I'm a little confused regarding the various DVD versions of this film, cause the UK one clamis to be 93 mins and "UNCUT" German one claims to be just under 91 mins. What!!?? I have also seen a region 1 Columbia US DVD release on eBay. Any ideas which is the most complete!?
shareThe German one is said to be the most complete version look it up at www.dvdcompare.net
shareThe German DVD is the best option, missing just over a second of bloodletting. I think the Japanese laserdisc was complete but it's a substandard transfer by all accounts and is now hard to find. The Japanese DVD is the R-rated US version, as are the Spanish and Dutch DVDs.
Information about running times can be misleading. 'Monster from Hell' ran 93 minutes in the cinema, projected at 24 frames per second. All PAL format home video releases of the film are transferred at 25 fps, resulting in a slight speeding up of the film. A PAL release of 'Monster from Hell' will run for just over 90 minutes.
Some sources list 99 minutes as the original running time. I don't believe the film was released anywhere at this length. According to the BBFC website, the version submitted to them ran 97 minutes. Hammer subsequently tightened the film's running time, deleting some minor scenes.
The UK Monthly Film Bulletin is the source for the 99m running time. The MFB was usually a very accurate source. However, i agree that I do not believe this film was ever released at that length and the MFB running time is probably an error taken from an incorrect PR booklet (or soemthing like that. Several scenes were cut at the last minute by Hammer according to Wayne Kinsey's book on Hammer's Elstree films which probably accoutns for the reduction from the 97m one submitted ot the BBFC to the 93m one which seems to be the only one in existence.
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