Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786301619561
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 6301619560
Label: Orion Home Video
Manufacturer: Orion Home Video
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Orion Home Video
Release Date: 1994-06-22
Running Time: 104
Studio: Orion Home Video
Theatrical Release Date: 1989-09-22

Years before his Oscar win, Tim Robbins top-lined this spoof of The Vikings and other ancient adventures. Writer/director Terry Jones (Life of Brian) paints his titular marauder as a wide-eyed pacifist born at the wrong time (with his wig and headband, Robbins looks like a refugee from Hair). During the age of Ragnarok, barbarians can only enter Valhalla through battle. So, Erik consults a sage (Eartha Kitt) who advises him to cross the Rainbow Bridge. He convinces his fellow villagers they can live amongst the Gods without all that raping and pillaging, but marauding is a lucrative business, so Halfdan the Black (John Cleese) tries to cut Erik's journey short. The nice Norseman also faces a sea dragon, a princess of easy leisure (Imogen Stubbs), and the delicately-positioned island of Hy-Brasil. Erik the Viking may be a minor entry in the parade of post-Python product, but this DVD is a long time in coming. "The Director's Son's Cut," however, is 21 minutes shorter than the 100-minute theatrical version. In his commentary, Jones explains, "I was never quite happy with the final edit." His son, Bill, punches up the pace through cuts and restructuring, but some fans will surely miss the more expansive movie of their memories (Plus, there's a moment when Robbins moves his lips to a deleted line). Other extras include featurettes (both old and new) and a photo gallery. One thing that hasn't changed: though a last-minute replacement for Tom Hulce, Tim Robbins plays Erik with irresistible innocence. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Rating:
Summary: What the???
Comment: The original is one of my all time favorite movies and I have it on VHS. This completely butchered version should not have ever seen the light of day. Why couldn't they at least included an original DVD version? Such a waste.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Don't let the director's son do any more edits!
Comment: I bought this not noticing this was the "director's son's edit". I hope the director's son never edits another movie again! The edit was something a high-school child could have done on his i-mac. Scenes that were once complete now end abruptly and jump around, mouths move with no dialouge, horrible growls were added to fight scenes. . . the list goes on. I plan to sell this back and wait for the original cut to be released in the US.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Not as good as the original
Comment: First off, it's actually the director's son's cut. It is not as good as the original at all. They took out 23 minutes of footage, added bad sound effects, and the video quality was lacking. They sharpened some of the picture but didnt give it a very good transfer to dvd, so can easily see a lot of bluescreen effects. Dont waste your money on this, try to get the original instead.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Still good but it's a shame they chopped it up..
Comment: this film was really funny until they brought this out and attempted to make a directors cut. and he was Cut Happy. it is still a good film and worth owning if you do not have it for your collection but be warned it's about 15 minutes shorter and some of the really funny scenes were edited a bit here and there but in most part the story is intact and the whole bit with the holy man that cannot see valhalla was still amazingly funny but they did this film an injustice to re-release it in this condition. unless you are like me and absolutly have to have it, rent it first to be sure because even though now having seen what all the fuss is about I would still buy it because it's better to have an edited film then never be able to watch it again. just my humble opinion. not going to write about the story again you all know it.
a 3 star effort.

Buy it Here. Rent First though (see above)
Erik the Viking

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A fun film for Viking fans!
Comment: No, I'm not referring to my favorite football team but rather those swarthy heathens who reeked HAVOC on the world centuries ago. Anyone "into" the Viking culture, like myself, will be surprised by the accuracy of the portrayal of the Norsemen's culture in this comedy piece. Set decoration, costuming, terrain, etc. are perfect. With a diverse cast including the likes of Tim Robbins (in the title role), Mickey Rooney, John Cleese and others it's a pretty decent little film. A bit Monty Pythonish, but ex-Python Terry Jones wrote and directed it from the book. Not a bad little film.

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