JayArgonaut said:
In many years past, I remember seeing that listed within the IMDBs Alternate Versions section for TPM.
I’ve been searching on Internet Web Archive (web.archive.org), there are regular backups of the “alternate versions” page since 2003.
I found no mention of any differences on the VHS on any backup of that page. Actually, IMDB doesn’t talk about the VHS release at all.
Here is the most complete content of the “alternate versions” page as it remained until 2015 (this one is from 2009, previous versions shows less details but also nothing about VHS):
Wayback Machine said:
There are two versions of the climactic finale where Darth Maul is killed by Obi-Wan Kenobi. In the original, he is seen falling down the reactor shaft, dead but in one piece. In the updated version (in general release), he is seen falling down the shaft in two pieces, cut in half at the torso. Apparently, original press screenings presented the first version, but the second version is what most people will see to make it clear that Maul is dead.
At the very end of the final credits, after the closing music has faded out, the sound of Darth Vader breathing can be heard. Reportedly, this sound was not in the prints of the film shown during pre-release press screenings.
A few USC students took the Japanese Laserdisc & made their own edit of the movie, cutting out all scenes featuring Jar-Jar Binks and making many other minor tweaks. It became known as the “Phantom Edit”. George Lucas requested to see a copy & then Lucasfilm issued a press release reiterating that it is illegal to copy and/or edit a Lucasfilm property.
The 2001 Special Edition DVD of Episode I features seven deleted but fully remastered scenes and a special documentary featuring George Lucas discussing why they were omitted:
The Coruscant Air Taxi scene features Anakin Skywalker and Jar Jar Binks boarding a air taxi to Senator Palpatine’s quarters.
A scene of the morning of the podrace where Padme Naberrie awakens Anakin on a Tatooine sunrise.
The entire un-cut 22 minute Podrace which includes an introduction to all the drivers.
The Waterfall Sequence features Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi trying to save themselves, Jar-Jar Binks and their bongo sub from going over the Theed Waterfall.
More shots of the Pit droids.
Anakin Skywalker fighting with Greedo after the Pod Race victory which is broken up by Qui-Gon Jinn.
The DVD reinstates footage into the feature and increases its running time by 3 minutes. Restored footage includes the Coruscant air taxi sequence, extended starting grid sequence and extended lap two sequence.
There was a different ending to the brief lightsaber fight on Tatooine between Qui-Gon and Darth Maul. Qui Gon leaps onto the low-flying Queen ship’s ramp, and Darth Maul leaps after him. Qui-Gon swings and knocks the Sith to the desert floor (explaining why in the theatrical release, Maul appears to be getting back on his feet as the ship flies off). This scene appears in the comic book adaptation of the movie, the screenplay, and it seems to have been at least partially filmed since there is a still photo of actors Liam Neeson ( Qui-Gon) and Ray Park (Maul) battling on the ship’s ramp in the still photo section of the Episode 1 DVD. Originaly Qui Gon was to cut part of the ramp that Darth Maul was standing on off with his lightsaber.
UK DVD version is rated ‘PG’ instead of ‘U’ because of the deleted scenes on the supplemental disc. The making-of documentary was edited (ca. 13 sec.) to remove all sexual expletives (a ‘15’ rating was available).
In the theatrical version, right after Sebulba’s name is announced in the podrace opening, there is a shot of Watto, in his booth, cheering on Sebulba with joy. On the DVD, this scene has been omitted from the actual movie on disc 1, but is still present as part of the “extended podrace sequence” on disc 2.
As an “easter egg” (in the options menu on Deleted scenes, press right while selecting the two first scenes to highlight a little button and select it), there are two bits that were even deleted from the deleted scenes. One of them is a very brief shot of Jabba’s POV of the little “toad” he eats, before he bites his head off. The other one is during the podrace, which shows a bug splatting on one of the racers face (the one with a donut-like pod) while he pokes his head out to see, which makes him lose control for a second and nearly crash Anakin (this scene is present except for the bug thing).
(I don’t pretend that I’m 100% sure that the Widescreen VHS was not altered, I just don’t find any evidence…)
