OK, is the Blu-ray of Angel Heart the cut or uncut version? (1 Viewer)

[Dick]

I've read twenty online reviews, and although a few alude to the ten seconds Alan Parker had to cut to earn an "R" rating, not a single one indicates whether or not the Blu-ray edition is the theatrical or unrated version. The box says it's "R," but I would hope that, with what will probably be the final disc release of this film for a very long time, Lionsgate would include the UR, Anyway, I realize that ten seconds don't seem like much, but I recall an earlier thread for DON'T LOOK NOW where aficionados of the Roeg film were all up in arms at Paramount for not including the UR version. And we all now that ratings on boxes can be wrong (latest example: the Warner Bros DVD or WHEN DINOSAURS RULED THE EARTH...hardly the "G" version there!)
Is there an expert with a really good memory out there who can say what is actually on this disc? Thanks.

 

[Felix Martinez]

The Blu is definitely the unrated version. I'm not an "expert," but back in 1989 I attended a film class where one of the lectures was an analysis of the two different cuts of the sequence. You should have seen some of the students squirm in their seats during the discussion of extra "thrusts," etc. Surprising reaction, as it was a college crowd. Something about that sequence - perhaps the juxtaposition of sex, blood, and the music - is truly unsettling. I owned the two previous "unrated" DVDs.

The Blu looks wonderful, BTW. Found it at Costco for $7.99 in mid-Nov. Must have been a mistake and they put it out early. Very glad I have it and I promptly retired the DVDs.

 

[Dick]

I have purchased and watched this Blu-ray since posting the thread, and want to verify that, as Felix indicated, this is the uncut, unrated edition despite the "R" on the back of the box.

Looks damn good to me, too, and I would be very picky about this film.

 

[Peter Neski]

gee 7.95 ,what a deal

 

[Peter Neski]

don't throw out your last DVD!! all extras arent included on Blue Ray,still a deal but you need a Blue Ray double case
for the dvd to fit in it

 

[oscar_merkx]

so what's not included ?

 

[Peter Neski]

Theres some features of Voodoo,,which aren't on the BR,also some mini doc's on the making of the film ,from
the time of the film which has the cast and footage of Paker

 

[cineMANIAC]

I can do without the EPKs and voodoo featurettes. However, I don't see any improvement in picture quality over the DVD. Nothing "popped" out at me while skimming through the film. That's not to say it doesn't look good (its a very nice transfer) but it definitely isn't the best it can be. I haven't been impressed with any of Lionsgate's Blu-rays to be completely honest.

 

[CraigF]

^ Actually, I'd say Lionsgate had a bunch of impressive BDs until fairly recently. I was surprised...

Anybody here seen the release by the Lionsgate Canadian subsidiary Maple? They state the AR as 1.78...could be a packaging notes error as we get a lot of them in Canada (??), but we sometimes get different transfers/formats here too depending on licensing. Also our ratings system is different. Interestingly, the Lionsgate release is called "unrated" here (as it apparently truly is), yet the Maple release is "R". Are they really different transfers/cuts? I ask because the Maple release is the one sold in stores here and is cheaper than the Lionsgate import. Thanks.

 

[Peter Neski]

Lionsgate's not a top of the line company,and the prices are nice and cheap,I don't agree with you,one should
have those original Featurettes,no need for the Voodoo ones

 

[Stephen_J_H]

Originally Posted by CraigF

^ Actually, I'd say Lionsgate had a bunch of impressive BDs until fairly recently. I was surprised...

Anybody here seen the release by the Lionsgate Canadian subsidiary Maple? They state the AR as 1.78...could be a packaging notes error as we get a lot of them in Canada (??), but we sometimes get different transfers/formats here too depending on licensing. Also our ratings system is different. Interestingly, the Lionsgate release is called "unrated" here (as it apparently truly is), yet the Maple release is "R". Are they really different transfers/cuts? I ask because the Maple release is the one sold in stores here and is cheaper than the Lionsgate import. Thanks.

My experience with Maple has been that their discs are ports of the Lionsgate releases. They don't even reauthor them to include a Maple logo, much like Alliance's old releases of Miramax/Dimension titles. They may simply be mass produced and then shipped to Canada for silkscreening. FYI, Maple is not a subsidiary of Lionsgate; it's actually a separate company run by some former Lionsgate execs with an exclusive distribution deal with Lionsgate. They have also picked up releases from Anchor Bay/Starz!/Overture and Miramax for release theatrically in Canada, including The Men Who Stare at Goats and Doubt.

Keep in mind as to the "R" rating, that it is probably a Canadian Video Classification Board rating, and that an "R" under those circumstances is the rough equivalent of an NC-17 in the US. Canada doesn't really have an "R" rating like the US, but instead has 14A and 18A, which are pretty self-explanatory.

 

[cineMANIAC]

Originally Posted by Peter Neski

Lionsgate's not a top of the line company,and the prices are nice and cheap,I don't agree with you,one should
have those original Featurettes,no need for the Voodoo ones

Actually, Peter, you are right regarding the vintage featurettes as they feature on-set footage not found on any new making-of material. I wish there were more original behind-the-scenes material in the new stuff produced today

 

[Felix Martinez]

Originally Posted by Luisito34

I can do without the EPKs and voodoo featurettes. However, I don't see any improvement in picture quality over the DVD. Nothing "popped" out at me while skimming through the film. That's not to say it doesn't look good (its a very nice transfer) but it definitely isn't the best it can be. I haven't been impressed with any of Lionsgate's Blu-rays to be completely honest.

What size screen are you viewing on? I can tell you that on my 92in screen, the difference between the DVD and the Blu was significant. I didn't see signs of Lionsgate's typical DNR use.

 

[cineMANIAC]

Felix I'm using a brand-new 50" Panasonic Plasma TV (720p) and a Panny BD60 (?) Blu-ray player. I think we've all been so spoiled by high-quality discs that we expect everything to look stunning but I do realize that is not always going to be the case. That is why I don't plan on upgrading my entire DVD collection to Blu, just those that studios put a good effort into. Reasearching a release and reading reviews is as important as ever so as to avoid getting burned by Blu-rays that are only slightly better than DVD.

 

[Dave H]

Luisito,

Keep in mind that you're not going to see a as large of a difference at 720p since it only has about half of the pixel resolution of 1080p. Most Blu-rays that I have watched are significantly better and I can only think of a few that were only slightly better; and even those looked more natural still.

In addition, if you sit too far back from your display, you are further limiting resolution.

 

[Mrpurple]

Much improvement from DVD to Blu-Ray in terms of picture. 720p is not comparable to 1080p so if you haven't seen the film in different aspects please do not judge, Blu-Ray transfer is decidedly superior. Well worth the investment which isn't much.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

Folks, the film isn't a patch on the original novel "Falling Angel" by Hjortsberg. Skip the flick and read the book.

 

[haineshisway]

Folks, the film isn't a patch on the original novel "Falling Angel" by Hjortsberg. Skip the flick and read the book.

Yes, Falling Angel is a GREAT book. I'm not much of a fan of the film because it's like being hit in the head with a baseball bat - the book is subtle and beautifully written and mysterious. The film lays all of it on with a trowel.

 

[trajan]

We really need more films from Alan Parker on blu.

 

[Jon Baker]

Does anyone know if this version with the newer cover is uncut? The time listed on the back is 95 minutes.