Comparison between the cut Italian DVD by Majestic Films and the US DVD by Blue Underground.
- 32 differences between
- Runtime of differences: 467.4 sec (= 7:47 min)
* Including 2 scenes with additional material in the Italian version - 392.7 sec (= 6:33 min)
* Including 2 scenes with deviating material in the Italian version - 78.4 sec (= 1:18 min)
A few additional master errors with a duration of less than 0.5 sec each were not listed in the report.
The international versions of THE BLOODY JUDGE
The 1970 exploitation flick The Bloody Judge with Christopher Lee, directed by Jess Franco, exists in various versions, only some of which have survived today. Over the years, there have been several attempts at compositing, the most common of which is the one on the US DVD by Blue Underground with a duration of 98 minutes in PAL (NTSC/Blu-ray: 102 minutes). By the way, more than 5 minutes were inserted here with German sound. Those scenes were apparently missing in the original US version (they contain nude scenes). In Germany, there was also a DVD by Starlight with 108 minutes (in NTSC speed), which was the longest running DVD, but the additional scenes here have a very bad quality.
Koch Media now brings two HD scans on Blu-ray. On the one hand, the German theatrical version, which runs for about 76 minutes in PAL and is thus heavily cut. As mentioned, however, this version also contained more explicit nude scenes, which were added to the version on the US DVD. Koch Media was also able to prepare this 98 min US version from Blue Underground in HD. As a bonus, you will find the two alternative scenes from the other European versions in the form of deleted scenes. At the same time, the two purely additional scenes from the Italian DVD have been added into the "Integral Cut". The old Composite Cut on the DVD by Starlight followed the same approach and both versions don't show ALL the material the Italian version had to offer in the second scene.
Exclusive material in the Italian version
The Italian DVD has its own French credits and although it only runs 90 minutes in PAL, it offers about 8 minutes of additional material compared to the Blue Underground version. Mary and Harry, portrayed by Hans Hass, thus get considerably more screentime, respectively their relationship is deepened by two new scenes. Beyond that (besides several plain cuts) there are also censorship-related alternative moments: One nude scene was filmed with clothes and another one with torture of naked women was filmed with alienation effects.
Unfortunately, we have to hold on to something about the second additional scene with Harry. As an alternative to a nude scene that is missing in Italy, Mary is freed from her chains here for the first time. Since this would not have fitted to the more explicit scene of the international version directly before, this part of the scene was left out in Koch's Integral Cut - as Starlight had already done before. However, this is also missing in the bonus feature "Additional Scenes" on the main Blu-ray. Here it could have been added for the sake of completeness, but again you only see the shortened composite 1:1 like in the new integral version. In the second "cut/alternative scenes" featurette at the bonus on the Integral DVD you won't find the material either, only the alternative scenes already mentioned above. So if you really want to see every snippet of material, you have to keep looking for the Italian DVD.
Quick overview of the versions
1. Restoration by Blue Underground (US DVD + Koch Media)
- Duration: 102 min NTSC or converted 98 min PAL
- Special features: The longest version, released for the first time in 2005, in consistently good quality. Several scenes have already been added to the presumably almost 90-minute US theatrical version, for which only German sound is available.
- Releases: In addition to the aforementioned US DVD, Koch Media is offering this version in HD on the German Blu-ray for the first time.
2. Composite Cut (Starlight + Koch Media)
- Duration: 108 min (the German Starlight DVD runs at NTSC speed) or 104 min PAL on the Koch bonus DVD
- Special features: First published in Germany in 2007. Based on the Blue Underground restoration, the two additional scenes of the Italian version were added.
- Releases: The 2007 DVD from Starlight has the additional material only in very poor quality and the second scene is only partially included. On the Blu-ray by Koch Media, released in 2020, the scenes are added from the better source which later appeared in Italy.
3. German theatrical version (Starlight + Koch Media)
- Duration: 79 min Blu-ray or 76 min PAL
- Special features: As you can already guess from the running time, the film is available here in a heavily cut version (However, it also contains scenes that were missing in other European versions at the time. During the Blue Underground restoration, as already mentioned, only scenes with German audio were inserted.
- Releases: Included on disc 2 of the 2007 DVD by Starlight. Koch Media's Blu-ray released in 2020 offers this version as a bonus in new, own HD scanning.
4. Italian version
- Duration: 90 min PAL or converted 94 min NTSC
- Special features: Shortened by about 15 minutes compared to the Blue Underground restoration, many censorship cuts. But you could discover two additional scenes, which were later added in the Composite Cut. Above that, two alternative scenes: A completely separate shot in which the actors are dressed instead of naked and altered violent scenes.
- Releases: At least included on the 2005 DVD released by Majestic Films / CVC. Later Italo-DVDs are listed with a runtime of 98 minutes, possibly the Blue Underground restoration was taken over here.
5. Spanish version
- Duration: 89 min (the Spanish DVD runs at NTSC speed) or the equivalent of 86 min PAL
- Special features: Shortened by almost 13 minutes. Many of the cuts correspond to those of the Italian version, but any additional material from there was not taken over. A scene with Sally (Diana Lorys) offers some unspectacular additional material.
- Releases: Included on the Spanish DVD from Divisa Home Entertainment.
Runtimes are ordered as follows: US DVD in NTSC / German DVD in NTSC speed
Alternative credits. In the US a little longer and always with faded in pictures over a map in the background.
US version 12,3 sec longer
01:43 / 01:51-01:59
More dancing in a circle and the rooster.
7.7 sec
05:19 / 05:36-06:16
The priests enter the room much longer.
39.5 sec
08:42 / 09:39-09:42
The shot of Jeffries and the judge sitting in front of him starts a little earlier.
2.6 sec
11:17 / 12:16-12:35
The torture begins earlier with a tracking shot down the stairs.
18.4 sec
Recut
12:52-12:54 / 14:10-14:35
The torture is considerably longer in the
US version. This additional piece is also available in the German version.
Therefore, the
Italian version (and the Spanish one as well!) briefly shows the stairs at this point. But this is NOT an additional shot, the shot is from the beginning of the scene described as cut two minutes before.
US version 22.6 sec longer
12:59 / 14:39-14:40
The end of the shot insignificantly longer.
0.5 sec
14:10 / 15:52
Mary insignificantly earlier.
0.8 sec
17:17 / 18:59-19:05
After the verdict, we see the other judges again and the follow-up shot of the drumming insignificantly earlier.
6.5 sec
17:20 / 19:08-19:09
Master error.
0.5 sec
17:42 / 19:31-19:35
A shot of the fire.
4.2 sec
19:17 / 21:11-21:37
Mary whimpers much longer, in between, the burning ladder on the ground.
26.6 sec
21:24 / 23:44-23:49
The US has a shot of trees where the camera pans to the side.
In the IT, there is a similar, but not identical shot during the first minute of the scene block described next - here, the camera does not move.
4.7 sec
Additional material in the Italian version
21:24-26:49 / 23:49
Instead, IT offers here a long piece where Mary tries to drown herself in the river and is discovered by Harry. There is a conversation and some flirting.
+ 324.4 sec (= 5:24 min)
32:11 / 29:11-29:13
The house can be seen from the outside a little earlier.
1.6 sec
Alternative /
Additional material in the Italian version
32:14-33:22 / 29:16-30:44
The sex scene in the barn can be seen in alternative takes. In Italy, both of them wear clothes, respectively the woman's breasts/genital area are covered here. In addition, the kissing is significantly longer in the more permissive version (= US or GER) after the end of the dialogue. The follow-up shot also begins insignificantly earlier there.
Note: The two are dressed
only in Italy. The Spanish version shows the kissing at the end about 15 seconds shorter than the US version. The German version was already a bit longer, but is also 5 sec. shorter than the US version.
US-version 19,8 sec longer (additional material IT: 68,3 sec)
Recut
34:28-35:01 (or DE 27:01-27:34) / 31:50 or 35:47-36:31
IT already has a scene here with Mary and Satchel. He's dragging her on his horse.
Is included in the German version and will follow in the US a few minutes later, so it's not interesting.
38:50 / 35:38-35:47
The burning paper an insignificant moment longer, then we see Mary outside going to Satchel earlier. This leads over to the just described, recut scene.
9.1 sec
41:04 / 38:36-38:39
The man speaks to Mary a little earlier; "You're lucky, you know..."
3 sec
