a little long, but the Christian Slater stuff is priceless IMHO! Why are you convinced that Myers and Roach inserted "bad" scenes into the internation versions??

Also (unrelated), watching Austin Powers in 2.35:1 at home always seemed overkill to me, it's a _comedy_ and you feel a little "out of the action" (unless you've got a projection screen I guess), but with 2.00:1 it makes more sense.

~ John
 

Dan Brecher

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how exactly do you know the reasons why the "slow" jokes were cut out of the R1 version??
Back when the film first appeared at Canne discussion regaring the alternate cuts came up quite a bit. There is no doubting they resotred additional material in the hope the humour would reach the different audience of foreign markets (just like the "hows your father" gag in the UK cut of Spy who Shagged Me), but consider the market both Myers and Roach are in themselves for a second...
I stated my personal opinion of the bonus footage we got, I did not state theirs as I don't know it, and I dont think they'd hate the scenes because they would not have left them in for ANY release print if that were the case, I completely agree.
What I do think however is that the scenes were not of any major significance to either of them because if they had been, they would have left them in the domestic cut. Why? Because that's the cut they themselves, their family and their friends are going to end up seeing and owning.
That's fine if some of the additional material is allegedly a homage to the humour of Myers' late father, but thats a personal in joke of sorts, and if that's so true you'd think such scenes would be important enough to have retained in the version Myers' family would see and end up owning. Most of Myers' films will show he's not one for dropping in jokes just because they are private, heck, half of So I Married and Axe Murderer he considers somewhat of a private joke.
On the commentary of my Laserdisc copy of Austin Powers, Myers and Roach discuss the deletion of the henchman scenes and it's clear from Myers' comments that the footage was dropped during the editing process because they didn't work as well as hoped, and its just one of those quirky things that went away as is typical with comedies.
It's clear to me they got what they wanted out of the domestic release. If they had not, New Line would have let them put stuff back for DVD, heck it would have been a great selling point for the R1 release given the phenomena the film became. If there was stuff New Line suggested be removed due to fears American's wouldn't "get it" then being the pro branching, unrated, alternate cut Studio they are, for DVD/LD they probably would have allowed Roach and Myers to put some stuff back had they REALLY wanted to.
Roach and Myers got well involved with the creation of both the movies (and now the third I'd expect) for their DVD releases and again, I'm not saying they hate those scenes we got, but to me it is clear they were not significant enough for them to want to keep in the domestic release.
If Roach cared and was involved enough to oversee the transfer in his prefered aspect ratio then one would think he'd oversee that he got his prefered cut of the movie too. In my humble opinion, that's exactly what he got.
Just my 2 pence,
Dan
 

Colin Jacobson

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Is it just me or does the transfer suck? This was my second DVD 4 years ago and I always thought it was good but watching it today after a few years, it has a lot of problems with it.
Join the club! I wouldn't say that it "sucks", but it hasn't aged gracefully. For my original 1999 review, I gave it a "B+"; for my updated 2002 review, I've dropped that to a "C+". (Another New Line flick - The Mask - has dropped more substantially - my original 1999 review awarded it a "B+", but now I'd only grant it a "C" - not anamorphic, and too much damned EE!

And on the topic at hand, I don't like the 2:1 framing of AP:IMOM. It cheeses off almost everybody. Many of the OAR crowd have problems with it, and the fullscreen brigade will STILL complain about the black bars...
 

Mark_Wilson

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Does anyone know if the Japanese R2 (NTSC) DVD of Austin Powers is the correct AR and the 'International Cut'? CDJapan.co.jp doesn't list this info.
 

HenrikTull

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I know this is a little off topic but I really hope someone with the R4 copy could help me out, since I'm interested in buying this title now. Anyway, I was reading the review for the R4 disc on Michael D's website when I came upon this:

Audio sync was an issue at various points throughout the transfer, with a significant portion of this movie appearing to be on the verge of going out of sync. The early part of Chapter 5, on the aeroplane, is particularly noteworthy for being on the verge of going out of sync.
Anyone else notice this?
 

Jussi Tarvainen

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Check if the R2/R4 is 2.40:1, if not, you're not seeing the exact framing you saw theatrically either.
This may be the case, but 2.35:1 is closer to what I prefer (in this case) than 2:1. I like the way the film looks in a wider AR and more importantly, I'm not losing any image. For me, it's easier to accept more picture than less.

In conclusion, I do not follow directors' intentions blindly - case in point, Lucas's tinkering of "Star Wars". However, I always acknowledge these intentions but in the case of Austin Powers, I get more enjoyment out of a wider aspect ratio and the "extra" jokes.
 

Geoff_D

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IMHO, the original us cut of Austin Powers was Myer's/Roach's preferred version, as those who have listened to their R1 commentary would attest. They discuss the henchman death/aftermath scenes wistfully but they don't have a problem leaving them out of their final cut.
As for the 'international' version, it's definitely my favourite version. The henchman's wife scene in particular endeared the movie to me in the first place, aswell as that crazy 'orange sherbet' stuff with Christian Slater - and to find it all missing from the US cut was almost heartbreaking. Yes, I know the henchman scenes are on the New Line DVD as deleted scenes but I prefer it in the movie - and the CS stuff isn't present at all!
And the adjustment of the 'pussy...cat' gag was just lame, along with at least another half-dozen small edits here and there. The fact the US DVD wasn't in 2.35 (and it had some dodgy lip-sync too) meant it had to go - I just prefer the 2.35 framing of the R2 version. Thank Yoda the movie wasn't shot 2.35 anamorphic, otherwise we'd have another Apocalypse Now re-framing debacle. But that's a whole other story...
 

Jon Robertson

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I thought the UK cinema release had the Royal Family joke removed (it only indirectly refers to Diana), but it was reinstated for the DVD.
 

Dan Brecher

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That's correct, Jon. That said, it was there when I saw it the first time. What I can't remember exactly is if I saw an advanced screening or not, if so, that may account for why it was still present. All I remember is my susprise at hearing it on the day her coffin arrived back in the country.

Dan
 

Damin J Toell

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So the changes to the Star Wars SEs, the 2002 version of ET, and the conservative framing on home video releases of Apocalypse Now are all cool by you?
Yes. 100% cool by me. It doesn't mean I like them, simply that I support the rights of artists to control their own works. Of course, supporting artistic freedom often appears to be a mind-boggling position 'round these parts.

DJ
 

TheoGB

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The Diana joke was in the version I saw in the cinema and I'm pretty certain we didn't see it the first week or anything.
FWIW and I can't believe anyone would want a version missing the Orange Sherbert section, or indeed any of the movie.
Personally I think they're wrong about what to cut from the movies anyhow: Most of the deleted bits of the Spy Who Shagged Me make me laugh way more than most of the movie did!!:D
But hey, at least they're there. I'm pretty staggered to find out how trashed the U.S. release is but then our version of Spy Who Shagged Me is also specially ruined in the extras department. :frowning:
I am intrigued as to why JR felt that 2.00:1 was his preferred ratio for the first movie but was happy with 2.35:1 for the second...
 

Jerry Gracia

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The theatrical presentation was shown from an anamorphic (2.35:1 approx. aspect ratio) print, theaters did not matte this film. I believe the film maker framed his shots to appear presentable for the tighter theatrical composition.
I'd prefer to view the film the way it was originally shown in theaters.
I find this practice some directors have of altering OARs through either un-matting and cropping for the sake of home video somewhat disturbing.
Hey, offer a fool screen version and give us real enthusiasts the original unaltered aspect ratio that was intended for theaters. To the average consumer, black bars are black bars no matter what size. Altering aspect ratios to reduce black bar size does nothing but irritate everybody...we'll, almost everybody. :frowning:
But, alas...movies belong to their creators and sometimes the creators aren't OAR buffs...life sucks! :p)
 

Sam Owens

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Just a note on the audio sync in AP:IMOM. Michael D's review was conducted on a Pioneer. The first and second generation Pioneers (at least those sold in Oz) were notorious for audio sync problems, particularly with Village Roadshow discs. Later players should play Austin Powers without incident.
As for AP:TSWSM, the R4 misses out on the doco on Dr. Evil and the DVD-Rom content.
 

Colin Jacobson

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Yes. 100% cool by me. It doesn't mean I like them, simply that I support the rights of artists to control their own works. Of course, supporting artistic freedom often appears to be a mind-boggling position 'round these parts.
I have absolutely no objection to that position. I agree that filmmakers can do whatever they'd like with their work. However, I also feel that they should enable fans to see it as it originally appeared. Of course it's their right to change things, just as it's our right to bitch about it. It's not an "either-or" situation...
 

Damin J Toell

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Of course it's their right to change things, just as it's our right to bitch about it.
A problem arises for me when "the right to bitch" is modified into "the right to force filmmakers to do what we want because we are entitled to see what we want and the filmmaker no longer should be allowed to touch his work."

DJ
 

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