Another one that I forgot is Die Hard… Apparently the German dialogue spoken by Hans Gruber’s heist team was re-recorded for the home video versions, starting from the remastered Special Edition VHS release, to resolve grammar and punctuation issues that were present in the theatrical cut. Only Alan Rickman’s German dialogue remains uncorrected.
I don’t know if McTiernan has followed the footsteps of Lucas/Spielberg by ensuring Fox only provide the fixed version for TV broadcasts, I’d have to compare my W/S THX VHS and SE DVD alongside my HDTV recording to confirm.
When did the special edition VHS come out? I have an old widescreen Laserdisc version I could look at alongside the Blu Ray.
I can’t find a confirmed date but going on my personal knowledge… There are two VHS releases of Die Hard that are billed as “Special Editions” (and “digitally remastered”), one that was released in the UK around 1991 (alongside widescreen versions of Alien and the Star Wars trilogy) and then a 1997 NTSC/PAL THX W/S VHS release (this is the one that I own).
If you do a comparison, let me know. I’d be interested in the outcome. 😃