So, to investigate this further, I went and got the US set, and I've just finished watching the PG-13 version and the extended 123-minute version, and then the commentary.
First of all, after reading the consumer advice, I feel comfortable saying that the PG-13 version is not the UK theatrical version.
Now, the 15 certificate is for "infrequent strong sex references and hard drug use".
The "strong sex references" are said to include "a scene in which a man graphically explains different types of condoms, and a scene in which a man explains in detail how to perform oral sex on a woman". The PG-13 version has some of the condom scene, but it is longer and more detailed in the extended version. And most importantly, there is no scene in the PG-13 version where a man explains how to perform oral sex on a woman--at all. BUT, this scene is in the extended version, with Brian, during the news team argument, right before the car chase reporting scene. This "explanation" is very obvious, and is the clearest indication that this is a different version of the film to the PG-13 cut.
Also, the "hard drug use" is said to have "a scene in which men are seen smoking crack, which is comically presented as part of a news investigation". Now, in the PG-13 version, this scene is shown, but there is no actual smoking of the crack shown. In the extended version,
[Show spoiler]Ron and Brian are heard smoking (it is seen from behind)
, and the scene is longer.
Secondly, in the PG-13 version, there are some terms that have been overdubbed. The most obvious is that Veronica tells Linda she will shoot her in the "cooch", which has been overdubbed to "cooter" in the PG-13 version. Also, as has been mentioned, the scene with multiple uses of the word "vagina" has had all but one use of the word altered, and Brian's use of the word "ejaculate" has been changed to "man fluid" in the PG-13 version (these are both referenced explicitly in the commentary as something the MPAA forced them to change).
Now, in the 123-minute extended version on the US BD, there are up to four uses of the word "f**k, the first being
[Show spoiler]"f**kstick" in the beginning, during a montage of Ron's bad moments at WBC, the second is the"f**k you" that Ron whispers to Gary, Veronica's lover, which is also in the PG-13 version (and also cited in the commentary as "the underplayed 'f**k you'" and that you "get one 'f**k you' in a PG-13 movie"). The third and fourth, which are debatable, is a small extension, where Ron suggests, and Jack Lime subsequently calls himself, "Dick Phuk" as an alternative to the "Jack Lame" name. The name is also shown on screen right after he says it. Also, in the news readers fight scene, Tina Fey says "c**t-punt"
. Since the consumer advice is very clear that there is "one use of strong language ('f**k')" in the UK cinema version (and because of the run time difference), the UK version cannot be the extended version, either.
So, it is pretty clear that the UK cinema version is indeed a fourth version of the film, which is not the US PG-13 version, or the 123-minute extended version, and clearly not the super-sized 143-minute version.
Now, on the US BD, the audio commentary is only on the 123-minute extended version, but there are a few dead spots where the film audio comes through, and the commentary never references anything onscreen that is in the extended version, but not included in the BBFC 15 version, such as the additional uses of "f**k" or the use of
[Show spoiler]"c**t-punt"
.
At the end of the credits, there is also a passing reference: "should we do a third one?", and someone interjects with "third commentary?" as if they have already done two audio commentaries. It might be nothing, but it's useful to note. I don't think it means they actually sat down and recorded two different commentaries that would appear on different releases, but you never know...
So, if everything is accurate, I would say that the UK BD includes:
The UK cinema version (with the commentary as advertised, and some/all dead air edited out)
The Super-Sized R-rated version
The US BD extras
I may of course, be wrong. It all seems very complicated. But, it does at least appear that the UK cinema version is not identical to the US PG-13 version. Whether that version will be included on the UK BD, and whether the audio commentary will be intact (or indeed the same), is the more perplexing question.
EDIT: Bah, it seems the UK may have been shafted.
Something didn't sit right about the consumer advice for the super-sized version. I went back and confirmed that according to the BBFC: "this version of the film contains five uses of strong language (four uses of 'f**k' and one use of 'motherf**ker')." In order for the super-sized version to contain all of the content from the 123-minute version, it would have to include
[Show spoiler]Tina Fey's use of "c**t-punt"
, which would usually be noted in consumer advice. I went back and checked the super-sized version on the US BD, and lo and behold, the line is not there.
So, it does seem that the UK misses out on some unique content that is only in the 123-minute version, even if that content is brief. I'm sure there are other differences, but I just watched this movie three times, and I'm not about to watch the longer, more tedious version of it again.
For all I know, the UK version could have content that is not in any of the US versions...
All the versions of this movie make my head spin.
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