Not least because of Quentin Tarantino's genre-premiering successes, the 1990s produced a number of dusty road movie gangster vehicles in which the protagonists, often as antiheroes, were particularly cool about law and order. One such representative is Criminal Hearts, released in 1995, which entertains on average.

The film had censorship problems on US television. There, in addition to overly explicit violence, sex and language use are naturally a reason for deactivation - and Criminal Hearts has given the TV staff in the editing room some work. In this context, it is also interesting that the US TV version has three exclusive, longer plot scenes compared to the Dutch VHS (and thus the usual home video R-rated version). This is not uncommon in TV versions, where they like to take material that had to make way for the main version for reasons of streamlining and use it to fill up the runtime that was lost due to the censorship interventions, because ultimately the duration has to be sufficient in spite of everything to be able to dose the commercial breaks appropriately.

Perhaps Will Ferrell will also be pleased to add this version to his private collection despite the other censorship measures, since he made his (uncredited) film debut here as a weatherman on TV. And lead actress Amy Locane may also get to watch it in prison, where she has been serving time again since 2020 for a drunk-driving death she caused years ago. A court found that her first sentence of three years was too lenient, which is why another eight years have since been added on top.

Comparison between the censored and extended US TV version (on cbsaction) and the the uncut Dutch VHS.

66 differences = 39.8 seconds

0:02:04: To avoid Rafe's sentence with the F-word, the TV version fades in Ethel.
1:24 sec.

0:02:23: Now the shot of Ethel comes in the uncut version as well.
1,44 Sec.

0:02:25: Don's sentence "My fucking teeth..." is missing the F-word.
No time difference.

0:03:39: Don adds: "You don't know who you're fucking with."
2.76 Sec.

0:07:56: In the uncut version, Tierney says.

US-TV: "This jerk is heavily armed and very dangerous."
Uncut: "This prick is heavily armed and very dangerous."
No Time Difference

0:10:26: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "He fucked with people's heads, especially mine."
Uncut: "He screwed with people's heads, especially mine."
No Time Difference

0:16:09: B- and F-word censorship.

US TV: "Yeah, that greedy little s.o.b. is busting my back. Our butts are so on the line here."
Uncut: "Yeah, that greedy little son of a bitch is busting my fucking back. Our asses are so on the line here."
No Time Difference

0:16:29: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "I'm gonna pump that punk so full of lead."
Uncut: "I'm gonna pump that fuck so full of lead."
No Time Difference.

0:17:58: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "He doesn't know who he's fooling with."
Uncut: "He doesn't know who he's fucking with."
No Time Difference

0:18:37: How Rafe takes care of Keli's breasts was cut.
7:08 sec.

.

0:27:26: A sentence of Rafe is missing: "Like I told you, he liked to fuck with people's heads."
2:28 sec.

0:29:56: A masturbation joke from Martin is missing.
8.4 Sec..

0:34:05: Tierney and Martin are commenting on Keli's "balls" and "melons".
5.76 Sec..

0:34:21: The S-word is missing.
0.84 Sec..

0:37:20: Slightly longer shot of the hanged dead man. Keli's S-word usage is also missing.
3.36 sec.

0:38:29: Again, the hanging man longer.
1.08 sec.

0:39:05: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "Now my men will help you take your stuff across the border."
Uncut: "Now my men will help you take your shit across the border."
No Time Difference

0:43:08: S-word censorship.
0.68 sec.

0:43:21: The word "Motherfucker" misses the F-part. That was muted.
No time difference.

0:43:34: Rafe's sentence is missing: "If anyone fucks me, you go down with me."
3.2 sec.

0:43:50: "Now you're on everyone's shitlist. The cops' and ours."
3.76 Sec.

0:43:56: "In your mouth and in your ass."
1:48 Sec.

0:45:20: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "You get an F for fried."
Uncut: "You get an F for fucked."
No time difference

0:45:27: When the corrupt border cops are shot, it's a bit less bloody in the US TV version due to the use of alternate takes. Probably because cops are killed here in spite of everything?
The uncut runs 0.6 sec. longer.

US-TV	Uncut

Extended scene in the US TV version
US-TV version: 0:46:14: The US TV version has a much longer dialogue scene in which Martin tells of a difficult conversation with his wife. She reproaches him for not having the necessary money for the planned vacation. In the meantime, Tierney has gotten a contact in Hollywood to do a segment on Rafe in a TV show where criminals are wanted. He shows that to Martin on TV.
-68.4 sec.

0:46:55: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "Holy fudge and a two-bit salute."
Uncut: "Holy fuck and a ten shit salute."
No Time Difference

Extended scene in the US TV version
US TV version: 0:47:59: The US TV version also features extended dialogue that is a prelude to sex between Rafe and Keli. It is missing from the NL version. It's about how they're going to get the money, hidden by Keli, the next day, and then they're going to run away together. Then they exchange ideas about their book preferences and Keli insinuates that Rafe is gay and should prove her wrong.

To make it even more complicated, the US TV version changed Keli's wording "faggot" to "fairy".
-74.08 Sec.

0:47:53: Some cuddling had to give way.
5,12 Sec.

0:48:23: When Rafe takes care of Keli's bare breasts, the US TV version doesn't show that, of course.
8:16 sec.

0:48:43: Two bare breasts.
4.28 Sec..

0:49:09: The rest of the sex scene is missing.
18.28 Sec..

0:50:39: The stripper has been removed along with a few pub impressions.
17.24 Sec..

0:51:14: She is fleeing.
1:08 sec.

0:51:29: The headshot taken at the bartender and the splattering blood are missing, the US TV version fades in Rafe and Keli for it, recycling a shot of them that comes again a little later.
2.84 Sec.

0:52:38: The drug lord falls even further to the ground. Thackler sends another "Adios" after him.
6 sec

0:52:50: S-word censorship in dialogue between Rafe and Ramon.
6.92 sec.

0:53:39: Close-up of Rafe being shot is missing.
0.68 Sec..

0:53:43: S-word censorship on Rafe. It has been muted in the US TV version.
No time difference.

0:54:56: How a Mexican is hit by Martin's bullet and then further gunfire follows is missing.
3:64 sec.

0:55:02: Two bloody chest shots, more harmless recycled footage in TV version.
1:48 sec.

0:55:07: A bloody gut shot.
0:68 sec.

.

0:56:46: Ramon's head shot was shortened.
0.6 sec.

0:57:17: Martin and Thackler are joking about what a few days in the desert heat and coyotes might do to Rafe and Keli.
6:88 sec.

0:58:02: The bloody head shot at Thackler is missing.
1 Sec.

0:58:57: Martin's use of the S-word has been muted.
No time difference.

1:03:07: The US TV cut the "Christ!".
1 sec.

1:04:37: "Goddamn" was also shortened so that the G part isn't audible.
0.48 sec.

1:04:54: Rafe is breathing heavily and blood is dripping into the desert sand.
4:44 Sec..

1:05:14: More blood.
1:44 sec.

1:06:26: Missing, as Martin talks about pissing out a forest fire.
5.48 Sec..

1:06:50: S-word censorship.

US-TV: "At the time, all I wanted was that jerk Rafe dead."
Uncut: "At the time, all I wanted was that shit Rafe dead."
No Time Difference

1:12:10: As Keli listens to the answering machine, her ex-boyfriend says "I'm sure you're pissed.". In the TV version, they instead repeated his statement that he heard her call.
No time difference.

1:12:26: Rafe says "Christ" again as the cactus parts are pulled out of his back.
4:72 sec.

1:12:39: F-word censorship.

US-TV: "I boinked a few nurses."
Uncut: "I fucked a few nurses."
No Time Difference

1:13:15: D-word censorship and A-word censorship.

US TV: "Darn it, Martin! We wait all day for this jerk to wake up and you gotta get all macho."
Uncut: "Damn it, Martin! We wait a whole day for this asshole to wake up and you gotta get all macho."
No Time Difference

Extended scene in the US TV version
US TV version: 1:13:56: Keli and her neighbor Letra are talking. Letra asks why Keli broke up, but she just says she would never meet anyone like him again. Letra, on the other hand, says that she just has to wait, men would die for a woman with her eyes. Keli ambiguously says that has already happened. Letra then spots Keli's casting photos and asks if she's an actress, Keli says she was in a past life. Letra chats some more about rebirth and Keli pulls out a gun when the food delivery guy suddenly comes into the room. He has no change, so Keli gives him a hundred dollars. Letra, irritated, says she'd rather not bother Keli any further while she's eating and leaves.
46.04 Sec.

1:14:29: The chest shot at Letra is missing.
1:08 sec.

1:14:33: She slumps to the floor against the wall and a bloodstain is seen.
1:52 sec.

1:14:40: She is dragged across the floor even longer.
1.56 Sec..

1:16:13: The word "jack-off" was muted.
No time difference.

1:18:05: S-word censorship.

US TV: "Until we find that retirement fund that is buried in that stinkhole desert."
Uncut: "Until we find that retirement fund that is buried in that shithole desert."
No Time Difference

1:18:40: The head shot on Martin and how he topples forward dead is missing.
2:16 sec.

1:18:47: Tierney's sentence was cut: "Martin, for Christ's sake use the goddamn silencer. You'll wake the whole fucking neighborhood."
5.6 Sec.

1:19:56: Tierney is hit by more gunfire.
2.08 Sec..

1:20:00: Tierney is leaking blood from his mouth.
2.76 Sec..

1:20:40: The detective says: "You kids are in deep shit."
2:48 sec.