Exterminator, The (1980) [A-AE 0353]The version I have is a promotional sample copy. The centre sticker is stamped as such. I've noticed a few things with this disc that give it, imho, a bit of extra importance that I think is worth noting.
The disc appears to be fully uncut. Though it is possible it may be the Pre Certification theatrical print that was released on VHS very briefly by Intervision in 1985. That print had 44 seconds of footage removed.
However, after checking up on the list of cuts and timestamps at Movie Censorship, it appears all of the cut footage on this promotional disc is intact. I still need to check it against a Blu Ray fully uncut copy but it does seem intact, which is odd. Is it possible this disc contains a fully uncut transfer that was made prior to the BBFC requesting the 44 seconds of cuts?
All of the footage that was removed in later prints is intact.
One of the most interesting points of this disc though is that the poster on the wall at 1hr 4 mins in the perverts bedroom is completely uncensored.
On all of the negatives of this film (even the uncut Blu Ray versions) that have been released (except one negative from Sweden iirc?) the poster was optically censored by the director who stated he smeared vaseline over the image.
Referenced Here.
Yet on this print the offending image is completely uncensored. The image is of a man's leg by the way, not sure what the problem was with it. Interestingly the director states that the Japanese VHS is the best version of his film.
This means the print on this disc must have been extremely early, circa 1980? Or, it is from the Swedish negative? It may not be a Swedish source, again it is just something I recall reading. Someone please correct me if this is incorrect information.
Here is the cut list if you want to check for yourself. Also the BBFC entry for the same Intervision release.
https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=592069https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/exterminator-1970-2This is the Alpha Films (logo at the start of this Laserdisc) submission, notice the longer runtime? Yet the BBFC still cut it, unless it was pre cut by the MPAA?
https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/exterminator-filmAs for the disc itself, it is P&S PAL with an old school analog audio track. It has an Intervision logo and an Alpha logo before the opening credits as well as a copyright notice.
The picture is a little washed out, not overly so, just in darker scenes. Cue marks are also present, another hint at a straight telecine maybe? The audio is superb though. I noticed as well a blooper at the beginning of the film where the boom mic is visible, maybe the transfer wasn't framed right?
This is definitely a disc worthy of further investigation I think. I will check it against the uncensored Blu Ray another day to be 100% but regardless I think this is an interesting little disc.
Footnote: One little piece of trivia to add. The opening Vietnam sequence was actually shot at the same spot as the tragic disaster on the set of The Twilight Zone that claimed the lives of Vic Morrow and 2 young children just 2 years after The Exterminator was filmed there. It was also worked on by the exact same special effects guy who worked on the Twilight Zone in the exact same spot. Read more at the Google Books link I referenced earlier.