Liar's Moon (1982) (MVD Rewind Collection) - February 8th, 2022

[MifuneFan]

MVD will be releasing the film Liar's Moon on Blu-ray on February 8th.

https://mvdb2b.com/s/LiarsMoonCollec...tion/MVD5281BR

Teen superstar Matt Dillon (The Outsiders, My Bodyguard) stars in this tender tale of love's first promise... and its enduring strength.

Dillon plays Jack Duncan, an athletic, hardworking boy from the small town of Noble, Texas. Jack is happy just enjoying himself with the local boys, until he meets Ginny Peterson (Cindy Fisher, Hide in Plain Sight, The Blues Brothers), the towns wealthiest young lady. Despite their obviously different backgrounds, Jack and Ginny fall desperately in love.

Even though their parents have forbidden them to meet, Jack and Ginny sneak out, and finally elope, hoping to find happiness far from their hometown. But theirs is a love that falls prey to the sins of their elders - as the intrigue of two families reaches out an angry hand to its innocent victim in this touching, tragic story of youth, love and hope.

LIAR'S MOON (1982) | Official Trailer | 4K - YouTube

[Aunt Peg]

I remember when this was released on VHS they provided two endings.

Naturally, the cinema release only had one ending.

[drew1968]

I just received and watched the new Blu-Ray of "Liar's Moon". The movie on the disc is the one with the re-shot happy ending. The original sad ending is on the disc as an "Alternative Ending" in standard definition without subtitles. I really wish the movie was the one with the tragic ending. That's how the movie was shot and meant to be seen. On the original VHS I rented back in 1983 the ending was the sad one. This Blu-Ray is made to look like a Video Rewind in it's packaging. I wish they had put out the original version. The movie itself looks good, not great. It does feature removable English subtitles. There is a making of feature longer than the movie on the disc which I haven't seen yet.
Even though I'm disappointed the original sad ending isn't on the actual movie on the Blu-Ray I'm still glad to have this movie on Blu-Ray disc.

[iamnoone]

Originally Posted by drew1968

I just received and watched the new Blu-Ray of "Liar's Moon". The movie on the disc is the one with the re-shot happy ending. The original sad ending is on the disc as an "Alternative Ending" in standard definition without subtitles. I really wish the movie was the one with the tragic ending. That's how the movie was shot and meant to be seen. On the original VHS I rented back in 1983 the ending was the sad one. This Blu-Ray is made to look like a Video Rewind in it's packaging. I wish they had put out the original version. The movie itself looks good, not great. It does feature removable English subtitles. There is a making of feature longer than the movie on the disc which I haven't seen yet.
Even though I'm disappointed the original sad ending isn't on the actual movie on the Blu-Ray I'm still glad to have this movie on Blu-Ray disc.

I got this in yesterday and had never known about the two endings until then. So the VHS was the sad ending, but what was the US theatrical? Believe it or not, I saw it theatrically (in its bomb one week run), because I saw EVERYTHING back then, but have no memory of which ending it was. I think if it had ended "sadly" as it does in that "extra", I would have remembered that way more as I love downer endings. BUT, I do not recollect, so I can't say anything for certain. I also had the Crown DVD, but no longer, and I don't think I ever watched it so have no idea what ending was on that one.

I think our best bet would be to find a review from Variety or Hollywood Reporter or local paper somewhere from the theatrical run that "mentions" a sad ending. Otherwise, I don't know if there's any concrete data indicating which ending was the original theatrical. Obviously, they most likely filmed the sad ending, and maybe Crown said "no", re-shoot a happy one, or they shot both and would decide later. Maybe they even released both versions across the US???

One thing, though, if MVD went back to the original neg or whatever, then the happy ending was in that version, and it looks great on the disc. The sad ending extra, not so much.

[drew1968]

From what I always heard the original ending as filmed was the sad one. Then later they went back and re-shot the happy ending. I read this in a Matt Dillon biography many years ago. I don't know for sure. As you said it had a very brief theatrical run. I have to watch the making of feature on the disc which I will do tomorrow. At 105 minutes it's longer than the film itself. Maybe that will have more answers. I'll post when I get a chance to view the extra feature. I keep saying the sad ending and the happy ending because I don't want to spoil the movie for someone who hasn't seen it. People should watch the movie to find out. I love the movie by the way.

[drew1968]

I watched the feature about the making of "Liar's Moon". They interview many people who were involved with the film including Tonja Walker. It was very well done with a lot of information.
About the ending, there were some contradictions. One woman said that in the original script it had the sad ending. The director said when they were filming they decided to do a sad and a happy ending. When they tested the movie the test audiences liked the happy ending better. [They usually do.]
The director said in America only the happy ending was released. He said the sad ending was only shown theatrically in Australia. However, the late producer's wife said that in America both versions were released theatrically. She mentioned she had friends who saw the film in the USA and they saw both endings in different theaters.
The director mentioned the the VHS release had both endings on it. As I said before, when I rented it on VHS back in 1983 the only ending was the sad one. Later, a DVD release of it first had only the happy ending. A later disc release had what the Blu-Ray has; the film itself has the happy ending and the sad ending is there as an alternative ending.
I prefer the sad ending myself. That's how I first saw the movie and I think the story is building to a tragic ending. That's only my opinion.

[raybestos]

They were too lazy to get a proper print with the sad ending, so they just dumped a VHS-quality rip of it on the disc. It grates terribly on me that SO much money was spent on extras, producing a damn 105 minute documentary (!), but not on properly presenting both endings, through seamless branching, in proper 1080p quality. The sad ending is by far the superior one, and the happy ending is the typical Hollywood copout, which degrades the film into a Pollyannaish fairy tale.

I did not make the purchase, knowing that the sad ending was not properly presented, nor were we given the option of which to view. This *easily* could have been done, and less money spent on frivolous extras which no doubt cost plenty and add very little to the package, to be watched once while the film is presented in an incomplete version..