TomPierron.Com

I can’t remember when I heard this, or what the word is – but networks
were compressing movies and TV shows – that is, they were playing them
just a tad faster so that – over the space of the hour or half hour – they
would squeeze a few more minutes of space that could be used for
commercials.
I really noticed this on one of my favorite movies – Trading Places:
While Valentine (Eddie Murphy) is in jail, those two guys (“It ain’t
cool to be no jive turkey this close to Thanksgiving”) – the one who
says, “yeah!”
Well, while we’re watching Trading Places on network TV, of course
the topless dancing girls are edited out – and when Eddie pulls the
phonograph needle across the record and tells everyone to
“Get – - out!!”
It just isn’t the same – cause we know how Eddie REALLY said that -
with those added adjectives.
Anyway, on this compressed version – I don’t have perfect pitch, but
I do know a little about music and how it sounds – the “yeah” in jail -
and later on in the bar when Eddie does it – instead of sounding like the
deep note of a man – they sound like children trying to imitate men.
Not good.
But that’s really not the reason I’m writing; just related.
Here’s the real grit in my graw -
total stuff deleted from movies.
I watched It’s A Wonderful Life last Christmas and was compelled to
watch the tape I got a few Christmas’ ago myself. I was horrified.
I soon realized that not only total scenes were deleted – but characters.
This is an outrage! Sure, you get touchy feely and cry at the movie -
but someone who watched it on TV like I did for the first time – would
they be thinking they had seen the movie when they really only saw
about half of it?!
I recorded The Ten Commandments last month – the epic is so long
I watched on subsequent nights as I had time after work. I was
waiting for the famous line from Edward G. Robinson – “So where’s
your Moses, now, see?!” Well, okay, I don’t the ’see’ was there – but
you get the idea – it would be like putting James Cagney in that role
and having him say, “You dirty rat…”
Comical.
Well, I finished watching the movie – and where did that line go?
They cut it out!
What else did they cut out?

We’re getting ripped off, people.

And then last week I ran across a Dirty Harry movie – Sudden Impact.
It was the best thing on so I stuck with it. How can you not like
Dirty Harry? I’ve seen it at least once before – and I sort of realize
near the end when she’s getting chased and she runs into that arcade
where she’s painting the horses there’s also a shot of the unicorn.
Well, you know why that is – it’s in a dramatic scene later.
But not on this network.
When the guy falls from the roller coaster – you see him fall -
and you see him go into what you recognize as the carrousel
and in that split second it’s cut. What you’re supposed to see is
that the bad guy was impaled by the unicorn.
Not on THIS TV station.
So, why watch movies on TV any more?

Is cable okay? I heard about a horrible bill in Congress that will
result in our only being able to buy unaltered DVD’s of theater
movies overseas by mail and NO other way.
Have a nice day.
(I hope this doesn’t happen!)
Actually, I spoke with my mom about this tonight; she said not to
watch any movies on a channel that shows commercials.
They have to cut for time – not only for commercials – but for the hour.
Oh, and one other thing she brought up:
I DO remember when – all three networks (if you were lucky to be able
to get all three where you lived) somewhere around midnight and no later
than 2 AM played the Star Spangled Banner and went off the air for
the night. Those were the days, eh?