North Sea Hijack

[Aclea]

Originally Posted by Markgway

From the IMDb:

"The original UK cinema version had the sight of one of the hijackers unbuttoning the blouse of a female captive removed for an 'A' rating (the same as today's 'PG' rating). All subsequent video and DVD releases have been uncut and rated '15'."

When it was still called Esther, Ruth and Jennifer the film was originally intended to have a harder rating (as per Roge and Andrew V. McLaglen's The Wild Geese they were aiming for a double A) but some entire (apparently brief and inconsequential) scenes were removed in post production because the shifts in tone were apparently too jarring and they felt it played better and was more commercial without them. According to McLaglen nothing important was lost, though it was reported at the time (in Starburst magazine IIRC) that the shower scene was originally a bit more explicit and the poisoning more graphic. The 8 seconds of blouse footage was removed from the UK pre-cut 1987 VHS - which still got a 15 - but is on the 2002 DVD and will presumably be on the Blu.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Aclea

When it was still called Esther, Ruth and Jennifer the film was originally intended to have a harder rating (as per Roge and Andrew V. McLaglen's The Wild Geese they were aiming for a double A) but some entire (apparently brief and inconsequential) scenes were removed in post production because the shifts in tone were apparently too jarring and they felt it played better and was more commercial without them. According to McLaglen nothing important was lost, though it was reported at the time (in Starburst magazine IIRC) that the shower scene was originally a bit more explicit and the poisoning more graphic. The 8 seconds of blouse footage was removed from the UK pre-cut 1987 VHS - which still got a 15 - but is on the 2002 DVD and will presumably be on the Blu.

Interesting info, thanks.

That pre-cut footage is of the sort we'll sadly never get to see.

Seems odd that such a tame scene as the blouse unbuttoning would elevate this to a '15'. As I recall there's no strong language and the violence is no worse than most PG rated Bond movies of the era.

[Aclea]

Well, that's James Ferman and his idiosyncracies for you. A lot of films had their certificates raised on video - even with the cut this still got a 15 on VHS in 1987 while Valley of Gwangi went from an A to a 12 and Clash of the Titans went from an A to a 15 because he thought they were more 'disturbing' viewed by children in a home context. Universal resubmitted the uncut version for DVD in 2004 (I got the year wrong in my previous post) and were probably expecting a lower rating - Gwangi was reduced to a U when resubmitted post-Ferman in 2003, though Titans was only slightly lowered to a 12 - but my guess is that time it was the poisoning scene that got it the 15 under the 'imitable behaviour' guidelines.

[AnthonyGG]

If the on screen title for the 88 Films blu ray release is in fact North Sea Hijack, how is it the same transfer as the Kino edition? The Kino opens with the title "ffolkes". Wouldn't these be two different transfers?

[bambleweeny57]

I'm definitely buying this. I'd never heard of it until a few years ago when I went to a 12 hour film marathon courtesy of the Bristol Bad Film Club. The lineup was;

Bloodsport (hahaha)
River of Death (meh)
Megaforce (argh my eyes)
North Sea Hijack (a king among films)
Action Jackson (Carl Weathers rules, I have spoken)
Hired to Kill (wtf?)
Showdown in Little Tokyo (cool)

The only title I still can't bring myself to buy is Megaforce.

[CouncilSpectre]

Megaforce is so bad it's great!

I have the JP blu, it's a decent transfer.

[Modman]

Originally Posted by bambleweeny57

I'm definitely buying this. I'd never heard of it until a few years ago when I went to a 12 hour film marathon courtesy of the Bristol Bad Film Club. The lineup was;

Bloodsport (hahaha)
River of Death (meh)
Megaforce (argh my eyes)
North Sea Hijack (a king among films)
Action Jackson (Carl Weathers rules, I have spoken)
Hired to Kill (wtf?)
Showdown in Little Tokyo (cool)

The only title I still can't bring myself to buy is Megaforce.

How dare you disrespect the Bostwick! I bet you wish your name was Ace Hunter.

[CouncilSpectre]

Originally Posted by Modman

How dare you disrespect the Bostwick! I bet you wish your name was Ace Hunter.

The very picture of manliness:



Erm......

[CrockettandTubbs]

"Roger Moore, James Mason, Anthony Perkins in North Sea Hijack aka ffolkes!

INCLUDES New extras and limited edition slipcase and extensive booklet -

Now in stock and shipping!"


Facebook pics:

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[AnthonyGG]

DVD Beaver's review of the 88 Films release of North Sea Hijack is now up. Looks pretty similar to Kino's Ffolkes. The title card shot looks better on the 88 Films one but the other shots are pretty similar, though Beaver gives a small edge to the UK release.

I've got Kino's and pre-ordered the 88 Films disc as well. I'll be happy to have both as the extras are different.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film7/blu-r...es_blu-ray.htm

[CZDK]

Originally Posted by AnthonyGG

DVD Beaver's review of the 88 Films release of North Sea Hijack is now up. Looks pretty similar to Kino's Ffolkes. The title card shot looks better on the 88 Films one but the other shots are pretty similar, though Beaver gives a small edge to the UK release.

I've got Kino's and pre-ordered the 88 Films disc as well. I'll be happy to have both as the extras are different.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film7/blu-r...es_blu-ray.htm

Your link got messed up somehow. Here is the link to the review: http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film7/blu-r...es_blu-ray.htm

[Markgway]

Any idea why the title was changed to "ffolkes" in the US?

Hardly likely to have people rushing to their fleapits, eh?

[Aclea]

Maybe they were hoping to corner the lisping porno movie fan market? (Though one of the reasons they changed original title Esther, Ruth and Jennifer was because people thought it either sounded like a Biblical epic or a Swedish porno.)

Of course, I'm not sure how they missed the chance to use the tagline 'Just see it, for ffolkes sake'...

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by Aclea

Of course, I'm not sure how they missed the chance to use the tagline 'Just see it, for ffolkes sake'...

That definitely would've worked in Yorkshire.

[CrockettandTubbs]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Any idea why the title was changed to "ffolkes" in the US?

Hardly likely to have people rushing to their fleapits, eh?

The 'North Sea', I suppose.

They were worried Americans wouldn't know where the North Sea was.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by CrockettandTubbs

The 'North Sea', I suppose.

They were worried Americans wouldn't know where the North Sea was.

It worries me that may well be true.

[Caladriusse]

Official review is up. My god this film sounds awful...

[John Earls Umbrella]

Originally Posted by Caladriusse

Official review is up. My god this film sounds awful...

Don’t take any notice of that, it’s enjoyable hokum.

[John Earls Umbrella]

I also disagree with the comments about the poor video quality as well.

[Ben_C]

Originally Posted by John Earls Umbrella

Don’t take any notice of that, it’s enjoyable hokum.

That’s the perfect way to describe it. It’s the kind of cheesy old school British action film that demands to be enjoyed on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Great little cast too, with James Mason and Anthony Perkins ably supporting the legend.
Speaking of Sir Rog, he’s an absolute hoot in this as the grumpy, misogynistic, cat loving ffolkes, and whilst he did star in plenty of rubbish, his charisma and charm generally helped elevate those films.