Sony to release “clean” versions of its movies for digital download

By William Hughes | June 6, 2017 | 11:24pm

Aux Features Film

Finally allowing frequent travelers to recreate the sanitized, cocoon-like viewing experience of watching a movie on an airplane in their own home, Sony has announced a new initiative that will place the “clean” versions of some of its films, edited for broadcast or airplanes, onto home video releases. Starting with 24 films from the company’s vaults, the project will include the edited versions as free extras alongside digital downloads from retailers like iTunes, VUDU, and FandangoNow.

Besides allowing fans to finally watch Ghostbusters 2 without being scandalized by its unmitigated ribaldry, the effort might also be an attempt to cut into the business of third-party editing services, which manually edit movies for audiences uninterested in modern sex and swears. Companies like ClearPlay and VidAngel have run into troubles, both legal and technical, over the years, as they attempt to work within the confines of the Family Movie Act of 2015 to provide de-naughtied versions of popular films.