I'll synopsize the information very clearly:

THE MASTERS OF CINEMA DVD IS THE FINAL, FRANJU-SANCTIONED “DIRECTOR'S CUT.”

The problem with the Internet is that everyone is so keen to jump the gun and get their little scoop, before undertaking a smidgen of digging. The result is that these things go out there as a post on some high-traffic blog, then linger in cyberspace forever, sans emendations, to be regurgitated for all eternity in the form of search engine results. From Facebook photo-taggings, to politicized innuendo, to misinformation about integral cuts of works of cinema, we're all on incessant, 24-7 damage-control duty. Exasperating new world.

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“Glenn, the two minutes of “missing” footage are apparently nothing but some shots that Franju had later eliminated upon tightening up a reel, but which had remained on a print of the film that had somehow circulated for a spell and which had been telecined somewhere along the way. Jacques Champreux, grandson of Feuillade and scenarist of Franju’s ‘Judex’ (not to mention co-scenarist, and one of the stars, of Franju’s excellent ‘Nuits rouges’, which is also included in the MoC release) wrote Nick Wrigley a few weeks ago on the issue, saying he has no idea where that extra footage had come from, that it was indeed some excess fat on a reel and as such was not meant to be. There was discussion about this over at the Criterion Forum board, under the ‘Judex / Nuits rouges’ thread in the MoC section.

Champreux’s letter in full:

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Dear Mr. Wrigley,
I’m very surprised by your mail. I’ve never heard about another version of « JUDEX » with a different cut like this.

I can affirm that the French DVD and MoC DVD is absolutely conformable to the original negative as cut by Georges Franju himself and Gilbert Natot and kept in the lab Eclair.
The version of « JUDEX » you can see in the DVD is exactly the same as the one that Franju approved and saw in 1963 at the Cinémathèque Française, at the time of the first official screening in the world of that film.

Since, nothing has been changed.

I suppose that, before this official screening, a print was normally established and next after seeing it, a refining out of the cutting of some sequences was decided. And then that refused print has been commercially exploited, without Franju’s knowledge. There are no neglectable savings for the producers

It seems to me that the result of the cuts you indicate is to improve the rhythm of the concerned sequences.

With my best regards
Jacques CHAMPREUX

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[...] Nick and I would like to make sure that the record is set straight on this, to avoid any confusion or misgivings, or doubt that the release is ‘not’ Franju’s integral version of the film.

best,
craig.”

I’m actually heading to Kim’s in a moment – for the last time. Sniff. Yeah the Sicily thing blows my mind. I’m going to blog about it tomorrow…

I’m afraid that this is it for specialty video rentals in NYC. Which is why I’ve been borrowing as much as I could from Kim’s these past few weeks. Next best option in the city is the New York Public Library. Beyond that, you’re at the mercy of Netflix and online file sharing networks.

As for Judex, if you really want to see it, I highly recommend getting your hands on the recent DVD that was put out in Europe. Based on the screengrabs I’ve found online, it looks gorgeous, far better than the crusty VHS I watched. The only catch is that you need a Region 2 Pal player.

I wrote to you once before after watching “The Ceremony” (I think) the same day and time as you did at Walter Reade.

As you know, Kim’s Video is leaving us. A woman who works there with whom I spoke today said the entire rental collection is going to a library in…

Sicily.

S-i-c-i-l-y?????

Oh well, I knew Mr. Kim was going to sell to the highest bidder. Here, I was concerned about it leaving the city! I’m nauseous.

Two films I wanted to rent today were Il Sorpasso and Judex, but I know you have (at least) the latter in your possession. Sigh

I don’t know of any other store in NYC that equals Kim’s for rarities. However, what Manhattan video rental store would you now recommend in the wake of Kim’s demise?

Thank you in advance.