F/X Technician on Swamp Thing Responds (again) on DVD Differences

I responded months ago to this issue on another thread, but it evidently got buried and few saw it. So, here is the story once again in a nutshell:

I worked on Swamp Thing as an on-set Effects Technician (fog, fire, bullet-hits) and was present at the filming of both 'nude' scenes that were shot for the film. I had to do 'light fog' floating in front of Adrienne in her bathing scene (it was a closed set at Magnolia Gardens in Charleston, SC; only Wes, the DP, the 1st AD, myself, and another Effects Assist. were present). Two versions were shot --- one for U.S. audiences {Adrienne (in close-up) on her knees underwater with the surface of the water 'above' her breasts}; and one for the overseas release {with Adrienne (in close-up) standing up and the surface of the water 'below' her breasts}. (A side-angle, distant shot of 'partial-nudity' was also filmed that appears in both versions.) I was called in from the swamp a week later to supply 'light cigarette haze' in the interior of the Aiken House (Arcane's Mansion) for the so-called 'orgy' scene. (Neither of these two nude scenes were in the original shooting script --I still have my copy of the script.) When I arrived at the Aiken House (another closed set), I asked Wes why we were filming an 'orgy' scene. He said that United Artists was handling the overseas release of the film, and since the film would get an adult certificate in Europe and South America for the violence (and kids would not be admitted), the UA execs needed something 'adult' to spice it up a bit. (By the way, the girls in the 'orgy' scene were all local Charleston-area strippers hired at the last minute to do the scene. The commando "extras" had not expected to be doing a scene with nude girls, so they got an extra 'thrill'.)

MGM made the goof a year or so ago when they grabbed the Europeon negative (UA logo instead of Avco-Embassy logo) to release on DVD. I knew when I saw the UA logo exactly what had happened and chapter-stopped down to where I knew the nude scenes would be, and sure enough, there they were. It was amazing to me that it took MGM nearly a full year to realize their mistake and recall the remaining DVDs and then later reissue the original PG version.
By the way, the PG version is how it was originally released in theatres in the U.S. and on home VHS video (which does contain the very-brief, nude, side-long-shot from-a-distance of Adrienne).
I never thought I would see the European version in this country. Glad MGM made the mistake !

Realistically, however, the film works better without the nude footage, as it seems out-of-place in the atmosphere and style of this particular picture. (And, as I said earlier, neither of the two scenes were in the original shooting script anyway.)

Geoff Rayle (F/X --Swamp Thing)