MovieChat Forums > Swamp Thing (1982) Discussion > The 'REAL' reason why the DVD was recall...

The 'REAL' reason why the DVD was recalled, etc.

posted 18 years ago by rollotomasse
32 replies | jump to latest

I have a feeling this topic will become an urban legend eventually but the reality of it all is that Swamp Thing was released in theatres as a PG film. There was no PG-13 (this didn't occur until after Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was released in '84) and it wasn't "at the time" deemed necessary for an R rating by the MPAA.

The exact same version was released on DVD by MGM with the exact same rating it had in theatres. A mother who rented the movie for her kids from a blockbuster noticed the explicit scenes and flipped out. She made it her personal mission to get the movie recalled.

MGM pulled the film off the shelf and in part because it hadn't sold all that well in the first place decided not to re-release it as unrated (it was in fact a bargain bin $9.99 dvd to begin with). It can never be released as R because DVD's don't get rated by the MPAA.

In 2005 they released the current version which also sports a PG rating, from what I've read the so-called offensive scenes are still intact and the price is the same. The hype behind the movie being pulled is probably in part why MGM decided it was worth re-releasing. I can almost guarantee though that they didn't spend a second in the editing room for a movie that they're only charging $9.99 for. It's just not cost feasible.

[–] jjhumphrey 18 years ago

You are partly correct, but when MGM went to make the DVD they pulled the international version (unrated) from the shelf mistaking it for the US theatrical release. The US version was PG rated. The international version includes scenes of topless hookers at at party and Adrienne Barbeau topless bathing in the swamp. This version cannot be released in the US because in her contract Adrienne Barbeau has a clause stating that no scenes of nudity involving her will be released in the US market. That combined with the upset parents caused MGM to pull the first release. The newer release is actually the very same print but with those scenes edited out. A friend of mine worked on the film and is making a documentary on it.

[–] philipfisher_uk 18 years ago

Iv'e just got an mgm release of this from 04 that is rated 15. (English, region 2)

I haven't watched it yet but im assuming it has the offending scenes still intact.

[–] MisterMovieMan 18 years ago

Someone should let imdb know that they screwed up again then. I haven't seen this film in ages but according to the alternate versions section on this site the Adrienne Barbeau frontal breast shots are still intact on the new dvd. Is this so or are they refering to a foreign release?

[–] asimpleplan 18 years ago

Red Dawn was the first movie to ever receive a PG-13 rating. Go check out the trivia section for it, it had something like 2 acts of violence ber minute.

[–] wb-12 18 years ago

Damn it, I thought I was going to chime in with the "Red Dawn" info...beat again!

[–] mojoman99 18 years ago

I just watched "Swamp Thing" on Comcast free On Demand. The topless scenes with Adrienne and the strippers were both included in the film. For some reason the cable rating of it was R. I guess they changed it just to cover themselves. Either way it was nice to see some boobs... lol

[–] weeks 18 years ago

That's so funny. I just finished watching the FEARnet on-demand version, too, like 4 minutes ago. I was about to leave the exact same post.

[–] asimpleplan 18 years ago

I recently watched Red Dawn. Correction. I watched about half of it, then turned it off. It doesn't hold up to todays movie standards, and some video games have better cinematics. As far as the average number of acts of violence being 2 a minute or whatever it is...no way. There are some real boring lulls between any gun (bow and arrow) play, intermixed with characters you never get a chance to care about. The pacing of the movie is just off...I can't put my finger on it, but I just never gave a crap about these kids fighting off invaders. I remember this movie getting my adrenaline pumping as a teenager, but I guess the threat of something like an invasion was more a possibility then as compared to now (by threat, I mean large scale invasion of the US by foreign army).

[–] kevinlangille 18 years ago

First movie to recieve PG-13 was Dreamscape. Red Dawn was the first wide release.

[–] captainkidd1972 18 years ago

Actually the first PG-13 movie given the rating was The Flamingo Kid, however Red Dawn was released first on August 10, 1984, closely followed by Dreamscape on August 15, 1984. Flamingo Kid was finally released on December 21, 1984. And as someone else mentioned here incorrectly, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom is rated PG, not PG-13. Steven Spielberg was a member of the committee who sought to revamp the rating system AFTER outcry from parents about T of D....

[–] peterfitzperfect 18 years ago

Huh, I thought the first PG-13 was "Runaway".

[–] captainkidd1972 18 years ago

Runaway was released December 14th, 1984, four months after red dawn.

Never Take Life Too Seriously, Nobody Gets Out Alive Anyway..."

[–] dr.gonzo-4 18 years ago

I thought The Zoo Gang was the first film to recieve the PG-13?

We're your friends, we're not like the others man, really

[–] captainkidd1972 18 years ago

I sent a reply once, don't know where it went, so here goes...

As far as i can find, The Zoo Gang didn't go before the rating board until September, well after the others did. And even after Red Dawn was released. But I can;t find the hard facts. I did see where someone even listed your same sentiment under the trivia portion of the movie here on IMDb, but everything I have read and found points to what I previously posted...If you can find otherwise, please let me know, I would love to see it...

"Never Take Life Too Seriously, Nobody Gets Out Alive Anyway..."

[–] baran_erik 10 years ago

Actually, The Flamingo Kid was the first film to receive the PG-13 rating, but not the first released with it. Red Dawn was the first released with it.

[–] onlinebrad 18 years ago

I remember seeing this movie in the Theater when it was first released. I was in love with those breasts, and remember them very well. They were always part of the US version, and have been there everytime I have ever watched the movie. Well, except when I saw it on USA network.

[–] mikeflw1 12 years ago

Aren't you mistaking Adrienne for Rosanna Arquette?

Rosanna did PLAYBOY magazine in Europe, and required that her photos never be put in the US market. Also, she did a movie, THE WRONG MAN, that was internationally released, and on NTSC laserdisc, (I can prove the laserdisc part). Just TRY to find that in the US.
I've never seen a DVD of that, or VHS tape.

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If you want to fuss about the early ratings, two I can name are (G) SINBAD AND THE EYE OF THE TIGER, (Jane Seymour - 'Medicine Woman', Taryn Powers - Tyrone's daughter), and (PG) SYLVESTER (Melissa Gilbert - Little House On The Prarie).

Sinbad has skinny dipping and drying off in the sun, while Sylvester has an assault/intimidation/attempted rape with both breasts visible. BTW, SYLVESTER was in a Toys-R-Us movies ad a few years ago, (Sylvester is a horse)... it is good for a lot of reasons, but for young kids? With the world as it is today, (PG-13) makes sense but not really (R).

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[–] Richardm18 18 years ago

Ditto on Comcast/FearNet...Rated R....you will need to change your underwear....LOL

[–] everybodyhatesruss 18 years ago

Pinch poke, you owe me a Coke! I watched it on Fearnet on Sunday!

[–] british1500 18 years ago

I just watched it to, not seeing it in over 20 years on HBO. God dang was it worth it to see Adrienne's rack. Was that the hook to get people in the theater? If so, it's all worth it.

One of the view times I will praise Comcast's otherwise lackluster OnDemand. ( x )

[–] BobCH88 18 years ago

insane-another FearNet viewer here.Believe me, when they showed Adrienne Barbeau skinny dipping, I was like-'I don't remember this part!?'Then the movie tries to get orgiastic & throws in more titties. I could'nt believe it-did'nt need a change of pants but it caught me way off guard.

[–] Skeptic-2 18 years ago

It can never be released as R because DVD's don't get rated by the MPAA.

Any film can be submitted to the MPAA for rating. A great deal of direct-to-video releases sport an MPAA rating; many rental chains won't carry them otherwise.

[–] jamieleefan1 18 years ago

Gotta admit its pretty funny that a pair of b00bs is responsible for a major consumer recall. thats how powerful they are!

[–] cthoyes 18 years ago

Welcome to all recorded history.

[–] iamnessie 18 years ago

FEARnet for me too :p

[–] SALEMS-LOT 18 years ago

FOR YOUR INFORMATION,MOVIES DO GET RATED BY THE MPAA ON DVD.THEY MAKE STRAIGHT TO DVD RELEASES WITH RATINGS WHERE THE FILM NEVER PLAYS IN MOVIE THEATERS,AND OLDER MOVIES,ESPECIALLY WESTERNS,MSYETER/SUSPENSE,AND ACTION PICTURES FROM BACK IN THE TIME WHERE THERE WERE NO RATINGS AVAILABLE ARE GETTING THE RATINGS THEY DESERVE NOW,BEFORE THEY ARE PUT OUT ON DVD.EVERYTHING NEEDS A RATING NOW.ESPECIALLY FOR TV VIEWINGS.I'VE NOTICED THE RE-RATINGS ON HITCHCOCK FILMS.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] sara-452 18 years ago

Dude... What?

The kind of white woman who wears khaki pants or jeans up to their belly button and has shoulder length curly hair and uses thick glasses. They're the conservative white woman. The liberal white women wear short hair, length of man's hair, and wear capri pants and nice shirts with black jackets and nice earrings. They also wear high heels.

Uhhh... What?

[–] dr.gonzo-4 18 years ago

Ayayayay. The US. It's so funny it's sad.

Yeah it's sad that people actually post ignorant garabage like this on a message board.

We're your friends, we're not like the others man, really

[–] crocsguy82 18 years ago

And how did we exactly go from Swamo thing to Racism ???

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] The-Kurgan 18 years ago

Give the guy a break, and get yourself a sense of humor. It wasn't racism, it was sardonic commentary lampooning self-created stereotypes, the kind that the very social groupings referenced often exhibit, much to everyone's humor and chagrin.

The Hispanic comment only referenced a cultural mindset and degree of established tolerance (as pertained to this very topic, I might add), so again, it had nothing to do with being any sort of derogatory racial statement (bad punctuation notwithstanding). :)

The only part I'd consider incorrect would be about that "group" (for lack of a safer term, heh heh) only renting newer stuff with well-known actors. I've never seen any evidence of such a narrow interest in films, that excluded older movies, or those with lesser-known actors.