The Beast in the Cellar (1971) - Severin Blu-ray ADDED

[Darrel_Griffin]

Title: The Beast in the Cellar (1971)
Country: USA
Region: ALL (checked by me)
Releasing Studio: Severin
Case Type: Keep Case
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1

N.B. it is unclear whether OAR is 1.66:1 or 1.85:1. IMDb lists both. I also own the UK Odeon DVD (1.66:1) and a quick comparison of a shot near the start reveals that the Odeon 1.66:1 DVD has more image top and bottom, suggesting that the Severin 1.85:1 Blu-ray is cropped top and bottom.

Codec: AVC MPEG-4
Picture: 1080p, 24fps
Soundtracks:

English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono
English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono

Subtitles: English HoH (optional)
Cuts: no cuts, US theatrical version (88:53)
Commentaries: none
Extras:

"Tigon Tales of Terror" 2004 featurette with producer Tony Tenser, filmmakers Michael Armstrong & Piers Haggard, actor Ian Ogilvy and more (SD, 26:57)
"Composer in the Cellar" new (2019?) featurette with composer Tony Macaulay (HD, 11:23) (misspelt in menu as 'Tony Macauley')
"Cutting the Beast" new (2019?) featurette with editor Nick Napier-Bell (HD, 8:22)
Theatrical Trailer (upscaled HD, 2:07)

Notes:

4K transfer from the original negative.
Limited Edition Black Friday 2019 exclusive release from Severin website (https://severin-films.com).


Easter Eggs: none known
Amazon ASIN: not (yet) listed on Amazon. I bought it direct from the Severin website, but it appears to no longer be available there. I'm pretty sure it was a Limited Edition Black Friday 2019 exclusive release, although the packaging does not mention this.

Source: I own it


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Additional notes:

1. Currently the DVD page for this movie mentions the "original UK version". However, my understanding is that the original UK version was approx. 101 minutes long (this is also the runtime currently listed on IMDb). I don't know any more details about this longer version, or even whether it ever actually existed, but my understanding is that all releases currently listed have the US theatrical version (with the German CMV Laser Vision DVD also including the shorter German version).

2. The UK Odeon DVD runtime is 85:06
Source: I own it

[Darrel_Griffin]

Regarding my notes about the original UK version, I just checked the BBFC website, which lists a submitted film on 10th July 1970:

https://bbfc.co.uk/releases/beast-cellar-1970

The page also states that the movie was cut to achieve an X rating, with a final approved runtime of 88:46, but does not provide details of the cuts. However, IMDb has details of the cuts made:

(WARNING: LINK CONTAINS SPOILERS)

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066815/al ... t_ql_trv_5

According to the notes in the booklet supplied with the UK Odeon DVD, the version originally shot had less horror and more dialogue. It may well be that this original version was the 101 minute version, but this was presumably never submitted for release. It then had some shots removed, and extra horror footage was shot and added. I suspect this version is what was submitted to the BBFC, and released with a few brief cuts in the UK. However, the US theatrical version was presumably released uncut.

According to the IMDb page linked to above, the UK Anchor Bay DVD release was uncut, although its runtime of 84:59 PAL is equivalent to only 88:31, effectively 15 seconds shorter than the cut UK theatrical release, but anyway I assume it includes the shots that were originally cut by the BBFC. Despite these runtime discrepancies, I suspect the existing releases are essentially the (uncut) US theatrical version, and not the (cut) UK theatrical version, although I'd welcome any useful information anyone else has on this issue.

[Eric_Cotenas]

Added, do let us know if you find anything else out about the cuts.

[Darrel_Griffin]

A few points:

1. I don't know if some copies of the Severin Blu-ray had a slipcover, but mine certainly does not.
(Note: I also bought the Blood on Satan's Claw Severin Blu-ray + CD at the same time, and my copy of this item DOES include a slipcover.)

2. The UK Odeon DVD runtime has not been updated. Should be 85:06

3. The General Notes (on both the DVD and Blu-ray pages) don't seem to be entirely accurate. Unless you know otherwise, I don't think the original longer version (probably the 101 minute version) was ever submitted for release. The version that WAS submitted for release was definitely cut by the BBFC as mentioned on their website, so you could mention that the approved UK theatrical version was slightly cut.

In summary, there are at least 4 versions:

version 1: the version as originally shot (probably approx. 101 minutes)
version 2: the modified version submitted to the BBFC (approx. 89 minutes)
version 3: the cut modified version as approved by the BBFC (approx. 89 minutes)
version 4: the cut German version (approx. 77 minutes)

I don't have information on the original US release, but I suspect this was the same as the version submitted to the BBFC i.e. version 2 in the above list.

Here's a suggestion for revised General Notes:

The film's originally shot UK version ran roughly 101 minutes before being recut and submitted to the BBFC (much of the cut footage consisted of dialogue while some horror footage was also reported added to this recut version). This recut version is presumably the same as the U.S. theatrical version. The BBFC then imposed a few brief cuts for an approved X-rating with a runtime of 88:46. These cuts were later waived for DVD releases.

4. The German CMV Laser Vision DVD is described as including "the original UK version", but I suspect it is uncut, which would mean it is NOT the cut UK theatrical version, but is the uncut version (version 2 in the above list, and presumably the same as the U.S. theatrical version).

[James-Masaki_Ryan]

Eric, any changes or updates needed?

[Eric_Cotenas]

I will take a look

[Tim_Rogerson]

Hi

I examined the BBFC correspondence file for this film which was fairly scant.

The cuts made by the BBFC in 1970 were:

In Reel 2, in the barn sequence:
- the shots of a man pulling off a girl's panties were reduced to a flash and the shot of her opening his trouser buttons was deleted.
- the shots of blood falling onto the girl's bare thigh was removed

These shots - which are obvious inserts - are intact in both the old UK Anchor Bay DVD and the Odeon DVD. IIRC they have also been present in prior TV screenings.

The BBFC file did not otherwise comment on the film. If there was a 101m version, it was never released anywhere and one must assume it was some form of workprint.

[Eric_Cotenas]

Thanks Tim and Darrel. Amended version notes. The violent inserts are pretty bad and I would like to have seen the additional dialogue sequences instead.