This review and rating is for the truncated version of the DVD only!
Added 11/12/2009
I have been waiting for a DVD release of "The Dead" almost since the day I first discovered the film at a tiny video rental store. I fell immediately in love with the film and bought a copy for myself because I wanted to be able to watch it whenever I chose.
Time passed. Even more time passed. DVDs which were just appearing on the horizon when I first saw this film eclipsed VHS but there was no sign of a release. I managed to burn the movie to DVD, a hectic and not-terribly satisfactory solution. When I discovered a PAL version was available I ordered it since I had a multi-standard DVD player.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to understand how I felt when I found that Lionsgate was finally releasing "The Dead" to DVD in this country. I was overjoyed, I pre-ordered it, and I waited anxiously for it to arrive.
And then I watched it and nearly wept. It's not bad enough that the beautiful cover of the original film has been replaced by hideous cover art with no real connection to the film, save the image of Anjelica Huston, but to find that an 83-minute film has been chopped down to 75 minutes, and utterly without regard for the continuity was enough to make me furious, and determined to keep anyone else from buying this travesty.
Fortunately Lionsgate has apparently discovered that their truncated version of the real thing was not being well-received (What were they thinking??) and has issued a recall. Information is here: http://www.seanax.com/2009/11/05/total-recall-lionsgate-recalls-the-dead/ They are taking the position that it was an accident. My thinking is that an accident is not sending the DVD out in the case, or sending defective one, or sending ones with the wrong film. Cutting a film to pieces is not an accident, it is a deliberate act. I see from the information on IMDb that in Spain, the release is 79 minutes.
It's not as if this is as long as say, "Fanny and Alexander"'s original version, or another "Lawrence of Arabia." This is 83 minutes we're talking about. If you don't have an attention span that long you won't like this film anyway, no matter how much they cut out of it. This is a film that is short and perfect, and it should not be interfered with in any way.
So if you were one of the unfortunates who bought a copy, please go to the URL I've just posted and get yourself a copy of the real (we hope) film before they say "Oh no, too late!" or do something else boneheaded to it. And pass the word. Lovers of this film have waited far too long to be jerked around like this.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Missing 10 mins.
Added 11/11/2009
I pre-ordered this disk so there were no reviews at that time. I gave it as a gift to a HUGE fan of this movie. I just found out that 10 mins are missing and I could definitely hear the disappointment. My friend has waited for years for this to go on DVD-why would they cut scenes at this point? I see that other have experienced the same frustrations.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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If you have a multi-region player-----
Added 11/10/2009
I share the outrage expressed by those ranting against the inexplicable deletion of the first 10 minutes of this long-awaited release of John Huston's masterpiece, "The Dead". Yes, indeed, what were they thinking? And what is Lionsgate going to do about it? I ordered the DVD a few days ago before knowing about the cuts and plan to return it as soon as it arrives. In the meantime, Amazon UK offers a 83 minute version of the film, 10 minutes longer than the U.S. version, so one hopes and assumes that it is intact.
Of course you need a DVD player that will play all regions. I purchased one from OPPO a few years ago and it has performed brilliantly and I believe it is still available at a very competitive price. It is a godsend for those looking for hard-to-find classics that are simply unavailable in the U.S.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Lionsgate corrected the issue they had at first.. so everything out there now is the correct DVD and runtime. THis is a great film that they brought to DVD for the first time.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The Dead: John Huston rolls over in his grave.
Added 11/8/2009
What an insult to one of the greatest American directors. Who decided to cut eight minutes from this film? Why? What does the Huston family have to say about this. Don't buy this DVD!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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This review and rating is for the truncated version of the DVD only!
Added 11/12/2009
I have been waiting for a DVD release of "The Dead" almost since the day I first discovered the film at a tiny video rental store. I fell immediately in love with the film and bought a copy for myself because I wanted to be able to watch it whenever I chose.
Time passed. Even more time passed. DVDs which were just appearing on the horizon when I first saw this film eclipsed VHS but there was no sign of a release. I managed to burn the movie to DVD, a hectic and not-terribly satisfactory solution. When I discovered a PAL version was available I ordered it since I had a multi-standard DVD player.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to understand how I felt when I found that Lionsgate was finally releasing "The Dead" to DVD in this country. I was overjoyed, I pre-ordered it, and I waited anxiously for it to arrive.
And then I watched it and nearly wept. It's not bad enough that the beautiful cover of the original film has been replaced by hideous cover art with no real connection to the film, save the image of Anjelica Huston, but to find that an 83-minute film has been chopped down to 75 minutes, and utterly without regard for the continuity was enough to make me furious, and determined to keep anyone else from buying this travesty.
Fortunately Lionsgate has apparently discovered that their truncated version of the real thing was not being well-received (What were they thinking??) and has issued a recall. Information is here: http://www.seanax.com/2009/11/05/total-recall-lionsgate-recalls-the-dead/ They are taking the position that it was an accident. My thinking is that an accident is not sending the DVD out in the case, or sending defective one, or sending ones with the wrong film. Cutting a film to pieces is not an accident, it is a deliberate act. I see from the information on IMDb that in Spain, the release is 79 minutes.
It's not as if this is as long as say, "Fanny and Alexander"'s original version, or another "Lawrence of Arabia." This is 83 minutes we're talking about. If you don't have an attention span that long you won't like this film anyway, no matter how much they cut out of it. This is a film that is short and perfect, and it should not be interfered with in any way.
So if you were one of the unfortunates who bought a copy, please go to the URL I've just posted and get yourself a copy of the real (we hope) film before they say "Oh no, too late!" or do something else boneheaded to it. And pass the word. Lovers of this film have waited far too long to be jerked around like this.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
Missing 10 mins.
Added 11/11/2009
I pre-ordered this disk so there were no reviews at that time. I gave it as a gift to a HUGE fan of this movie. I just found out that 10 mins are missing and I could definitely hear the disappointment. My friend has waited for years for this to go on DVD-why would they cut scenes at this point? I see that other have experienced the same frustrations.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
If you have a multi-region player-----
Added 11/10/2009
I share the outrage expressed by those ranting against the inexplicable deletion of the first 10 minutes of this long-awaited release of John Huston's masterpiece, "The Dead". Yes, indeed, what were they thinking? And what is Lionsgate going to do about it? I ordered the DVD a few days ago before knowing about the cuts and plan to return it as soon as it arrives. In the meantime, Amazon UK offers a 83 minute version of the film, 10 minutes longer than the U.S. version, so one hopes and assumes that it is intact.
Of course you need a DVD player that will play all regions. I purchased one from OPPO a few years ago and it has performed brilliantly and I believe it is still available at a very competitive price. It is a godsend for those looking for hard-to-find classics that are simply unavailable in the U.S.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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