Robert Rodriguez, the celebrated US director, made a significant breakthrough in Hollywood with his 1995 action film “Desperado,” starring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek. The movie also features notable actors like Danny Trejo, Joaquim de Almeida, Cheech Marin, Steve Buscemi, and Quentin Tarantino. Despite a modest budget of $7 million, the film grossed nearly $60 million worldwide.
However, “Desperado” faced challenges upon its completion. The US rating board, MPAA, initially gave the film an NC-17 rating. To secure an R-rating, Rodriguez had to cut several explicit violent scenes, including almost the entire finale. As a result, the film was never released in its uncut version.
The US theatrical version of “Desperado” was released uncut in Germany with an FSK 18 rating and was shown in cinemas, on VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and even on TV without any cuts. Additionally, a censored FSK 16 version was available on video and TV.
“Desperado” is the second installment of the Mariachi Trilogy. Rodriguez had earlier created the action thriller “El Mariachi” in 1992 with just 7000€. The R-rated film received positive reviews and was released uncut in Germany with an FSK 18 rating. Similar to its sequel, a censored FSK 16 version of “El Mariachi” was available on VHS and TV.
The third part of the trilogy, also R-rated, was released in 2003 under the title “Once Upon a Time in Mexico.” The German censors remained consistent, allowing the uncut version for 18 and older in cinemas, on DVD, and Blu-ray. However, some scenes had to be toned down for the FSK 16 TV release.
On August 26, 2024, Arrow Video will release “Desperado” as a UHD premiere in a limited edition Steelbook in the UK, and on August 27, 2024, in the US. In the UK, the Steelbook will be exclusively available at Zavvi. Additionally, a Limited Mexico Trilogy 4-Disc Set will be released in both the UK and the US, though only parts 1 and 3 will be included on Blu-ray.