The Saint (1997) UK DVD release help

[Mark_Meakin]

I bought the uncut Spanish release unboxed off Ebay for a pound a few weeks back. Yesterday I saw a UK version in my local charity shop & bought it for 99p solely for the sleeve. I was surprised to see the coke snorting sequence cut for cinema/video was in my UK version after believing for years it was cut. I've never owned the UK release until now & was wondering if anyone can confirm if their copies are uncut, or a few slipped through the net ?. Now added anyway to REWIND .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJc8FG6D-OM

[Brent_Reid]

My UK DVD is uncut too. I sincerely doubt it was issued twice and can no evidence to support it happening. It appears that despite the BBFC ruling, the exact same disc/master was issued in the UK, Germany, Holland, etc.

According to the BBFC website, the UK trailer was also originally cut, by one second, but I bet it's also the same on all DVDs.

The two comparison footnotes denoting the UK DVD cut status are unnecessarily confusing and should be removed altogether.

[Mark_Meakin]

Sorted thanks. MULAN as you probably know, was also released uncut on DVD, and supposedly quickly withdrawn (I picked mine up in a rental shop over a year later). The snapper release of ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES was released with Christian Slater's single use of the 'F' word on the soundtrack, despite all the other BBFC being made. I found that on a market stall, long after its withdrawl, along with a '12' classified snapper release of Seagal's ON DEADLY GROUND.

[Brent_Reid]

Nice work, Mark. In the DVD era, those odd anomalies were really interesting and once worth seeking out. Thankfully though, with less censorship nowadays and the option of buying mostly HD releases from almost anywhere, it's much less relevant. Good times!

[Mark_Meakin]

Nice work, Mark. In the DVD era, those odd anomalies were really interesting and once worth seeking out. Thankfully though, with less censorship nowadays and the option of buying mostly HD releases from almost anywhere, it's much less relevant. Good times!

Yes it's hard to believe the furore over so called 'Video Nasties' ever happened now. I bet all the MPs who voted to bring in tougher measures, don't realise most of the films that were problematic, have come out again uncut or in longer versions. The original TOOLBOX MURDERS precert video I owned from Hokushin was cut to ribbons & is now fully uncut here ! . FAR stronger stuff can be viewed on TV these days including the likes of BANSHEE & GAME OF THRONES. My annoyance remains with distributors who release films uncut in the UK on 4K Ultra HD only, like THE EQUALIZER movies & JOHN WICK 2, or not at all like THE IMMORTALS & HERCULES. Luckily as mentioned we can import, but why should We be practically the only ones Worldwide denied the full versions ?.

[Brent_Reid]

Video Nasties? Ugh - f*ck Barbara Woodhouse! Putting it in context, the length of time from those dark days of UK* home video censorship to now is roughly equivalent to the period the US Production Code was enforced. So it just reflects how long it takes for laws and lawmakers' tastes to evolve. It's another huge reason for favouring physical media, as "bought" streaming copies are routinely pulled or censored.

We're far from being the worst off country for home video generally; in fact, I reckon it's a tie between us, the US and Germany for the best. Like i said, thank god for sites like this one and the ability to order anything from anywhere!

*In many ways, Germany's still going through it.

[Nigel_Badnell]

Barbara Woodhouse? Mary Whitehouse surely!

[Brent_Reid]

Blimey, you took your time chiming in, didn't ya? Nah, deffo Barbara: turns she out wasn't a fan of video nasties either!

[Mark_Meakin]

Barbara Woodhouse could've retrained all the poor dogs MP Bill Bright claimed were corrupted by video nasties!.

[Brent_Reid]

Doubt it: I reckon she was probably a bit naughty behind closed doors. It's those tweed skirts and wrinkled stockings that give it away!

Or am I thinking of Nora Batty?