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"THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND OF CAPTAIN NEMO" ON DVD/VHS/FILM
Versions under review:
The CCI 'Extended cut' (edited from various sources)
The French TV-series
The International theatrical version (edited from the French TV-series)
The Italian theatrical version (edited from the Italian TV-series)
The Spanish theatrical version (edited from the Spanish TV-series)
Assorted stuff in my collection
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From left to right: The German DVD (Special Collector's Edition, The French DVD (TV-series), The Spanish DVD (TV-series), The French DVD (theatrical version), The Italian DVD (theatrical version)
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From left to right: Part one of the six part Frenc secam release (TV-series), The Danish VHS, the Greek VHS, the Dutch VHS (theatrical versions)
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From left to right: The UK VHS, the German VHS, the Spanish VHS (all theatrical versions)
The CCI 'Extended cut'
German DVD (2005)
"Die geheimnisvolle Insel" (CCI, the theatrical version, the
Super-8 version, an Extended Cut plus various extras, 2 DVDs, R2 PAL)
Release date: July 22, 2005. The extended cut includes English subtitles. Little is known of the exact footage used for the extended cut, but expect more details to follow shortly. The theatrical version is presumably the same as shown on German cable TV.
The French TV-series
French DVD (2005)
"L'lle Mystérieuse" (StudioCanal, 6 episodes of various running
time, 3 DVDs, R2 PAL)
Episode 1: "L'Évasion" (44m31s) - Episode 2: "Les Naufragés de láir" (46m55s) - Episode 3: "Territoire Interdit" (44m47s) - Episode 4: "L'Abandonné" (43m38s) - Episode 5: "Le Drapeau Noir" (52m37s)- Episode 6: "Le Secret de l'lle" (52m22s)
Extras include a Jules Verne quizz, various filmographies and a brand new interview with Omar Sharif (10m04s). Sadly no English subtitles! The strange thing about this release is that episodes 1-4 are still the shorter edits, but episode 5 has been 'restored' to the full 52 min. version. Episode 6 was never edited.
Spanish DVD (2004)
"Captain Nemo" (Viaje Con Música, 6 episodes á 52m42s apprx., 6
DVDs, R2 PAL)
Episode 1: 52m41s, Episode 2: 52m42s, Episode 3: 52m43s, Episode 4: 52m40s, Episode 5: 52m41s, Episode 6: 52m41s.
This version is practically identical to my multigenerational bootleg of (what appears to be) the original German TV-series which run slightly longer than it's counterpart released in the 80s on French secam tape (by 4-5 minutes per episode). Previously I regarded the German print as an "extended" or "alternative" version and the version released to French secam tape as the original French TV version. Imagine my surprise that the Spanish DVD actually carry the French version opening and closing credits!!! It even got the French theme (w/vocals, titled L'ile Bleue and performed by Monique Pianéa - no idea whether it's available on CD), but of course the actual dialogue is dubbed in Spanish. It seems fairly obvious then that the new DVD contains the original French TV-series as broadcast (only dubbed in Spanish) and for some strange reason the later secam release was trimmed.
This is the longest version of the TV-series released in any format so far. Unfortunately the Spanish DVD set is long out of print. It was for sale through the Spanish magazine El Cinéfilo only in the Summer of 2004 and reportedly the initial stock was so quickly sold out that further copies had to be printed to meet the demand. I suspect very few people outside of Spain managed to grab one though. Many thanks to Ferran Giménez for helping me obtain the set!
German TV-series print (197?)
"Die Geheimnisvolle Insel" (Bootleg, the original source possibly
a 16 or 35 mm film print. Running time per episode 53 min apprx.)
Episode 1: "Die Flucht" (52m38s) - Episode 2: "Die wunderbare Rettung" (52m47s) - Episode 3: "Der unheimliche Berg" (52m36s) - Episode 4: "Die Flaschenpost" (52m42s) - Episode 5: "Die schwarze Flagge" (52m43s) - Episode 6: "Kapitän Nemo" (52m39s)
Now that I am able to compare with the Spanish DVD release it is clear that this multigenerational bootleg I acquired some time ago is simply the original French series with new i.e. German opening and closing credits plus dubbed in German, of course.
French repeat TV-run/retail video (198?)
"L'lle Mystérieuse" (INA, 5 x 45min + 1 x 52 min apprx., secam
VHS)
Episode 1: "L'Évasion" - Episode 2: "Les Naufragés de láir" - Episode 3: "Territoire Interdit" (44m45s) - Episode 4: "L'Abandonné" (43m38s) - Episode 5: "Le Drapeau Noir" - Episode 6: "Le Secret de l'lle"
Alright, I've been too lazy to clock each episode (it's on my to-do list), but running time for episodes 1-5 is 44-45 min apprx. The episodes are edited from the original French TV-series, trimming a couple of minutes off each. I have no idea why this was done. Perhaps to speed up the pacing of the scenes? The most interesting reedit is to episode 1: Instead of telling the events of the escape from Richmond in one unbroken storyline, the scenes are rearranged into flashback sequences.
The International theatrical version
French DVD (2003)
"L'ile Mysterieuse" (Roissy Films, 103m48s, PAL DVD R2)
Running 104m The French DVD is identical to the other International theatrical prints I've encountered, only in French language of course. The aspect ratio is 1.33:1 and the overall picture quality isn't too great. It looks suspiciously like a video transfer (the theatrical version did enjoy a video release in France many years ago). With no extras whatsoever the disc's a huge letdown - on the other hand it might be the only way you'll have a chance to watch the International theatrical version, since the old video releases are all quite rare. There's a review (in French) at DeVilDead: Le cinéma Fantastique sur DVD.
Danish rental video (1982)
"Den hemmelighedsfulde ø" (Select Video, 104m06s approx, PAL
VHS)
I'm proud to state that of all the video releases of the International theatrical version I've encountered so far the Danish is the most complete. Very nice picture quality too!
Greek rental video (year unknown)
"The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo" (NK Video,
103m43s, PAL VHS)
Except for a few frames missing in a scene (at 60min, the end of Pencroff and Spilett discussing the pros and cons of guns) the Greek print is complete. The video transfer is rather on the poor side, the picture quality very dark and grainy, the colours washed out... something for which the Greeks are infamous.
Dutch rental video (year unknown)
"The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo" (EVC, 103m43s, PAL VHS)
The Dutch print is almost complete, except that EVC snips a few seconds of the opening and closing credits. The picture quality is fine, with occasionally a (very) slight black bar at the top.
German rental video (year unknown)
"Herrscher einer versunkenen Welt" (VMP, 95m30s,
PAL VHS)
The German video print more or less follows the same continuity as the other video prints of the International theatrical version. This print is easily the best of the bunch with excellent picture and audio quality.
Unique: Alternative opening credits, superimposed over the scene of Top in Richmond being chased by the soldiers.
Stuff missing:
- The International theatrical opening credits sequence and musical theme
- some minor scenes in the balloon
- some scenes of the castaways searching for the missing Cyrus Smith
- Pencroff and Harbert killing some birds with sticks
- the castaways searching for the missing Harbert
- the castaways discussing the possible origin of the metallic cube that Harbert removed from the Nautilus
- Captain Nemo, having been spotted on the beach, dropping the lantern
- the sequence of Cyrus Smith and Nab exploring the forbidden zone has been trimmed
UK rental video
"The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo" (Wolf,
88m12s, PAL VHS)
This is a heavily edited print, shortest of all known video releases of the International theatrical version. Quite frankly it's a travesty and only recommended to hardcore collectors. Picture and audio quality is fair.
Stuff missing:
- the entire Richmond sequence
- all references to racism, killing animals and stuff about food in general
- The entire sequence of Captain Nemo explaining to the castaways who he is and what drives him is missing. It's anybody's guess why, but in this version the viewer never learns that Nemo is in fact a former Indian nobleman, Prince Dakkar, who chose to go in exile after his family had been slaughtered by the British during the failed uprising of India in 1857. The casual viewer may never notice, because the film is well edited, it flows nicely with hardly a dull moment, but in this version Nemo ironically remains a mystery!! Since the missing footage is indeed present in all the other video prints (the Spanish adding even more details) my private theory is that some nut in charge of the distribution deemed these key scenes too politically sensitive (American Civil War, slavery, British colonialism etc.) and in order to please everybody had them removed.
Technical glitch: At 42m22s there is a jump in the video print, followed by 36s of audio dropout. The jump appears right when Pencroff, Spilett and Harbert spot the bright orange light from a signal lantern and thus are guided safely through the storm. Because of the jump we don't actually see the light.
Trivia: At a time I held two completely identical copies of the British video release. Except one was rated "U", the other "PG"!
The Italian theatrical version
Italian DVD (2003)
"L'isola misteriosa e il capitano nemo" (Pulp Video, 99m34s, PAL
DVD R2, LBX 1.77:1)
The Italian DVD contains a lot of footage not encountered in any of my other prints (sometimes known scenes running slightly longer or alternative shots). More details later.
The slideshow that Nemo shows Spilett is completely different from what I've seen elsewhere and includes live film footage, apparently lifted from some old adventure film!
The Spanish theatrical version
Spanish rental video (unknown year)
"La Isla Misteriosa" (Filmayer, 118m11s, PAL VHS)
I am now convinced that the roughly assembled Spanish version offers us a glimpse of the fabled "primeval version" broadcast in Spain and various Latin American countries. The mind boggles at what goodies these 6 hours of TV, probably lost forever, contained.
When I learned from a friend in Barcelona, Spain, that he had successfully obtained the Spanish video release of this film for me and it was the long 2 hour version I was amazed. What I thought then was that it would turn out to be the master print from which the other video prints were edited. Boy, was I wrong. The Spanish print introduced lots of new footage - sure. But you won't find it anywhere else - not even in the full French TV-series print.
New or expanded scenes that also show up in the International TV-series:
- The escape from Richmond, absent from the British print, shown in one continuous sequence in the German and Greek/Dutch/Danish prints, here is split up in several flashback-scenes during the flight in the balloon and the castaways crash-landing on the island. Among the new scenes: Pencroff stabbing a confederate soldier to death and himself getting wounded by gunshots, more details of Nab eluding his persuaders.
- Having been abducted by Nemo and his men, there's a much longer scene (with different score) of Harbert exploring the seemingly deserted Nautilus.
- On his birthday the other castaways surprises Pencroff with a hand carved pipe and tobacco (from some wild nicotina plant they've cultivated). This is straight out of the book by the way.
- The expedition to Tabor Island has considerably more dialogue of Spilett, Herbert and Pencroff in the boat.
- More details of the castaway setting a trap for Ayrton
- While guarding the captured Captain Nemo Pencroff again sings the old sailors song about same Nemo.
- The interrogation of Ayrton is completely different. It takes place in the caves, not on the beach.
- There's an explicit scene of Jupiter being shot (I certainly hope this was faked). In the international version this scene was very dark (intentionally?) and brief. Here we see Spilett carry the dying ape in his arms. Poor Jupiter :-(
- The sequence of the castaways confronting Nemo in the Nautilus is longer. For example, Nemo shows Spilett more slides of his past life in India (montage consisting of original French illustrations from the book).
Unique footage:
- Most of the scenes are shown much wider than any other prints, adding lots of picture information. Numerous scenes shot in slightly alternative angles, too many to list.
- When the castaways discover the ships chest (secretly placed by Captain Nemo) there's additional footage of the contents being investigated, including a detailed plan of how to build a ship. At least some of these shots appear to be unique.
- A wide shot of the boat sailing to Tabor
- At Tabor: When Spilett asks Harbert what happened to his arrows he doesn't deal him a friendly jab in the ribs first. This is clearly an alternative take.
- All the impressive exterior shots of the Nautilus from the other prints are missing. Instead we are treated to shots of what is supposedly the Nautilus, but looks like... well, some very cheap and ugly piece of toy!
- Nemo discovering his servant stabbed to death (by Bob Harvey) at the entrance of the Nautilus, inside the vessel. (Because they couldn't show the Nautilus in close up from the outside!)
Alternative ending: Considerably more footage of volcanic eruption and scenes of the island blowing up. However, the scene of the castaways drifting on a hastily improvised raft, only to be saved by a passing ship is entirely missing. Instead there's a brief shot of a ship in the horizon, suggesting that the castaways somehow managed to escape on their own!
Stuff missing:
- The interrogation at Richmond of Cyrus Smith and Nab that ends with Nab shouting, "I'm not a slave, I'm a free man"
- stuff about food
- Almost all scenes involving the sentry ray guns of Captain Nemo that frightened me so much when I was kid have been dramatically trimmed. In the few instances where close-ups of the guns have been retained the image is blurred and the sound of the guns have been muted.
- The comic scene of Pencroff bumbling about, walking into a tree after having set the trap for Ayrton
- Cyrus Smith and Nab exploring the forbidden zone
- The dramatic journey back home from Tabor
- The parley between Ayrton and Bob Harvey (revealing that they know each other from old times).
- As already mentioned, prominently missing are any exterior Nautilus sets.
- The electrocution of Bob Harvey is done off-screen. Well, it has to, obviously.
Assorted stuff in my collection
US Theatrical trailer
"The Mysterious Island of Captain Nemo" (01m38s, 35mm film)
More of a teaser trailer, really, although I have no idea whether a full trailer existed at any point. Would make a perfect extra on a DVD release...
Stuff that I know exists, but haven't been able to/couldn't afford to obtain:
16mm film print of the International theatrical version
French video release of the International theatrical version
Icelandic video release of the International theatrical version
Russian video release of (presumably) the International theatrical
version
Italian video release of (presumably) the Italian theatrical version
German two-reel Super-8 film release edited from (presumably) the
International theatrical version