DIE ANOTHER DAY - 'extended' Region 1 version? (1 Viewer)

[Anthony Thorne]

News on a variety of online sites indicates that MGM's upcoming James Bond film DIE ANOTHER DAY is being released in two versions internationally. The first version (due for release in the States) apparently runs for 132 minutes, whilst the 'International Version' (due for release throughout the rest of the world) runs for 134 minutes and contains an extended scene (presumably not too explicit) of Brosnan and Halle Berry making love. An interview with Brosnan in a recent issue of EMPIRE magazine made reference to this sequence, with the actor indicating that he "..wasn't sure which way the producers were going to go.." in regards to including or deleting the above sequence. (To reiterate, I'm sure that this isn't EYES WIDE SHUT type material, simply some footage that would push the film from a PG-13 to an R in the States).

The current series of MGM Bond DVD's seem to be replicated across all international markets. As far as I can tell, the footage and extra content featured on the Region 1 version of each individual Bond film is identical to the discs released in Region 2 or 4. As discussed on Glenn Erickson's DVD Savant site, MGM have a self-decribed policy of releasing the 'longest possible version' of a film on DVD wherever possible (hence the extra content reinstated to titles like ROLLERBALL) but this aim has fallen notably short in regards to at least one earlier Bond DVD - LICENSE TO KILL, which was released in a slightly truncated form on disc and lacks some violent footage featured on VHS released in other territories.

I don't think it's in anyone's interest for MGM to release a 'truncated' DIE ANOTHER DAY to disc in Region 1 next year. Nor do I think anyone would really be happy if Region 2 and 4 received the longer cut of the film and Region 1 missed out. I'm hoping that MGM will restore those two additional minutes to the disc for their eventual Region 1 version, and identically release this 'extended' version on DVD throughout the rest of the world.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

It's obvious they had to cut it to avoid an R. And of course, it's always sex. 2 people doing it is so much worse than the dozens that are sure to be gunned down in the course of a Bond film

 

[Mike Frezon]

Somebody here at the HTF posted recently--Jeff, it might have been you--that you would expect your children are someday going to have sexual experiences, but that you hope they never have violent experiences.

I thought that was a simple way of trying to keep in context the impact of sex vs. violence in film ratings.