Paramount - An Apology... (1 Viewer)

[Wes Ray]

On behalf of a great majority of the Friday the 13th fans out there, I would like to apologize to Paramount and to Mr. Martin Blythe. In the past, he's taken quite a few shots due to Paramount's stance on not seeing the need in releasing uncut horror movies. I wasn't a member of this forum when a lot of the major arguements over Paramount releasing the series R-rated as opposed to Unrated but I do somewhat see the aftermath of it. Mr. Blythe rarely responds to threads with Friday the 13th anywhere near the subject line. I can't help but feel that this is due to the negative bad experiences left by previous Friday fans. I hope Paramount and Mr. Blythe realize that not all Friday fans (as well as horror fans) are hot under the collar 100% of the time.
Many of us are extremely passionate for the series, and sometimes it gets frustrating being a fan. Not just a fan of this series, but a fan in general. Fans always have ideas that can make company output better or more marketable, and I suppose the fact that Paramount is sitting on a seeming gold-mine of an idea (the release a boxed set of the Friday the 13th films uncut with extras) and has previously not shown interest is very difficult for a lot of fans to take. I'm not sure what film series you are a fan of, Mr. Blythe, but I'm sure you care just about as much for it as many of us do for these films. Wouldn't it make you the slightest bit agitated if you and many other fans had an idea for something that could make the company releasing the film or films a great deal of money and at the same time be able to give you and the rest of the fans what you want, but knowing that the company in question refused to listen to your idea? That's kind of how a lot of us felt. So, I hope you can understand why this discussion got a little heated at times. We only get frustrated upon occasion because we care. If there were truly no interest in this series, there wouldn't be an uproar of any sort at all.
I think most of the frustration came from the arguement about the current political climate and the difficulty in releasing unrated, uncut discs. Paramount is a great American company that makes great American movies. (Without getting into a debate) I will only say that the violence portrayed in the Friday the 13th series isn't anything to be afriad of releasing. Most of it is comical, franky, due to the hard-working, good-humored special effects artists who have had the honor of working on the films over the years. This is another key point in why the fans have been so vocal. A lot of the hard work that was put into these films...hard work that was paid for by Paramount...has been left on the cutting room floor by a stricter-than-today MPAA. Political climates, like weather climates, often change. The fans know this.
I don't know if there's any ill-will left between Paramount and the Friday the 13th fanbase. Hopefully, there isn't. I simply noticed that since Paramount did not respond to my recent thread about the possibility of the Alice Cooper music video for "He's Back (The Man Behind the Mask)" being on the DVD for Friday the 13th Part 6, I felt there may be a little hesitation for them to want to confront the Friday fans once again. I myself even wrote Mr. Blythe a letter, which never got answered. I can somewhat understand why. They've come under heavy fire in the past, so naturally they'd be a little hesitant about stirring up old arguements. I just hope Paramount and the Friday fans can mend things soon (hopefully with this thread, but I know things can't just happen overnight). I think the Paramount B-Movies Poll thread here a while back was a definite step in the right direction for both parties involved, and I commend Paramount and Mr. Blythe for holding the poll to give us fans a chance to let our voices be heard.
Anyway, I'll end the rambling now by saying that on behalf of the horror fans and Friday the 13th fans that Paramount has, I apologize for any ill-will that has been caused prior to my joining the HTF. I hope Paramount will continue to monitor the HTF for fan-related feedback involving the Friday the 13th series instead of shunning it, fearing an onslaught of negativity. Here's to hoping we can repair what damage may have been done by previous posts and threads.
Wes
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[Ricky f]

Wes, Sometimes I am good with words other times I just can't find the right ones, What you just said has summed up what Has been going through my mind regarding The Friday the 13th series uncut.
Paramount are sitting on a gold mine with friday the 13th uncut, Maybe if they release Friday the 13th part 7 uncut and see how well that does they can then pursue more into the uncut case.
Paramount I hope you will release Friday the 13th part 7 uncut, I am not complaining you are a great company, Just give The part 7 uncut thing a chance.
Paramount Keep up the good work
Regards,
Ricky
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[Matt Perkins]

You know what? I've never seen any of the Friday the 13th movies. Not one. But if a box-set came out with all films uncut, either with commentaries or a very good documentary, oh man I would buy that in a second.
It's film history; I couldn't let something like that slip by.
Oh wait ... I did see "Jason Goes to Hell," but I'm not sure if that counts.

 

[Wes Ray]

I hope Mr. Blythe will read this thread and reply, and not just pass it by once he sees the words "Friday the 13th" on the page. The whole point of this thread is to get us all on good terms again.
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[Martin Blythe]

I read the threads and there's no ill will. I guess I'm less likely to respond when the temperature goes up but that's all. Look, it is solely about the censorship issue, nothing else. Not "making money" - there's more to life than that. At the risk of more flames, if you read the newspapers then you know the flak studios are taking these days - do I really need to explain this? All I've asked is that the fans be patient. The likelihood is that the films will be first released the way they were shown in theaters and then we will review boxed sets, alternative versions and so on after that.

 

[Wes Ray]

Thanks for replying, Mr. Blythe. I understand how you could get a little hesitant about responding to a thread where Paramount is getting it from both barrels by the fans. I too believe there is more to life than money. Believe me, no one's felt that way more than I have.
I heavily disagree on the arguement about movies (especially old 80's slasher movies) being the target of a lot of today's problems in newspapers and such (and not just because I'm a horror fan, but because I believe people are soley responsible for their own actions and not movie studios), but I will not turn this into a flame thread. The point of this thread was to apologize and get Paramount and the fans back on good terms, because of a lot of the heated arguements in the past. I think I have accomplished that, and I thank Mr. Blythe for being cordial and honest with us fans.
To the fans out there, it seems there is a possibility of a boxed set of special editions someday, so let's be patient. Remember, there's also the possibility of getting Part 7 out uncut next year, because of the extremely positive response it got on the poll here. Maybe they'll release it as a trial to see how it goes over next Fall.
If not Part 7, maybe they'll release an uncut My Bloody Valentine to test the political climate waters, as it was also a highly-requested title. If we're going to campaign for uncut DVDs, we need to be firm but not in an attacking mode. We need to show them that the people who will buy these DVDs uncut are in fact just your regular, everyday horror DVD fans and NOT the type that Mr. Blythe will have to worry about reading about in the newspapers.
Just remain calm, guys...because, this is DVD and eventually EVERYTHING will be released one day. Although, I must admit that I'm getting a little concerned about the whereabouts of Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes.
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[Wes Ray]

bump. This thread went M.I.A. this weekend along with the rest of the HTF. hehe.
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[MikeyW]

That's a good idea. A release of such a small-name movie as My Bloody Valentine in uncut form won't mean as much as an F13 uncut release. Plus, I really want to see that uncut too.
Thanks for replying, Mr. Blythe.
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[rhett]

I too agree on using My Bloody Valentine as a guinea pig for future uncut releases, especially since it is one of my favorite 80's slashers. Again, thanks for responding Mr. Blythe.
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"Why don't we just wait here for a while...see what happens."

 

[Christina_DQ]

...and you don't have anything to worry about with uncut movies.
Anchor Bay has released such gruesome & highly controversial movies in uncensored form like The New York Ripper without a problem.
Also stuff like Cannibal Ferox, Maniac & other notorious horror movies have been released on dvd & video uncut and there were no complaints. So don't worry!!!!!!
So it's about time the Friday flicks & My Bloody Valentine get the uncut treatment they deserve.
Again thanks for replying

 

[Wes Ray]

We should've been campaigning for My Bloody ValentineUncut the whole time, since it does make much more sense to release a lesser-known title uncut to test the waters. MGM is releasing Last House on the Left next year Uncut. It's virtually unknown to most mainstream audiences, but not to horror fans. The exact same fans who would buy an Uncut edition of My Bloody Valentine.
I believe if it goes over well (and this is just speculation) that MGM will release The Burning Uncut, since they (accidentally, I suppose?) released the Uncut version on video at Amazon.com. The box says "R" but the print they used, is in fact the unrated/uncut version. Hopefully, if Last House sells well, they may do future Uncut versions (especially of The Burning). Then again, maybe MGM will release an Uncut version of The Burning without seeing how well Last House does. Remember, MGM also released the Unrated version of Clive Barker's Lord of Illusions (a great DVD for an okay movie). Companies like MGM, Anchor Bay, and Universal haven't gone bankrupt releasing Unrated/Uncut films, so there evidently is a market for it.
The point is, the Uncut/Unrated scare isn't an issue until a studio makes it an issue. If they hide behind something, it will gain attention. Was there a major anti-slasher film movement prior to Valentine's release? No. However, Warner Bros. (after submitting it to the MPAA and safely getting an "R" rating) decided to edit the gore down further. Was slasher violence an issue? No. Did their caution effect the final film? Yes. While I still enjoyed it, it could've been a much more interesting slasher film in the classical, early 80's vein if it had whatever they cut out left in. Was there an outcry against slasher films after it's release (or at any point during the Scream craze)? Not to my knowledge, and if there was, it wasn't as big of an issue as the realistic violence in The Basketball Diaries and The Matrix.
I will get down off my soap box now and let some of the rest of you have your say. If Paramount still has cold feet about releasing Uncut films, I simply don't see what the harm would be in releasing a highly-anticipated horror mini-classic like My Bloody Valentine Uncut. If it goes without a hitch, then we can talk about Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and the rest of the series Uncut. You have to crawl before you can walk. So let's give Paramount some time and I hope they see this and consider this as a sensible alternative to releasing an Uncut DVD of higher-awareness like the Friday the 13th films.
Okay, I'm really getting down off my soap box now. Promise.

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[Christopher Carr]

I mean it's not that I'm mad at Paramount or anything but there is something just a little weird about Mr. Blythe's post. Not saying that this is true or anything but it sounds too much like a "UNIVERSAL" thing to do.
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"Not 'making money' - there's more to life than that. At the risk of more flames, if you read the newspapers then you know the flak studios are taking these days - do I really need to explain this? All I've asked is that the fans be patient. The likelihood is that the films will be first released the way they were shown in theaters and then we will review boxed sets, alternative versions and so on after that."
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I mean if it isnt a "making money" thing then why would you need to release it as a standard, then into a box set, then into an uncut? What next? SUPER ULTIMATE EDITION FRIDAY THE 13TH PART III? I really want the series to come out, but I have to like others wait a year for two measly releases which could be so easy to make. I know I should be glad they are even releasing the series concidering they don't HAVE to release anything, but I just hate it when this happens and studios predict they will have future releases of releases they have already visited. Not saything that this will happen because he said it MAY happen...but why have it happen when you could A) release it in a rated R / uncut edition so fans could pick which one they wanted to...Hello they used the branching in the CLUE DVD...why not just do the same for an UNCUT edition? or you could even B) not have a reason for a re release if you do not plan to release uncut. Why not just put like a few extras. I mean it isnt like the filmakers are mad at their movies because they are their own movies and stuff, why not ask for their time and record a 80 min commentary...
I just really want to have the most I can with FRIDAY THE 13th without having to wait so long or spend so much money on any future releases that may come up. I was happy with my releases but now they just seem weak concidering there may be better editions coming soon...
One more note: I know this is another thread but...um...I am really upset about the artwork. I mean if you HAVE to change the artwork keep the RED BANNER at the BOTTOM of the artwork so it will be consistant with the other releases...they look too fake too and if it is a real image then well the art department did a pretty bad job on it...besides the banner at the top w. the top looks too much with the title...or better yet...release future releases WITHOUT the banner cuz well arent most of your releases WIDESCREEN anyway?! Oh well that was my rant...
MR. Blythe Nothing at all against you so I hope you don't take to heart anything that I have said...just take it to thought.....
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[Chuck L]

While I understand what Mr. Blythe is trying to convey, it also sends up a warning to me about what is truly being done in regard to this, as he has put it, "problem titles."
When the poll was completed about what "B" films that we were interested in, horror films where either near or at the top of the want list. One of these titles was the obscure Argento title "Four Flies on Grey Velvet." With Paramount's current standings on political climates and not releasing horror uncut, there are going to be many an Argento fan if this film is an edited version. Should Paramount decide to release "Flies" on DVD uncut, then they will have to answer as to why no other horror title can get the same treatment.
Another requested title was that of "My Bloody Valentine" unrated. Again, if this film was to be released unrated, why not a Friday film? The current VHS version is butchered far beyond anything that these days would be considered horror. The thought that is a lesser known title doesn't make sense to me, since those that are interested in horror know the film. Those people that wouldn't care about it are the same that wouldn't care about a Friday film, that is the mainstream population.
This post is not been in any disrespect to Martin Blythe or to Paramount. You can use the banner of political climate only so far. It amazes me that you can have violence, sex, explosions and such in a mainstream film such as "Mission Impossible 2," but yet when it comes the horror genre, a genre with is supposed to horrific and gory in nature, the killing is bad.
I know that Paramount's production of horror titles currently is little if nothing at all. That does not make people forget your past. The mainstream audience that you have tailored these films for, along with the MPAA, is the same cross section of the population that doesn't care about these horror titles to begin with. It is we the fans of these films that continue to punish us for the world's ills and the crimes that men do. Many of the early films in Hollywood were horror films, and many a horror film as provided the foundation for companies to have money to produce mainstream material. Yet it always seems that these are the films that are regarded as the bastard child at the family reunion.
You were very right in your posting when you said that it is indeed the 'censorship issue.' It is a multi-faced business, this business of film and in this case of unrated horror titles, it is very apparent whom you are targeting with your home releases.
You also stated on DVDTalk, that is was not currently, not will it be in the future of Paramount to sub-license your films to another company to distribute your films. Why? If Paramount is not going to release these titles in their unrated forms, why not simply make money by sub-letting them to someone that will?
The nature of the business anymore is money, not the art. Paramount would make a substantial amount of revenue by providing both the censored versions, released underneath the Paramount banner, and those that would prefer to own the films uncensored by someone such as Anchor Bay.
I know that it must be hard to appease your audience. But the question was raised as to what we the audience would like to see we have let you known. To be told that in 'all likelihood the films will come out in the original theatrical release first' does not please the people that would be buying these films when released. It is a form of double dipping, make the audience buy now what they want so that we make the money, then later, someday, give them what they have been asking for and we can make double the money.
Again, this is meant in respect to Martin and to Paramount. I appreciate the fact that you, Martin, do seem to be the only representative of any studio here on the board. I just do hope that the board is not using it's own prejudice when judging these films for content or value.

 

[Gavin K]

"At the risk of more flames, if you read the newspapers then you know the flak studios are taking these days - do I really need to explain this?"
Yes you do. I read the papers. And I don't know what the flack is? The only flack I have heard is that the students involved in Columbine were enamored with Pulp Fiction, which if I understand, Disney will be releasing an SE late this year or early next. Requiem for a Dream was released unrated and Ellyn Burstyn was nominated for an Oscar. In fact, the only flack that I have read about lately regarding studios has been this whole fake quote mess.
I respect your willing to answer another Friday thread and certainly am glad to know that Paramount home video is actively interested in the opinions of home theater enthusiasts. All I ask is please respect us in return. You claim that this is not about money. I'm sorry, but I have a hard time believing this. The only reason I can see as to why you would be afraid of the so-called flack is because it might hurt Paramount's reputation and you would sell less discs.
Believe me, Paramount's association with blockbuster hurts your reputation far more than releasing any of the Fridays uncut or as an SE would.
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