The US DVD from Redemption was compared with the US Blu-ray from Vinegar Syndrome.

The widow Birdy Wemys is a fiery member of the religious sect "The Brethren", to whom she even provides prayer rooms in her own home. The sect leader preaches a very strict interpretation of the Christian faith that falls on fertile ground in Birdy's son Kenny. He considers too permissive women to be sinful beings that must be eradicated. He records the murders with a tape recorder to listen to them at home in his cellar over and over again. The nurse Brigitte, who is assigned for Birdy's domestic care, gets an insight into the activities of the sect and tells her roommate Paddy, who works as a reporter and immediately smells a good story. Paddy pretends to be a new aspirant and gets to know Kenny and his dark hustle and bustle. When Paddy tries to get the collected evidence for Kenny's actions out of the house he is locked up and when Kenny learns that the leader of the sect has imposed a strict fasting cure on his mother, which means death for her, Kenny loses his mind completely.

Director Robert Hartford-Davis, who has already filmed the rather amusing Incense for the Damned with Peter Cushing, delivers with The Fiend (aka. Beware My Brethren) a very entertaining slasher in which a young man with a mother complex is driven by religious delusions, who hunts easy girls at night. The film keeps what it promises and already the beginning of the movie in which Kenny strangles a woman while a mass takes place at the same time in which Maxine Barrie sings loudly about salvation, knows how to captivate. If you are interested in movies in which religious fanaticism leads to murder, you should definitely take a look. Due to the powerful production, one likes to forgive minor deficiencies in content.

As you can read on the BBFC Homepage, the The Fiend had to be cut for the theatrical release in England at that time. This cut UK theatrical version is included on the DVD from Redemption, which was released on 25.01.2005. The uncut version was first released on DVD on 07.03.2011 by Odeon Entertainment in the UK and on Blu-ray/DVD on 11.12.2018 by Vinegar Syndrome in the United States.
The UK theatrical version was not only censored but also used alternative footage. Especially the murder scenes were censored. During the murder at the beginning, some shots were exchanged, during the murder of the prostitute, Kenny shoves the flashlight into her mouth and continues to beat her up. During the subsequent disposal in the excavation pit, alternative material was used for the theatrical version. The scene in the swimming pool was somewhat toned down and the scene with the corpse in the freezing house got some alternative footage in the uncut version. Due to the alternative scenes, the theatrical version is quite passable, as there are no picture jumps, plot gaps or the like, however, the uncut version is recommended here. In terms of quality the US Blu-ray is very well produced and easier to get than the UK DVD.
It should be mentioned that the Redemption DVD shows extended scenes with Kenny after the murder in the swimming pool and the woman's corpse in the water. Whether the scene was only inserted for the theatrical version or is missing in the Vinegar Syndrome release for whatever reason remains open.

Runtimes:

US DVD (Redemption): 90:13 min. - RED
US DVD (Vinegar Syndrome): 92:00 min. - VS

[00:05:29][00:05:46]

When the girl is strangled by the killer at the beginning of the movie, the RED shows alternative footage.

RED:

VS:

RED: 6 sec.
VS: 6 sec.


[00:05:36][00:05:53]

Also the next shot where the woman is strangled was replaced.

RED:

VS:

RED: 1 sec.
VS: 1 sec.


[00:05:40][00:05:57]

In the RED version, the woman is strangled until she dies.

In the VS you can see the killer stealing the woman's jewellery. You can also see the woman's breasts.

RED: 5 sec.
VS: 5 sec.


[00:05:47][00:06:05]

In the RED, the killer tears down the woman's necklace and then drags her away.

In the VS you see instead how the woman is dragged away and afterwards the organ player earlier.

RED: 3 sec.
VS: 3 sec.


[00:09:11][00:09:28]

Kenny can be seen earlier in the VS before he walks up the stairs, while the inspector still says:

"I've been in the force a few years, but I've never seen anything like that. He's a flying bastard whoever he is, and sick."

VS: 7 sec.


[00:18:32][00:18:56]

Kenny's a little longer to be seen, than he listens to his tapes.

VS: 1 sec.


[00:18:37][00:19:02]

The RED briefly cuts onto the tape recorder.

In the VS you see a painting instead.

RED: 0.5 sec.
VS: 2 sec.


[00:18:38][00:19:04]

The VS briefly cuts onto the tape recorder.

VS: 1 sec.


[00:27:32][00:27:59]

The scene in which the priest's door is opened begins a bit earlier.

VS: 1 sec.


[00:36:05][00:36:34]

Kenny pushes his flashlight into the mouth of the prostitute.

VS: 13 sec.


[00:36:06][00:36:48]

Kenny's beating up the prostitute. The RED only starts when his shadow is visible.

VS: 5 sec.


[00:37:13][00:37:59]

The RED cuts on the worker at the concrete slide, then on the feet of the corpse, once again on the worker, the workers in the pit getting scared and finally the RED cuts back on the corpse.

The VS instead shows the feet of the corpse, the workers in the pit, then the corpse in the pit, followed by the reactions of the workers. The pit continues to be filled with concrete.

RED: 6 sec.
VS: 6 sec.


[00:59:31][01:00:17]

The VS shows Kenny and the girl longer, then another shot of the flashback and finally you see it again.

VS: 5 sec.


[00:59:34][01:00:24]

Kenny's been seen sooner as he's pushing the girl underwater.

VS: 1 sec.


[00:59:37][01:00:29]

Kenny pushes the girl under water, then you can see a short part of the flashback.

VS: 3 sec.


[00:59:43][01:00:38]

The RED cuts briefly on the mother, then Kenny dives under and finally again a cut on the mother.

The VS has a flashback, then you can see Kenny who dives into the water incl. intermediate cuts on his mother.

RED: 2 sec.
VS: 11 sec.


[00:59:53][01:00:57]

In the RED (!) you can see Kenny and the dead girl floating a while longer in the water.

RED: 5 sec.


[01:00:55][01:01:54]

The RED cuts onto the body in the freeze house, the screaming woman, the body and then the woman again.

The VS has the same sequence, but shows alternative scenes.

RED: 5 sec.
VS: 6 sec.


[01:03:02][01:04:02]

Paddy can be seen a l bit longer in the basement.

VS: 1 sec.


[01:08:41][01:09:42]

The RED cuts briefly on the swimmer.

In the VS you can see how Kenny first takes the bra and then the panties from the previously killed girl out of his pocket and then hangs them up. He wipes his hands on his jacket.

The RED starts back on when he kneels down.

RED: 1 sec.
VS: 47 sec.