I’m one of the few who saw this air on HBO and was astonished at how cool it was, how raunchy it was, how gorgeous the art was and at how much sheer fun it was. It seemed to only air late LATE at night. I kept telling my friends about it and when one or two of them saw it, they thought it was okay but no big deal. Meanwhile, I kept trying to watch every showing and I quickly noticed that what I was seeing didn’t always match up with my memory, somehow.
Eventually I learned of the Coutouriè/Korty controversy and it genuinely worried me that I might never see the best version of this film ever again.
But wait… What? WOOT! It turns out that the Warner Archives label released this on DVD a few months ago and somehow they got Mr. Korty to allow them to put the Coutouriè version on there as well!
More than 31 years and 6 months have gone by since I last saw this film, but it was every bit as cool, as raunchy, as gorgeous to look at and as much ddamn fun as I remembered!
<- I wish I could make this bigger to more accurately portray how happy I am!
There’s actually a combo version; “Two months later, Showtime and over-the-air pay television service Spectrum acquired rights to show the film, but only the Korty-approved version. This version had the complete scene of “Out on My Own” as well as the uncut final reel of the film absent from the later home video version.”. Note that the first part was different from the final VHS “clean” version. This is the one I wish they’d release.
To me, this is the best version. The actual HBO “uncensored” version is stupidly overly…gross. I have no problem with bad language, but Botch just says stuff like “turdbrains” and “fart” type words randomly as though he had tourette’s, especially in the uncensored first reel.*However, the “official” clean version cuts out half of “Out On My Own”, leaves out a bunch of Ibor: The Video Gorilla (IIRC, Fonz saying “Aaaaayy” is missing from the “clean” version") and the final part of the movie makes absolutely no sense at all in the clean version.
I wish they’d release the compromise Showtime version, but apparently everyone involved (Korty and the other guy) both hate it.
In any case, thanks for the heads up. It’ll be nice to see a non-distorted recording of it (ripped from two dusty, 25 year old video-tapes doesn’t make a good transfer. )
*I just dug up my rips of my old VHS cassettes.
When Botch is in the shower and Ibor shows up and reveals that Ralph and Mum will help Flora find Uncle Greensleeves, Flora says something like “But how do we get there?”
In the “dirty” version, Botch shouts
which is just gibberish.
But in the clean version, IMO a much, MUCH funnier line is used.
On the other hand, the “clean” version doesn’t have the bit where Botch finds something in his belly button and says “mmm…crunchy, salty, chewy…I need to look in there more often.”
<- I wish I could make this bigger to more accurately portray how happy I am!
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