Brain Dead DVD (1 Viewer)

[Steve_Knutzen]

Wondering if the current release is OAR. It didn't lokk like it had that many features. Any news on a SE coming soon?

 

[MarcW]

I've heard rumors of an uncut release by Anchor Bay later this year. In the meantime I'll be watching my uncut R2 copy.
-MarcW

 

[StephenA]

I have the region 1 disc. It's in widescreen and think it's in it's OAR. You're right about it not having many features. It's unrated, but not uncut. I haven't heard about an SE though.

 

[Damin J Toell]

It's worth noting that although the unrated American cut is shorter than the Braindead release, I've read that Peter Jackson actually prefers the shorter cut. He had extra time to prepare the American cut, and he shortened it to a length that he actually preferred. While I'm all for getting the longer version (I have the Japanese LD), I think it's something to keep in mind.
DJ

 

[Duane Robinson]

What's missing from the American version? I've been thinking about getting this disc and I wanna make sure that the lawnmower scene I saw on IFC is still intact.

 

[StephenA]

I think most, if not all of the lawnmower scenes are intact. I haven't seen the uncut version, so I don't know. I've only seen the unrated version.

 

[Damin J Toell]

What's missing from the American version? I've been thinking about getting this disc and I wanna make sure that the lawnmower scene I saw on IFC is still intact.

The version you saw on IFC is the unrated American version, which is the same as the R1 DVD. You can find details on what was changed from the original Braindead version on Link Removed for the film.
DJ

 

[MarcW]

It's worth noting that although the unrated American cut is shorter than the Braindead release, I've read that Peter Jackson actually prefers the shorter cut. He had extra time to prepare the American cut, and he shortened it to a length that he actually preferred. While I'm all for getting the longer version (I have the Japanese LD), I think it's something to keep in mind.

While Peter Jackson may prefer the shorter version I certainly do not. If he really thought the movie was too long he would have edited it down to 97 minutes when it was originally released. Most of the time, and I'm not sayin that that was the case here, a directors view of editing has very little to do with the final product. Just look at movies like The Abyss where the story was completly changed through editing. All because the big wigs didn't think that a 171 minutes long movie would bring in the big bucks at the box office. Only since Titanic has it even become possible to think of 3hr long theatrical releases.
I grew up in Germany and it has always pissed me off that the FSK (german version of MPAA) cuts movies severely. Heck the title Braindead is even BANNED in Germany. LaserParadise had to release the uncut DVD under the american title Dead Alive to avoid trouble with the german authorities! To make a long story short.. get the LONGER version
-MarcW

 

[Damin J Toell]

If he really thought the movie was too long he would have edited it down to 97 minutes when it was originally released.

While you're certainly entitled to your opinion, this is simply untrue.

DJ

 

[MarcW]

While you're certainly entitled to your opinion, this is simply untrue.

How so ? I don't quite follow your logic. If Peter Jackson prefers the shorter version then wouldn't he want that version to be the official release ? I guess I don't quite understand. I mean if I were the director and I prefer one version over another why would I continue releasing the one that I don't like as much ?
-MarcW

 

[Damin J Toell]

I mean if I were the director and I prefer one version over another why would I continue releasing the one that I don't like as much ?

It's not really his choice. He isn't personally continuing to release anything, the video distributors who own the rights to the version he previously released in those countries are.

DJ

 

[MarcW]

Jackson has made his preference known in interviews in the past, so it's really kind of pointless to debate whether its true or not.

Wow.. a New Yorker that doesn't like a pointless debate ? Just kidding. I get your point.

It's not the first time Jackson has shortened a film. He did the same thing with Heavenly Creatures and stated he prefers the shorter cut.

-MarcW

 

[Julie K]

Peter Jackson likes action and has a tendency to cut out as much non-action sequences as he can. I tend to like the longer versions of Braindead, Heavenly Creatures, and Frighteners better than his final cuts, but I can see why he would make the cuts he did. He tries to keep the film going at a fast pace without slowing it down in spots.

Unfortunately, sometimes the cuts include gore scenes. That is just plain wrong.

 

[Jacob McCraw]

Any news on a R1 release of this? I have my eye on the R2 version, as I've just acquired a region free player.

 

[Jay Gunn]

Is the R2 version the uncut, "longer" version of the film? I was under the impression that the only way to get the longer cut was on the Japanese LD.

 

[Jacob McCraw]

Yes the R2 is uncut. I know the edited version is available in R1, but I don't care for it.

 

[Vincent_P]

MarcW:

Actually, I don't think Jackson ever said he "prefers" the shorter cut of HEAVENLY CREATURES- rather, he didn't feel the cuts that Miramax did hurt the film. He thought they did a good job of trimming it down while maintaining his overall artistic vision. I know for a fact, though, that he was upset about at least one of their edits- the clipping of the overhead shot where you see a patient in the hospital coughing up a bunch of blood into a bed-pan. This frankly looks like a sloppy edit in the American theatrical version of HEAVENLY CREATURES.

I asked Jackson which version of HC he prefered several years ago when he used to post on the now defunct "The Bastatds Have Landed" website dedicated to him, and Jackson's response was something along the lines that he thinks hard-core fans should watch the longer version, whereas casual viewers would probably prefer the shorter one. He also said that he planned to someday release a further extended cut to laserdisc (these were the LD days when DVD had just been debuted) that would contain "10-minutes of footage that haven't been seen anywhere"- i.e., an approximately 2-hour cut of the film. Obviously, Jackson then got busy with the LORD OF THE RINGS films, but now maybe he'll actually get around to releasing this extended HEAVENLY CREATURES on DVD with LORD OF THE RINGS style-supplements.

Vincent

 

[Craig Sherman]

Just to be clear (and I may be the odd man out here),

Is Steve referring to the Peter Jackson film Braindead, which US audiences may know as Dead Alive, or is he referring to the Adam Simon opus Brain Dead, starring Bill Pullman and Bill Paxton? I have that DVD, and it is a featureless 1.33 release. I'm not sure if that's the OAR or not, knowing Corman.

CDE,

CS

 

[EnricoE]

...it has always pissed me off that the FSK (german version of MPAA) cuts movies severely.

this is not correct and a common mistake. the fks doesn't do any kinds of editing of movie. they only suggest that certain parts should be taken out for the rating the film distributor wants. mostly distibutors do this or even ask the fsk what cuts would be needed to achieve a certain rating, example: harry potter 2: uncut would be fsk 12 but was cut with 4min for fsk 6 rating and the dvd is still only in a cut version available in germany since warner bros. refuse to release it uncut. other films that where cut for a lower rating in last months where troy, peter pan, hulk, the punisher (2004), the rundown but these are or will be released uncut on dvd.

germany might be good when it comes with nudity while in the u.s. this is big issue but when it comes to violence you can only pray you gonna see it uncut.

 

[Jacob McCraw]

I know the thread is titled "Brain Dead", but all of the content refers to Peter Jackson's "Braindead" film known as "Dead Alive" in the US. That's what I based the revival of this thread on. So...does anyone have any info or should I go ahead and get the R2?