Looking for info on the Uncut VHS release of DYRL circa 1995

[Darkwater]

Hi there.  I barley post here, but don't worry it's not you, it's me.

For reasons, I was looking into the history of the Clash of the Bionoids release (believe it or not, there there's some weird, wild stuff with it), and one thing I can find almost NO info on is the later uncut release. 

It's this one right here:


I actually have the video, so I know how it looks and sounds and what the credits say and all of that, I just can't figure out when it was released exactly.

• The tape only says copyright 1984, but obviously that's the copyright date of the film, not the tape itself.  And it has to be after 1984 since the company on the box, Century Media, didn't get the movie until 1989 or 1990.
• The only place I can find a release date for it is on Amazon saying it was on April 17, 1995, but that info wasn't updated until 2006.
• Amazon reviews only go back as far at 1998 (but that might have been when they first started doing reviews). 
• Any mentions on the old Alt.Fan.Macross posts only go back as far as 1998 as best I can tell

Can anyone confirm this  was released in 1995?  Or was it maybe 1998?  Also, can anyone remember where it was actually sold?  I never saw it in any of the retail stores or rental stores I went to in the US.  I heard rumors of maybe it was at Suncoast?

I've checked newspaper listings, Diamond Previews back catalog, as well as Archive.org, and I can find almost nothing on it.  No articles, no solicitations.  Any info on its release that anyone has would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Edited April 29 by Darkwater

[Big s]

9 hours ago, Darkwater said:

Hi there.  I barley post here, but don't worry it's not you, it's me.

For reasons, I was looking into the history of the Clash of the Bionoids release (believe it or not, there there's some weird, wild stuff with it), and one thing I can find almost NO info on is the later uncut release. 

It's this one right here:


I actually have the video, so I know how it looks and sounds and what the credits say and all of that, I just can't figure out when it was released exactly.

• The tape only says copyright 1984, but obviously that's the copyright date of the film, not the tape itself.  And it has to be after 1984 since the company on the box, Century Media, didn't get the movie until 1989 or 1990.
• The only place I can find a release date for it is on Amazon saying it was on April 17, 1995, but that info wasn't updated until 2006.
• Amazon reviews only go back as far at 1998 (but that might have been when they first started doing reviews). 
• Any mentions on the old Alt.Fan.Macross posts only go back as far as 1998 as best I can tell

Can anyone confirm this  was released in 1995?  Or was it maybe 1998?  Also, can anyone remember where it was actually sold?  I never saw it in any of the retail stores or rental stores I went to in the US.  I heard rumors of maybe it was at Suncoast?

I've checked newspaper listings, Diamond Previews back catalog, as well as Archive.org, and I can find almost nothing on it.  No articles, no solicitations.  Any info on its release that anyone has would be appreciated.

Thanks!

I bought mine in the early 90’s at Suncoast back when those were in every mall. They did a special order for it. That was kinda their thing. It probably says on the back of the sleeve.  I think it was before 95. I know most of the video places had Clash of the Bionoids and it was a somewhat edited version. Oddly the DYRL version had the same dubious dub. I just remember that the people at Suncoast had to catalog things in a big book and write everything on paper because it was pre computer catalogs. It was also back when laserdiscs were on the shelf and before dvd. It was also a little before the internet was a thing. 
I had heard about it from a friend that there was a rumored vhs copy that was a bit longer and had scenes the likes of which were only legend. I knew the archivists in the dark ironically named Cave called Suncoast might be able to procure the item I sought. It took three months before a hero clad in brown had delivered it to the dark archives. I then had to convince a friend to take me to retrieve that legendary treasure since I did not have a ride.

Seriously, every Suncoast store I had ever been in was dark and had dark paint, they probably got turned into Hot Topic stores when they went under. And the clerks all were extreme movie snobs, but always knew the best versions of the movie you were looking for.

[Darkwater]

Appreciate the memories, this helps!
 

Quote

It probably says on the back of the sleeve.

You'd think so, but unfortunately, no info on the sleeve or in the film itself anywhere.  They just slapped the year 1984 on it.  Likely the result of these smaller video distributors just getting their hands on anything they could at the time and pumping tapes as fast as possible before the company went bankrupt (which they did in droves in the 80's and 90's).

[Big s]

4 hours ago, Darkwater said:

Appreciate the memories, this helps!
 

You'd think so, but unfortunately, no info on the sleeve or in the film itself anywhere.  They just slapped the year 1984 on it.  Likely the result of these smaller video distributors just getting their hands on anything they could at the time and pumping tapes as fast as possible before the company went bankrupt (which they did in droves in the 80's and 90's).

I wish I could tell you exactly when it was released, all I can really do is tell you more of a close idea of when I bought it. I’m pretty sure it was before 95, but not absolute on that

[Goodman Models]

Interesting! I bought the COTB vhs from a Coles bookstore in Niagara Falls, NY probably around 92-93 and was blown away because I didn’t know anything about it other than I recognized the SDF-1!  Good luck on the hunt!

[Darkwater]

Well, I got a little too obsessed and found this one thing mentioning 1995 in an Anime Guide for retailers. 

The second thing I found was the repacking of the tape, which for some reason they thought was a good idea to mention "Clash of the Bionoids" despite the tape being uncut.  This was from a comic shop wholesaler catalog in 1996.

[eetteekers]

Look under “Celebrity Home Entertainment” at the very bottom of the photo. Hope this helps. 

[Big s]

8 hours ago, eetteekers said:

Look under “Celebrity Home Entertainment” at the very bottom of the photo. Hope this helps. 

There’s a 1988 if I’m reading right

[Justin]

I still have my copy of that tape.  I bought it from a mail order catalog, although I specifically remember calling in to order it over the phone.  I don't remember the company or exactly when I ordered it.  I do know for sure that I had it in April 1998  but I'm pretty sure I bought it over the Summer of 1997

[Darkwater]

If anyone wants to check it out, I finished the video.
 

 

[Shawn]

@Darkwater  Can we add another chapter to this one?

If the most recent registrar of the Macross/Bionoids is Chicken Soup for the soul (16:07 in the video) in 2022....

 

 

Well they are now chapter 7 bankruptcy (changed from the original chapter 11), so who wants to go in with me and buy one title from them? LOL!
Come on everyone, lets do a GoFundMe and free this title once and for all for domestic release

https://www.lowpass.cc/p/redbox-shutting-down

 

 

[Big s]

On 5/15/2024 at 8:48 PM, Darkwater said:

If anyone wants to check it out, I finished the video.
 

 

I had questions about that one as well. I remember seeing clash of the bionoids on the cover of some of the vhs copies and thought it was something to do with Robotech and having that odd time between Macross and Southern cross or something. We didn’t have internet back in those days to point us in the right direction. Just had to rent it and find out. Stunning animation and derpy voice acting galore. I know Roy was supposed to be drunk in a couple scenes, but the whole cast sounded either drunk or high. I kinda miss it now

[JB0]

On 7/12/2024 at 4:06 PM, Shawn said:

@Darkwater  Can we add another chapter to this one?

If the most recent registrar of the Macross/Bionoids is Chicken Soup for the soul (16:07 in the video) in 2022....

 

 

Well they are now chapter 7 bankruptcy (changed from the original chapter 11), so who wants to go in with me and buy one title from them? LOL!
Come on everyone, lets do a GoFundMe and free this title once and for all for domestic release

https://www.lowpass.cc/p/redbox-shutting-down

 

 

Wait, THAT'S where the rights wound up? That's crazy!

[camk4evr]

Oddly enough, after reading the article, my thoughts were that the rights to an early part of the Macross franchise were held by a company that engaged in illegal activity. Sounds familiar somehow. Seriously what are the odds.

[strikevalk]

On 7/12/2024 at 11:06 AM, Shawn said:

@Darkwater  Can we add another chapter to this one?

If the most recent registrar of the Macross/Bionoids is Chicken Soup for the soul (16:07 in the video) in 2022....

 

 

Well they are now chapter 7 bankruptcy (changed from the original chapter 11), so who wants to go in with me and buy one title from them? LOL!
Come on everyone, lets do a GoFundMe and free this title once and for all for domestic release

https://www.lowpass.cc/p/redbox-shutting-down

 

 

hmmmm, you may be on to something here.... lol

[Keith]

Best Films also went by "Kiseki Video" if I recall correctly.

[F-ZeroOne]

Not sure if they're related, but "Kiseki" was a fairly short-lived brand releasing anime in the UK. They released an infamous version of "Gunbuster", though to be fair to them I think the UK censors hit them pretty hard during certain scenes (I just found my copy lurking in my DVD Containment Facility and its rated UK "PG" - "Parental Guidance" - which I'm pretty sure an uncut version wouldn't be, in fact I know it isn't because I recently picked up the UK Blu-Ray release and thats rated "15").