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Release: Jun 11, 2021 - Author: Muck47 - Translator: Mike Lowrey
- external link: IMDB
Comparison between the German Blu-ray by Camera Obscura (identical worldwide on DVD and Blu-ray - American PG version by MGM) and the German VHS ("unrated version").
A few additional master errors, each under 0.5 sec in duration, were not listed in the report.
Made in 1973, Electra Glide in Blue quite atmospherically shows the everyday life of a couple of motorcycle patrol cops who have to deal with harmless hippies as well as a murder case. After a calm build-up, you get some spectacular slow-motion shots and wild explosions. The influence of, among others, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, Vanishing Point or Easy Rider can hardly be denied. In Germany, the film has always carried the FSK 16 rating. In the US, on the other hand, it carried the PG rating - and presumably the latter is the reason for the unfortunate circumstance in terms of censorship, of which hardly anyone was aware until now. Camera Obscura released the German Blu-ray premiere in a mediabook on 28 May 2021. When the German VHS was taken to hand again for comparison, two longer moments during violent scenes in the last third of the film showed up there. Also, a scene with sexual context is clearly censored in the HD master by using more harmless alternative shots. Since DVD times, this has been missing on pretty much every release worldwide, as the master provided by MGM had just those cuts. Unfortunately, the German VHS is available in a heavily zoomed full frame (pan & scan) compared to the original 2.35:1 format. Also, the quality of the old tape is pretty bad. Camera Obscura has therefore searched for worldwide alternatives in advance and also inquired accordingly, in forums for example - unfortunately, without success. A combination with the qualitatively strongly declining uncut footage was not made. Ultimately, there' only this one film version - the well-known MGM version - on board the German Blu-ray. At least the bonus featurette "International ending and extended shot" features the two violent scenes individually. The alternate dancing scene is not included though. Runtimes are ordered as follows: FSK 16 Blu-ray / Unrated VHS in PAL Other company logo to start (VHS 18 sec longer). The VHS only briefly shows widescreen for the opening/closing credits, where the original title also appears, by the way, and the credits are also identical in English. Otherwise, the VHS is unfortunately once again brutally zoomed to full screen, so that we have included a few comparison images by way of introduction.
Alternative. 69:12-69:24 / 66:39-66:50 As Jolene dances wildly at John to provoke her boyfriend Harvey, the VHS shows alternate and much raunchier takes for a few seconds here. * The MGM version begins with a close-up of Harvey and only has that followed by a shorter shot of Jolene looking over at Harvey. The VHS instead shows Jolene falling around John's neck and pressing her pelvis against his. * After a cut to Harvey (second cut only in the MGM version), the VHS now shows a close-up of Jolene bumping her pelvis against John's genital area. The MGM version now also inserts as a replacement how Jolene falls around John's neck. However, this is cut off earlier than previously on the VHS: only there was her pelvis seen bumping against John's genital area at the end for longer already from this perspective. Blu-ray 0.6 sec longer
78:46 / 75:48-75:52 The burning motorcyclist slides across the ground for a significantly longer time. Note: Unfortunately, due to the zoomed full frame, most of it is outside the visible area. 4 sec
79:49-79:54 / 76:53 At the conclusion of the action scene, the Blu-ray has some black screen. + 4.3 sec 104:25 / 100:24 After the frontal view with the visor shot through on the motorcycle, there is a short side shot missing where John takes a bloody belly hit. 0.6 sec
The Blu-ray has the MGM logo one more time after identical credits. |
