The Unusual Suspects
Posted at 12:28 AM
Apparently AMC is now showing “The Usual Suspects” in its viewing rotation of classic movies. I certainly agree that the film is a classic, achieving that status for me the same year it debuted in the theater. Dave Hyatt and I both watch it regularly and can, against the wishes of many others, recite entire passages from the script. You could say that watching it is almost a religious experience for us.
Which is why I’m disturbed how AMC has profaned this film by censoring its more vulgar dialogue. Now AMC wasn’t the first television venue to do this but they make a big deal about film preservation, and it’s both ironic and sad that they’re unable to show “The Usual Suspects” and other films in their original form.
This film needs its vulgarity the same way the Mona Lisa needs her smile. It’s part of the artwork. I only caught a fragment of AMC’s version but soon turned it off when I heard Chazz Palminteri as Agent Kujan ask, “Who is Keyser Soze?” This is because Kevin Spacey as Verbal Kent responded, “Ahhh nuts!” Ahhh nuts? I can’t imagine how the lineup scene was censored, if they showed it at all. Thankfully I have it intact on DVD.
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