THE CHOPPING LIST

'h' titles

homeindexespreviousnext
 

Haggard (2003)
Director	Bam Margera
Cut Formats	DVD
Classifications	R (14/7/2003 - 96:21 NTSC DVD)
Cut Footage	(a) At 30:20 the shot of Naked Dave standing and walking away from his arcade game blurs out his penis, which I assume to be flaccid.    (b) At 42:40 the shot of Ryan lying on the bathroom floor with his dick in his hand blurs out his crotch area.    (c) At 60:10 several shots of a couple having sex doggy style on a bed blurs out their hip areas.    The Australian distributor Stomp has unwittingly circulated the censored US version. There is no reason why the uncensored version would not receive an R rating. The blurred footage only features full frontal nudity and simulated sex.
Reason	Modified to obtain a US R rating.
Uncut Releases	Unrated US DVD.

 

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
Director	Tommy Lee Wallace
Cut Formats	DVD
Classifications	M (7/2/2001 - DVD)
Comments	The 2008 DVD from Lionsgate is still missing the shots listed on Refused Classification. The running time is 92:06 PAL. This DVD sports the same M 15+ classification granted to Infograms Asia Pacific in 2001 with the consumer advice of "Medium level violence". That earlier Force Video DVD release also ran to 92:06 PAL. Read a review of it on Michael's DVD Info Page, which actually quotes the running time as 92:10 PAL.    Sadly, unless somebody creates a new transfer from an uncut print source at the correct 2.40:1 aspect ratio, we'll be stuck with this version for several years to come.
Cut Footage	Brief shots in some of the death scenes and some dialogue. As mentioned in the linked review, the cuts are not jarring by any means.
Reason	Unknown. It could have been prepared for television audiences in one country or another.
Uncut Releases	Local VHS (Thorn EMI), US DVD (Goodtimes).
Original Entry	Visit Refused-Classification for an extensive list of the cuts.
Entry Last Updated	13/4/2008

 

Hard Boiled (1992)
Director	John Woo
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (1/5/1992 - 121 mins)
Cut Footage	Blood spurting from the eye of the bad guy at the climax, possibly various bloody bullet hits.
Reason	We have the Hong Kong theatrical version without cuts running to 121 minutes.
Uncut Releases	US laserdisc and DVD (both Criterion), Japanese laserdisc. The film is also due for release in the UK on DVD and it should be uncut.
Comments	"Well, this is an odd one actually. The version we received locally on VHS wasn't technically a cut version per se, it was the 121 min Hong Kong theatrical edition. Woo's full length cut, at 128 min, debuted in Hong Kong cinemas some period of time after the shorter version went into general release. The version released everywhere else in the world is simply the longer cut of the film. The version we received originated out of Hong Kong exactly as you see it and was passed as is with an R rating." [M. C. Thomason]

 

Hard Bounty (1996)
Director	Jim Wynorski
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	M (15/2/1996 - 84 mins PAL "revised"), Banned (1995)
Cut Footage	Unknown.
Reason	Cut to avoid being banned.
Uncut Releases	US DVD. [assumption]
Original Details	Refused-Classification.

 

Hard Target (1993)
Director	John Woo
Cut Formats	VHS, Film
Classifications	R (21/4/1994 - 96 mins), MA (21/9/1993 - 95 mins)
Cut Footage	Some gory action such as bloody bullet hits.
Reason	Cut to obtain a US R rating.
Uncut Releases	R-rated local DVD (Columbia Tristar) running to 95:28 PAL, Japanese DVD (Universal), director's cut on bootleg VHS.
Comments	The fabled director's cut (116 mins) is more like a work print version than the official version, and contains a scene showing a man’s right earlobe being sliced off in close-up. This version is available on bootleg VHS with superimposed timecodes. Visit MichaelDVD for more details.

 

A Hearty Response / Yi Gai Yun Tian (1986)
Director	Norman Law
Classifications	Banned (3/12/1986 - 88 mins film)
Uncut Releases	Unknown.
Comments	A Hong Kong production.

 

Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1993)
Director	Tony Randall
Cut Formats	VHS, Film
Classifications	R (17/2/1989 - 93 mins film)
Cut Footage	The bloody razor slashing scene in which Julia is resurrected was trimmed, as well as additional moments such as when Pinhead gets his throat cut and Channard’s head breaks in half.
Reason	This was the original US R-rated print.
Uncut Releases	Local VHS sell-thru (Paramount), US laserdisc (Lumivision), US VHS sell-through, US DVD (Anchor Bay) available on the import grey market. The longer release also includes a macabre dream sequence that was previously available only on Japanese laserdisc.
Comments	During the prologue that recaps Hellraiser with footage from that film, a close-up shot of Frank's head splitting apart is shown. This was not in the official release of Hellraiser.    "Roadshow simply went with the US R rated print, as at that stage there was no unrated version available. The US DVD is not so much a director’s cut, as an extended version. I have an interview somewhere with Tony Randel that pretty much confirms this assessment. All of the gory footage was restored from the unrated print, however the dream sequence was added as an extended bonus." [M. C. Thomason]

 

Hellraiser (1987)
Director	Clive Barker
Cut Formats	VHS, Film
Classifications	R, M (1/10/1987 - 88 mins film)
Cut Footage	Frank's face splits in half at the end of the film. Just before his body explodes. The theatrical version was shorn of six minutes by Village Roadshow to gain an M rating and more boxoffice takings.    In an issue of Fangoria Clive Barker said, "The MPAA took out about twenty seconds in order for the film to receive an R rating, and it's still a tough picture."
Reason	The much shorter version was shown theatrically rated M. The full uncut advance print was given an R rating.    The US MPAA also insisted on cuts, particularly the demise of Frank in chains. On the audio commentary of the US DVD, Barker said that he could have restored this footage but decided not to, saying he preferred the way it played. This is also true of the bit where Kirsty sticks her hand into Frank's abdomen, and a few others.
Uncut Releases	None.
Comments	The head-split moment is almost shown intact in the US DVD version of Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 during the recap at the start which shows snippets from the first film.    "I have a good friend who's worked in the industry for years, and was working for Roadshow at the time of Hellraiser's release. The advance prints, pre-censor, actually did contain more 'exploding Frank' footage, and it was this longer pre-release print that submitted to the OFLC for classification. The OFLC passed the print uncut with an R rating, however Roadshow went the M route and bludgeoned 6 mins of footage from the film to get it down to an M classification for theatrical release. Come this film's video release, Roadshow were supplied with New World's R rated final theatrical cut, which is the version we all know. The only evidence of the extended version of this sequence exists in the unrated version of Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and even then it's not the full version of the scene. The full version of the scene apparently climaxed with Robinson's brain messily splashing out of the ruined skull!" [M. C. Thomason]

 

Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth (1992)
Director	Anthony Hickox
Cut Formats	VHS, Film
Classifications	R (17/5/1993 - 93 mins)
Cut Footage	Topless dancer near the start of the film, and two characters finding the Lament Configuration in an Indian Bazaar.
Reason	This is just a different version of the film.
Uncut Releases	US laserdisc and DVD, UK VHS.
Comments	"Surprisingly there is no extra gory footage in the extended print; restored footage is of a topless dancer in the nightclub sequence early in the film, and an extended scene with Bradley and Farrell's characters at an Indian Bazaar uncovering the hiding place of the Lament Configuration. That's it! The extended version runs a slight 4 mins longer than the 92 min release version." [M. C. Thomason]

 

Hell Behind Bars (1983)
Director	Willy S. Regan aka Sergio Garrone
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R
Cut Footage	Violence and sleaze, torture scenes.
Reason	Probably sourced from a cut UK master.
Uncut Releases	None.
Comments	Stars Ajita Wilson.

 

Hell Penitentiary (1983)
Director	Kennet Freeman
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R
Cut Footage	Violence and sleaze, torture scenes. RCA/Columbia Hoyts is the distributor.
Reason	Sourced from a cut UK master.
Uncut Releases	None.
Comments	Stars Rita Silva, Linda Jones, Elizabeth Sherbrooke.

 

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)
Director	John McNaughton
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (21/6/2005 - DVD, 27/2/1992 film, 15/6/1992 VHS), Banned (6/1/1992, 12/2/1992)
Cut Footage	The sequence showing the family being attacked and murdered on video is shorter, as are some shots of static gore, for example the woman on the toilet with the broken bottle in her mouth. Becky's rape is shorter, too.
Reason	Cut to avoid being banned. The film was also originally cut in the UK, though not as much.
Uncut Releases	Local DVD (Paramount), UK DVD, US DVD (MPI Home Video, has sound sync problems), Dutch DVD (Cult Epics), UK DVD.

 

Her Vengeance / Xue Mei Gui (1986)
Director	Ngai Kai Lam
Classifications	Banned (21/12/1988 - 81 mins film)
Uncut Releases	Unknown.
Comments	A Hong Kong production.

 

Hidden Rage / Perfect Victims (1988)
Director	Shuki Levy
Classifications	Banned (7/9/1988 - 100 mins film)
Uncut Releases	Unknown.
Comments	This appears to be a stalk and slash thriller featuring a killer who has AIDS.

 

Hide and Go Shriek (1988)
Director	Skip Schoolnik
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (4/7/1988 - 88 mins PAL), Banned (Queensland only)
Cut Footage	An extra two seconds showing a severed head. [Source: IMDB - confirm] The only questionable death scene occurs when one of the girls is accosted naked on top of a rising elevator by the psycho nut. As she pokes her head over the edge and screams for help, she is decapitated. The special effects by Screaming Mad George are quite effective here, although the other deaths are tame.
Reason	Cut for the US R rating.
Uncut Releases	Unrated US VHS (New World) running to 90:14 NTSC.

 

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
Director	Wes Craven
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (15/8/2005 - DVD, 30/3/2004 - DVD, 1978, 1979, 1986), Banned (1976, 1977, 1978, 1984)
Cut Footage	Shot of the dog Beauty with its guts out. This bit is shown in the sequel as a flashback. Another cut scene has Mars placing a gun barrel in Brenda’s mouth. There are many other cuts. The version seen on VHS did appear to be trimmed of violence.
Reason	Cut to avoid being banned.
Uncut Releases	Local DVD (Umbrella), local VHS: "There is also a 'no-name' label tape which is reportedly uncut at 89:41." [Refused Classification], US DVD (Anchor Bay). It was originally classified R 18+ by Big Sky Video. It is not known if this version was uncut or not.

 

The Hills Have Eyes (2006)
Director	Alexandre Aja
Cut Formats	Film
Classifications	R (20/6/2006 - DVD, 6/4/2006 - 107 mins film)
Cut Footage	(a) There were additional shots of Bob burning and his eyes turning white.    (b) A close-up of Lynne being shot in the head; the muzzle-flash and the direct impact.    (c) A more explicit shot of the gun being pointed at the baby    (d) The rape scene with Brenda was a half a minute longer    (e) In the finale, Doug originally shoots Lizard three times with the shotgun rather than just twice. Aja has stated that despite these cuts, the version released in theaters is still his "director's cut", but that there will be an unrated DVD with the above mentioned scenes re-instated.    (f) Also, there was an extra cut not mentioned by Aja, but was ironically available for viewing online before the film was ever released. It is when Doug kills the "shotgun mutant" (the one with the head brace and the plaid shirt). In the online clip before the film's release, when Doug slams the pick into his eye, it was followed with a quick push-in close up on the wound. However, the CG did not look complete, but possibly because of the low quality online clip. This being said, it was uncertain if this was cut for gore (the close up on the bleeding eye) or if in fact the CG did not look realistic enough. However, it can be confirmed that the push in shot has been inserted back into the film for the unrated DVD.    [Source: IMDB]
Comments	The Australian DVD runs to 103:57 PAL, which equates to 108:16 NTSC. The censored theatrical version ran to approximately 107 minutes according to IMDB or 106:56 film exactly according to the BBFC's website. Therefore, there is a difference of about one minute between both versions.
Reason	Cut before release to obtain a US R rating.
Uncut Releases	Local DVD (Fox), US DVD (Fox), UK DVD (Fox).

 

The Hills Have Eyes II (1982)
Director	Wes Craven
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (1985), Banned (1985)
Cut Footage	A throat slice was shortened. In our censored version, you see the blade on the victim's neck but there is a sudden cut away. In the longer version the blade actually gouges the flesh, causing blood to spurt out and leaving an open wound. [Heath G.]
Reason	Cut to avoid being banned.
Uncut Releases	US DVD, US VHS [assumption].
Original Entry	Refused-Classification.

 

Hitch-Hike (1978)
Director	Pasquale Festa Campinile
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (1985), Banned (1985)
Cut Footage	The rape scene was toned down, and a second motor cylce cop is shot bloodily in the head through his helmet. The tape only shows the first cop being hit bloodlessly and collapsing on the side of the road.
Reason	Unknown.
Uncut Releases	UK VHS, US DVD (Anchor Bay), Japanese DVD.
Original Entry	Refused-Classification.

 

Hitman (2007)
Director	Xavier Gens
Cut Formats	Film
Classifications	MA (7/2/2008 - DVD, 20/11/2007 - 93 mins film)
Comments	Rounded to 93 minutes by the OFLC, the cinema print of the video game port Hitman should clock in at 92:36 according to the trainspotters over at the BBFC. Compare that to the extended UK DVD (Fox), which runs to 90:16 PAL (BBFC) or 90:23 PAL (DVD Compare). I don't have a running time for the local DVD (Fox), but it is labeled the "extended version" and should be mastered using the European PAL transfer. The Aussie Blu-Ray disc (Fox) runs to 94:14 24p, making the extended version over one minute longer than the theatrical release.    Interestingly, when the OFLC classified the extended and more gruesome version for DVD, they did not upgrade the consumer advice of "Strong violence, Course language".
Cut Footage	Screen captures at Movie-Censorship comparing shots from the cut and uncut versions clearly show that violence and gore was deleted from the theatrical assembly, which received the obligatory US R rating and a subsequent MA 15+ Down Under.    (a) A man being tortured has his arm chopped off with a machete. There's also an extra shot of the stump.    (b) The assassination scene shows alternative bloodier footage of someone being shot in the head.    (c) The shoot-out in the elevator includes more bloodshed in the uncut version.    (d) A flashback has a woman being treated more harshly with a riding crop.    (e) The shooting of a bodyguard is more violent in the uncut release.    (f) Additional drug abuse is shown.    (g) A lackey is shot in a slightly more gruesome manner in the uncut version.    (h) An additional shot has someone being killed on screen. The victim then falls into a pool.    (i) More baddies are served lead salad in bloodier fashion.    (j) Various additional shots include more explicit shootings and a severed ear lying on the floor.
Reason	Cut to obtain a US R rating.
Uncut Releases	Local DVD and Blu-ray (Fox), unrated US DVD and Blu-ray (Fox), UK DVD and Blu-ray (Fox).
Entry Last Updated	5/8/2008

 

Hollywood Cop (1988)
Director	Amir Shervan
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (1988)
Cut Footage	The rape scene was toned down.
Reason	Cut to avoid being banned.
Uncut Releases	Unknown.
Original Entry	Refused-Classification.

 

Hooligan: Quest for the Seven Holy Dildos (2001)
Producers	Shiyuuta Biwajima and Chikara Niki.
Classifications	Banned (8/3/2006)
Uncut Releases	US DVD (Critical Mass).
Comments	Siren Entertainment tried to get this is a hentai (rape and death) anime from Japan classified. It runs for 52 minutes. One plot synopsis goes: "It all started when our hero, Yukito, was trying to score with his favorite blonde bombshell, Olga. Things were just heating up when one of her science experiments exploded, and it screwed up all of time and space. Now, only one thing can save the world: the Seven Holy Dildos! Now it's up to Yukito to find and collect each of Seven Holy Dildos from the beautiful maidens who posses them! To win these seven sabers, Yukito must face off against their lusty owners in a sensual skirmish, where sex is the name of the game – and the winner is the one who can keep going the longest! He'll be battling it out with the lovely shrine sisters Yuka and Yuki...the foxy ninja Victoria...the sweet and spicy Hiromi...so many women, so little time! It's a tough job, but it's up to Yukito to get his freak on and save the universe!"

 

Horrible High Heels / Ren pi guo zheng xie (1996)
Director	Wai on Chan, Cheng Chow, Keung-Bong Mo
Classifications	Banned - Customs confiscation, 22/9/2004 [Heath G.].
Uncut Releases	Hong Kong DVD (City Laser), NTSC VCD (City Laser), VHS.
Comments	This is an example of Australian Customs confiscating an imported title without having it classified properly by the OFLC. This Category III Yakuza film reportedly contains instances of strong sexual abuse by gangsters against various female characters, along with dismemberment gore and other violent episodes common to this genre. The DVD from City Laser (Hong Kong) is currently out of print.

 

Hostel (2005)
Director	Eli Roth
Cut Formats	Film
Classifications	R (10/3/2006 - DVD, 15/2/2006 - 93 mins film)
Comments	The theatrical version was cut by the studio before release. The BBFC lists the film print with a running time of 93:23. The director's cut was first released in the US as an unrated DVD (Lionsgate) with a running time of 93:28 NTSC. This equates to a length of 93:22 film or 89:38 PAL. The Australian DVD runs to 89:46 PAL. Since the running durations are so close due to roughly one second being trimmed from the theatrical version, these times are not useful for direct comparisons for determining how much was cut. However, the so-called uncut DVD contains brief footage not shown in the theatrical version I saw.
Cut Footage	Only one of these shots is confirmed to be cut. The others are probably figments of my imagination and memory fog, but I'll list them out of interest.    (a) At 62:14 IMDB says that the shot of the German torture's severed leg that was chainsawed off is longer in the uncut version. This may or may not have been removed due to MPAA impositions. Roth says in the commentary that some gore footage was put back in just because the DVD was going to be unrated. This shots does play longer on DVD than I remember it doing so in the cinema print.    (b) At 75:25 when the Japanese girl's eye ball gets removed (the infamous "eyegasm" scene), Roth on his solo commentary implies that extra footage was put in for the unrated DVD, but it was not cut for the MPAA censors. The optic nerve snip does play as I remember it in the cinema, so if anything was extended, it was to show her face for a bit longer afterwards. Roth: "We added in extra stuff for the unrated edition."    (c) At 81:58 when the Japanese girl commits suicide by throwing herself in front of the train, the shot of the train wheels running over her head was missing in the theatrical version. This shot totals 18 frames and is the only scene I am certain was censored.    (d) At 84:52 Paxton kills the Dutch father in the toilet rather viciously in an act of revenge. In the cinema print, I don't remember the hand gore being as bloody and explicit as it is in the uncut DVD. However, this moment is not one that is mentioned anywhere as suffering for censorship, therefore it is not confirmed.
Reason	Cut before release to obtain a US R rating.
Uncut Releases	DVD (all releases), Blu-Ray disc (all releases), Toronto Film Festival screening. The US Blu-Ray disc (Sony) has both the censored and uncensored versions according to Rewind Comparisons.
Entry Last Updated	12/11/2007

 

Hostel Part II (2007)
Director	Eli Roth
Cut Formats	Film
Classifications	R (4/9/2007 - DVD, 22/8/2007 - DVD, 17/5/2007 - 94 mins film)
Comments	Like its predecessor, the theatrical version was cut before release. The BBFC lists the film print with a running time of 94:02. The director's cut was first released in the US as an unrated DVD (Sony Pictures). The Australian DVD runs to 91:10 PAL, or the equivalent of 94:58 film or 95:04 NTSC. It's not known why the OFLC classified the DVD twice thirteen days apart. The BBFC has four certification listings for the DVD.    The cinema print I viewed was brighter than the subsequent PAL DVD transfer. The blood is darker and therefore less gruesome on DVD. This is not censorship, but merely a characteristic to two presentations in different media. I heard about the last 60 minutes of the DVD commentary track, and no mention was made about restored censored footage.    In a strange decision for New Zealand, the DVD distributor was forced to shorten the infamous 'Elizabeth Bathory' torture/murder scene when the NZ OFLC banned the film in its uncut form. No such problems in Australia or Britain.
Cut Footage	The differences between versions of this sequel are more significant than those for the original film, amounting to approximately a few second's worth of gore. There did not appear to be any extra nudity. However, without the cut version for direct comparison, some of the judgements made below are speculative. More cross-checking with other observations is required.    (a) There may have been extra frames of Lorna (Heather Matarazzo) being gouged by a sythe as she hung suspended from the ceiling.    (b) The graphic throat slashing of Lorna seemed to last longer in the uncensored version.    (c) The castration scene contains slightly more footage of the very life-like severed penis being handled and pulled away from the man's groin area. On a side note, this is probably the most realistic prosthetic penis ever made for a feature film.    (d) The shot of Bijou Phillips' bleeding head wound may have been given slightly more screen time in the uncut version.
Reason	Cut before release to obtain a US R rating.
Uncut Releases	Local DVD (Sony), US unrated DVD (Sony), UK DVD (Sony).
Entry Last Updated	12/11/2007

 

House III / The Horror Show (1989)
Director	David Blythe, James Isaac
Cut Formats	VHS, DVD
Classifications	R
Cut Footage	"In the VHS version there is a 2 second scene of a women's legs in a meat grinder cut from Lucas' search for the girl (about 15 mins in) and also the scene when Max Jenke is being executed has been cut slightly removing a 1 second face shot (pulsating like his arm)." [Source: MichaelDVD]    The Force Video DVD is cut even more: "The 'meat grinder' footage is gone, as is the eyeball bursting when Lucas lifts the severed head out of the boiling oil." [Heath G.]
Reason	Unknown. Possibly to avoid being banned if the uncut version was submitted.
Uncut Releases	None.
Comments	"No uncut release planned. The video version released by Roadshow in Australia is more complete than any version I know of; there are only minimal trims in the latter passages of the film. The opening sequence (in the diner) plays out completely uncut, which it did not in the US version." [M. C. Thomason]

 

House by the Cemetery (1982)
Director	Lucio Fulci
Cut Formats	VHS
Classifications	R (the same version was upgraded from M)
Cut Footage	Some gory moments that show intestine abuse.
Reason	Probably sourced from a cut UK master.
Uncut Releases	US DVD (Anchor Bay), Dutch DVD (EC Entertainment).
More Details	Visit Refused-Classification for an extensive list of the cuts.

 

House on the Edge of the Park (1980)
Director	Ruggero Deodato
Classifications	Banned - Customs confiscation. "In 2001 there were two confirmed cases of customs confiscating copies of the Dutch EC Entertainment DVD release" [Refused-Classification]
Uncut Releases	US DVD (Media Blasters Shriek Show), Euro DVD (EC Entertainment).

 

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Directors	Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale
Cut Formats	VHS, DVD, Film
Classifications	G, PG (1996 and 1999)
Cut Footage	The more frightening parts of this Disney animated feature, including deaths of characters and threating dialogue.
Reason	Cut to obtain the all-important G rating for the children's market.
Uncut Releases	US DVD and laserdisc.
Original Entry	Refused-Classification.

 

Hustler White (1996)
Director	Bruce La Bruce and Rick Castro
Cut Formats	VHS, Film
Classifications	R (11/2/1997 - 75 mins film, 14/1/1998 - 74 mins PAL), Banned (9/1/1997 - 79 mins film, 3/11/1997 - 75 mins PAL)
Cut Footage	Unknown.
Reason	Cut to avoid being banned.
Uncut Releases	Unknown.

  top