SHOUT AT THE DEVIL on AMC last night - MGM has the rights. (1 Viewer)

[Matt_Stevens]

Thank the Lord! My JVC SVHS deck worked as it should and recorded the 2 AM showing of SHOUT AT THE DEVIL, which was in the widescreen format. Why AMC insists on running the pan & scan versions during reasonable hours (like 8 PM) I do not know. But just 5 minutes of the cropped version of this film is all you need to see before going cross eyed from the horrible lopping off of valuable picture information.
The running time was 2 hours, 8 minutes and a few seconds. 9 minutes longer than the butchered U.S. version, but still 16 minutes shy of the full length European version. Cuts in this version are harder to detect, but there are a few places where the music has an obvious break in tempo (the cuts in the 119 minute version are always obvious). Apparently, it's the love story between a fit, trim and tan Roger Moore and the stunning Barbara Parkins that were removed by the American studio. I don't think any of Lee Marvin's excessive Gin drinking was cut out.

Despite the missing scenes, this film is a rousing adventure based on the true story of some less than desirable types who, despite odds that were simply insane, Spoiler:blew up a German battleship. In addition to that there are gun fights, poaching, romance, and a hilarious fist fight between Roger Moore and Lee Marvin that ranks as one of the most fun ever. Neither used stunt doubles and it took 4 days to shoot.
They do not make movies like this anymore and when they do, they are ridiculous and stupid. What a shame.
MGM now owns the rights to all A.I. (American International) ORION releases. The film was produced by Samuel Z Arkoff and directed by the terribly underrated Peter Hunt, who knew how to use a widescreen lens and move the camera.
I am writing MGM, asking them to release the 144 minute version of this film and ask that anyone with the time please do the same. MGM is currently mastering many A.I. titles and this is one of the very best of the lot.

MGM contact page: www.mgm.com/cgi-bin/c2k/help.html
e-mail: [email protected]
Telephone: 310-449-3370
Fax: 310-449-3026
DVD Department
MGM Home Entertainment
2500 Broadway
Santa Monica, CA 90404-3061
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www.deceptions.net/superman
[Edited last by Matt_Stevens on September 27, 2001 at 02:54 PM]

 

[Jonathan.e]

Some good news and some bad news. There is a region 2 release of this movie in the next couple of weeks and it is in the full widescreen ratio and 16x9 enhanced! The bad news however is that it appears to be the shorter cut and running time is listed as 108 mins, which allowing for PAL speedup should correspond with the 118 US run time. I’ve got a couple of queries out to find out the exact RT and will post back here when I find out.

 

[Jonathan.e]

Apologies for bumping such an ancient post but it does have some relevant info. This’ll be hard for US fans to hear but UK members may like to know that the BBC is showing tonight what appears to be the longest version of Shout at the Devil. Running time is listed at 135 mins which allowing for speed-up should correspond to the 144 minute version Matt references above. Sadly it’s almost certain the BBC will crop to 16x9 but even so this is a rare chance to see an intact version of this fine adventure yarn. It’s existence is all the more curious as I mailed Metrodome (the UK DVD distributor of Shout at the Devil) when news of their DVD release surfaced and asked if it was the long version. I was told a print could not be found anywhere which implies they can’t have looked all that hard as their released version is the truncated 115 minute cut.

VCRs at the ready!!

 

[Todd Robertson]

It would take a film like Shout At the Devil, to get me to watch amc. they have become hard to stomach of late. anyway, oh yeah....I would love to have the proper version on dvd sometime.