The print I saw did just fine by Technicolor Dye-transfer...the graininess came and went (no doubt due to the avaiable sources and various opticals or how they were shot).

The sound is what got me...it seemed excessively shrill! In fact, there was a tone/whine that seemed to gate on and off with the dialog...perhaps the mag masters were damaged. The sound just seemed like someone pushed the highs so much they became unnatural.

For the most part, the new footage was interesting but non essential and in some cases detracted...As with most of the DVDs I have that show deleated scenes...most of the time I agree with the deletions though about 10% of the time a deleted scene would have made the film significantly better.

Steve

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The extra scenes were interesting and I felt most of them added to the movie, like the surfboard and playmates scenes. However, the plantation scene didn't contribute anything to the movie and it was a good thing it was cut out of the original version. It seemed like the movie just stopped, then they had dinner at the plantation, and then started back up again with them on the river.

Other than that I really enjoyed it and will probably pick up the DVD when it comes out.

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Colin Wiseley
Lyric Theatre
Blacksburg, VA
www.thelyric.com

I have a question.

The "chop a cow in half" scene at the end of the film.

Does anyone know how this was done? I assume it was not a real cow, since it was passed by the british board of film classification in the uk.(and classification boards in other countries) (The scene has been on my mind during the passed few days)

The only problem i saw was that from time to time a black horizontal bar would appear at the top of the image. (sometimes this appeared to have defects i'e hairs or wiskers which would disappear as the action cut from shot to shot.)

The print had white cue dots, that singinfies that it is not a normal print, i think???)

I asked a member of staff and found out that the showing was presented in DTS.

I have never seen the original version.

I wouldn't have thought that would have been aloud.

and the film only has a "15" certificate in the UK.

Its horrid.

Wouldn't it make it a "snuff" movie anyway?

I found this:

The recent film "Before Night Falls" was cut because:

"BEFORE NIGHT FALLS Cut under the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937

The BBFC has required a cut to the cinema film Before Night Falls under the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 which makes it illegal to show "any scene...organised or directed in such a way as to involve the cruel infliction of pain and terror on any animal or the cruel goading to terror of any animal to fury".

Before Night Falls is a drama about the life of the Cuban poet Reinaldo Arena. The scene which has been cut takes place in prison and involves the capture of a bird by one of the inmates. The bird seems to have been lassoed round the neck with a rope tied to the end of a stick. As it flaps, appearing to fight frantically for escape, it is pulled through a hole in the roof of the cellblock. The bird is evidently distressed.

The BBFC contacted the American Humane Association for further information about the film and the AHA expressed concern about that particular scene. The assurances from the trainer/handler of the bird about the way the scene had been filmed were not consistent with what appears on screen. The BBFC, therefore, concluded that the scene should be cut before awarding the film a '15' certificate.

The BBFC takes its responsibilities under the Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 seriously and required cuts to twelve video works in 2000. These did, however, include some archive material being submitted on video for the first time. It has been several years since a feature film contained material which the Board considered to be in breach of the Act."

Under that definition I would define Apocalypse Now as breaching the act also.

"The BBFC has spoken to the RSPCA and SSPCA who were concerned about some scenes where goading appears to take place. The Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937 specifically refers to "cruel goading of an animal to fury", but the Board is satisfied that what is seen on the screen provides no actual evidence of such cruelty. The BBFC regards dog-fighting as an unacceptable sport and would not hesitate to take action against a film where dogs had been treated in this way. It has during the past year cut 12 films and videos for scenes of actual cruelty to animals, ranging from horse falls to snakes being burned alive."

So a scene in which a horse falls over is cut yet, the cow scene in REDUX remains?

"The Horror....The Horror of War....."

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Colin Wiseley
Lyric Theatre
Blacksburg, VA
www.thelyric.com

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I've just tried to post a direct link to the BBFC's page on Apocalypse Now Redux, but as it's a very long URL which also contains the character '[' it won't work here. But if you click on the link above, then click 'search' in the top right and call up their page, you'll see that it does not mention the salami-ised cow at all. I can only presume that the cow died instantly, so you could argue that there was no cruelty involved...

BTW, Michael, if you've finished vomiting, why not try a game of Apocalypse Cow...