Now where I live (Iceland) they show all films in the same version as shown in the movie theater. However I know that they show in the US rated movies on TV with these ridiculous edits, especially when it comes to "swear words". Sometimes they use other voice actors to dub the offending words, actors that sometimes don't even sound like the original. (example: Die Hard 2)
I've found a few clips on Youtube that highlight some of the more ridiculous (often funny) edits. Is this common practice where you live (especially thinking about those who are outside the US)? And if so, is there anything proventing the stations from simply showing the movie in the original version after the "watershed" with a disclaimer? Also if you know of any especially bad examples of these TV edits (especially if you know of clips) please post the examples here.
So here are some of the worst examples of "edited for TV" movies:
Pulp Fiction:


Die Hard 2 - TV version compared to normal version:


Scarface - TV vs original:


Robocop - TV vs original:


Casino:


and finally my favorite - THE line from Snakes on a plane - now this one seems to have been shot especially for TV:

They've always done that in the US, for as long as I can remember anyway...

I won't watch thatrical movies on tv.

johnart said:

It was the main reason people got cable (until cable series became so popular) I'm sure. I avoid movies on any station w/ commercials, it's a drag.

Forget about watching Next Friday on BET.
shit is corny

CalhounSq said:

Yup. At first I wrote on network tv, then I was like, nah. TV period.

I prefer to see the movie in a theatre or rent it.

I hate watching movies on tv coz the get badly edited and you have to go through 3 to 5 commericals before the movie continues which if you subtract the amount of time of the commericals from a 2 hour movie, the 2 hour movie is on tv for less time to make room for an upcoming show

CalhounSq said:

You know I really don't know why they edit movies on cable stations as well (TBS/USA Network/SYFY). It's cable show the dam movie

These are ghastly!!

It was real bad when movies aired on tv in the 70's. They really chopped it up bad. It was like a whole bunch of Mothers got together and decided what a 5 year old could watch. I remember watching some James Bond movie on tv in the 70's, they cut out kissing scenes and James bond shooting a gun.It seems almost funny now.

I have no problem with them doing that.

And I do not know about the others but the 'Scarface' edits were done by the director with an edited for TV in mind. (Source the DVD documentary)

It also sounds like Snakes On a Plane also did a tv safe take.

Die Hard is really bad...
[Edited 11/25/09 14:39pm]

what is worst this or when the directors go back and do it. Like what Spielberg did to ET. (he took guns out of the feds hands and replaced them with radios)

They do, thankfully when it comes to the Harry Potter movies, some have had M ratings at cinema and DVD release, but on TV they are only PG, so we record those for the kids to watch

They used to sell dvd players that had a data bank of DVDs that would edit out parts of the movie on the fly so parents could let kids watch an other wise okay movie. I think they got sued.

Yes, yes it is. Guns pointed close to or held against heads are blurred, as are any instances of smoking cigarettes or drug use. There's no nudity, i.e. no bare breasts, anything less is ok. Sex scenes that are, shall we say, more provocative and explicit in nature, regardless of the amount of flesh shown, are usually cut out. Swearing is apparently fine though. I once heard the word 'cunt' during a movie on a Saturday morning and had to have a chuckle about Thailand's messed up censorship policy.

They don't like sex or violence in Korea. Swearing is OK. I watched 'The Usual Suspects' at 10am in the morning on TV over here, which was a bit weird.

JDInteractive said:

Sounds similar to Thailand. I remember seeing a youtube video once where someone had filmed a movie on cable here where within about 20 seconds they first blurred out the cigarette someone was smoking right before they proceeded to call someone a motherfucker.

"Where the heck did you get the gosh darn idea of editing movies for TV, you mother trucker?"



For years in the USA, they would edit out movies strictly for profanity, nudity, and excessive or explicit sex and violence. They still do that, but I've noticed even more editing for format changes (i.e., to get more commercials in between scenes).

The other thing that's going on these days, now that we are in the age of extended DVD's with deleted scenes and alternate scenes/endings, is that filmmakers who are shooting R-rated movies are deliberately shooting multiple scenes of the same situation in the movie, one for the original intent of showing the movie in theaters the way the director wants it, one for the "unrated" DVD which lets them get away with showing a more gory or raunchy scene than what was intended for the big screen, and one edited scene with the intent of it being shown on network TV and basic cable.

This usually works okay for your standard action, raunchy comedy, or slasher/horror film, but it gets tricky when you are dealing with war movies, as they usually tend to have to show some gory scenes in order to make it look more realistic.

728huey said:

They have been doing that for years. It was done for Scarface.

Usually only really graphic violence and sexual nudity and sex, (I mean a movie about nudist or a naked woman unaroused is ok after 8.30, male nudity under the waist is always hazed, eg penises). They also bleep out all swearwords for any movie played before 8.30pm. After 11.30pm to about 5.00am nothing is left out swear words and all. All the ads are dirty (EG 0900 sex lines, adult shops, gay/lesbian interest - seen as dirty in Christian Family based New Zealand). TV Programmes after 8.30 will leave minor swearing like the occassional fuck in.
Some attempts to censor rap movies were funny such as the terms "Punkass monkeyshucker" in House Party One and "Yo man shuck up" in Colors.

OMG...that die hard edit was classic.....soooo LAME!

i use to hate watching movies on TBS...now called Peachtree TV. they cut out everything.
I watch alot of movies on Bravo & showcase.

but have noticed even the movie package that we pay EXTRA for they will cut out cursing...WTF? the scream channel..now known as "dusk"...diva channel...action channel.

I was watching a clip of adam lambert & noticed it was "blurred"..in all the right places...was this how people saw it? b/c if the show is live can they still blur it out?

kpowers said:

Yea, especially after a certain hour. If Comedy Central can show standup routines w/ all the cursing in the world in them, surely TNT can play a movie w/o edits!

sonic said:

god, they even censored the name of the station