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Info: Films re-released with alterations

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 (Edited)

In this thread I aim to create a list of as many films that have been altered for re-release, specifically for home video. The major area I want to focus on is digital alterations, as this is a troubling trend that I find very interesting. If possible, I will also post links to comparison pictures. I will be focusing specifically on video changes, but may also update with audio changes. For the sake of completeness, I am also including the Star Wars saga.

Please let me know if you find more and I will add them to this list. I’m sorry if I ruin any of these films for some people 😃

Adventures in Babysitting
"Some lines from the TV edit have made their way into this streaming version; namely, the word “homo” is replaced by “weirdo”, and “fuck” is replaced by “fool”. -The Decimator

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin
“This is a somewhat obscure Western film starring Roddy McDowall. I’ve never seen it, but apparently, some racial slurs have been erased.” -The Decimator

Aladdin
"Not a visual alteration: Disney substituted the opening song lyrics on all home video versions and theatrical re-releases of Aladdin after complaints during the original theatrical run.

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-07-10/entertainment/ca-11747_1_altered-lyric" -JayArgonaut

Alexander
"multiple versions with alterations on home video.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0346491/alternateversions" -JayArgonaut

Alien
“-As the sun rises over LV-426, three helmet lights (representing the astronauts) have now been added, as they make their way round a large rock formation (for the 2010 Blu-ray).
-The CGI mist that drifts past the derelict entrance as the three astronauts enter, is now missing from the 2010 Blu-ray.
Alternate take used for the insert shot of the Alien, just before Brett is attacked (for the 2010 Blu-ray).” -Slavicuss
“The 4K release of Alien doesn’t have the fake headlights on LV-426 that the 2010 blu-ray had. There have always been very faint headlights in the frame, but for some reason they added very lazy (bright yellowish) digital fakes in the blu-ray release, because they thought it was important you knew the crew members’ exact position or something, even though it was an establishing shot immediately before they’re more clearly visible in the frame…”
-ailI

Aliens
Changes from Special Edition DVD to Blu Ray: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=294598

All the Right Moves
-“Bluray re-framed shot to cut some of the nudity out” -gracie1979

American Graffiti
-Added CGI sunset

Avengers Assemble (Just Avengers in US)
-European censorship: http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/article/marvel's-avengers-assemble-blu-ray-censorship-row-disney-uk-speaks-out/13225

Babylon 5
-Various DVD changes: http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Babylon_5_DVD_Releases

Back to the Future
-Although not digital, “To Be Continued” title card added to early home video releases.

Back to the Future Part II

JayArgonaut said:

Back to the Future II: not necessarily a digital alteration but definitely a visual one.

The original: featuring “Coming Summer 1990”, as seen at the end of the theatrical and home video versions, including the Blu-ray:

original

Removed from the version shown in recent years by ITV (UK) and the “BTTF Part III” logo also appears to have been altered from the original.

HDTV

Blade Runner
Changes from Director’s Cut to Final Cut: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4589

The Bride of Frankenstein
“The BD for Bride of Frankenstein makes a ‘fix’ to a shot of the Monster approaching the hermit’s cabin. Previously it started in a wide shot which cut to a somewhat closer shot midway. On the BD, Universal attempted to make it look like one continuous shot by enlarging the farther shot to match the closer shot. IMO this looks worse then before. The transition between both shots is still pretty noticeable especially since a tree branch that was waving in the foreground in the farther shot now magically disappears! For a better examination check out post 27 in the link below. http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/46058/BRIDE-OF-FRANKENSTEIN-on-BluRay-1935?page=2#.V0orECMrLPA” -crissrudd4554

Close Encounter of the Third Kind
2017 Blu Ray paints out various matte lines: http://res.cloudinary.com/hd-numerique/image/upload/c_scale,w_1920/v1460728779/dossiers/photos/657-07.jpg
http://screenshotcomparison.com/comparison/118782

The Crush
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-lolita-73899842/
Be warned, the linked podcast is about the novel Lolita, and references that sort of content. See episode 7 part 2 for more information on this film.
Originally, the female lead was named Darian Forrester. However, due to that name being the name of a real person the character was based on, later releases have had the name altered to Adrian.

Demolition Man
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106697/trivia
“For some non-American releases, references to Taco Bell were changed to Pizza Hut. This includes dubbing, plus changing the logos during post-production. Taco Bell remains in the closing credits. In both the Dutch and Swedish releases the subtitles still use Taco Bell while the sound and picture have been altered as above. Also, when using Closed Captioning on cable television, references to Taco Bell are changed to Pizza Hut.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpRzusd9Yi8
UK Blu-ray uses the the original US Taco Bell dialogue, whereas the Scandinavian release uses the Pizza Hut lines and contains the digital alterations seen in the comparison clip above. However in recent years, Sky Movies has apparently begun screening the Euro version.
https://forums.digitalspy.com/discussion/1984589/demolition-man-taco-bell-changed-to-pizza-hut"

Devil’s Advocate
Changed statue due to litigation: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4057

Do the Right Thing
"The colour timing on Do The Right Thing was altered by the cinematographer for the 2009 anniversary edition.

http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/37694/do-the-right-thing-20th-anniversary-edition-2-disc-set/

https://www.hometheaterforum.com/community/threads/htf-blu-ray-review-do-the-right-thing-recommended.283608/page-2#post-3733842

https://www.reddit.com/r/criterion/comments/6huod5/do_you_think_criterion_will_re_release_do_the/" -JayArgonaut

Dracula (1979)
"can you add that the 1979 version of Dracula in 1991 was given a very desaturated look that was only available in this form until 2019?

Shout! Factory’s version restores the original theatrical color timing" -SpacemanDoug

E.T.
Changes from theatrical to 20th Anniversary: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=5229907

The Evil Dead
Changes to Blu Ray: http://www.bookofthedead.ws/website/the_evil_dead_dvd.html

Frankenstein
Jump cut fix: http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/46057/Re-FRANKENSTEIN-on-BluRay-1931?page=-1#.V1Lj3zUrJdg

Free Solo
“Another film I’ve never seen. The phrase “fucked up” is replaced by “messed up”. “Goddamn” is also taken out of a TV documentary in a later scene.” -The Decimator

The French Connection
Earlier Blu Ray feature heavily altered color palate and excessive added grain: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/The-French-Connection-Blu-ray/2533/

The Fugitive
Crew member digitally removed: http://www.moviefone.com/2013/08/07/the-fugitive-25-things-you-didnt-know/

Ghost in the Shell
Changes from theatrical to 2.0 (NSFW): http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=825158

The Godfather Part II
"An insider at Paramount claims that from 1997 onwards, the colours on The Godfather and Part II have never been correct and very likely, never will be. A depressing read that also includes details of how the original negative was mishandled during the 80s for home video transfers.

http://godfathermuseum.blogspot.co.uk/2015/03/screen-shots-and-technical-errata.html" -JayArgonaut

The Godfather Part III

[SpacemanDoug said:]

The Godfather Part III in theaters originally ran at 162 minutes, but for all home video releases a 170 minute “final director’s cut” (it says this only on the VHS cover even though DVD and blu-ray versions are the same) was created while the 162 minute version never made available on home video at least in the US (idk about international home video releases)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099674/alternateversions?tab=cz&ref_=tt_trv_alt

on this link right before it goes into the video and audio quality reviews it says: “As in all home video releases to date, though not specified and oddly never rerated by the MPAA, Part III is presented exclusively in a director’s cut running nine minutes longer than the theatrical edit.”
https://www.dvdizzy.com/thegodfatherpartIII.html

and here’s another link I found regarding another third version being made and the director’s cut being mentioned
https://www.movie-censorship.com/news.php?ID=14670

here’s a picture of the original VHS cover
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41Uc%2B4RjsQL.SX425.jpg

here’s one final link mentioning the director’s cut of 3
https://theasc.com/ac_magazine/May2008/PostFocus/page1.html

to quote: “After working through The Godfather and Part II, the team turned to the much more recent Part III (1990), which required no restoration at all; they did a digital intermediate (DI) to create the director’s cut, a version that previously existed only on home video.”

Godzilla (2014)
4K remaster features substantial brightness changes: https://comicbook-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/comicbook.com/anime/amp/news/godzilla-fixes-complaint-4k-remaster-first-look/?amp_gsa=1&amp_js_v=a6&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#amp_tf=From %251%24s&aoh=16146125793878&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fcomicbook.com%2Fanime%2Fnews%2Fgodzilla-fixes-complaint-4k-remaster-first-look%2F

Grease
"It’s been confirmed here that the 40th Anniversary release of Grease replaces the previously blurred Coke posters with Pepsi posters.

http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=302343&page=10" -crissrudd4554

Highlander
“…had the wires removed that were visible during the final Duel where Connor wins “The Prize” In the Directors cut fairly recently” -Ronster

Highlander 2 :The Quickening
“…totally Re-cut as The Renegade Version” -Ronster
“The VFX were updated from 2 to endgame” -Ronster

Highlander 3 The Sorcerer
“…totally Re-cut as The Final Dimension” -Ronster
“The VFX were updated from 2 to endgame” -Ronster

Highlander Endgame
“…Totally Re-cut and Revamped for Home Video but the name did not change” -Ronster
“The VFX were updated from 2 to endgame” -Ronster

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Changes from theatrical to Extended Edition: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=841103

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Changes from theatrical to Extended Edition: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=433504

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
Changes from theatrical to Extended Edition: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=781094

Horror Island

crissrudd4554 said:
Probably not a very well known film but Horror Island (1941) reframes a scene to crop out a stage hand carrying a light on the Universal Horror Vol 3 Blu-ray set. The version on the 2009 Universal Horror Archive DVD has the original framed scene.

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

“The UK theatrical cut and all pre-2012 UK video releases have altered sound effects, and trim the human sacrifice scene heavily.” -CourtlyHades296

Iron Man
Replaced newspaper image: http://collider.com/iron-man-censored/

Jaws
"…the first example shows a wire balancing the buoy on the '05 DVD (look closely to the right of the buoy).
http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/png/f147804f07584c7c8b0ff01b5c28aabb.png
http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/png/3ab8913d29334042b987341cc92316fd.png
Second might be a bit tough to spot but to the far left is a sailboat on the horizon on the '05 DVD.
http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/png/c2f23128b26d4132a044890c1859e87a.png
http://images.yuku.com.s3.amazonaws.com/image/png/7214fe6f6416491f8667b847a588498e.png " -crissrudd4554

JFK
“re-cut for home video.
http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=93992” -JayArgonaut

Johnny Be Good
“DVD & Blu cuts scenes of nudity throughout the film” -gracie1979

Jurassic Park
Various changes made to the 3D release:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3R7vt9U_c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3TiyZ8xdnw

To Kill a Mockingbird
A recent digital restoration removed optical push-in grain: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TEgrdAlofk (note: I haven’t watched this video in about a month, but I believe this is where I heard this)

Knick Knack
Changes from original to 2003 re-release: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1883

Lilo and Stitch
Disney+ version “…[uses] the UK edit of the scene where Lilo hides in a pizza box instead of the dryer” -SpacemanDoug

The Lion King
2002 releases and beyond feature a number of redrawn shots and alternative title cards: https://screenrant.com/lion-king-original-movie-disney-changes-2002/?utm_content=buffer4135f&utm_medium=Social-Distribution&utm_source=SR-FB-P&utm_campaign=SR-FB-P

The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
-Erased car in field: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120737/goofs?item=gf1407118
Changes from theatrical to Extended Edition:
-Part 1: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=765
-Part 2: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=768

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Changes from theatrical to Extended Edition:
-Part 1: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1348
-Part 2: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1349

The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Changes from theatrical to Extended Edition:
-Part 1: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1902
-Part 2: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1904

The Matrix
Added significant green to Matrix sequences (initially added for original home video releases (evidenced by 35mm print), increased for initial Blu Ray release, toned down for UHD/Blu Ray remastered release): http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/the-matrix-visual-comparison.html

Minority Report
"In the theatrical version, the Swedish dialogue spoken by Peter Stormare to his assistant was subtitled in English. This translation was removed from the home video (and from what I’ve seen), the TV broadcasts.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181689/alternateversions?ref_=tttrv_ql_5

…Spielberg also altered the colour grading of the Blu-ray from that seen on the DVD." -JayArgonaut

Various Muppets releases

The Decimator said:

The Muppets came to Disney+ recently, and, wouldn’t you know it, they’ve been edited to hell and back! Not only is The Muppet Show edited to remove “copyright infringing” material, but there are two episodes missing entirely. Namely, the Brooke Shields one, and the one hosted by Chris Langham (for those of you that don’t live in Britain, he was a comedian who got arrested for looking up child porn on his computer).

As for their theatrical releases, they made it through mostly intact. The only exception is The Muppet Christmas Carol, probably one of the best adaptations of the story. What’s so offensive about this timeless classic? Well, they removed the character of Bobby Benson’s trademark cigarette in a scene that only lasts for about two seconds. Keep in mind that this scene appears intact on Blu-Ray releases. Also note that this character’s appearances in the TV show have not been edited at all, so why they erased it in this one scene baffles me.

Night Watch
"Western releases had been altered.

http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=2891" -JayArgonaut

ThiefCobbler4ever said:

The Phantasm films also received alterations:

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

The following is a list of what has been changed in the 4K restoration of Phantasm:
-New sphere (pracitical effect, not CGI)
-Yellow paint bucket removed in the scene where Mike, Jody, and Reggie enter the spacegate room (though it can still be seen to the naked eye)
-Fishing line digitally remove when sphere impales the Tall Man’s assistant (it should be noted that the black dot on the sphere in the next shot is still present despite the released preview image)
-And this I noticed today; the scene where Michael puts his hand in a box at the fortune teller’s house and struggles to get it out while her granddaughter tells him “Don’t fear.” zooms in slowly shot after shot until he gets his hand free.

Phantasm III:
-On releases 2005 and onward, the “Phantasm: Lord of The Dead” opening title is now “Phantasm III”

-On the Well Go USA/Arrow releases, a digital correction was made to the frozen Tall Man’s eye:
phantasmarchives.blogspot.com/2017/07/icymi-tall-man-digitally-altered-on.html

Phantasm: OblIVion:
-On releases 2008 onward, a shot of Mike with sphere eyes has been replaced with a shot of black at the beginning. To show you what I mean, here’s a clip of the unaltered scene sourced from the Anchor Bay UK DVD (go to 2:25):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPV8d2nXMbI

The MGM US and Anchor Bay UK DVDs are unaltered.

Philadelphia

JayArgonaut said:

Another addition: Philadelphia and I remember the situation because it was quite well publicised at the time. The storyline is partially based on the life of Geoffrey Bowers but TriStar had failed to honour an agreement to credit him and compensate his family. Years of litigation followed and the case was settled.

https://books.google.ca/books?id=9gC2ZSh5qJQC&pg=PA235&lpg=PA235&dq=geoffrey+bowers+philadelphia&source=bl&ots=1sz1TmPCFU&sig=ynIIMb1Q58gK9pCyB9whSL4FHHE&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjdwbDt-tfWAhXBHxoKHRsNAHA4FBDoAQgnMAE#v=onepage&q=geoffrey bowers philadelphia&f=false

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/478479/FILMMAKERS-ADMIT-PHILADELPHIA-WAS-BASED-ON-REAL-LIFE.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/real-reel-aids-case-article-1.724225

http://www.nytimes.com/1996/03/20/nyregion/philadelphia-makers-settle-suit.html

The end credits were then altered to include the following acknowledgement:

“This motion picture was inspired in part by Geoffrey Bowers’ AIDS discrimination lawsuit, the courage and love of the Angius family and the struggles of the many others who, along with their loved ones, have experienced discrimination because of AIDS.”

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107818/trivia?item=tr0790590

Plan 9 From Outer Space
Various easter eggs added to color version: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=4607105

Pokémon: The First Movie - Mewtwo Strikes Back/Mewtwo’s Counterattack
Changes from theatrical to remastered DVD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iasp3hC4YLU

Raiders of the Lost Ark
-Removed guiding rod for boulder
-Erased reflection on Plexiglas between Harrison Ford and the cobra
-Bar scene has been recolored a heavy orange-red color (originally much darker, as seen in LPP scan)
-Reframed shots in submarine bay scene
-Different masters have either recomposited certain effects or painted out matte lines, such as for the seaplane (as seen in the DVD and HDTV masters)
-2008 master uses a CG shot of a truck falling off a cliff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIH46G9_3SU (Hard to see in this video, so if anyone has a better source, let me know)

The Rescuers
Removed naked woman: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=2328724

Revenge of the Nerds
“DVD & Blu omits scene of nerds walking to rental house.” -gracie1979

The Santa Clause
“…edits out the 1-800 Spank Me scene, this originated on the DVD release but other certain streaming versions oddly enough restored the scene” -SpacemanDoug

A Serbian Film
“A Serbian Film - the initial US Blu-Ray is missing a minute of footage, which was restored for the recent Unearthed Films release” -CourtlyHades296

The Shawshank Redemption
Changed bullet wound: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0111161/alternateversions?ref_=tttrv_ql_5
Additional gunshots added to another scene to fix continuity error (visuals of the bullet wound being moved as well): https://youtu.be/zFTouCz3u-I

Sonic the Hedgehog

Swift S. Lawliet said:
There’s no credit for Coleen O’Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails in the mid-credits scene in the theatrical release but she is credited on the Blu-ray release.
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/SonicTheHedgehog2020

Splash
“The most infamous of all the edits. All instances of nudity have been blurred out, cropped, or covered by CGI hair.” -The Decimator

Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Changes from theatrical to Director’s Edition: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=2400

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
2009 Blu Ray fixes messy-looking stairs: http://trekcore.com/blog/2016/06/review-star-trek-the-wrath-of-khan-directors-cut-bluray/

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
"The aspect ratio of Star Trek VI was altered to 1.85:1 on the 2004 SE DVD and the director also included the following visual alterations:

There is a new wide shot of Scotty reading the blueprints of the Enterprise in the dining hall.

Valeris’s interrogation scene has been entirely reedited. There are now close up shots of Kirk and McCoy when they speak their lines instead of being in wide shots. When Spock and Valeris name a particular conspirator, the face of that person briefly appears in a flashback like style.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102975/alternateversions" -JayArgonaut

Star Wars
doubleofive’s comparison: http://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/102542760950977079734/albums/5514974191245813441

The Empire Strikes Back
doubleofive’s comparison: http://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/102542760950977079734/albums/5525747538664147553

Return of the Jedi
doubleofive’s comparison: http://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/102542760950977079734/albums/5528361230751063825

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Changes to the Star Wars prequels: http://www.dvdactive.com/editorial/articles/star-wars-the-changes-part-four.html

Summer Lovers
“When Summer Lovers (Daryl Hannah, Peter Gallagher and Valerie Quennessen) went to DVD Valerie Quennessen’s scene of her laying naked in the sun on her villa wall was cut and replaced with a view out to sea. The VHS version was uncut.” -suntech

The Terminator
-Heavy teal-orange color grading on Blu Ray: http://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/606990-terminator-remastered-2-19-2013-a-3.html
"After Ellison threatened legal action, subsequent prints of The Terminator have since carried, “Acknowledgement to the works of Harlan Ellison” during the end credits.

https://www.wired.com/2011/07/pl_prototypeglasshand/

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/07/03/the-terminator-before-1984s-the-terminator

http://www.jamescamerononline.com/Ellison.htm" -JayArgonaut

Terminator 2
Changes to various cuts: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=746
http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=5698359
Continuity error fixed in 2017 master: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpXkN-uVYY0
Other tweaks to new master listed here: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=642906

THX-1138
Changes from theatrical (71/78) to Director’s Cut: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=541751

Titanic
Various changes to most recent version: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=935850

Toy Story 2
A faux-blooper reel gag in which Stinky Petet promises two Barbie dolls a roll in the third film has been removed from all future releases (it is still present on most available DVD and Blu-ray copies in the wild, as well as VHS).
https://news.avclub.com/in-light-of-metoo-disney-quietly-deleted-a-blooper-1836044123?rev=1562081869159&utm_content=Main&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=SF

Wayne’s World
Original cut has Wayne playing the first few notes of Stairway to Heaven in the music store. Changed for home video: https://www.gq.com/story/no-stairway-denied-waynes-world

Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Added censorship: http://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=545028

The X-Files
-Various changes for remastered Blu Ray release, specifically aspect ratio
EX: http://www.xfilesvault.com/episodes/1X79-Pilot/1X79-Blu-ray-DVD-Comparison/
http://www.xfilesvault.com/features/The-Truth-Is-Out-There-The-X-Files-Blu-ray-Review/

Author
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Smithers said:

THX1138

George added a bunch of CGI Machinery that doesn’t blend well at all as well as some CGI monkeys that look like they’re straight outta Jumanji

I have no idea how I forgot this!

Author
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Wasn’t American Graffiti altered too? The Shawshank Redemption had the warden’s gunshot wound at the end altered. Who Framed Roger Rabbit had some underwear-related tinkering done!

Author
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Mark’s Down On Your Syntax said:

Wasn’t American Graffiti altered too? The Shawshank Redemption had the warden’s gunshot wound at the end altered. Who Framed Roger Rabbit had some underwear-related tinkering done!

Will add!

Author
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 (Edited)

Michael Mann films like “Heat”, “Ali”, “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Manhunter” were altered by the director on video (though I believe the latter two do have their theatrical versions on modern formats).

“The Devil’s Advocate” had to digitally alter an artwork for legal reasons. “Mulholland Drive” had the nudity blurred on DVD by David Lynch himself (no idea if this happened on the Criterion Blu-ray, or if Lynch’s concerns about nude pictures circulating online still apply).

On less critically-acclaimed films, “Battlefield Earth” and “Highlander: Endgame” were modified on DVD (the latter known for blurring out a giant JVC logo, not for legal reasons but because the filmmakers found it distracting).

“Stand by Me” reportedly had an alteration during its theatrical run, with the text on the monitor at the end refined.

Do the “Raiders” alterations still exist on the Blu-ray? I recall Spielberg a few years ago changing his stance on special editions (comparing his newfound agreement with purists to how outraged he would be if someone did wire removal on George Pal’s “The War of the Worlds”).

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 (Edited)

EJones216 said:

Michael Mann films like “Heat”, “Ali”, “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Manhunter” were altered by the director on video (though I believe the latter two do have their theatrical versions on modern formats).

The Blu-ray release of Heat has been altered very slightly. The DVD with the theatrical cut remains in print and widely available.

EJones216 said:
“The Devil’s Advocate” had to digitally alter an artwork for legal reasons.

The LD and earlier production runs of the DVD contain the unaltered artwork.

EJones216 said:
Do the “Raiders” alterations still exist on the Blu-ray? I recall Spielberg a few years ago changing his stance on special editions (comparing his newfound agreement with purists to how outraged he would be if someone did wire removal on George Pal’s “The War of the Worlds”).

For the Blu-ray release, Spielberg removed the alterations that are present on the DVD and also omitted the further alterations that were made for the Lowry restoration that crops up on TV periodically, where Gobler’s death sequence has been updated with CGI.

“Logic is the battlefield of adulthood.”

  • Howard Berk
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Wazzles said:
The major area I want to focus on is digital alterations, as this is a troubling trend that I find very interesting.

Recent releases of The Rescuers have been digitally altered on home video to remove images of a nude woman that were inserted as a joke and apparently only became noticeable when people were able to rewind and freeze-frame at their leisure.

Iron Man was digitally altered for its home release (and TV airings) to avoid litigation over the photograph that’s seen during the penultimate moments when Stark is reading the newspaper and reflecting on his adventures.

European home video versions of Avengers Assemble were digitally altered to censor the fatal impalement of a lead character.

“Logic is the battlefield of adulthood.”

  • Howard Berk
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Peter Jackson admitted on the audio commentary for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” that Smaug in the prologue was replaced with the new design on home release. Anyone know if these shots are the same on both the Theatrical and Extended DVD/BDs?

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Add “Jurassic Park” to the list.

The 3D restoration removed studio lights, potted plants, wires and the plastic tarp visible in the last shot when the Helicopter heads out to the ocean towards mainland. Also added was a lightning flash in the Triceratops scene which wasn’t there in the original version. I personally like all these changes as they make the film better and less distracting. I especially love the bright lightning burst which not only adds more impact to the scene but adds more sense of danger and the subtle hint of nature’s fury. They also polished the CGI models, especially the final T-Rex roar, which looks fantastic now.

I like that they went back to the warmer colour timing of the prints, but they went a bit overboard and things tilted towards pink sometimes, especially skin tones. This is the problem with digital grading, it never looks and feels natural. The colours on the original print look far more natural and pleasing to the eyes, despite being warm. Also they cropped the framing too much for my liking. Dinosaur heads and snouts got chopped out.

I don’t like the audio changes. Mountain Lion vocals were added in the Velociraptor Kitchen scene. And additional bird sounds were added in the scene where Grant is trying to convince Tim to come out of the Explorer that is stuck on the tree.

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EJones216 said:
On less critically-acclaimed films, “Battlefield Earth” and “Highlander: Endgame” were modified on DVD (the latter known for blurring out a giant JVC logo, not for legal reasons but because the filmmakers found it distracting).

JayArgonaut said:
Iron Man was digitally altered for its home release (and TV airings) to avoid litigation over the photograph that’s seen during the penultimate moments when Stark is reading the newspaper and reflecting on his adventures.

European home video versions of Avengers Assemble were digitally altered to censor the fatal impalement of a lead character.

Could you guys provide a source for these ones? I couldn’t find anything on them.

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EJones216 said:

Peter Jackson admitted on the audio commentary for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” that Smaug in the prologue was replaced with the new design on home release. Anyone know if these shots are the same on both the Theatrical and Extended DVD/BDs?

As far as I know it was only changed for the extended version.

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Does this thread only focus on visual changes or do audio changes count as well??

Also I’m pretty sure the snake reflection is still missing on the Raiders BD.

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Wazzles said:

JayArgonaut said:
Iron Man was digitally altered for its home release (and TV airings) to avoid litigation over the photograph that’s seen during the penultimate moments when Stark is reading the newspaper and reflecting on his adventures.

European home video versions of Avengers Assemble were digitally altered to censor the fatal impalement of a lead character.

Could you guys provide a source for these ones? I couldn’t find anything on them.

Really? That’s a surprise.

Here you go 😃

http://collider.com/iron-man-censored/

From the theatrical version:

Ghost Logos

The home video and TV version:

Ghost Logos

Now for Avengers Assemble…

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/news/article/marvel's-avengers-assemble-blu-ray-censorship-row-disney-uk-speaks-out/13225

European home video release:

Ghost Logos

The rest of the world:

Ghost Logos

“Logic is the battlefield of adulthood.”

  • Howard Berk
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crissrudd4554 said:

Does this thread only focus on visual changes or do audio changes count as well??

Just visual, primarily digital.

Also I’m pretty sure the snake reflection is still missing on the Raiders BD.

It is. I have confirmed this myself.

I am updating to add in Iron Man and Avengers Assemble.

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The BD for Jaws removes the wire balancing the buoy during Chrissie’s death scene as well as a sailboat seen on the horizon later in the film.

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The BD for Bride of Frankenstein makes a ‘fix’ to a shot of the Monster approaching the hermit’s cabin. Previously it started in a wide shot which cut to a somewhat closer shot midway. On the BD, Universal attempted to make it look like one continuous shot by enlarging the farther shot to match the closer shot. IMO this looks worse then before. The transition between both shots is still pretty noticeable especially since a tree branch that was waving in the foreground in the farther shot now magically disappears! For a better examination check out post 27 in the link below.

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/46058/BRIDE-OF-FRANKENSTEIN-on-BluRay-1935?page=2#.V0orECMrLPA

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Wasn’t there a thread explaining how virtually all of Disney’s animated movies had changes?

Also, if audio-only changes count, than the original mono mix for The Terminator that’s not available on Blu-Ray is way different from the crappy stereo mix.

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crissrudd4554 said:

The BD for Bride of Frankenstein makes a ‘fix’ to a shot of the Monster approaching the hermit’s cabin. Previously it started in a wide shot which cut to a somewhat closer shot midway. On the BD, Universal attempted to make it look like one continuous shot by enlarging the farther shot to match the closer shot. IMO this looks worse then before. The transition between both shots is still pretty noticeable especially since a tree branch that was waving in the foreground in the farther shot now magically disappears! For a better examination check out post 27 in the link below.

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/46058/BRIDE-OF-FRANKENSTEIN-on-BluRay-1935?page=2#.V0orECMrLPA

I have included this.

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How can we forget to include this? 😮

Back to the Future

The Babylon 5 DVD’s have been visually altered (mutilated, really) in order for WB to market them as “16:9.”

http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Babylon_5_DVD_Releases

http://home.iae.nl/users/starcat/b5tvm/

https://www.modeemi.fi/~leopold/Babylon5/DVD/DVDTransfer.html

The title seen during the closing moments of the Scarface Special Edition DVD, “this film is dedicated to Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht” has a different screen position and text colour from the version featured on the 1998 widescreen VHS release. I suspect but can’t confirm 100% that the VHS (and LD, presumably) title text is very likely from the theatrical print and de Palma probably created a new version for the SE DVD. Sadly I no longer have a copy of the W/S VHS release from which I could produce a comparison screen grab.

“Logic is the battlefield of adulthood.”

  • Howard Berk
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JayArgonaut said:

How can we forget to include this? 😮

Back to the Future

The Babylon 5 DVD’s have been visually altered (mutilated, really) in order for WB to market them as “16:9.”

http://babylon5.wikia.com/wiki/Babylon_5_DVD_Releases

http://home.iae.nl/users/starcat/b5tvm/

https://www.modeemi.fi/~leopold/Babylon5/DVD/DVDTransfer.html

The title seen during the closing moments of the Scarface Special Edition DVD, “this film is dedicated to Howard Hawks and Ben Hecht” has a different screen position and text colour from the version featured on the 1998 widescreen VHS release. I suspect but can’t confirm 100% that the VHS (and LD, presumably) title text is very likely from the theatrical print and de Palma probably created a new version for the SE DVD. Sadly I no longer have a copy of the W/S VHS release from which I could produce a comparison screen grab.

I included BTTF and Babylon 5.