31 replies to this topic

[DLibrasnow]

This subject came up in another thread but I thought it was important enough to bring it up in its own thread.

There are two versions of Never Say Never Again available on DVD - the edited version and the unedited version.

It amazes me that people are still not aware that MGM corrected the problem with their first pressing of the title Never Say Never Again and it amazes me even more that they are not knowledgable about how to identify which version they are purchasing.

Shortly after the initial pressing of the Never Say Never Again DVD 2 to 3 years ago it was brought the the attention of MGM (or they themselves caught it) that part of the casino scene in the movie had been inexplicably cut.
The studio therefore contacted media outlets and the error was widely publicized to alert consumers to the problem.
The studio then re-pressed Never Say Never Again DVDs with the scene reinstated and included **'s after the title (on the top security seal) as a way for people to correctly identify the unedited version of the DVD.

Yet, we still have people here on CBN apparently (and elsewhere) who were either not tuned in to DVD in 2000 or were not tuned into 007 at that time and keep spreading the falsehood that the DVD of Never Say Never Again is edited.

The corrected version is out there and it's easy to spot!

[IndyB007]

So far, I looked at Best Buy, Borders, and Cocoanuts and they are still selling the edited version that does not have the asterick's after the title. MGM also messed up Octopussy and The Living Daylights during the initial release, did they correct those mistakes as well?

[DLibrasnow]

Yes, MGM did correct the problems with the Octopussy and The Living Daylights but they are not as glaring as the correction needed for Never Say Never Again...

I too out of curiosity have noticed that retailers still stock the edited versions of Never Say Never Again although the "Best Buy" here stocks both the edited and corrected version.

[Qwerty]

I knew about this D, but I haven't looked too often. By the security seal, do you mean on the top right corner on the back side of the DVD?

[Turn]

I too have tried to seek out the unedited version and never seem to be able to find it. There were probably just a few of those put out to please the purists and they probably figured they could get away with not worrying about the rest.

[Triton]

The problem that I have is that I have long since opened my DVD and removed the anti-theft security seals and thrown them away.(Don't most people remove and throw away these ugly and annoying pieces of tape?) How can I now tell if my version of the film is the correct one. Which casino scene was absent? Is it the Domination video game between Bond and Largo? Is there a way to tell by looking at the ISBN or Proof of Purchase number?

[Tanger]

Was this a Region 1 only problem or is it present on the Region 2 discs?

Mine doesn't seem to be missing any footage and I got mine on the day of release.

[IndyB007]

If yours is edited then you'll know. When Bond goes to the casino he puts the guard in the closet with "bomb" that is actually a cigarette case. Then he goes into the casino, walks around a bit, sees Domino, then goes into the arcade room, order drinks, talk a bit and so on. In the edited version, Bond leaves the "bomb" with the guard, enters the casino and is instantly playing Domination with Largo. It totally skips the total build up to the scene.

[DLibrasnow]

There is a quite obvious gap in that casino scene you mentioned Triton...I never owned the edited version so I cannot tell you precisely where the cut is but I have been told it is very obvious.

By the security seal Qwerty I mean the white tape anti-theft security seal...The correct version will feature **'s after the title of the movie..

[Triton]

I must have lucked out then, because it appears that my DVD copy has the casino scenes in tact. The DVD box says that the running time of the film is 2 hours 13 minutes, but in fact it is really 2 hours and 14 minutes according to PowerDVD for my copy. This might be a way to determine whether you have an incorrect version.

[DLibrasnow]

I think those people who have the edited version are probably aware of it because I have been told that the edit is about as subtle as a sledgehammer to the you-know-what!

[CommanderBond]

i never knew that they had two different versions and i bought the **
version by coincidence...so thanks for the info.

[DLibrasnow]

You were lucky CommanderBond....When the DVD was first released I was about to go out and purchase my copy when I read the press release online from MGM that alerted people as to how to tell the difference between the two DVDs. So, I went out to "On Cue" and picked out the one with the **'s after the title.

[TonicBH]

Yes, MGM did correct the problems with the Octopussy and The Living Daylights

I know the Octopussy error (the DAF screen showing up and anti-Connery things?), but TLD had an error as well? What was this problem?

[Blue Eyes]

I'm not aware of the Octopussy error, what were the problems exactly?

[DLibrasnow]

The subtitles were not burned onto either DVDs of Octopussy or The Living Daylights, therefore we had no idea what the women at the pipeline was saying (although we can guess) or that the movie proper opens in Bratislava in The Living Daylights and in Octopussy we are not alerted that Orlov is entering the place where the artifacts are kept (but again it is obvious from the ensuing dialogue).

[Qwerty]

Thanks for the info D, I gues I must have gotten lucky, because my version has the entire scene intact. I didn't know the edit was that obvious!

[DLibrasnow]

You are welcome Qwerty....I think this is something that CBN should be used for....to alert fans.
If your version has no obvious break (I understand it included the scene where Largo and Bond meet face to face for the first time for instance) then I think its safe to say you have the corrected version!

[[dark]]

Is the shot of the horse hitting the water removed on all copies of the Never Say Never Again DVD?

[zencat]

Originally posted by [dark]
Is the shot of the horse hitting the water removed on all copies of the Never Say Never Again DVD?

What? Is this shot not on the DVD?

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by [dark]
Is the shot of the horse hitting the water removed on all copies of the Never Say Never Again DVD?

I'm pretty sure it's in my copy.

[[dark]]

Yeah, I just checked mine and it's not in there.

[DLibrasnow]

I am not sure....

I know at the time of the movies release there were numerous complaints from animal rights groups about the shot.

[Jim]

Originally posted by [dark]
Is the shot of the horse hitting the water removed on all copies of the Never Say Never Again DVD?

That's no way to talk about Ms Basinger

[DLibrasnow]

LOL.....
Trust you to come up with that Jim.

[Genrewriter]

Yeah, 9 1/2 Weeks wasn't THAT bad. My Stepmother is an Alien however...

Seriously though, I think it might have been simply edited out of some prints.

[DLibrasnow]

I don't recall actually seeing the shot of the horse hitting the water on the old British VHS edition of the movie. I'd have to check my DVD edition to be sure about wether it's included there or not.

[Qwerty]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
I don't recall actually seeing the shot of the horse hitting the water on the old British VHS edition of the movie.  

I'm pretty sure, but not positive that you can just see the horse hitting the water on the DVD on Never Say Never Again. Although, I think I'll check my DVD and VHS copies to make sure.

[marktmurphy]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
The subtitles were not burned onto either DVDs of Octopussy or The Living Daylights, therefore we had no idea what the women at the pipeline was saying (although we can guess) or that the movie proper opens in Bratislava in The Living Daylights and in Octopussy we are not alerted that Orlov is entering the place where the artifacts are kept (but again it is obvious from the ensuing dialogue).

None of the Bond DVDs have the subtitles burned into them- a common complaint about the range from DVD folk. They are there as a subtitle option but they always look pixelated and nasty. My particular favourite is in The World is not Enough where the shot stays still for ages after the credits and the words 'Bilbao, Spain' flash up for about a second before the shot changes!.

[[dark]]

I've seen the shot of the horse hitting the water somewhere though. Either on TV broadcasts of the film, or perhaps my VHS copy of it.