The Devils (film) - Modern Reissues

Modern Reissues

All of this material was presumed lost or destroyed until critic Mark Kermode found the complete "Rape of Christ" sequence and several other deleted scenes (including the fuller version of Sister Jeanne's masturbation scene as well as additional sequences of naked nuns lounging around the convent and a bawdy dance performed by travelling players mimicking the bizarre events whilst Grandier is being led to his death) in 2002. The artist Adam Chodzko made a video work in which he traced and interviewed many of the actresses who had played the nuns during the orgy scene. Although some material may have been lost forever, the NFT was able to show The Devils in the fullest possible state in 2004. This uncut director's version premiered at the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film in March 2006.

On April 25, 2007, The Devils was shown for a second time in its fullest possible state to a group of students and staff at the University of Southampton, followed by a question and answer session with the director, moderated by Mark Kermode. It was the first significant event to take place during Russell's tenure as a visiting fellow at the University of Southampton in the English and film departments, April 2007 to March 2008.

On July 19, 2010, the film was screened for the Fantasia Film Festival in Montreal at the Hall theater, preceded by a Q & A session with director Ken Russell. It was screened again on July 28.

On the evening of August 20, 2010, the American Cinematheque in Los Angeles hosted Ken Russell at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica with screenings of The Devils (108-minute version) and Altered States with Charles Haid and Stuart Baird in attendance. There was a discussion between films with Ken Russell and actor Charles Haid, and moderated by Mick Garris.

On August 29, 2010, The Devils was again shown at the Bloor Street Cinema in Toronto, Ontario, preceded by a question and answer session with director Ken Russell.

An NTSC-format DVD edition of the R-rated version on the Angel Digital label appeared in 2005, with the so-called 'Rape of Christ' scene and other censored footage restored, and featuring a documentary by Mark Kermode about the film, as well as interviews with Russell, some of the surviving cast members, and a member of the BBFC who participated in the original censorship of the film. The consensus among those who have purchased this edition is that video quality of the DVD is only to the standard of a recording from television and may be a recording from the UK Channel 4 screening of 25 November 2002.

DVDActive.com announced on February 28, 2008 that The Devils would finally be released on DVD by Warner Home Video in the U.S. on May 20, 2008, in the UK theatrical (111 min) version, but without additional material. However, a day later, a DVDActive forum post asserted that the release had been dropped from Warner's schedule. Warner Bros released The Devils on DVD in Spain in the summer of 2010. However, it was the heavily cut US version. Despite this, the US R-rated version surfaced again on December 31, 2010 as a Euro Cult DVD, with the so-called 'Rape of Christ' scene and some censored footage restored, and with the accompaniment of the above mentioned interviews as well as commentary by the censors and the US trailer. This claimed-to-be 'uncut' NTSC Euro Cult DVD as available in the US during 2011 actually plays for under 109 minutes even though the packaging claims 111 minutes; it does not include all the missing footage. The quality is acceptable but definition is poor, as in a transfer from domestic videotape. Most of these DVD releases present the film in a cropped to 1.78:1 from its original 2.45:1 Panavision ratio.

In June 2010, Warner Bros. released The Devils in a 108-minute version for purchase and rental through the iTunes Store, but the title was removed without explanation after about three days and remained unavailable until reappearing in April 2011.

In April 2011, London's East End Film Festival screened the full uncut version, only the second time this version has been shown in the UK. Ken Russell and other cast were in attendance to take part in a Q&A afterwards

The British Film Institute released the UK theatrical version (111 minutes) on DVD on March 19, 2012. BFI licensed the film from Warner Brothers but was not permitted to include the additional Kermode-found footage from 2004 nor issue the film on Blu-ray. The BFI release also includes the Kermode documentary on the history of the film entitled Hell on Earth: The Desecration & Resurrection of The Devils, as well as a vintage documentary shot during the production entitled Directing Devils. Additionally, the release includes an early Ken Russell short film entitled Amelia and the Angels, which was made shortly after Russell converted to Catholicism.