Withnail and I

[Alkaline]

*Update: The UK BD from Anchor Bay is actually the definitive version, as it includes everything from the AUS release along with the 'drinking game' featurette and an interview w/ Bruce Robinson. My saying otherwise was based on a misunderstanding. A U.S. release from Image is also coming in August, but it's apparently barebones.


Original post:
A new Australian BD edition of Bruce Robinson's 1987 cult classic was released by Umbrella Entertainment on March 10. It's seemingly identical in terms of a/v specs to the UK blu-ray released by Starz/Anchor Bay last August, and ports over most of the special features from the Starz/AB 20th anniversary dvd edition from 2006, including two audio commentaries bizarrely absent from the UK blu-ray. In exchange, this Umbrella release loses the 'Withnail and I drinking game' and an interview with writer/director Bruce Robinson, both found on the UK dvd and blu-ray. Overall this seems to be the new definitive edition. A review:

http://www.michaeldvd.com.au/Reviews...ws.asp?ID=9137

[LordCrumb]

Hi, The audio commentaries are present on the UK release. Pro-Bassonist (reviewer) got a review copy, which did not have the commentaries present.

The only thing the Aus version has extra, is the 'isolated score' extra, which isn't really an 'isolated score' by the sounds of it, its just a few tracks from the film.

I think the 'drinking game' was dropped by the censors. I remember all the Troma Toxic Avenger dvds always missed out on the 'games' extras, as the censors claimed it 'rewarded the user with a violent clip'. Which was true.

[Alkaline]

Originally Posted by KaiGusto

Hi, The audio commentaries are present on the UK release. Pro-Bassonist (reviewer) got a review copy, which did not have the commentaries present.

The only thing the Aus version has extra, is the 'isolated score' extra, which isn't really an 'isolated score' by the sounds of it, its just a few tracks from the film.

I think the 'drinking game' was dropped by the censors. I remember all the Troma Toxic Avenger dvds always missed out on the 'games' extras, as the censors claimed it 'rewarded the user with a violent clip'. Which was true.

Thanks for the info. Yeah I was a little confused on that, since most of the reviews for the UK blu I read mentioned no audio commentaries, but one, maybe two of them claimed the commentaries were present. I guess those reviews got the screener copies.