On dvd


Anybody know if there's a dvd edition of this movie that's less worse thatn the other editions?

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I got a copy at the 99cents store. It's pretty good quality. especially for the price!

ghostydoll
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Can you tell us which version it is / the releasing company?

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does anybody know which, if any, of the many DVD versions is the complete 100 minute film? all the ones i've seen have been about 89 minutes.

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The version that Blockbuster.com has is 93 minutes. It has a 70s-era Columbia Pictures logo opening and is not a bad transfer. The DVD was distributed by Platinum Disc Corporation. Don't expect this to look like one of Warner Bros. restored classics, but I've seen worse.

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TCM showed this on August 1, 2013.I dvr'd it and just watched it today (Aug.15) The movie itself ran exactly 89 mins, 30secs. I do know that TCM has a reputation of showing films complete and uncut. So...... (ps...this is a fun film to watch more then twice)

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i just got copy for .99 cents as well, my copy says its 93 minutes with extra footage. I love my local discount store ive gotten great gems there like pre code hollywood films...the ownwer has no idea the classics he sells.

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I recently stumbled onto the "Delta Entertainment" version. It says its 100 minutes and the image is quite an improvement over either of the other two versions I've seen around. I don't think they've actually restored it the image has the right amount of contrast. I'm delighted.

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[deleted]

pmm0927

Unfortunately, the timing on the internet archive version is inaccurate. It's closer to the 89 minute and 92 (aprox} minute versions that are out there. Does anyone know if the Delta version is actually 100 minutes, from reading about it, I suspect the running time includes The Big Sleep Trailer and the intro by Tony Curtis.

pmm0927

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I'll get it out and check later. then I'll get back to you.

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I would suggest NOT buying the 'Delta Entertainment' printing of Beat the Devil.
For some reason this company decided to put a Delta logo in the bottom left of the screen. The logo goes away, but comes back at least four times throughout the feature. A company logo is okay if you are watching a film on TV, but for a distribution company to alter the original image of the film in order to promote themselves is pretty reprehensible.

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try diamond, a friend of mine bought it and she was really delighted. cheap too.

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the Delta DVD that comes from zip.ca in canada (netflix in u.s.) is the 89 min version, which i think is the only version. i don't think there's 11 min. cut out of this. i remembered almost every scene from the original and there's nothing that wasn't in it. i think the 100 minutes means "extras" or the Tony Curtis intro and outro (as someone else mentioned).

this print is amazing pristine. bad thing is it doesn't have captions so my deaf mom can't experience it. but what a masterpiece of a film. too bad Huston didn't make more comedies!

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I can give a good reason why the movie would have been re-cut from 100 min to 89.5 min. The old standards are; European Movie = 90 min or 6 reels; American Movie = 120 min or 8 reels. A 100 min movie would have really pissed off the projectionists since it would be neither fish nor fowl. These were pretty rigid standards at the time except for a big blockbuster like Dr Zhivago. It messes up the playbill & the projectionist has to run an extra reel. This movie was a European Quickie & if they put it out at 100 min I bet they couldn't get it booked. As for "everything still being there" when re-cut the editor would shorten scenes & drop minor cuts throughout the film. On casual viewing the viewer would usually not miss anything but such a re-cut could easily cause subtle disruptions in the flow of the narrative. Professional editors usually work almost to the exact frame & they do so for a reason. It only takes a few missed cuts to lose an audience. My opinion is that this is the fate of 'Beat the Devil'. The cut out original from the re-cut could easily have been lost since the company was a cheapie & they had written off the movie as a flop. At that point they would be focused on chopping down the movie so they could get it booked somewhere & get some of their money back.

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[deleted]

I've just seen a reasonably good quality copy of this film aired on the Movies4Men channel here in the UK. I noticed the CTE logo tagged onto the end so I think that it would be a Carlton DVD release that they were airing.

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