More Canadian Video History: SHIVERS (1975-AKA "They Came From Within")

[CMG]

SHIVERS is not a rare movie on any homevideo format; you can find it easily should you want to own a copy on 'physical media' . . . but only one homevideo release of "Shivers" was a Tv Print. That makes it unique Canadian video history.

Something about SHIVERS: I noticed many years ago when I picked up the Canadian VHS release on the 'ASTRAL VIDEO' label and watched the tape it was different. I couldn't figure it out right away but I saw immediately the killing of 'Annabelle Brown' early on was seriously shortened. I did finally figure it out, though, and realized the print contained on the Astral Video cassette contained a Canadian TV print running 75 minutes. (I timed it). I've watched this version four times over the past 18 or so years since I picked up the tape.

So ASTRAL was given a Tv print of "Shivers" and that's what they put out. There's no footage added to this TV version that isn't seen in the theatrical presentation -- only material cut for content and time. Not everything edited out of the Tv print was 'dirty'. Some of it was simply cut for the time constraints in showing a movie on commercial television in a 90-minute time slot.

I believe 'CIC' video of Canada also released "Shivers" . . . except they were given the proper 87-minute theatrical presentation instead of the Canadian Tv print.

To state the obvious, watching a television print of SHIVERS is not the optimal way to watch the movie, however it is Canadian video history and I found it both interesting and strange that Astral was supplied with a "TV Version" instead of the theatrical version.

The pictures contained in the 'Attachments' are of SHIVERS and SEIZURE! -- I paired them up because the font is the same on the front cover. I thought they looked good together.

SHIVERS on Astral: Total Television Terror! Broadcast standards must be followed!

Comments welcome. Cheers.

[gregmtl92]

You have some cool VHS tapes!

[CMG]

I thank you. I really like 1980s-era ASTRAL VIDEO releases. I have more snaps of my Astral stash if you'd liked to see some more. I've been fortunate enough to round up some 225 or so "1980s Astrals" in all.

Here's a cut/box copy of NOCTURNA (1978) on Astral. I never found "Nocturna" in an uncut box on Astral. It was originally issued in a small white box but the video store made sure they hacked it to bits.

To my knowledge, NOCTURNA has never been issued on DVD or Blu-Ray, to date. Just a long-ago VHS release.

[gregmtl92]

Very cool, those Astral clamshells are pretty rare!

[Deadend45]

Here is some Canadian BD love:

https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=33120

[CMG]

I'm pretty sure I've seen at least one of the ILSA movies on 'CIC Video' Canada, btw. I don't have it . . . but I've seen the 'CIC' small-box for it.

[murphywmm]

Did you used to post as “InvasionofPALs” on the old IMDB forums?

[CMG]

Yes I did.

PALs are invading the U.S.A. . . . and they mean business!

[CMG]

A ♠bump♠ for Canadian Video History.

[Rowdyman]

Originally Posted by CMG

SHIVERS is not a rare movie on any homevideo format; you can find it easily should you want to own a copy on 'physical media' . . . but only one homevideo release of "Shivers" was a Tv Print. That makes it unique Canadian video history.

Something about SHIVERS: I noticed many years ago when I picked up the Canadian VHS release on the 'ASTRAL VIDEO' label and watched the tape it was different. I couldn't figure it out right away but I saw immediately the killing of 'Annabelle Brown' early on was seriously shortened. I did finally figure it out, though, and realized the print contained on the Astral Video cassette contained a Canadian TV print running 75 minutes. (I timed it). I've watched this version four times over the past 18 or so years since I picked up the tape.

So ASTRAL was given a Tv print of "Shivers" and that's what they put out. There's no footage added to this TV version that isn't seen in the theatrical presentation -- only material cut for content and time. Not everything edited out of the Tv print was 'dirty'. Some of it was simply cut for the time constraints in showing a movie on commercial television in a 90-minute time slot.

I believe 'CIC' video of Canada also released "Shivers" . . . except they were given the proper 87-minute theatrical presentation instead of the Canadian Tv print.

To state the obvious, watching a television print of SHIVERS is not the optimal way to watch the movie, however it is Canadian video history and I found it both interesting and strange that Astral was supplied with a "TV Version" instead of the theatrical version.

The pictures contained in the 'Attachments' are of SHIVERS and SEIZURE! -- I paired them up because the font is the same on the front cover. I thought they looked good together.

SHIVERS on Astral: Total Television Terror! Broadcast standards must be followed!

Comments welcome. Cheers.

That's interesting - I didn't realize that Astral had put a TV edit out on tape! I'm not sure how it worked for their distribution of the TV cut, but when I first saw SHIVERS it was a pair of broadcasts (ditto for RABID and DEATH WEEKEND) around 1979, during the summer in the "late late show" movie slot on Vancouver's CTV affiliate, BCTV. They shared their movies with CHEK TV on Vancouver Island, so if you missed a movie one week it would be on the same day, roughly the same day on the other channel the following week. I don't remember anything being cut in the movies - there was definitely nudity, and definitely gore. It was shown under the THEY CAME FROM WITHIN title. I remember the assorted tape releases of the film, and used to have a Vestron edition under the TCFW title. Being Canadian I'm very familiar with the Astral tapes, both the clamshells and the smaller boxes. I think I still have an Astral clamshell for THE HILLS HAVE EYES.

SHIVERS remains a personal favourite, probably because it was the first Cronenebrg film that I watched. I did eventually see it in a cinema, decades later during "Canadian Film Week". One of the things I love about those Cinepix chillers were the music scores put together by producer Ivan Reitman, using a variety of library cues. I've got a couple of different posters for the movie, and a friend of mine (sadly now deceased) was one of the main cast members - so over the years I heard a number of stories about the making of it.

[CMG]

@Rowdyman: I discovered the joys of Astral collecting circa 2004. I then determined to round up as many as I could despite living in the Southern USA where no Astrals ever found their way into video stores. 225 or so "1980s-era" Astral tapes later I'm still hunting for a few more.

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Other evidence the Astral version of SHIVERS is a Tv print: It's missing the topless nudity and all but the bare minimum of gore. At the end when Paul Hampton shoots a bloodied Allen Migicovsky (after he killed Joe Silver) in the theatrical version it's 3 times. In the TV version it's 1 time.

The violent fight between Paul Hampton and the security guard is shortened as well.

THE BROOD on Astral is an edited version of the film; I've got two clams of "Brood". I also picked up the MGM DVD to get the uncut version. In the not-too-distant past I watched "The Brood" on Turner Classic Movies and TCM showed the uncut version. But the Astral is not that. It's an edited print. However, ASTRAL is one of the very few labels which I don't even care what print is used: If I find it I'll buy it or trade for it.

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I noted you have THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977). That's one of the few Astrals that came out in both the small white box and the clamshell. THE PROWLER, DEATH SHIP and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were a few others that had 'small white box' releases + a clamshell release.

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To date, the only movie I've seen on Astral released in a clamshell and a sliding-drawer box is THE CONCRETE JUNGLE (1982).

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THE DELTA FACTOR, EARTHBOUND, INNOCENT BYSTANDERS, OUR MISS FRED, THE OPTIMISTS [OF NINE ELMS] were other Astral releases that never came out on videocassette in the 'States and I was only too happy to pick them all up on Astral. (I even made a Thread about "Innocent Bystanders" on the site. You may have seen it already. Those 2 Astral clams of IB are mine).

I still need Astral clamshells of MASTER KILLER and TATTOO CONNECTION.

I have a tape of GOLDEN LADY, but no artwork. Same with RABID. I have a nice tape of "Rabid" without sleeve art. Also "The Capture of Bigfoot", "A Taste of Sin", few others I have with either copied sleeve art, severely cut sleeve art or no sleeve art at all.

Bugs me to no end having nice Astral clams of SHIVERS, THE BROOD and SCANNERS . . . but just a tape-only of "Rabid". It's hard to find everything, admittedly.

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ASTRAL released a few 'made-for-television' movies in clamshells: DEAR DETECTIVE (1979-Tvm), THE MISSILES OF OCTOBER (1974-Tvm), SHE'S DRESSED TO KILL (1979-Tvm).

[Rowdyman]

Originally Posted by CMG

I noted you have THE HILLS HAVE EYES (1977). That's one of the few Astrals that came out in both the small white box and the clamshell. THE PROWLER, DEATH SHIP and THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE were a few others that had had 'small white box' releases + a clamshell release.

Those small white boxes were for those particular three titles were the editions I initially rented, although I'd already watched CHAINSAW on television a few years prior. TERROR TRAIN was also one of those small boxes. Pretty much remember seeing all of the titles you listed on the local video store shelves in the 1980s. DIRTY TRICKS, THE MYSTERY OF THE MILLION DOLLAR HOCKEY PUCK, BLACKOUT, TULIPS, STATE OF SHOCK, I MISS YOU HUGS AND KISSES, HEAD ON, CRUNCH, HUMONGOUS, BY DESIGN, UTILITIES, BEDROOM EYES, WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND, and many more. They also had a couple of my favorite early 80s action films that have still yet to enjoy proper editions - NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER and HIGH RISK.

[CMG]

Of the titles you listed I have most of them.

I've been able to round up DIRTY TRICKS, THE MYSTERY OF THE MILLION DOLLAR HOCKEY PUCK, BLACKOUT, TULIPS, A STATE OF SHOCK, HEAD ON, CRUNCH, BY DESIGN (cut box, tho), HUMONGOUS, UTILITIES, HIGH RISK and NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (tape-only -- I have the Astral artwork for it. Sort of. It's copied and not genuine).

I've not seen the Astrals of I MISS YOU, HUGS AND KISSES or BEDROOM EYES or WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND? before. But I'd like to!

I haven't found HURRY UP OR I'LL BE 30 (1973) in the Astral clamshell, either.

There's always more to hunt down . . .

[Rowdyman]

Originally Posted by CMG

Of the titles you listed I have most of them.

I've been able to round up DIRTY TRICKS, THE MYSTERY OF THE MILLION DOLLAR HOCKEY PUCK, BLACKOUT, TULIPS, A STATE OF SHOCK, HEAD ON, CRUNCH, BY DESIGN (cut box, tho), HUMONGOUS, UTILITIES, HIGH RISK and NIGHT OF THE JUGGLER (tape-only -- I have the Astral artwork for it. Sort of. It's copied and not genuine).

I've not seen the Astrals of I MISS YOU, HUGS AND KISSES or BEDROOM EYES or WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND? before. But I'd like to!

I haven't found HURRY UP OR I'LL BE 30 (1973) in the Astral clamshell, either.

There's always more to hunt down . . .

Both I MISS YOU, HUGS AND KISSES and WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND? (a great movie, btw, from the W.O. Mitchell novel) were in the big black clamshell boxes, while BEDROOM EYES was - from what I remember - a big white box. I have a copy of the tape and the box art is cut into a clamshell.

A couple of the other tape distributors that I dug the boxes for were Pan-Canadian - and I think all of theirs were the smaller clamshell cases - and White Knight Video, which carried a lot of material from the UK. The first couple tapes of theirs that I rented were SURVIVAL RUN (aka SOLDIER OF ORANGE) and BAD BLOOD. Clamshell cases, again.

[CMG]

I have a small number of WHITE KNIGHT VIDEO clamshell releases. I've been very fortunate to have found so much Canadian video history. I have SURVIVAL RUN and BAD BLOOD, btw.

My favorite White Knight release is THE HAUNTING OF M (1979).

I've got a few Pan-Canadian releases; think it's 5? Not many. One of them is THE INCUBUS in one of those mid-sized, thick black plastic cases. Another is a big (dirty) white box release of THE PARTY ANIMAL. The tape itself is clean but the white 'Big Box' looked like it had been dragged through the dirt before I bought it! Beggars can't be choosers . . .

I'll have to keep an eye out for WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND?, I MISS YOU HUGS AND KISSES and BEDROOM EYES. I'm always interested in collecting ASTRALs I don't have.

"Who Has Seen The Wind?" sounds interesting. I hope I can find one; I suspect it will be a very tough task, however.

ALSO: JABBERWOCKY was released on Pan-Canadian. I used to have one and I managed to mess up the tape. Sheesh.

[Rowdyman]

Originally Posted by CMG

I have a small number of WHITE KNIGHT VIDEO clamshell releases. I've been very fortunate to have found so much Canadian video history. I have SURVIVAL RUN and BAD BLOOD, btw.

My favorite White Knight release is THE HAUNTING OF M (1979).

I've got a few Pan-Canadian releases; think it's 5? Not many. One of them is THE INCUBUS in one of those mid-sized, thick black plastic cases. Another is a big (dirty) white box release of THE PARTY ANIMAL. The tape itself is clean but the white 'Big Box' looked like it had been dragged through the dirt before I bought it! Beggars can't be choosers . . .

I'll have to keep an eye out for WHO HAS SEEN THE WIND?, I MISS YOU HUGS AND KISSES and BEDROOM EYES. I'm always interested in collecting ASTRALs I don't have.

"Who Has Seen The Wind?" sounds interesting. I hope I can find one; I suspect it will be a very tough task, however.

ALSO: JABBERWOCKY was released on Pan-Canadian. I used to have one and I managed to mess up the tape. Sheesh.

Pardon my screw-up, but after checking my BEDROOM EYES tape it's not actually Astral - it's Cineplex Odeon. My bad! Cineplex Odeon evolved from Pan-Canadian, which was started by producer Garth Drabinsky at the end of the 1970s. The first few movies he produced or co-produced - THE DISAPPEARANCE, THE SILENT PARTNER, THE CHANGELING, THE AMATEUR, LOSIN' IT, etc - were distributed theatrically in Canada by Pan-Canadian and then likewise released by the video arm. I know a few other titles on the video shelves under the Pan-Canadian label were MURDER BY DECREE, SURFACING, and RENO & THE DOC.

The C/FP Distribution label was also an outgrowth of a film company, Cinepix - working in tandem with Famous Players Theaters.

[ParamountChris]

Originally Posted by CMG

I believe 'CIC' video of Canada also released "Shivers" . . . except they were given the proper 87-minute theatrical presentation instead of the Canadian Tv print.

I know this “CIC” isn’t the joint Paramount/Universal home video arm that operated outside of North America in the 80s-90s but what was this “CIC?”

[SpaceBlackKnight]

Originally Posted by ParamountChris

I know this “CIC” isn’t the joint Paramount/Universal home video arm that operated outside of North America in the 80s-90s but what was this “CIC?”

I think this firm was a video label for stuff hence the name Cinema International Canada .

[ParamountChris]

Originally Posted by SpaceBlackKnight

I think this firm was a video label for stuff hence the name Cinema International Canada .

Is this one connected to International Cinema Corporation in Canada, which was a predecessor to Alliance Films? I’m curious because there’s not a lot documented about film distribution in Canada up to the 80s.