Unrated VHS (US) - vs. - German, Italian, and Spanish DVDs: My results
If you have ever wondered what has been cut in the shorter versions, here are my results:
Longest version: The longest version I could find is the unrated edition (available only in the US as a NTSC VHS video cassette, bar code 031398551232). On the cover it says "Approx. 92 Minutes". That is a bit exaggerated, the actual movie length (incl. the end credits) is only about 88 min 30 sec.
Shorter versions: Since I don't own the American NC-17 or R-Rated versions, I'm comparing the unrated VHS edition with the German, Italian, and Spanish DVDs (bar codes 4040316516884, 8032807012643, and 8420172046699, respectively). As the cuts on these DVDs - in total 3 min 40 sec - result in an overall movie length of close to 85 min (because of the 4% PAL speed-up, the DVDs are actually only about 81 min long), I suspect that at least the Italian and Spanish DVD versions are equal the NC-17 version.
Of the three DVDs only the Spanish DVD includes the English track. The German and Italian DVDs feature only the dubbed versions; they are therefore of little help to English speakers. The Spanish DVD has also a Spanish track, as well as Spanish subtitles. Luckily, these subtitles are removable. To do that, you have to go twice (!?!) to the main menu.
Now to the cuts (Min. refers to the unrated VHS edition):
38. / 39. Min.
Brutal Man (Daniel Quinn) with Liz (Theresa Russell): Of this scene only the first 15 sec are shown, the remaining 82 sec are cut from all three DVDs.
56. - 62. Min.
Liz and Rasta (Antonio Fargas) in the theater, in alternation with Blake (Benjamin Mouton) in his car: 7 scenes have been partially or completely cut, resulting in a total elimination of 138 sec, with Blake's scenes cut 20, 53, and 21 sec, respectively, and Liz' and Rasta's scenes cut 7, 8, 26, and 3 sec. It seems to me that these cuts, which are the same on all three DVDs, have more to do with (better) pacing of the film than with MPAA requirements, as they consist mainly of talking. In the longest of these scenes, around 59. Min., Blake for instance says that he goes to great lengths to teach his girls her profession as "this is not unskilled labor"; he then complains about hypocrisy.
82. Min.
Only from the German DVD, a 2 sec scene containing the throat slitting and blood squirting is cut.
Aspect Ratio: The German and Italian DVDs are 14:9 (1.56:1) and non-anamorphic. I don't know if this is the original aspect ratio. The unrated VHS edition and the Spanish DVD are 4:3 full frame (pan and scan, not open matte) except for the title sequence which is 14:9.
Bottom line: Best choice when it comes to cuts, is the unrated American VHS. If you prefer DVDs (and accept cuts), then the Spanish DVD is the one to go for. It's the only one with the English track. The main drawback is that it's full frame. However, this is acceptable in this case, as you can afford to lose some information on the left and right without losing too much. After all, all the action is in the middle of the picture.