- TV Version: 41:39 min in PAL (credits included)

- Unrated: 41:41 min in NTSC (credits included) [equal to 40:03 min in PAL]

- 7 differences
* 4x censorship
* 3x additional footage in the TV Version

- Difference: 95.8 sec (1:36 min)

Compared are the TV Version from Spike TV, taken from the German DVD Release and the Uncut US Unrated DVD by New Line Home Entertainment.


The Series

After the popular Vampire Slayer (played by Wesley Snipes) could be seen in theatres three times between 1998 and 2004, producer David S. Goyer in 2006 produced a short TV Series. This time it was rapper Kirk "Sticky Fingaz" Jones who played the main character in the pilot film as well as the following 11 episodes of the first season of this sophisticated series.
After a pretty promising release of the pilot film, the TV ratings constantly decreased, therefore they did not produce a second season.



The Unrated Versions

For the DVD release in february 2008 in America the producers decided to release a box-set with the note "Unrated and Never-Before-Seen Footage Too Graphic for TV".
Just as for the previous release of the pilot film in 2007 (that was released with the exact same note), you should not expect too much. You shouldn't expect too many extensions of gore - most of the "never before seen footage" offers naked skin as well as swearing in alternative takes. One could say that most of these scenes are examples of the pretty typical censorship for American movies/TV series.

However, there are also some extensions to the plot and 2 episodes actually do offer some more violence. Episode 11 constitutes an exception - except for the rather uninteresting aspects (see next paragraph) this eposide offers no changes compared to the TV Version. This is why we won't release a separate report for episode 11!


Additionally, the episodes are different in that only the TV Version at the beginning of each episode shows a little flashback of the previous episode as well as at the end a preview of the events of the following episode. Furthermore, the TV Version from time to time shows a black screen for a little longer (due to the fact that at this point there was a commercial break). Because of these circumstances the TV Versions are often longer than the Unrated Episodes.



The time indes refers to the TV Version from Spike TV.
The remaining difference is a result of rounding the running time of particular cut scenes to a half or a complete second. Furthermore differences below 1 sec aren't being considered due to a lack of relevance.

This report is a comparison of the twelves episode of the first season - "Conclave".

The time designations are listed as follows: "TV Version [PAL]" ("Unrated DVD [NTSC]"). The duration of the cuts is always calculated in PAL-speed.

Additional footage TV Version
00:09-01:24 (00:09)

As usual: the TV Version starts with a summary of the previous events.

+ 75.6 sec

08:00-08:06 (07:00)
Black screen in the TV Version.
+ 5.8 sec


14:36-14:42 (13:47)
Ditto.
+ 5.9 sec



Tucker's reward sex has some alternate shots. Due to shortened shots in both of the versions, only a time index is being indicated. The comparison itself has been split up in two parts because of the length.


Alternate footage / censorship
16:24-16:57 (15:32-16:19)

The scene starts differently after the exterior shot of the building. Several shots with more nudity and a rude comment by Tucker while he's preparing.

Especially one particular violence-containing shot at the end of the scene is pretty interesting. In the TV Version, nothing happens to Tucker's playmate after Blade said "Stay!" to her. In the Unrated Version, Blade makes sure that she really obeys his order (in a very violent way).



TV Version

- Shot of the woman bending over. The last frames of the shot have also been used in the Unrated Version. While the shot continues in the Unrated Version, it stops down in the TV Version.
- He's standing behind her for a second.
- He pets her from the face to the tatt on her butt and says at the same time: "So you're my reward, are you?"
- Shot in profile, she says: "Take your time, I don't mind." Er fängt an zu antworten: "You do whatever Marcus told you, don't you?"
- ..."We all have to!", whereby the two are being shot from the front.
- In the following shot, he gets out a condom and says: "Can't be too safe though."
- Shot of them from the back. One can hear "You're gonna need more protection than that" from the off. Then Blade, he comes from the left and gras Tucker.
- Shot of him buckling sideways.
- ...his tumle from another angle (pretty short, the beginning of the shot is longer in the Unrated Version).

Unrated

- Distance shot: She nakedly walks across the room in front of him. She stops at the table. He's already behind her and mumbles "Mmmh, oh yeah!"
- Shot of her from the front, he's behind her. He pushes her upper body down.
- Close-up of her body (starts slightly later than the Theatrical Version). His hand goes over her body (the shot continues and he also touches her tatt on the butt with his fingers). "So you're my reward, are you?" The camera has a further distance here, it's closer in the TV Version.
- Sideway shot with a further distance. That's why the audience can see more details of her body. He still goes over the tatt and she replies: "Take your time, I don't mind."
- The following shot is much longer in the Unrated Version, only the cursive written text is also in the TV Version. Again her from the front. He's still behind her and says: "You do whatever Marcus tells you, don't you? We all have to! Can't be too safe though..." (he gets out a condom at the samne time) "The way Van Sciver..."
- Distance shot when he's dropping his pants: "... passes you around like a hot potato."
- Closer shot of Tucker. While he's trying to open the package of the condom, he says: "My chance to butter it!" - Blade arrives and grabs him whereby he says: "You're gonna need more protection than that!"
- In this shot, he topples over the chair and goes down. The end of the shot has also been used in the TV Version.

TV Version

- Blade turns around to the woman and orders "Stay!".
- The camera tracks to Tucker. He gestures with his hands: "Wait, wait, wait!!! Ok, look! Ok, ok, look!"
- Blade empties the plastic cup full of pens to get a tool.
- Tucker stutters for his life: "I'll tell what Marcus is planning. I'll tell you where Chthon is meeting."
- Blade: "I already know."

Unrated

- Blade turns around to the woman and orders "Stay!".
- He gets a stake and nails her to the table.
- Shot from under the table: blood is leaking from the exit wound. Her legs are behind.
- Blade also says "Good dog!" in her direction.
- The camera tracks to Tucker: "Wait, wait, wait!!! Ok, look! Ok, ok, look!" (alternate shot for some reason)
- Blade gets the plastic cup to get a tool - but in an alternate shot which also contains the spiked woman.
- Alternate shot of him emtying the plastic cup in front of the dead woman. Then Tucker from the off: "I'll tell what Marcus is planning. I'll tell you where Chthon is meeting."
- Blade: "I already know." (the shot is slightly shorter at the end here)

Unrated 10,5 sec länger
=> Has been counted as 4 cuts because the cursively written text is equal in both versions.



20:09-20:15 (19:37)
Black screen in the TV Version.
+ 6 sec


24:13-24:20 (23:46)
Same here.
+ 7 sec


34:50-34:56 (34:42)
And here.
+ 6 sec