The Castle

US version vs original version
I must have watched the original version of this film (bought in Australia on VHS) at least 10 times. For many years I've wanted to get rid of the VHS version and buy it on DVD. During trips to Australia over the last few years I have tried to buy it (region 4, PAL), but have always been told that it is not available on DVD.

How disappointing that Australians have to buy the US version on DVD, which is technically illegal - and unless they have illegally modified their DVD players to watch region 1 discs, technically impossible.

Australian veiwers will then be further horrified when they find that their cult film has been altered in about 30 places. Many words and phrases have been changed, and the fact that the words don't match the lip movements is patently obvious. Music has been changed, music has been added where it didn't exist, and some scenes (which were very funny!) have been deleted entirely. For example - watch the trailer on the disc, the scene where she talks about...

Great movie - shame about the edits
As a Pom who has just moved back from Australia, I thought I would buy this DVD to remind me what I'm missing. It is, of course, a great film and a funny one. However, I should warn anyone who has seen and loved the film in its original Australian release that there are some rather annoying edits for the American market. For example, Darryl now thinks that 'The only thing funnier than Funniest Home Videos is the best of Funniest Home Videos'. RIP Hey Hey it's Saturday. He's also waiting for some 'Cheap facing' for the extra room he's building. Oh, and no-one in the family has 'ever left their home town'. The idea that 'no-one's been further than Alice Springs' was obviously deemed meaningless.

Not only that, but (and I'm sure this isn't my imagination) there are some rather interesting background music additions. Some of it is pretty sappy.

Unfortunately, until a DVD version is released in Australia there is no alternative for people who want to get a copy of this film, but be...

the BEST sleeper of 1999
Ok, so the video isn't out yet, but I'm one of the few people who actually saw this movie. Poor Miramax, they didn't market it very well, and thats unfortunate for them and for the general public. A hokey, funny, beyond charming story of a man, a family, and their home, which is THEIR castle. He can't understand how he got his home so cheap, soooo its next to an airport runway, and high tension wires are in his back yard. Its all theirs. Until... the airport wants to expand. How will they fight a huge corporation? The BEST movie to come out of Australia in years! I belong to a film symposium class that viewed this movie. Its the only movie of the year that actually got a standing ovation.

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