Monday, June 25, 2012

Different versions of the Dukes of Hazzard movie


Flipping through the channels on Sunday, I came across the Dukes of Hazzard movie on TBS.  Its always a nice surprise when you don't expect to see it on the program guide.  I think this is the first time it was on TBS.  It mostly ran on USA Network.  I watched the last half hour and, like every time I watch it, paused it all the different times I can be seen during the final race scene.  I also recorded it with my DVR.  Not sure why I do this, because I have it on DVD.  Many versions on DVD.  


The movie is a polarizing topic within the Dukes of Hazzard fan community.  I like it.  I'm in it.  And I collect it.  This is the standard version of the DVD.  It is the theatrical cut.  This version was only released in "full-screen edition."  That was strange. 


The "widescreen edition" was the also the unrated version.  I'm not sure why the theatrical cut wasn't released in widescreen.  The "unrated-ness" of this one added a few harsher cuss words and some more drug related humor. 


Remember the high definition format war?  That was fun.  HD DVD vs. Blu-ray.  Warner Bros. seemed to be on the Blu-ray side of the fight from the beginning but oddly only released Dukes on HD DVD.  That bummed me out when it was released because I have a PS3 which played Blu-ray.  And of course HD DVD lost the war and has since gone the way of Betamax.  I'm still waiting for the Blu-ray release. 


UMD was also a weird mid-2000s format.  It only worked on one little hand held game console, yet it was widely accepted by all major studios for...about six months.  I never owned a PSP so I never got to use this disc.  It seems to be the theatrical release. 


The United Kingdom saw the release of the "unseen" version on UMD.  There are a few versions from across the pond that are called "unseen" rather that "unrated."  Must be a legal issue having to do with the ratings.  This is the only "unseen" one I have picked up so far. 


This is the standard Region 3 release.  Any version released out side of the USA or UK got this box art.  They dropped the goofy "thrillbillies" tag line for an equally goofy "all speed no limit" line.  And Jessica thinks something is REALLY funny. 


I think this one is a Greek version.  I'm not as fluent in my southern European languages as I should be.  It works on a DVD-rom and only has subtitles.  I was hoping for a dubbed over soundtrack.  No luck. 


Wal-Mart released this version about two or three years after the movie came out.  Starsky & Hutch had a remake, a muscle car, and two dudes.  Might as well stick it on the back of the Dukes of Hazzard disc.  I don't like the fact that the Gran Torino made the cover and the General didn't.  There is a TV/Movie car hierarchy that is being disrespected here. 


This is the "Hog-Wild Edition."  They didn't even spell it Hogg.  This movie marked the only time I purchased the straight-to-dvd mess that was "The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning."  I feel about that movie the way some Dukes fans feel about the real movie.  It did not need to be made.  I caught "The Beginning" on ABC Family when it premiered.  It was horrible.  Willie Nelson reprised his role as Uncle Jesse and Shooter McGavin played Boss Hogg.  In the story, the Dukes didn't build the General, they found it in the bottom of a lake.  What did that mean?  That the show took place first?  It was just bad.  I resisted buying it until this version came out.  And I haven't watched it since ABC Family.


Then last year for my birthday, Jeff bought me both the widescreen and full screen versions of it. THANKS JEFF!  Is that how you portray sarcasm on a blog, with caps?  Who knows what debauchery the "unrated" version contains.  I do remember that this version had Lulu Hogg in it.  Her character was missed in the movie.  At least Daisy was a brunette. 

The poster in the first picture includes www.dukesofhazzard.com.  That link used to take you to a fun flash based site promoting both the movie and the show.  It had clips from all of the full season releases and a couple of games promoting the movie.  I went there recently and it takes you to the WBshop.com selling the show and movies now.  That's a shame.  Dukescollector.com is now better than dukesofhazzard.com.  So I got that going for me. 




1 comment:

  1. Didn't I get you three versions of the TV movie? And Jessica Sampson has never looked better than when she was in this movie.

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