[mattyb]

This is an odd one, but I'm bored, lol.
My girlfriend recorded Grease when it was shown on E4 the other day, and while we were watching it I noticed that a picture hanging in the cafe (think it was a big coke poster) was blurred out.

I've never noticed this before and was wondering if Channel 4 had actually blurred it out on purpose or its actually on the original DVD?

[Paddy C]

No, this was done by Paramount. Coke originally had several prominent logos in the film, but due to product placement laws, they had to be removed. All DVD/TV showing of the film now have all the Coke symbols or adverts removed.

It's hard NOT to notice the big blurry poster in the diner, I think blurring it has attracted more attention than if it was just left alone.

[mattyb]

Thought it was some promo thing that expired. I've never noticed it before.

Cheers!

[Tassium]

The poster has always been blurred. I'm pretty sure even for the original cinema release.

There are different stories as to why it was done but unlikely to be anything to do with laws.

[richhoops]

I happened to see the end of Grease on TV a while back, amused me that when Olivia Newton-John comes out in the fairground dressed in all the leather they had blurred her cigarette out.

Kids the moral of the story is if you’re a perfectly nice, sensible girl but you want to grab the cool bloke at school by all means turn yourself into a slapper but under no circumstances should you touch a fag!

[Gulftastic]

See here for more details, and a look at the unblurred images:

http://scenesteal.com/html/grease

[NorfolkBoy1]

I just assumed they were advertising the same drink they have on American Idol and TV Burp

[summer_redux]

Originally Posted by Paddy C

No, this was done by Paramount. Coke originally had several prominent logos in the film, but due to product placement laws, they had to be removed. All DVD/TV showing of the film now have all the Coke symbols or adverts removed.

It's hard NOT to notice the big blurry poster in the diner, I think blurring it has attracted more attention than if it was just left alone.

From Wikipedia

Scenes inside the Frosty Palace contain obvious 'blurring' of various Coca-Cola signs.Prior to the film's release, the producer Allan Carr had made a product-placement deal with Coca-Cola's main competitor Pepsi (for example, a Pepsi logo can be seen in the animated opening sequence). The film's set decorator, unaware of the deal, had placed Coca-Cola products and signage in the scene. When Carr saw the footage, he ordered director Randal Kleiser to either reshoot the scene with Pepsi products, or remove the Coca-Cola logos from the scene. As reshoots were deemed too expensive and time-consuming, optical mattes were used to cover up or blur out the Coca-Cola references. The 'blurring' covered up trademarked menu signage and a large wall poster, but a red cooler with the logo could not be sufficiently altered, so was left unchanged. According to Kleiser, "We just had to hope that Pepsi wouldn't complain. They didn't.

Director Randal Kleiser also mentions this in the extras section of the Grease blu ray version

[RussellIan]

How pathetic!

[CLL Dodge]

So Pepsi were the villains of the product placement deal.

[DG3]

What's odd is that Paramount left the blur in for the Blu-ray release, and yet digitally cleaned the rest of the movie of scratches and the occasional boom mic dropping down.

I remember watching the Blu-ray and thinking that Paramount was SO lazy by leaving it in. The software used to remove such issues is cheap and easy to use nowadays, especially for the studios.

[Soundbox]

Yesterday I tried to watch the first UK release VHS from 1981 on CIC and the picture was abysmal. Strange ruddy colours (which I presume are an NTSC>PAL issue. Reds are ovewhelming and dark scenes are impossible to make out. The sound is awful too with a dead muffled sound, odd rushing buzz and most songs reduced to mud (linear mono not helping either). Also the pan and scan is very rough with an odd shuddering effect. I had to turn it off in the end as my family were holding their heads and leaving, so, be warned - don't bother with the 1981 CIC release in the card slip case - it just is not worth the money (however low).

[DG3]

Originally Posted by Soundbox

so, be warned - don't bother with the 1981 CIC release

I think most folks stay away from video tapes in general these days, no matter the movie.

[DG3]

...especially 30 year old tapes.

[Soundbox]

I got the DVD - loads better - but the sound is still not all that good with a sort of auto-level effect which makes the dialogue sound a little unusual.

[ThatWasCool]

Originally Posted by DG3

I think most folks stay away from video tapes in general these days, no matter the movie.

I still watch my Beavis & Butthead tapes sometimes. Other than that I only use DVDs.

[marjangles]

Originally Posted by RussellIan

How pathetic!

It might sound pathetic but Pepsi could have sued based on their deal with the director. So although it seems way OTT, they needed to placate Pepsi or there could have been trouble, imagine the world without Grease!

[DG3]

That's true.