Wal-Mart circumsizes Goldmember?!

[MisterPL]

As I was paying for my DVD copy of "Goldmember" at Wal-Mart this afternoon, the cashier, a fellow Austin Powers fan, told me to hang onto the receipt and packaging because Wal-Mart edited some content from their VHS release. He said the scene in which Austin and Mini-Me are shown in suggestive shadowplay was noticably abbreviated. While he didn't know if that was the case with the DVD, he suggested I exercise caution.

Is this guy right? I certainly wouldn't put it past Wal-Mart, with their self-righteous, politically correct, reactionary mass market mindset, to edit scenes from home video releases without disclosing it to the consumer. But this is particularly shady since they have a return policy that specifically excludes opened DVDs.

Anyone else heard of this? I don't want anyone cutting my Goldmember!

[Mister Skeezler]

Go to BestBuy. Walmart does edit their stuff, so I wouldn't risk it.

[roguestormtrooper]

How can Wal-Mart edit a DVD or VHS release of a movie?  Isn't that Illegal?  If they don't want to carry it,  then don't carry it...   end of story.

[Jim]

Their movies are not edited.  Only the music.  What is strange is that Walmarts carry Cheech and Chong movies.  Can you imagine if these were edited?  They would be 5 minute shorts.

[roguestormtrooper]

Their movies are not edited.  Only the music.  What is strange is that Walmarts carry Cheech and Chong movies.  Can you imagine if these were edited?  They would be 5 minute shorts.

Yeah,  the opening and ending credits...  Cheech and Chong rule!

I know they carry edited versions of music...  which also sucks.

[MisterPL]

Darn Wal-Wart! Darn them to HECK! I want the total package, not some airline version! This is false advertising!

No wonder it was so cheap. They sucked the good stuph out!

What I want to know is WHY?! Who complained? What concerned parents organization representative was stupid enough to buy this for their 9-year-old and rather than take responsibility themselves decided to ruin it for the rest of us by forcing Wal-Mart to censor its home videos?!

I want names.

[Darby]

I stopped buying anything entertainment wise at Wal Mart when they started dropping books because their content might refrence 9/11 - a romance novel, for example, that features an airliner in distress.  WTF?  They will carry those 'tribute' books with the big pics of images none of us need reminding of.  And they edit music.  When a chain store starts dictating terms to the arts, it's time to bail.

[Virex]

Just to clarify something, if I may:

Wal-Mart doesn't edit anything themselves.  If they did, the music and movie industries would throw an absolute fit.

Instead, their buying power is so great, that they have enough clout within the industry to force the record companies to offer edited version of albums, and Wal-Mart then will only carry those edited albums.  Same reason like with a movie like Old School or American Pie--Wal-Mart will carry the theatrical version, while other stores will carry the "unrated" versions instead.

It's almost the same thing, but not quite--there's not some guy in sitting in an office in Bentonville, Arkansas, selectively snipping out all the nudity and cuss words from your favorite movies and music.

Now, I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about DVDs and things, and I have yet to hear about any edited version of Austin Power in Goldmember released to any store in either VHS or DVD.  It's only rated PG-13, and Wal-Mart carries many more R-rated DVDs which are far more graphic, comparitively-speaking, than anything in Goldmember.

I think the easiest rule to follow is:

When in doubt, don't buy from Wal-Mart.

[MisterPL]

...there's not some guy in sitting in an office in Bentonville, Arkansas, selectively snipping out all the nudity and cuss words from your favorite movies and music.

You're right. It's probably a soccer mom.

Believe me, I'm well aware of Wal-Mart's buying power. And I knew they'd requested "clean" versions of music releases, not unlike BMG or Columbia House. But if it IS edited in any way, I'd like to know about it BEFORE I take it home and violate the second commandment of the Return Policy: Thou shalt not open DVDs.

Buyer beware indeed.

[Virex]

Yeah, I didn't necessarily direct that at you, MisterPL--just to anyone that may be under the impression that Wal-Mart edits their media themselves.  They don't.

Like I said, I would think that buying a copy of Goldmember from Wal-Mart would most likely be a safe purchase, and would net you the same exact copy of the film that you would buy from Best Buy, Circuit City, Target, or any other such place.

On the off-chance that it indeed was edited, I think you'd have a pretty good argument for returning it to them and getting your money back for it.  You had no idea that the product they were selling was any different from any other copy of the movie out there.

[MisterPL]

I'm happy to say that the "Goldmember" DVD was NOT edited... that I noticed anyway.

I like what Spuffy posted: "When a chain store starts dictating terms to the arts, it's time to bail." I'll certainly think twice about getting any music or home video from Wal-Mart in the future. I know Target offers both the clearly labelled CENSORED and UNCENSORED versions of "The Osbournes." Maybe I'll be taking my business to them.

[Darth Broem]

Maybe Wal-Mart can edit out Jar-Jar's stepping in poop and racking his nads on the cannon in Ep1?  

[Morgbug]

You're right. It's probably a soccer mom.

Yes, but is it a Volvo driving soccer mom?

[dustrho]

Go to BestBuy.

If I'm going to be music or a DVD I always go to BestBuy.  They usually have what I'm looking for in stock.