Why Are Disney and Criterion Censoring Classic Movies Without Telling Us?

[@sm5574]

Censorship like this not only encourages piracy, but it actually gives a moral justification to it.

[@Beavis-ej3ny]

That’s how Disney/George Lucas feel towards Star Wars. They can’t get mad at people for pirating Star Wars, since they themselves changed it.

[@judsongaiden9878]

Yo ho!

[@doltBmB]

always remember that if not for illegal copies nosferatu (1922) would be burnt and lost

[@ChrisMathers3501]

@@Beavis-ej3ny George Lucas never really got mad at people pirating Star Wars as far as I can tell. It was the biggest movie ever and created the biggest franchise ever. Hell, bootleg videos, Revenge of the Jedi, Blue Harvest, all that shit, it's long been a part of Star Wars. I still have a bootleg VHS tape of The Phantom Menace around here somewhere that my dad brought home one day. No, the only time George got mad about Star Wars being pirated was when piracy saved the Star Wars Holiday Special.

[@judsongaiden9878]

@@doltBmB Censorship should be buried in a nameless grave.

[@morganhansen3404]

20 years after ray bradbury had written "farenheit 451 " a friend told him that he noticed some changes in the latest reprint and asked ray if he could take a look. he hadn't read his text since the release of the book, but when he did, he was infuriated. come to find out, over 100 changes had been made to his book without his knowledge or permission. publishers can be very sneaky.

[@chaospoet]

There's a story about Anne Rice (with I believe Interview With The Vampire) just endlessly battling with the Publisher because they kept rewriting almost all her sentences and dialogue. Like mulitple times not getting the point to leave it alone and she had to be ever vigilant and persistent to make she HER words and not someone elses were what readers saw.

[@kendo5862]

@@chaospoetperhaps a gravy train for “re-writers” to get paid and credited

[@mal35m]

That is what I call irony. I seriously would like to know what the publishers felt had to be changed.

[@dbsommers1]

@@chaospoet Depends. If it hadn't been published yet, yes, that is what editors do. They need to tell you about it, but that's their job. No one turns in perfect work. If it already had been, then yeah, major problem.

[@handoffate7262]

Ironic for a book that at its core is about censorship to be secretly censored.

[@terrab1ter4]

This is why we must all rely on physical copies of old movies. They simply are not safe in the digital streaming realm, you never know what 'current-day sensiblity' is going to come along that makes this and that scene suddenly 'not suitable for modern audiences'. This kind of underhanded behavior really irks me. If you must have a disclaimer at the start detailing what happens in the scene so thin-skinned users are forewarned, so be it; but the idea that we have the right to edit the works of art of the past because supposedly 'we know better' is just utter hubris. Thank you for spreading awareness about this

[@godfatherofcinema]

I agree and my living room walls are stuffed with DVDs and BluRays. These films will become collectors items for those who want the filmmaker's authentic versions of them. I will only stream films I won't buy. I'll never stream Criterion films. What's the point?

[@jeffsummstl]

Censorship like this is insulting to viewers. It assumes we are easily impressionable children who can’t handle the language, and who might run out and start burning crosses just because of a word in a movie.

[@Theomite]

That's all well and good for those of us who've been ahead of the curve, but what about everybody else? The only way we could help is by ripping our movies and putting them out on the internet, which is a serious violation of copyright law. We're currently fenced in on this and even though we saw it coming, we didn't prepare an adequate plan to deal with it.

[@Darkuni]

That's why I have 2000+ pieces of physical media ... really preserving what I care about.

[@godfatherofcinema]

@@Darkuni with you. That is why I hate streaming and I will never stream a good criterion film that I can own

[@joshuacalkins]

How did people regress so rapidly into believing that depicting something is condoning it? How can any story have a villain if the audience might get confused about whether to mimic their behavior? Art is suffering.

[@Theomite]

When the 19 hijackers took out the Towers 22 years ago, they also took out irony with it. The world's a LOT more serious these days and moral absolutism is back with a fiery vengeance.

[@marianotorrespico2975]

YES, ART IS SUFFERING . . . because the wrong people (business people) are in charge of selling Art to people who KNOW their subjects.

[@chaospoet]

Have you seen "Art" lately? In every field. It's not suffering. It's dead and dying depending on what form it is. Music has been on repeat for 20 years. The movie industry is a sad joke. Comics are an unrecognizable abomination compared to what they were in the 20th century. Yes, there's independents bucking the trends as always, but by and large the Industries that control 99.9 percent of all Art are zombies at this point.

[@quietlabour491]

The people who are getting in charge of the world are children who can't understand adult thinking thus they project outward that others are children too and that how we get censorship.

[@joshuacalkins]

@Steiner Yeah, you’d have to lock up the historians and documentarians for teaching the world how to be evil…

[@rovhalt6650]

This is why I buy physical copies of movies. The censorship is real. And it is nasty.

[@smallhelmonabigship3524]

People need to buy physical copies of old books for the very same reason. They can be altered and erased too.

[@Attmay]

Some countries still have film, censorship boards. This country used to on a state level.

[@DJ239]

Me too, and I love the better picture quality. I remember hearing about Neflix censoring BTTF Pt 2, really opened my eyes.

[@chrisstephens6673]

Censorship like changing the name of Guy Gibson's dog to "Trigger" in the film the Dam Busters, the correct name being something the dubbers could simulate that rhymes with trigger, but was not used in a derogatory manner at all, in fact a cherished pet, and I doubt many Black Labradors would complain if asked.

[@analoguecity3454]

Physical music as well

[@k.chriscaldwell4141]

_"Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped."_ Orwell's warning of them come to power.

[@J.S.3259]

I liked Orwell more before we learned that he narced on his colleagues for “crimes” such as potentially being gay

[@robertoaudiffred7936]

I'm amazed at how orwellian things have gotten...🤐

[@SamtheBravesFan]

Gee, who hasn't quoted that before. So pompus. How about this: people have lied about history and will continue to lie about it, making the truth harder to find

[@WinstonSmithGPT]

@@SamtheBravesFan 😂 And people who are as dumb as cheese have always resentfully mocked things they can’t understand. 😂😂

[@otomo129]

@@SamtheBravesFan you aced crt, eh? do tell!

[@pacershark452]

This is why i died inside a little when disney bought 20th century fox. Their back catalog is enormous and goes all the back to the 20's. God help us.

[@vlad8888]

Yep, you ain’t whistling Dixie……nor would you be allowed to in a Disney approved product.

[@Attmay]

I am rebuilding my laser disc collection, and I am collecting as many 20th Century Fox releases as I can. They are dirt cheap now compared to what they were when they were new.

[@pacershark452]

@@Attmay Try to find the OLDEST copies you can. Also focus on VHS tapes if you can. you need a VCR and Conversion Software, but it's worth it. Good Luck,

[@jennifermel687]

Disney now owning the Aliens franchise is so annoying, like what can they do except completely ruin it.. 😑

[@pacershark452]

@@jennifermel687 Oh my god........I forgot about that. Ellen Ripley, another legacy charecter in their crosshairs.

[@metalgrinch]

Criterion should be ashamed. This is absolutely 100% unacceptable. I know people have been a bit boycott crazy lately but we can't trust that Criterion won't pull this again, even on their physical releases, and especially at their prices. I say people vote with their wallets. There are plenty of other boutique labels who wouldn't do this.

[@bubandlisa]

BLACKROCK is responsible. BLACKROCK the largest company in the 🌎 you never heard of. They own 98% of all media worldwide and they issue an ESG SCORE... the more WOKE the HIGHER ESG SCORE BLACKROCK ISSUES They push all the woke nonsense

[@_munkykok_]

Companies can't be ashamed. They have no conscience or consciousness either. And you can expect them to bow to anyone powerful enough to collect taxes from them. TL;DR If you want a piece of art to be preserved from censorship/destruction by evil forces, you've got to preserve it yourself.

[@FrogsAmok]

But that Barnes and Noble sale, yo...

[@simonmultiverse6349]

The last time I saw a Quentin Tarantino film, ("The Hateful Eight") there was a statement at the start saying, "for age 18 and over; strong bl00dy violence" (typical for U.K. with strong material). Notice what I'm doing in the way of censorship, because I don't know what YooTooB accepts as opposed to what the British cinema permits. ["movie" for Americans].

[@AthalieM]

Y’all this is ONE movie. If Criterion were in the business of systematically removing any offensive scenes from their streaming catalog, that catalog would have no value. You know how many movies I’ve watched on that channel that have racial slurs? A lot. Calm down, damn.

[@BelleOfAmherst]

Criterion failed to tell us of the censorship. 🚫 People will only know this if they have the original films. Thanks for sharing… Down the memory hole they go. 👋🏼

[@petermiesel31]

They might not have realized the edit was there

[@reviewbridge3400]

From what others have said, it's possible (though not entirely clear yet) that as Disney owns the movie (through their acquisition of Fox), they might be just giving these other streaming services their version. We need to do more investigation.

[@BelleOfAmherst]

@@reviewbridge3400 I agree. It’s possible it was Disney that provided the film, and Criterion knew nothing about any changes. However, isn’t it likely that someone from Criterion, would have noticed something, if only the slightly shorter version?

[@toygiants8748]

Disney is still apologizing for Fantasia.

[@Launchpad05]

Criterion bent the knee. They went full 'Bud Light'.

[@roaminronin7818]

Well said. Par for the course for Disney, disappointing for Criterion. Physical media is the way to go.

[@skywalkr1972]

Until they press new media with edits in the future

[@Theomite]

I think Criterion may have been legally prevented from saying anything. Di$ney is the rights holder, which means they must have provided the censored source material for Criterion to stream. Part of the license agreement might be not saying anything without Di$ney's approval.

[@superoldgamesaturday3277]

Until they start censoring the physical media.

[@superoldgamesaturday3277]

@@Theomite Like hell they were.

[@jonnyq680]

uh, could this be an underhanded method to inspire sales of dvds and blu rays?

[@JCole78]

This is exactly why I never stopped buying DVDs. What I’ve started doing is digitizing my entire DVD and CD collection of Movies, TV shows, music, and audio books, and have created a personal media server. I’m now at about 1,200 movies, 180 TV shows, almost 700 albums, and about 100 audiobooks. I can stream them from wherever I want, when ever I want, and I can download all of it to any of my devices for offline viewing.

[@JohnDlugosz]

You mean "Copying", as it's already in digital form. Digitizing the vinyl, shellac, and cassettes. Playing in a new CD prior to listening to it I call "Ingesting". 1200 movies? What is the capacity of your server? Did you further compress the DVDs, or exactly copy them? Do you have redundancy?

[@JohnDlugosz]

@Bennett Theissen So what format are your movies, if you hate DVD and don't have any BluRay?

[@djhenyo]

@@JohnDlugosz Maybe it's D-VHS and DivX movies?

[@konstantinos-6-6-6-8]

@@JohnDlugosz I’d also like to know, how much do you spend per month for cloud storage? I’m also looking but not sure what to go with… and yeah, redundancies! I just has a usb stick get corrupted and barely even used it

[@Fredo_Viola]

Why do you assume your kids won’t want any of it? When I was a kid (around 14 years old) that’s when I made my most daring discoveries. I was OBSESSED with Fellini and Fassbinder and Bergman. In fact, all films should be preserved for children and young adults.

[@cruddddddddddddddd]

They're editing books, too - a number of Roald Dahl books, and probably a lot more in the near future. It's pretty Orwellian, imo. I don't want to see edited movies, and I don't want to read edited books. I want what the creator intended to be consumed. I say 'they', and I mean the powers-that-be.

[@cindydott452]

I was infuriated a few years when I saw a version of H. G. Well's "The Time Machine" with an added chapter about scientists trying to steal the time machine to save the world from global warming.

[@drewtheunspoken3988]

They're also editing/censoring the original James Bond novels.

[@Njbear7453]

@@drewtheunspoken3988James Bond has been dead for a while Daniel Craig ruined Bond

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

How bout Disney removes all offensive movies…namely all the stupid live action remakes

[@LearningaboutMovies]

I am not aware that stupidity or incompetence have ever been censored. Maybe AI will figure out the formula to do that properly.

[@jamesburke4358]

@@LearningaboutMovies If they have a bad movie censor, there might be only about 20 or 30 films that will survive post-2000. That would be fine with me.

[@Attmay]

The first amendment makes no specific reference to the quality of speech.

[@prilljazzatlanta5070]

@@Attmay 😂 right you are

[@gagarin777]

They already did that by deliberately making some of their cartoons and movies not available on Disney+ service.

[@christophernuzzi2780]

I share your dismay. I'm a former adjunct professor of Cinema Studies (10 years in CUNY), and like you I am a charter Criterion Channel subscriber (I have that metal card - you know the one I mean). The issue here is "presentism" - the application of modern morality to the past, with no understanding of history and context. I am fairly certain that Disney is the culprit in this matter. They acquired The French Connection when they bought 20th Century Fox, and they have a track record of censoring films on their streaming service. I am willing to entertain the possibility that Criterion was not initially aware that the version of the film they were given was censored. Now that they are, however, I would like to see a statement from them regarding this matter, and honestly, I would rather see them pull the film from their service rather than merely put a disclaimer on it to the effect that it has been altered. The refusal to air such an edited version would send a powerful message to Disney and other media corporations that want to deface history in the name of moral posturing.

[@bubandlisa]

Blame BLACKROCK they literally own 98% of media WORLDWIDE and issue ESG scores to businesses .. the more WOKE the HIGHER ESG SCORE

[@jonnyq680]

I want "Song of the South" on dvd with extras! I want "A Shadow on the Land" on dvd with extras! I want "Birds of Prey" (CBS Films - ABC movie of the week - David Janssen) on dvd with extras!

[@994pt4]

Censorship and lying. This is the path forward for a free society???

[@naturallawman2965]

This is what fascism looks like, from the left. The 80s in America is what fascism looked like from the right.

[@JohnS-il1dr]

​@@naturallawman2965 prefer the 80s then

[@AnonymousAnonposter]

"You will own nothing and be happy. Now eat the bugs."

[@chaospoet]

They don't care about a free society. They want to be free to dictate THEIR idea of society. And they can burn in Hell for it.

[@zg-it]

I just paid an extra 10% tax for the freedom of smoking a plant. Anyone who thinks we live in a free Society is insane. You need a license to get almost any job in America. There's nothing free, there's a whole group of parasites that have taken over.

[@tuorofgondolin8235]

They're getting people used to the idea of there being "acceptable reasons" to censor something and you should just accept it without resistance.

[@jonnyq680]

"The sheriff's a ni-"

[@tuorofgondolin8235]

@@jonnyq680 And... so...? I'm not getting your point here.

[@MrHorse-by3mp]

I know Gene Hackman himself was pretty uncomfortable with some of the racial stuff in the dialogue, but ultimately it makes Doyle a rougher and more believable character especially for the time. We're all adults here. Just leave it in.

[@benfisher1376]

Doyle was based on a real cop, Eddie Eagan. He was openly racist apparently, it's a central flaw in Popeyes character. This censorship is worrying, but not too surprising anymore.

[@Njbear7453]

In a film, as an actor, they’re just WORDS on a piece of paper called a SCRIPT; it sucks people still can’t realize that.

[@Gingerblaze]

It is how art gives us the opportunity to recognize what that looks like and perhaps recognize it in ourselves.

[@johnran6015]

Well it can't go unnoticed, Tarantino has written at length about how films from this time period have very memorable scenes where the main protagonist reveals uses a slur. It's not going to be memory holed easily.

[@bOmBAsTiK]

​@@Njbear7453It's that how it works, Mr. Lithgow? Please do, tell us more about how acting works...

[@metatron1970]

This sounds a lot less like Criterion and more like Disney who owns the licensing for the film at present. Disney has proven many times before how they are willing to sacrifice their own content if there's the slightest bit of controversy that might reflect badly on the company. I was repulsed when I heard they CGI'd Darryl Hannah's bare butt out of modern editions of "Splash". Censoring that important scene in French Connection completely ignores the historical context of the usage of the n-word in the 70s. In earlier docs on French Connection, Roy Scheider related that his first viewing of the film was in a primarily black audience, who reacted with wild enthusiasm at the frankness of the language which represents what they assumed whitey was thinking anyway. Hill Street Blues which owes much of its aesthetic to French Connection also contained surorisingly frank usage of the n-word, usually by characters who were irrational and racist. I expect nothing sane from Disney these days, but Criterion should be made aware their clientele expect their products to represent the original theatrical versions.

[@fredfredrickson5436]

Have you heard of ESG scores? How about Larry Fink?

[@UnbeltedSundew]

Criterion should have refused to publish it unless it was in it's original cut.

[@fastenbulbous]

​@@UnbeltedSundewDisney might not have told them, and unless whoever did the QC at Criterion is very familiar with the film, they wouldn't have known anything was cut. Hopefully they clarify what happened.

[@dhenderson1810]

​@@fastenbulbousI very much suspect that Disney did it without Criterion knowing,

[@derekp308]

“Splash” was released several months before the creation of the PG-13 rating. It was made by Touchstone Pictures, whose films where intended for a different audience.

[@DIOBrando-ij2bp]

The funny thing about this is, I remember hearing a story how when The French Connection was first playing that there were black audiences that cheered during that scene because it was one of the first times the saw a cop in a film talk like that. It was one of the first movies where they could be honest about how some cops can be. And now they’ve removed that scene.

[@saladinho1st]

Just read 1984 this year and was horrified to see that the same people who warned us about 1984 becoming reality in 2016 are actually the ones recreating the book today. I'm black and on the left, but I also love films, art, and history and I hate how immature, overly emotional teens and adults on social media are the new Hays code. These are people who don't understand art, and treat everything as a personal attack on their anxious sensibilities. I'm a comic book fan, and something that fans are going through these past few years is this push to change the race, gender and sexuality of established characters just so the companies can show that they're diverse and inclusive. The problem is, once you do that, not only do you anger longtime fans like myself, but then you limit what the new versions of the characters can do. Now that you've made a black Batman or whatever, no one can ever hurt him, or even insult him, because the people who wanted these changes will accuse the writers of racism, etc (some of the most iconic moments in comics history is of characters experiencing great physical harm, tragedy, even death--but if you do it to a D&I character today the writer will be cancelled). I'm an initial subscriber of the Criterion Channel, and this disappoints me to no end. It's as you said: they're treating their viewers like children, and that's the last thing I would have expected from them.

[@davids2427]

Agreed 💯 percent ✅

[@jessieo5757]

Sound like you are liberal and not left. There is a very discernible difference nowadays. I subscribe to more liberal ideas, but not this modern day leftism. I am against the abhorrent cancelling and censoring of anything art or not. But, I am sure no fan of the right or conservatives, nor do they want me.

[@saladinho1st]

@@jessieo5757 I would say I'm left because of social policies that I'm for, but yeah, if being left these days means you're cancelled if you disagree with them slightly on some issues, I'm not left.

[@kriscollinstunes]

Plenty of room for you on the right. But either way I’m glad liberals are now noticing the difference between themselves and actual “leftists” aka marxists and making the distinction. The thought police aren’t gonna like it though.

[@tomasandrew9354]

There’s the Left -the real Left-, and then there’s the New Left, which in my view is an attempt to put the final nail in the coffin of real leftism in America. Abhorrent at best.

[@knezbp626]

Assuming there isn't one already, It'd be nice if there was some kind of crowdsourced database tracking movie censorship which makes it easy for people to check if the version they're watching is okay. Kinda like a wiki, maybe. Let's face it, the censors don't appear to be going away.

[@Tatseryu27]

The worst part is that the censorship they are subjecting the movies to is done to please a demographic that doesn't even watch the films in question.

[@georgeellsworth3652]

Excuse me? Yes, we do.

[@Tatseryu27]

@@georgeellsworth3652 You are the exception. Do you like being treated like a child?

[@raum2811]

The demographic they are pandering to are not black people. It's the very superficial, easily offended, who take things on face value. And indeed, those people usually don't watch quality cinema.

[@at8630]

'They' are being protected from the hurtful language that they use all the time.

[@Tatseryu27]

@@raum2811 You're right. Just to clarify, I was not referring to black people, like WTF! Why would anyone think black people wouldn't want to watch this film? I was clearly talking about people who get offended by nearly everyhing they deem harmful in films or television (or fiction, for that matter).

[@Martinmd12-zt7vu]

They are fine with films that have extremely graphic violent and sexual content, but when it comes to a scene with racial slurs, that’s just too much? This is just like the Huckleberry Finn situation that happened back in 2011.

[@Theomite]

No, this is too obvious and clumsy. My guess is that it was supposed to get caught to see how we'd react. The really bad censorship is the kind that goes *unnoticed.*

[@Martinmd12-zt7vu]

@@Theomite good point

[@chaospoet]

No. It's not fine. If that's what the intent of the movie was, it stays. End of discussion. YOUR personal preferences don't dictate what a film makers work is.

[@Martinmd12-zt7vu]

@@chaospoet I didn’t say I was fine with it. I was saying that it’s weird that “they” as in the cooperations are fine with it, and that is a problem. I agree with everything you said.

[@jonnyq680]

@@Martinmd12-zt7vu "The sheriff's a ni-"

[@zantas-handle]

I remember when Amazon removed Orwell's 1984 from Kindles overnight. They claimed copyright reasons, but of course for most people the real shock was discovering that they could just 'repossess' a book if they wanted to without your permission. People are very naïve about 'digital vulnerability' and the current Culture war that's shoving our history down the 'Memory Hole'.

[@smallhelmonabigship3524]

Many people here have said we need to buy physical copies of old movies, and not rely on streaming downloads. We also need as many people as possible to buy physical copies of old books. We have to weather this storm.

[@dhenderson1810]

Wait what? If you downloaded "1984" onto your Kindle, how can they take it off you, when you have it on your device. You own the book you paid for. Are they going to refund you for "taking the book you bought off you"?

[@zantas-handle]

@@dhenderson1810 They did refund everyone yes. And, like you, I was shocked that they could take the books we had BOUGHT, but it turns out that with Kindle we don't actually OWN the buys we buy! That's their Terms and Conditions apparently - we're just 'renting' the books! That's why I have nothing to do with them anymore. If you have a Sony E-reader for example, you OWN and can keep and transfer the books you buy.

[@zantas-handle]

@@smallhelmonabigship3524 I recommend 'Fahrenheit 451' if you like reading. It's by Ray Bradbury and it's about a future society where books are burnt.

[@dhenderson1810]

@@zantas-handle But how do they access your machine, your downloads? Unless they close the server, but even then. I download video games, and even after the games are no longer available or accessable online, I can still use all my downloaded and purchased content.

[@kitkatzyy]

I feel like we’re experiencing the second coming of the Hays Code. Artistic censorship is unfortunately nothing new and it is up to us lovers of film and film history to fight this battle. So thank you for making this video and getting the word out as it’s important to bring awareness to this scary situation.

[@mainstreetsaint36]

I thought we say that end of that film code. I seriously hope it isn't going to come back.

[@dr.emilschaffhausen4683]

Yeah, meanwhile the left would be completely okay with a decapitated Jesus statue in a public setting.

[@ian_b]

Very much so.

[@J.S.3259]

Of course, Mr. Friedkin is the one who ordered these changes and not Disney. Research is fundamental, kids

[@SpookyDollhouse]

And the people who don't care will continue to spin it like they always do. Either "it could be worse, who cares" or they genuinely agree with it. There's a horrifying number of both.

[@sidneyfields2850]

About a year ago, I watched the FRENCH CONNECTION on the MOVIES! Channel which shows films in their entirety but since it is a basic cable channel they bleep out offensive language and blur nudity and graphic images in order to make it safe for all audience viewing. The scene you’re discussing was present in this version but with most of the offending language silenced although it was clear who Gene Hackman was referencing - primarily blacks and Hispanics. The Roy Scheider character responds to Hackman’s outburst by using a really bad slur for Italian-Americans in reference to his own character to make a point. That slur was left in this copy of the film while the other slurs were silenced since I guess the editors figured that most viewers might not know about this slur and let it go. As an Italian-American myself I found this to be interesting since this slur for Italian-Americans is equivalent to the N-word for blacks and when I was growing up it was considered “fighting words” if you were ever called that. And yet here that word was allowed to pass in a cleaned up version for general audiences! Go Figure!

[@perry92964]

so what they are saying is that you can insult white people in any way cause white people are a lot tougher then the weak minded black man

[@fiona4228]

New censorship rules do not appear to apply to Europeans or those of European descent. Rather than create an understanding of the changes in society and leave history be, it's being sanitized for certain groups and leaving others as groups that can be targeted as "them". This is a dangerous game and we know what it leads to. It's sad to see it now extended to older films. I've noticed that my ethnicity being is in the "fine to smear" category as is yours. Reading on this page that "1984" was removed by amazon from people's kindle accounts was like a kick in the stomach.

[@paints_his_shirt_red]

As a classic movie fan, this is the first time I’ve heard of this. This should be a bigger deal. Hope that some directors and producers that still care will make a huge public issue of this nonsense.

[@Bozlee22]

That’s not the only film. They removed dialog from The Hangover too. Imagine what they will do with Blazing Saddles. THIS is exactly why I purchase Blu Rays. They can never change it.

[@athos1974]

If Disney got the rights to Blazing Saddles, they would remove it from streaming, and ban any showings of it. They are the 21st century's version of the morality police.

[@whiskeyvictor5703]

There's a scene in Kentucky Fried Movie with abundant use of the n-word. I think it's likely that will too be sent to the censor's guillotine.

[@themarbleking]

They no longer put the comedies Police academy on tv anymore either because it is very homophobic.

[@raum2811]

It should be left as a document of the time it was made.

[@melainewhite6409]

Woody Allen's "Everything you always wanted to know about sex: but were afraid to ask". In the vignette on male orgasm, Woody Allen and many other White people are dressed as sperm while one black person was included running around saying "why am I here?" Post coitus the characters are all writhing around worn out except the black character energetically says "I want to do that again". Covertly clipped from the movie.

[@Nope_jpg]

The fact that they didn't tell anyone about the censorship is enough for me to assume that they weren't simply censoring the movie, but rather, engaging in a sort of history revisionism. This is a very common practice for those who are ideologically driven. Whether or not it was an individual or Criterion proper whom is responsible is yet to be known, but we should rightly condemn the company for any censorship. Also (on an unrelated note), they need to stop using videos that have English subtitles embedded in them so that users can turn them off (cough* literally every Japanese film, cough cough*). This is just lazy.

[@simonmultiverse6349]

You need to put the first asterisk next to the start of the word "literally". At the moment, you have: cough[star][space]literally.... but you can get the effect you want by using cough[space][star]literally

[@starbrand3726]

I was shocked to see that the classic Western musical film Calamity Jane starring Doris Day was also censored. Near the beginning of the movie Calamity is riding on a stage coach fighting off attacking Native Americans. In the unedited version Calamity Jane, while shooting the Native Americans, calls them "You N-Word heathens!" In the edited version they simply remove the dialogue as she shoots them. Another case of the act being perceived as less offensive than the name calling. I noticed the censorship years ago when I watched the movie on late night network television. I don't know if Turner Classic Movies actually censored it as well.

[@conradhauser17]

Didn't you destroy Pittsburgh??

[@starbrand3726]

@@conradhauser17 Noooooo, I am the Star Brand of Earth 1218. You're thinking of Ken Connell Star Brand of Earth 148611. He did that crap way back in the late 80's. He never could wield the Brand properly. There have been several Star Brands since then, all over the galaxy, and within the multiverse. The first Star Brand on Earth 616 was actually a Tyrannosaurus, who passed it onto a caveman.

[@conradhauser17]

@@starbrand3726 Thanks for clearing that up 👍

[@jonnyq680]

N-word heathens??? Heavens to Betsy!

[@starbrand3726]

@@jonnyq680 You want to know what's funny? I'm Black, as is my family (duh), and this was told to me by my older family members, mother, uncles, aunts, who actually saw the movie in the theater way back in 1953. They said, imagine a predominantly Black audience hearing this "N-Word Heathens" line for the first time in 1953. Their response was... unexpected... extreme LAUGHTER. They laughed hysterically.

[@LittlePhizDorrit]

This is sad news, I always loved the Criterion Collection. But it's been something I've been worried about a lot these days as sensitivity editors get their claws into everything from classic literature to classic films. Nothing is safe from these people who seem to hate the past and want to erase it, alter it, and do anything except accept it for what it was.

[@nstix2009xitsn]

@LittlePhizDorrit "Nothing is safe from these people who seem to hate the past and want to erase it, alter it, and do anything except accept it for what it was." Actually, they have no idea what the past was like. All they have are talking points about it.

[@tjtenser7828]

This is why i have made a concerted effort to make sure I have every classic movie and TV series I want to own on physical media because this kind of censorship is on the rise. People are foolishly paying these services to watch butchered versions. And these cuts are made totally out of context and often destroy scenes that have a legitimate reason for being there. I recently found out that Dirty Harry (1971) has had a massive edit of the "Harry hates everybody" scene which is actually meant to be an ironic comment aimed at his new partner. Trouble is society has gotten so repressive in so many ways in recent years I really fear for an Orwellian future for us all. It's already partly here.

[@pmorlan3]

The censorship in our world is off the charts. I'm sick of these people who think it's OK to do this. Thanks for alerting all of us. I'd love to hear what Criterion says about this.

[@richardhumphreys8662]

This is happening to books, films, paintings, sculptures, all forms of expression. In the UK, paintings are being removed from art galleries and books are being re-written. Publishing houses are employing people called sensitivity readers whose sole purpose is to be offended by something in a book. I expect film channels are now employing sensitivity viewers to be offended by the moving image.

[@jonnyq680]

"The sheriff's a ni-"

[@simonmultiverse6349]

@@jonnyq680 *EXCELLENT* example! The whole film is about pointing out the effects of racism and holding it up to ridicule. The film opens with two black men on a railway (under construction), sinking into quicksand. The rich overlords are complaining that they're losing a valuable piece of equipment, completely ignoring the fact that two black men nearly drowned.

[@kellydavis3108]

This is why physical forms of media must be preserved. It's all too easy to edit or simply cancel artwork / artists due to the mob's overreaction.

[@xvx5872]

Not necessarily. Blu Ray is physical media. But there are times when a blu ray has something censored out of it. That the dvd copy included. I mean, I just know one example of that. But still.

[@thisguy4505]

From what I've heard elsewhere, it seems that this is Disney's "director's cut" (if you can believe that) exclusively for the North American market. Criterion Channel has the film under license from Disney/Fox. So, it's not actually a part of the Criterion Collection. It's still a scummy move and, no doubt, being fully instigated from the Disney side. With everything Disney has been doing in recent years, they seem to have read 1984 and thought the plot was a really great idea!

[@nstix2009xitsn]

@stonesfan285 It's also consumer fraud, since you're paying for the original version. Could that be actionable? Any lawyers around?

[@willhemmings]

I am concerned to hear about this excising of cinema culture, but I am glad to have the physical hard copies of my favourite films (including The French Connection), on dvd in an age when many viewers have ditched the format in exchange for the convenience of plug-in streaming services. Anybody who is serious about film must look out the hard copy versions

[@T4FF3R]

WOW, I had no clue Criterion ever did anything like this. It really reminds me of George Lucas testifying before US Congress about how movies must be preserved in their original form for future generations... then he altered his own movies many, many times a few decades later.

[@arifshahabuddin8888]

100% agree. Human beings are complicated creatures and the best characters in film are those that are have contradictions, character flaws and moments of lack of moral clarity. Using "The French Connection" as an example, we have a gruff, racist, frustrated New York City cop (Popeye Doyle) and a suave, cultured and accomplished French businessman (Alain Charnier) who trades in illegal drugs. Who is the good guy? Who is the bad guy? We think that we know which is which. Yet, the "good" guy is full of contradictions. And so is the "bad" guy. Censoring the brilliant vision of director William Friedkin assumes that we are unable to think for ourselves. Nobody watching this film would become a racist because they heard the "n" word from the "good" guy. Either they already were racist or they would be offended and feel sorry for the "good" guy whom they wished would do better. Let the viewers think for themselves and not be rund down some rabbit hole by corporatist "big brother."

[@jonnyq680]

"The sheriff's a ni-"

[@mpjedi212]

This is likely a Disney issue (since they purchased 20th Century Fox - the original releasing studio - and their catalog). Criterion could've declined to accept the censored version, but I don't think there's anything that suggests the edit was made on their behalf or request. This smells like a Disney decision.

[@funnyguyla]

100% true. Criterion us streaming the version they were given. They don't edit movies. All the blame should go to Disney.

[@sodajoke348]

I tend to think most people are rather reasonable in their perception of these kinds of potentially offensive things -- I know they exist, but I've never encountered a person who has necessarily needed a trigger warning, and this is despite my being a university-aged person who knows a lot of younger and more progressive individuals. This is incredibly frustrating, it feels like corporations are battling over us for our favor and yet they don't even look to see that the battle itself is what hurts us, not the existence of things that we simply don't agree with. There's no room for mature and nuanced conversation about these issues anymore and it makes me really sad. What's next, do we push back on Faulkner too?

[@jomidiam]

The goal isn't to protect anyone. It's to control everyone. You can't control everyone if you don't control art.

[@cptnquick]

This is really interesting, as most young people strictly use streaming services instead of hard copies. The precedent set here means they could change anything they want. Censor anything that doesn’t match the narrative.

[@mistermoo7602]

Don't forget that many have older siblings who grew up in the pre-streaming era and understand how file-sharing changed the world. I'm 26 now, and I think streaming services don't stand a chance against this next generation. When we separate the concepts of "How the internet has been and can be used" from "How billionaires and corporations exclusively use the internet" the source of the problem becomes clear.

[@lcoya1]

There is no end to all these idiotic ideas.

[@folkalchemy]

I saw an example of this watching the “free with ads” version of Ace Ventura on KZbin movies. They completely cut out the dolphin trainer scene where Ace pretends to be a flamboyant dolphin trainer to brush off the press. I guess even that is considered “offensive” by streaming standards. Great video!

[@IsmailofeRegime]

To be fair, that was actually a deleted scene. It wasn't in the theatrical release and was only inserted in the VHS and early DVD versions of the film. Which is a shame since it is quite memorable and funny.

[@folkalchemy]

@@IsmailofeRegime That's very interesting because there were deleted scenes that weren't on the DVD version even though that scene was. But, I can totally see it as an improv scene too. I grew up on the VHS and early DVD versions (never saw it in theaters) so it felt like censorship when it wasn't on the streaming version. Thanks!

[@baigandinel7956]

Without the ability to comedically represent "gay" in films as a semi-normal thing that is culturally accessible, one wonders whether the public would have every accepted it.

[@blank557]

The "1984" scene when Winston disposes of information down the memory hole to be incinerated was supposed to be a warning, not an instruction manual.

[@askewbowl]

There was a scene in the Godfather that was removed. I remember it was after Walt kicked Tom Hagen out, and it showed a little girl leaving Walt's mansion limping. A women waited by a car and helped her in. Does anyone else remember that scene? My digital copy on Amazon doesn't have that scene anymore. I noticed it removed around 3 or 4 years ago.

[@cessnaace]

Reportedly the film has been edited for the Criterion Channel and for future theatrical releases in the U.S. but remains unedited on Disney+ in the U.K. and Canada. Since the film was produced and originally released by 20th Century--Fox (yes, the hyphen belongs there as the studio was formed as the result of the merger of two existing studios, Fox Films and 20th Century Productions in 1935; Fox deleted the hyphen from their name in the late 90s) and since that studio is now owned by Disney they now own the film. However, when it was originally released it was no kids film - it was rated R. Don't get me wrong, I'm against the film (winner of 5 Academy Awards) being censored. It's not as if it's being censored for Broadcast TV where the FCC has rules about such things. Disney even altered "Splash" (1984) - badly when they added it to Disney+, and that movie had been rated PG back in '84. Anyone here remember the events of September 11th, 2001 and the big debate of weather the Twin Towers should be edited out of old movies and TV shows? It was finally agreed upon that to edit such films would be the erasing of history. No difference here. Good thing we didn't go down the other road. If we had the classic film "3 Days of the Condor," which takes place IN and around the Twin Towers would have been banned - and many other films would have been butchered as well. The practices of reediting and altering old films and rewriting the works of dead authors (such as Agatha Christie, Rohald Dahl, Ian Flemming as examples) needs to stop.

[@joeangier]

For the record: I was in charge of renting movies at my college (early '70s, 16mm), and grabbed The French Connection as soon as it was available in that format. This was about a year after it opened commercially, and the distributor had dropped the sound when Hackman uttered the 'n' word. The whole scene was still there but had zero audio for several seconds. So having a physical copy of this film would not necessarily solve the problem

[@rhobot75]

When people see films and tv shows,in the thrift stores, and if they still have their VCR and or DVD players, gotta buy them. People gotta GO to the thrift stores!

[@trumpofhazzard9176]

I am buying as many as I can find. They'll be cancelling John Wayne and Clint Eastwood next.

[@cindydott452]

I buy at least three discs a week from thrift stores!

[@jasonl1942]

When streaming came out everyone laughed at my 5000+ strong laserdisc/dvd/bluray/UHD collection. Now that there are multiple streaming services that you have to join to see what you want all the while charging you multiple subscriptions to see, only to find out that these streaming services are cancelling movies, censoring them or completley taking them off their watch options - i have to sit back and laugh with vindication. Never EVER stop buying books, cds, dvds or anything that you like because one day - sooner or later - itll be censored or cancelled and be erased from public consumption. For those with critical long yetm memory youll recall a guy early last century who did the exact same thing - and well, that didnt turn out so well....

[@ChrisCooling]

Statement from Criterion: "THE FRENCH CONNECTION is a 20th Century Fox film title that we have under license from Disney, its current owners. This is the only version that has ever been available to us for streaming. The question you raise has come up when we have played the film in the past, and according to our licensor, this is a “Director's Edit” of the film."

[@tenzingnorgay93]

Yeah, I’m sure it was a Director’s edit alright! The question is Director of what at Disney? Director of Black Fragility? This word is used in rap lyrics TO THIS DAY and black people use it all of the time. How is it only offensive (and therefore requires excision) when it’s spoken by a white person? This is a double standard and it’s pathetic of woke Disney to allow this to happen and Criterion should refuse to carry any titles censored from their original theatrical release.

[@ChrisCooling]

@@tenzingnorgay93 I don't know why you're attacking me for posting the statement. They're clearly trying to pin it on Friedkin.

[@jordil6152]

Thanks for the post. Disney sucks.

[@normie2716]

I don't think he's attacking you, but attacking the statement.

[@mayanation]

There is no so called Director's cut of this film.

[@mayomonkey-gen1]

I would love to know how the company that released Salo can justify censoring a bad word.

[@AceRamone]

Wow. Just wow. Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention. Would you possibly write to criterion or send them this video and see if they will reply and give us an update? So if someone wants to watch The French connection now, how or where can they see it and it's true entirety?

[@ErikIversen]

You can also write to them expressing your opinion on the matter. If more people reach out to Criterion then there is more chance that they will do the right thing. As for the original uncensored version of the film, maybe you can find a DVD or Bluray at a thrift store.

[@zg-it]

Bit torrent my friend.

[@AceRamone]

@@zg-it I wish I had a friend

[@zg-it]

@@AceRamone lol, commas! I'll be your friend

[@AceRamone]

@@zg-it nobody cares about lonely old man. I just wish I had someone to watch movies with

[@doomraven0]

New subscriber here and thank you for this video. I immediately went to Amazon and ordered a copy of an older, untainted DVD of The French Connection(which i still haven't seen before, soooo many movies to catch up on). I have been passionate about movies since is was very young and that has only grown as i have aged and life experience has given me a joy in discovering older films and realizing how great they truly still are.

[@thestandingoak]

I couldn't be more disappointed. I really believed they understood and valued historical context and nuance. Characters can say terrible things, it's not to say that's the opinion of the writer! Or even the viewer! How absurd?

[@chanceotter8121]

When I read this I was livid! I saw The French Connection in ‘72 at a drive-in as a 10 year old ( I know!) in a Double feature with Vanishing Point.I think my folks figured I would fall asleep. No, I was awake, saw the whole thing (watching the car chase while looking out a cars front window) and it changed my life! French Connection is the reason I fell in love with movies. Even as a 10 year old in 1972 I knew Popeye was not a person to emulate or imitate. His language was vulgar, his manner grotesque, but it was necessary to contrast him with the elegant and debonair drug dealing Frenchman. So, a little kid 50 years ago had more artistic sense than the curators of Criterion today. Shameful display on Criterion’s part. They do know Popeye goes mad at the end right? I hope they don’t get a hold of Friedkin’s other films.

[@anthonyburn1010]

Criterion has now issued a statement that says they only have access to the edited version of The French Connection, which is a “Director’s Edit” from the director, which Disney then censored before releasing to Criterion.

[@Michael-dt1mv]

I recently discovered your channel and, as a (very) long-time film aficionado find it delightful, informative, and addictive. The news in this video, as previous comments have articulated, is appalling. I agree with you completely: it has left me in serious doubt about the integrity of Criterion releases, on streaming and on DVD, many of which I've purchased. My reason for this comment is to suggest that everyone who reads your posts--all or most of whom presumably care deeply about film and the integrity of its history and development--and who is so inclined write/email someone at Criterion making their reaction to this news crystal clear. I know from experience that such communications are far more effective when directed at the appropriate person, rather than just sent to some company email. Do you know or can you find out to whom those of us who decide to write Criterion should send their communications? If you can let us know this information and many of your viewers decide to take action, then at least Criterion will become aware of what they have done to their reputation and that it's affecting many who subscribe to their channel and/or purchase their films in hard copy. And that knowledge might induce them to at least explain this transgression and say what, if anything, they're going to do to keep it from happening again (unless, heaven forbid, it's now company policy). Thanks very much

[@LearningaboutMovies]

thank you, Michael. I have no idea who to contact there. I am betting they would react to this somehow. They at least have to reconsider their streaming agreements with Disney, or be suspicious of the movies they own the rights to.

[@k.k8291]

EXCELLENT commentary. Huge props for keeping it real and common sense.

[@TheTonyahawk]

So happy that I own an original copy of the French Connection when Fox was Fox and not an offshoot of the "Evil Empire" Disney. Being an avid movie collector since '78 I wonder how many of my older films have been censored since I first purchased them. 2023 has been a horrible year for Disney and their woke films at the box office, hopefully this will knock them down a couple of pegs and they release entertainment again not their current idealism of watch what we want you to the way we want it. New subscriber to your channel because of the informative video presented here and Physical Media will always be the best way to collect and preserve.

[@mainstreetsaint36]

You had a good argument, a damn good one. But you weakened it when you used 'woke'. Please stick with REAL arguments, not buzzwords. P.S. All Woke means (outside of the african-American community) is to be politically aware. The word woke in this case just means 'political correctness'.

[@allenrubinstein3696]

This is disgusting. They pull this kind of crap on a Best Picture Winner from the best period of American cinema. What a travesty. You can't know from today's perspective how important that line is. When Doyle said what he said in 1971, black audience cheered out loud for it!! After having grown up watching Dragnet, Adam 12 and Car 54, Where Are You?, a major film was finally acknowledging the black experience of the police. I would sooner they refuse to put The French Connection on any venue at all than show a bastardized version that returns the film to the fiction that cops didn't talk like that. Does anyone who would ever watch this fifty-year-old classic really need to be protected from a single harsh word? I really hate living in repressive times.

[@dravenlee4473]

An update is that Disney supplied Criterion with the "Director's Cut". I don't think Criterion was hiding anything. It's just the version they were given. It seems like Disney themselves are saying it is the director's vision and his preferred cut of the film. It's not like we want to hear and cheer on some racial slur - it's just about preserving film history and art. The slur gives you insight on Hackman's character and what kind of person he is. Just have a trigger warning before the movie or better yet, trust that people understand that this is an old movie and society is not going to be the same then as it is now.

[@xray86delta]

Have you seen what they've done to "An Officer and a Gentleman"? A re-release was done years ago from the original R rating to a PG-13, and many Cuts were made and many scenes altered. A "director's cut" DVD was available in the original R-rating, with a disclaimer at the start of the movie, and all of the original scenes left intact.

[@walfredswanson]

The danger of no longer owning physical media. Streaming and subscription services put control in the hands of gatekeepers who have no intellect or understanding of art.

[@tankardoftales4645]

I have a word for this: RollerBall (1975) This is a problem with streaming services and that's why it's important to own the original copies DVS, VHS, etc...

[@n_n_n_n_n_n]

Thank you for making this video, this is the first I had heard of this censorship issue with Criterion. I would hope it is a mistake on Criterion's part, uploading this edited version unintentionally. If that is the case, they need to release a statement explaining everything in detail that allowed this to happen and how they will do everything in their power to prevent it from happening again. If they did do this intentionally, then this is truly sad.

[@harryfyhr4010]

A Night to Remember (1958) The 1998 US Criterion Collection DVD is slightly edited. After the Titanic has sunk and Second Officer Lightoller (Kenneth More) is on top of the upturned collapsible lifeboat, a steward swims up to him with a child. Lightoller takes the child, but in the DVD, you don't see him find out that the child is already dead, and then he gently places him in the water.

[@chriswalker3375]

Disney losing money... is so beautiful

[@TheTonyahawk]

2023 has been an awful year for the Evil Empire and I agree it's AWESOME😎!!!!!

[@hueyiroquois3839]

The problem of media types not understanding books like "1984" and "Fahrenheit 451" goes back a long way. In "Fahrenheit 451", they burned books to prevent minorities from being offended, but the producers of the film changed the purpose to some weird thing about preventing people from getting sad when they see places they can't go.

[@efficiencygaming3494]

I must say, the censoring of "offensive language" is probably the most inconsistently applied form of censorship I've ever seen. If I really wanted to hear somebody say the N-word, I wouldn't have to look far! Anyone notice the irony of the fact that we basically live in the golden era of profanity in film and yet people tie themselves in knots trying to remove "slurs" from movies? I think Criterion deserves to lose a lot of respect for presenting that edited version.

[@MoviesWithMark]

A key thing to keep in mind is that there is no Criterion Collection version of The French Connection. This is important to note because while their Collection home video releases are devoted to properly preserve films (even with debatable color grading from the directors involved with restorations), the films they offer on the Criterion Channel that are not within their own library are basically whatever digital copy they get from the studios. So if Disney only sends them over the edited version, that's the only version they're going to get.

[@aaronolson2234]

I would absolutely love to find the exact person at Criterion or Disney who had the final say so in this decision and interview them for the entire world to see what kind of human being represents (in my opinion and many others) the banality of evil. Just lemme at 'em!

[@blatherskite3009]

I've always thought there should be a legal requirement to state honestly whether a film has been modified from its original version, i.e. censored - especially when you're buying a copy on disc. It's truly insidious, the way you can be sold a cut version of a film with no indication that changes have been made to it, and it's up to you to spot that bits are missing. That would be illegal with pretty much any other purchase, at any price. Heck, you'd have more legal recourse if you were sold an underweight loaf of bread.

[@fleshtrashheat]

Criterion needs to answer for this. They’ve been more and more disappointing for years but this is inexcusable.

[@1Kent]

I've noticed a truly excessive amount of censorship lately.

[@evoste]

I think this has been happening for a few years in film and literature to be honest, my issue is removing and "cleaning" what are capsules of time is that previous attitudes get white washed from reality, I think that for us to learn we have to learn from what the norms were and how they evolved over time. As you point out the said scene has context it's not gratuitous by any stretch and points to a fundamental aspect of Popeye's character. This is why I keep hard and digital copies of movies because I can't rely on streaming services not to meddle and remove any elements that maybe considered problematic. It's a form of of censorship based on a tiny handful of people who frankly make a career out of being offended. I suspect this is more likely Disney's hand rather than Criterion, if I was a betting man....

[@dathorndike4908]

The old Warner Bros. cartoons with Daffy Duck, etc. are chopped up, too. And that is the ones they even will show or release anymore. A travesty

[@garym6315]

This is the problem with people obsessing over needing to see themselves onscreen...they forget that it's fiction, not a documentary. You can't apply moral values to fictional characters who are meant to have no morals. Remember when people complained about Michael Myers killing gay people in Halloween Kills? As if murder and mayhem is fine but one he targets gays its the straw that broke the camel's back.

[@handsomeDRAC]

Streaming is gonna be the end of classics. That's why it's better to own the uncensored film on physical media. Can't be messed with after that.

[@dan_hitchman007]

Criterion loves money more than film preservation and Disney now owns the Fox Studio library and can do with it as they see fit. So far they haven't been releasing any more of Fox's classic catalog on 4k Blu-ray I see (let alone Disney's own live action catalog titles outside of a few random animated titles), so all you will have is their censored content on streaming for the foreseeable future. God help us all.

[@MrSeedi76]

I don't think I need God's help with canceling my Disney+ subscription. They're only releasing garbage anyway.

[@kriscollinstunes]

Thank you for bringing attention to this. My kids think I’m so old fashioned for still buying dvds and other physical media - this is precisely why I do it.

[@requestnearby]

We need hashed codes for digital media so we can authenticate the originals and the edits.

[@LearningaboutMovies]

yes!

[@jbrentjoseph]

Meanwhile kudos to Turner Classic Movies for not censoring. Saw a Richard Pryor movie today and was shocked they allowed the language on basic cable.

[@epicgravyfilms]

Ideology is the enemy of artistic expression.

[@ArtPhotographerLindsay]

I had been considering canceling my Criterion membership. This settles it. Just cancelled it.

[@bletheringfool]

In the UK here and I recently watched both French Connection movies on Disney plus and can confirm the scene was not edited in the version I saw. I know Gene Hackman had an issue originally but he is playing someone who was a real person and it is important to get all the nuances of that person on screen

[@flannelogue]

From Canada can report the same thing. This edited version was also seen in a cinema re-release from a few years back. This is simply a case of the wrong version being made available.

[@bletheringfool]

@flannelogue I used to work for a TV network that aired an unedited version of a film in the afternoon by mistake. Before the 9pm watershed. I hadn't thought that it could be something like that on streaming.

[@djtforever1414]

The French Connection won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Changing any of it makes it not the film that won Best Picture.

[@klaussulzbeck4610]

the easiest thing for them to do is to place a disclaimer before the film starts saying that this particular movie was originally released in 1971, 52 years ago. It was another age, another time, different values; some scenes or dialogues may be offensive for modern audiences. And that's it. Let the individual judge if he/she wants to see it. Do not censor it, don't cut any second from the original product.

[@MakiPcr]

YES. I know some people are hard on content warnings, but they're the best way to deal with problematic content

[@fiona4228]

That is a good approach. Education about history, not censorship and loss of freedom to think and speak for oneself is something that should be protected and valued at all costs.

[@klaussulzbeck4610]

Even Disney + does that. Recently I rewatched Aladdin and Return of Jafar, and there was such a disclaimer there. Nowadays they're worried that those kinds of films may be offensive and misrepresent peoples and cultures, but we are not so naive as to believe that whatever we see in those movies represent the real arabic people or culture. I like to believe that we are smart and not dumb like those hollywood studios think. There's another example that I discussed here on youtube regarding that videogame L A Noire: set in the late 40's we play as WW2 veteran turn cop/detective. The game was not affraid to show the racism, homophobia, misoginism and even anti-semitism of late 40's LAPD. I think it would be worse and more offensive if they tried to hide and pretend it never happened. Mafia III placed such a disclaimer

[@gregmattson2238]

I think that you could figure out this censorship by comparing the runtimes. There has got to be a database of original run times out there, and all you need to do to figure out whether this is endemic is to spot the differences.

[@antonnym214]

The process of retroactive censorship sucks so hard the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA is using it for their vacuum chamber experiments. (ʘ_ʘ) Just the fact they did this made me want to acquire an un-desecrated version of The French Connection for posterity. Plus, I admire Gene H.'s work.

[@StuartG1175]

I have Disney+ in UK and checked this out on 12th June 2023 and the the scene is still there in its complete form.

[@sunshinecoolwater9528]

Ironic that Pulp Fiction is also part of the Criterion Collection, but I doubt they will censor any offensive scenes and lines from that film.

[@tsp1999]

Disney has a 50 percent share in miramax

[@NostalgiNorden]

Luckely there are zero offensive scenes in Pulp fiction. Maybe to morons ;)

[@beageler]

Isn't there the case for a lot of scenes that people use racial slurs that are allowed to use these racial slurs because of their race? Why, yes, above sentence sounding idiotic was kinda the point.

[@jamesburke4358]

It turns out Chevy Malibu key scratchers are offended, so that scene will be cut.

[@jordil6152]

It would be interesting to see it censored, just to see if Tarantino would step up.

[@ladymecha8718]

Cutting a scene out of a movie that is a historical context for a racist comment of a ‘character’, is like taking out the ‘smoking’ of characters in the past, or using tech like land phones that are so rare today. The only censorship is required is to re-tag that the movie to present standards like it should be is pg-13 movie that’s all for swearing. Sheesh. Additional: if they want to cut the scene out, then it’s a whole new cut, and it’s misleading to say it’s the original theatrical release version. It should be renamed as the ‘kiddified’ or ‘sanitized’ or whatever cut, with the change.

[@tannerhiltbrand26]

I think that editing (with a title card announcing the change) it for something like Hulu or Netflix where the audience and their motives for watching tend to be different is more appropriate. But for Criterion, it is unacceptable

[@ohsweetmystery]

No. They should just bleep out or blur out anything they feel is inappropriate. To simply remove content creates two different versions, one of which misleads people into believing a WRONG version is correct.

[@claudiameier666]

or have two versions of the movie available

[@aranisles8292]

@@claudiameier666 You're being reasonable and that's the problem. The woke are not reasonable. They want total control over the culture. They would never accept two versions because that would make them 'complicit' in whatever 'social' injustice they are bent on fixing. They are authoritarians through and through. They decide what others can see and think.

[@1985JM]

I’m glad I still have my massive DVD / BRAY collection . This removal of scenes on classic movies is getting ridiculous

[@popey129]

Popeye was crass and vulgar like many drug cops of that era. It's not up to criteron to censor. LOVE my blueray of french connection.

[@goodsound4756]

Imagine they start cutting out the scenes in old movies where people are smoking, because smoking is unhealthy… censorship is disrespectful when it concerns art and in general.

[@vlad8888]

Already been done: "Disney is streaming on Disney+ an edited version of the 1942 movie Saludos Amigos that lacks a scene of Goofy smoking a cigarette despite the film being labeled as uncut" also, I believe there’s an altered image in the Disney film “Melody, Time“. And HBO max altered movie posters for a number of films, like McCabe and Mrs. Miller for example.

[@nicholasbarrett3018]

Slippery slope.

[@harryorenstein1144]

Excellent commentary. The two very important words here are "historical context": do we, for example, destroy all copies of Birth of a Nation because, among other things, the KKK are portrayed as heroes, or do we use it as a teaching tool illustrating attitudes towards race 50 years after the Civil War (not to mention its importance in the history of film). I'm not always a fan of Spike Lee, but I consider Bamboozled to be one of the most important films of the 21at Century. The 10-minute montage at the end of the film is stunning, and if you have the Criterion edition, the interview with him is an absolute must.

[@84paratize]

I don't think Criterion censored it. Disney censored it and Criterion failed to catch it

[@LearningaboutMovies]

yes, though it's been up this way for at least 18 months. I realized this today: I watched the censored version twice in January 2022, and I made note that the movie had a jumpcut around 10:00, which I was going to use in a video. But I couldn't find that jumpcut with my copy, so I just chalked it up to an incorrect observation on my part. No, it was the censored version creating a jumpcut that wasn't in the original.