Review: New DVD release of "The Dead"

[persimmonfrost]

Cover of Dublineses (The Dead)

I have been waiting for a DVD release of "The Dead" almost since the day I first discovered the film at a tiny video rental store. I fell immediately in love with the film and bought a copy for myself because I wanted to be able to watch it whenever I chose.

Time passed. Even more time passed. DVDs which were just appearing on the horizon when I first saw this film eclipsed VHS but there was no sign of a release. I managed to burn the movie to DVD, a hectic and not-terribly satisfactory solution. When I discovered a PAL version was available I ordered it since I had a multi-standard DVD player.

Why am I telling you all this? Because I want you to understand how I felt when I found that Lionsgate was finally releasing "The Dead" to DVD in this country. I was overjoyed, I pre-ordered it, and I waited anxiously for it to arrive.

And then I watched it and nearly wept. It's not bad enough that the beautiful cover of the original film has been replaced by hideous cover art with no real connection to the film, save the image of Anjelica Huston, but to find that an 83-minute film has been chopped down to 75 minutes, and utterly without regard for the continuity was enough to make me furious, and determined to keep anyone else from buying this travesty.

Fortunately Lionsgate has apparently discovered that their truncated version of the real thing was not being well-received (What were they thinking??) and has issued a recall. Information is here: http://www.seanax.com/2009/11/05/total-recall-lionsgate-recalls-the-dead/ They are taking the position that it was an accident. My thinking is that an accident is not sending the DVD out in the case, or sending defective one, or sending ones with the wrong film. Cutting a film to pieces is not an accident, it is a deliberate act. I see from the information on IMDb that in Spain, the release is 79 minutes.

It's not as if this is as long as say, "Fanny and Alexander"'s original version, or another "Lawrence of Arabia." This is 83 minutes we're talking about. If you don't have an attention span that long you won't like this film anyway, no matter how much they cut out of it. This is a film that is short and perfect, and it should not be interfered with in any way.

So if you were one of the unfortunates who bought a copy, please go to the URL I've just posted and get yourself a copy of the real (we hope) film before they say "Oh no, too late!" or do something else boneheaded to it. And pass the word. Lovers of this film have waited far too long to be jerked around like this.