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Are American Video Cassettes Playable Over Here?

Started by 12 Storey Crisis, March 21, 2004, 11:56:02 PM

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I want to buy Nine Inch Nail's 'Closure' video of Amazon.com, since it's not available in this part of the world. Anyone know if there's a problem with playing American video cassettes over here?

mr rou-rou

you just need a tv and video that play NTSC, it was quite common a couple of years ago so I'm sure most modern sets will, correct me if I'm wrong.

I've got some samurai flicks on NTSC, so they must work

I might take a chance on it since my TV and video are both quite recent models...still, I'd appreciate the input of anybody with any first hand experience - I don't wanna just see forty squid float away down the swanny!

gazzyk1ns

Yeah I think Splat there is right, it's been pretty much standard on all but the cheapest VCRs since about 1995... risk it for a biscuit.

Looks like I'll be making a new addition to my video collection then!

Cheers for the input, chaps.

Ambient Sheep

Let us know if you get it through customs.  The reason you can't get it over here, I strongly suspect, is because at least one of the videos ("Happiness In Slavery") and possibly more are banned by the BBFC.

If you do, I might have a go.  ;-)

Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"Let us know if you get it through customs.  The reason you can't get it over here, I strongly suspect, is because at least one of the videos ("Happiness In Slavery") and possibly more are banned by the BBFC.



That may well be the case actually. Incidentally, has anyone here seen the Broken video? Apparently, it's supposed to be ten times worse than anything on 'Closure': a serial killer abducts a hitch-hiker, then tortures him and kills him whilst forcing him to watch NIN videos. Of course, critics of the band might observe that this last touch is punishment enough, hee-hee.

Actually, NIN have quite an interesting history when it comes to controversial music videos. I've read that the negative of an early video, 'Down In It', somehow ended up in the hands of the FBI, who developed it and suspected of it being a bona-fide snuff film!

Come to think of it, I'm quite keen to see 'Broken' as well, so if anyone has a copy or knows where it can be downloaded, do let us know.

Sometimes it worries me that I'm so fascinated by artistic extremity, but I suppose that's what growing up in a mind-numblingly tedious provincial Irish town does to you...

Mr Flunchy

http://www.nineinchnails.net/videos.asp

Bam.

Edit: Ah bollocks, the files are down.  Well, they were up last time I checked.

Quote from: "Mr Flunchy"http://www.nineinchnails.net/videos.asp


the files are down.  


Shite! I'm completely pissed off with that. Have you seen yourself Flunch? What did you make of it?

glitch

Well, I've got the Closer uncut video if you can't get the VHS and those files don't go back up. Stars Mr W Burroughs by the looks of things too...

Mr Flunchy

Quote from: "12 Storey Crisis"
Quote from: "Mr Flunchy"http://www.nineinchnails.net/videos.asp


the files are down.  


Shite! I'm completely pissed off with that. Have you seen yourself Flunch? What did you make of it?

It was fantastic, I could look at it for hours.

Rev

I'm sure it's not a patch on the Fatima Mansions' 'Shiny Happy People' video.  Now there's a proper dodgy promo.


bill hicks

Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"Let us know if you get it through customs.  The reason you can't get it over here, I strongly suspect, is because at least one of the videos ("Happiness In Slavery") and possibly more are banned by the BBFC.

If you do, I might have a go.  ;-)

You should be okay getting it through since I assume it will be below the amount Customs checks for. (I must admit I can't remember how much it has to be before Customs open your packages...about £25 I think).

Macerate and Petrify

Oooh, that Happiness in Slavery video made me flinch in places. The mechanical grabber+cock was just urgghhhh.

Ambient Sheep

Quote from: "12 Storey Crisis"
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"Let us know if you get it through customs.  The reason you can't get it over here, I strongly suspect, is because at least one of the videos ("Happiness In Slavery") and possibly more are banned by the BBFC.
That may well be the case actually.
Yes...I didn't make myself very clear above.  What I should have said is that Happiness in Slavery was *definitely* banned by the BBFC when it was first released: when Island UK first got the master tape shipped over they thought "Oo-er, looks a bit dodgy, perhaps we'd better run it past the BBFC before giving copies to MTV / Channel 4 / whoever".  I think Island were just thinking in terms of getting it certificated...however much to their surprise the BBFC totally freaked out and said that not only could it not be shown on TV or cinema, but unless Island destroyed all copies in their possession they'd be reporting them to the police for possible prosecution under the Obscene Publications Act.

Of course that was in the James Ferman days of the BBFC, so I wonder if it'd get through these days?  I have seen it - one of the first things I downloaded when I first got broadband - and it is pretty eye-watering, but not as bad as I'd been led to believe (you don't actually *see* his body being chopped up by the chair-machine and flushed down the plughole, which is what I'd read).   Still only watched it the once, though, that was quite enough.

Anyway so, yes, given that HiS was banned, I've always assumed that NIN decided not to bother with an edited-down version of Closure for the UK market, although I'm surprised that there wasn't some sort of PAL version made for the continental market, especially Germany.  It's a pisser because it's the only gap in my HALO collection.  :-)

Of course you being in Ireland - which I'd temporarily forgotten - the BBFC don't apply to you, but I'm sure the Irish authorities would like it even less...

QuoteIncidentally, has anyone here seen the Broken video?
Nope.  TOCMFIC is our resident NIN expert, and being in Canada he has Closure and has written about it at length on here previously (now lost, of course).  Hopefully he'll see this thread and chip in.

QuoteI've read that the negative of an early video, 'Down In It', somehow ended up in the hands of the FBI, who developed it and suspected of it being a bona-fide snuff film!
Yeah I heard that one as well, although not sure which track it was for.

mrpants

QuoteQuote:
Incidentally, has anyone here seen the Broken video?

Nope. TOCMFIC is our resident NIN expert, and being in 1 C 581 anada he has Closure and has written about it at length on here previously (now lost, of course). Hopefully he'll see this thread and chip in.

Quote:
I've read that the negative of an early video, 'Down In It', somehow ended up in the hands of the FBI, who developed it and suspected of it being a bona-fide snuff film!

Yeah I heard that one as well, although not sure which track it was for.

The Broken video is pretty harsh, I managed to download it from the nin site when the files were up ages ago.  I remember it disturbing my little mind at the time.

The FBI hunt was after they saw the Down In It video.  At the time Trent was in hiding (from TVT I think) making Broken so he had no idea the FBI were looking for him.

Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"I'm sure the Irish authorities would like it even less...

You've got that one right; the film censor, John Kelleher, is a complete cunt. Know what he tried to ban recently? Jonas Akerlund's Spun. Thankfully, the distribution company referred the case to the Appeals Board and the decision was overturned.

I think the key thing about film censors - certainly in Ireland at any rate - is that the incumbent is always a crony of the governing political party of the day. The position is a part-time gig and comes with some nice perks - advance previews of all big movies, obviously, not to mention a juicy salary - so occasionally the censor's office likes to ban something just to prove that they actually do some work on occasion, and that the position isn't just an extravagant waste of tax-payer's money.

I do think a certification office is a necessity (although I also think that at the age of sixteen, everybody should be allowed to drink, vote, fuck and watch whatever the hell they want), but this tendency toward the occasional gratuitous banning of a contentious movie is an outrageous waste of time.

Still, I suppose it's quite comforting to think that musicians, film-makers, comedians etc still retain the ability to completely piss off the powers that be.

And yeah, I do hope TOCMFIC fills us in on Broken at some point...

thatmuch

Quote from: "bill hicks"
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"Let us know if you get it through customs.  The reason you can't get it over here, I strongly suspect, is because at least one of the videos ("Happiness In Slavery") and possibly more are banned by the BBFC.

If you do, I might have a go.  ;-)

You should be okay getting it through since I assume it will be below the amount Customs checks for. (I must admit I can't remember how much it has to be before Customs open your packages...about £25 I think).

In my experience of receiving many packages from the US, Customs don't open the package if it's worth over a certain amount (£18 I think) - they just charge you a fee, collected by the postman.

Mind you, I did find this warning on Amazon.com (check under "International Video Formats" at the bottom of the page):

http://amazon.com/exec/abidos/tg/browse/_3193231/102_9627554-1280113#VHS

Crikey, should I still risk it?

weekender

Quote from: "12 Storey Crisis"Mind you, I did find this warning on Amazon.com (check under "International Video Formats" at the bottom of the page):

http://amazon.com/exec/abidos/tg/browse/_3193231/102_9627554-1280113#VHS

Crikey, should I still risk it?

No, I wouldn't risk it.  It might not work, and you'll have taken a chance for nothing.  The last person who I knew took a chance on something was playing 'chicken' with their school friends and they died when they were hit by a car.  That proves that you should never ever risk anything in your life, not even money in a card game, because you could die.

glitch

Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"
Quote from: "12 Storey Crisis"
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"Anyway so, yes, given that HiS was banned, I've always assumed that NIN decided not to bother with an edited-down version of Closure for the UK market, although I'm surprised that there wasn't some sort of PAL version made for the continental market, especially Germany.  It's a pisser because it's the only gap in my HALO collection.  :-)

Yoiu have every single Halo? I thought some Halo numbers were duplicated, some never released and some promo-only?

If that's the case, /me bows to your CD collection

BTW - got the jukebox edition of Perfect Dug with the flipside of Manson's Tourniquet? Want it? ;)

Ambient Sheep

Heh, I knew it was a dangerous thing to say...
Quote from: "xerode"
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"It's a pisser because it's the only gap in my HALO collection.  :-)
Yoiu have every single Halo? I thought some Halo numbers were duplicated, some never released and some promo-only?
Um...not that I know of.  But then I can't claim total accuracy, as life has forced me to drop my anal-collecting over the last couple of years, but I certainly have all the HALO numbers up until the mid-teens or so, Closure excepted.

Just because I have a whole series of HALO numbers doesn't mean I have everything he's ever released, of course, since each HALO number covers loads of formats for each release, but I do have a fair bit, including that mad US import ten/eleven-track "single" full of Down In Its, Terrible Lies and Head Like A Holes, and the US version of Further Down The Spiral.  I *don't* have the original mega-rare UK version of Further Down The Spiral, for example.

QuoteIf that's the case, /me bows to your CD collection
Let me do some research first, and get back to you.  ;-)

QuoteBTW - got the jukebox edition of Perfect Dug with the flipside of Manson's Tourniquet? Want it? ;)
I might.  :-)  But then I'm not a huge Manson fan and age is withering my collecting genes.  But you can always PM me about this.

foetalgod

since when was the uk version of further down the spiral "mega rare"?

i have a copy of the broken movie somewhere at home PM me if you want it and i will try to find it.


foetalgod

i must be frinkin bored today:--

broken movie

trent produced this short film with peter 'sleazy' christoherson of coil. it was not released due to the gratutitous violence which it contains, but it has somehow made its way into the hands of fans everywhere. it was distributed by a certain unmentionable los angeles record store for awhile, and has since recieved wide distribution as a bootleg. it contained a synthesized snuff film, which was likely created by christopherson. interspersed through out this film are the legally released videos for the songs from broken. also present are the videos for help me i am in hell (which appears as a blank black screen), and a video for gave up. the latter depicts the killing coming to a climax, and it containts shots of a television screen, on which trent's face can be seen, alternatively singing and hidding behind his hands. a certain individual posted to alt.music.nin, claiming he had a letterboxed version which included videos for last, and an actual video for help me i am in hell... however, the folks on amn angered this person, who then went on to send all of the orders back. so we shall never know if he was truthful or not.

Ambient Sheep

Right, had time to do some research (although not through my own collection as it's boxed up 250 miles away).  I have to say, finding an up-to-date NIN discography that covers anything outside the USA including vinyl seems surprisingly difficult.  Two out of three seems to be all you can get.
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"
Quote from: "xerode"
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"It's a pisser because it's the only gap in my HALO collection.  :-)
Yoiu have every single Halo? I thought some Halo numbers were duplicated, some never released and some promo-only?
Um...not that I know of...I can't claim total accuracy...but I certainly have all the HALO numbers up until the mid-teens or so, Closure excepted.
However I was not wrong.  From Wikipedia (also stuff at Nothing Records, Painful Convictions and www.nineinchnails.net):
    Halo 1 - Down in It (1989)
    Halo 2 - Pretty Hate Machine (1989)
    Halo 3 - Head Like a Hole (1990)
    Halo 4 - Sin (1990)
    Halo 5 - Broken (1992)
    Halo 6 - Fixed (1992)
    Halo 7 - March of the Pigs (1994)
    Halo 8 - The Downward Spiral (1994)
    Halo 9 - Closer (1994)
    Halo 10 - Further Down the Spiral (US release) (1995)
    Halo 10 v2 - Further Down the Spiral (UK release) (1995)
    Halo 11 - The Perfect Drug Versions (1997)
    Halo 12 - Closure (double video set) (1997)
    Halo 13 - The Day the World Went Away (1999)
    Halo 14 - The Fragile (1999)
    Halo 15 - We're in This Together / Into the Void (both labelled Halo 15) (1999)
    Halo 16 - Things Falling Apart (2000)
    Halo 17 - And All That Could Have Been (live single and double albums, as well as concert videos on VHS and DVD; double album version includes Still) (2002)
    Halo 18 - Bleedthrough (due to be released in early 2004)
I have at least one of all of those HALOs except #12 and #18 (which may not even be out yet).  That doesn't strike me as being *that* unusual, surely?  The only other rarity I have that I can think of (apart from the US imports of Head Like a Hole and Further Down The Spiral mentioned earlier) is the 9" vinyl of Sin.  There were apparently a 12" of Down In It and multiple sizes of Head Like A Hole (7", 10" & 12"), but as I only got into NIN in late 1990 I missed them.  I've got some of the vinyl and even cassettes, but I'm surprised to learn that there was even vinyl for stuff as late as March of the Pigs (a one-sided etched 7"!) & Closer.

Quote from: "xerode"If that's the case, /me bows to your CD collection
Well...looks like...but there's really no need.  I just bought them as they came out, and as you can see above, I'm not a total NIN completist.  (I wore out all my completist muscles on ZTT 20 years ago and they never quite came back, although I still get twinges from time-to-time.)

Ambient Sheep

Quote from: "foetalgod"
Quote from: "Ambient Sheep"...and the US version of Further Down The Spiral.  I *don't* have the original mega-rare UK version of Further Down The Spiral, for example.
since when was the uk version of further down the spiral "mega rare"?
Sorry for the misunderstanding.  I was talking about the *original* UK version, not the "halo ten v2" reissue which last time I looked can be picked up in any HMV.  Then again I haven't found it mentioned in any of my interweb travels today, so I'm starting to wonder if I have the story wrong, but here it is anyway, as I remember it:

When Further Down The Spiral first came out, the UK version was longer, like the US version, but possibly (I forget) with even more and/or different tracks to its US counterpart.  However this version had copyright or similar legal problems, and was thus withdrawn and replaced with the cut-down "halo ten v2", making the original UK issue of "halo ten" mega-rare.  Well I've certainly never seen or heard of it since, and now I'm starting to wonder if I heard the story straight at the time.  But if you ever see a secondhand copy marked "halo ten" with UK info on it, for Gawd's sake buy it!  :-)

I only managed to get the US "halo ten" myself about four years ago, when a then-girlfriend of mine went to Florida to see her ex-pat brother.  (It doesn't seem to be available on import over here, perhaps for the same copyright reasons that allegedly led to its withdrawal in the first place.)  The local Tower Records had them piled high for just $5.99...talk about chuffed when she rang and told me!

If you want one, perhaps the unicorn could oblige, if you asked him very nicely...

Thanks for the info about the Broken movie by the way.  The bit about the black screen for "help me i am in hell" sounds *very* familiar, I'm sure this is what TOCMFIC was talking about last year.  I'm not sure I want to see it, though...

Tokyo Sexwhale

Does anyone know how easy it is to get TVs, DVDs or videos in the USA that can play PAL media?

I would like to initiate a few Americans into the joys of Chris Morris and other British comedy, but  if the equipment is prohibitively expensive, I'll have to just burn it onto a DVD in mpeg format.

Probably one for The Unicorn - how are you managing without British TV?

Ambient Sheep

Quote from: "Tokyo Sexwhale"Does anyone know how easy it is to get TVs, DVDs or videos in the USA that can play PAL media?
I can't tell you for sure, but I do know that it's a *lot* more difficult than it is over here, last I heard.  It certainly doesn't come as standard on virtually any new VCR like it does over here.  Don't know about tellys.  Our TVs don't show NTSC either - when PAL VCRs do NTSC playback they actually play the tape back in 59.94Hz PAL, not true NTSC.  All a UK TV has to do is lock up to the faster framerate, it doesn't have to worry about decoding a different colour standard.  Region 1 DVD playback is much the same.

Since the US gets all films out on DVD first anyway, there's far less demand for multi-region players in the States than there is over here, and in any case the DMCA renders them illegal (as the EUCD now has over here, I believe).  So again they're much rarer beasts.  And I don't think many US VCRs have a "PAL playback" like we have "NTSC playback".  You can buy such specialist equipment, but not in WalMart for $99 last I heard.

But as you say, the unicorn chappy would be your best bet for info.