MovieChat Forums > Matthew Hopkins: Witchfinder General (1968) Discussion > Hmmm...

Hmmm...

posted 19 years ago by Freddy_Lives
8 replies | jump to latest

I've been wanting to see this film for a while but never got round to buying the DVD. Anyway it was on BBC1 last night so I watched it.

Anyway, just a quick question about the image quality whenever anything nasty happens.

When they burnt the women the camera seemed to pan out to a really wide angle and the film was of considerably less quality. It looked all grainy like it was filmed with a handheld domestic video camera.

It happened a few times through the film. Does anyone know why and also is it the same on the DVD?

Shocking ending though. Glad I finally managed to see it.

[–] aoloughlin 19 years ago

Wanted to watch it last night, but I was sooo sleepy. And the timer on my video player wouldn't work (or, I couldn't work it because I was half-asleep, you decide!) - v annoyed cos I've wanted to watch it for a long time to. DO you know if it's easy to find on DVD or video?

[–] Pamfino 19 years ago

The DVD is very easy to find... you'll pick it up for a few quid on Ebay.

I haven't seen the TV version of the film for quite awhile, but it seems that the BBC was showing the same version as on the DVD (I don't think it was showing on BBC in the London area the other night... if it was, pity I missed it). The grainy, out-of-focus sequences are the bits that were cut from the film a long time ago as they were considered too nasty for TV! They were also missing from the first video releases as I remember. It's a pity that the picture quality of the cut sequences hasn't been restored to the same standard as the rest of the film.

I've heard the uncut version described as the 'export' version, but I saw the film when it came out (I sneaked in, very under-age!) and I certainly remember seeing the footage of the witch-burning sequence and the Hopkins killing that were missing from the later TV and video versions... don't remember tits in the tavern though... that must have been in the export version... but maybe that bit hasn't made it into the BBC version yet!

Great film... one of my favourites.

__________________________________________
I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde

[–] neil_mc 19 years ago

I believe those were the originally cut scenes that have been re-installed.

"We're making a film here, not a movie."

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Pamfino 19 years ago

The picture quality of the restored scenes is bad on the DVD too, more's the pity.

_________________________________________________________
"I am not young enough to know everything." : Oscar Wilde

[–] aoloughlin 19 years ago

Aw man. Still, it's better than not seeing it. I might try Laser (a speciality DVD store - not sure if it's a well known chain or not, there's only one or 2 in Dublin). I'm writing a book (or trying to) with sections that take place during the witch-hunts in England. Would this film be much help, do you think? Or could anyone think of anywhere else I could find good information? Everywhere I look seems to just be talking about Salem.

[–] Mr_K_Pratt 19 years ago

At the beginning of the DVD is this statement:

When this film was originally released some alternate versions of certain scenes were created to cater for the more lenient foreign markets.

Here, we present the full export version, which includes more explicit scenes.

However, please note that there may be some variations in picture and sound quality due to the different mastering sources we have had to use to enable us to assemble this cut.

Come and visit http://www.moviecompound.com

[–] 19 years ago

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