Alternate versions

The 1982 British release on the Replay video label omitted the scene where the sheriff and the deputy try to hitch a ride on Ada's chicken wagon, and the end credits were missing - though the now familiar 'freeze frames' of the principal actors appear, no credits are superimposed over them, and the final song continues to play over a completely black screen. In terms of gore and violence, the print Replay used was uncut.

The film has had a controversial history with the BBFC. It was first submitted for cinema in 1974 and refused a certificate, and eventually became one of the most notorious of the video nasties during the pre-cert video days, ending up as one of the official 39 titles. When the BBFC's new and more relaxed guidelines came into force in 2000 the film was again submitted for a cinema certificate. However a recent prosecution against the film forced the censors into requiring around 90 secs of cuts (mostly to the stripping, rape and stabbing scenes) which the distributor declined to do, forcing the BBFC to reject the film. It was again submitted in 2001 for a video/DVD certificate though the BBFC asked for a lesser 16 secs of cuts. The distributor again refused and the BBFC again rejected the film (for a 3rd time) which led to a legal challenge from Blue Underground. After viewing the film the independent Video Appeals Committee not only sided with the BBFC but requested the cuts total be expanded to 31 secs, the edits being made to the stabbing scene, Mari's chest being carved with a knife and a pan shot of Phyllis being forced to urinate in her jeans. The film was once again submitted for DVD in 2008 and finally passed fully uncut.

A version in German was released that was heavily cut and is only 64 minutes long.

Available on video in either an 83-minute version or an 84-minute version, which has some extra gore in it.

The new MGM R1 DVD is the same as the unrated Canadian, Dutch, Japanese, and French versions.

On the R1 DVD, the featurette of Dailies and outtakes contains a longer Chase sequence with Lucy Grantham, David Hess, Fred Lincoln, and Jeramie Rain; More footage of Mari and Junior; a deleted conversation with Cynthia Carr and Gaylord St. James, and more deleted material. This footage is most possibly the rest of the footage cut from the film. And if so, the only reason a completely uncut version can't be released is due to the fact that the synchronized audio track is lost to this day.

On the commentary track from Wes Craven and Sean S. Cunningham from the MGM DVD, Wes Craven mentions that in the scene right after they've killed the girls, in the pan across the scenic view, the pan was originally longer, leading to a shot of Mari crawling out of the lake and holding on to a tree, still alive. This would explain how she is out of the water when her parents find her body.

The German DVD is a double Disc Special Edition. The first DVD contains the uncut version of the Film in a pretty Quality- the second Disc contains some Trailers and the English cut Version called "Krug and Company".

Reportedly director Wes Craven decided that he had gone too far and cut some of the more extreme scenes of violence out of the theatrical version. Some of the stuff cut included more scenes between the two dumb cops and a shocking scene where Sadie reels out Phyllis's intestines after the bad guys have stabbed her, finally making them realize how disgusting what they're doing is. A brief glimpse of this scene can be seen on the 84-minute video version. Some outtakes that mysteriously showed up in a movie called "Confessions of a Blue Movie Star" show that indeed more was shot in the intestine-pulling scene. Whether that was actually in the film or were just outtakes could not be verified, since the footage was not found in any known existing prints of the movie.

The original US video release was heavily cut. The second US video release, which claims to be uncut, restores some footage, but is still incomplete. The most complete versions are the ones released on Canadian, Dutch, and Japanese home video. The MGM USA DVD is also the most complete version. They include the following changes from and additions to the "uncut" Vestron version: This version has no end credits. The movie ends with the same montage of each character, but no actors' names are printed over the scenes. After the montage, the movie's end theme song continues to play over a blank screen where the final production credits normally appears. Also, the scene showing the killers as they carry the women down the stairs normally has the "Early next morning" credit at the bottom of the screen. In this version, this credit is missing. Since it is impossible to undo such a thing, this print must be from a time before the movie was completed. These scenes are added in addition:

• In the scene where Krug tells Weasel to cut Mari with his switchblade, this version goes on to show a close-up of Mari's bloody fingers with the voice-over, "Phyllis, he cut me!" This version goes on to show a wet patch on Phyllis' pants and a shot of the two semi-nude women holding each other.
• In the scene where Junior pleads, "You're gonna kill someone if you're not careful," this versions' scene has Junior continue, "...make 'em make it with each other." Sadie agrees, "That's a good idea!" Krug replies, "Make it with each other."
• The chase through the woods is longer. The added scene shows Weasel and Phyllis facing each other on opposite sides of the river. Phyllis gives him the bird and screams, "Screw, Creep!" Weasel's angry reaction ends the scene.
• During the carving scene, this version contains additional shots of the sheriff getting out of his police car and walking.
• The dialog between Weasel and Mrs. Collingwood during the fellatio scene is lengthier in this version.

The MGM DVD features a section with outtakes and dailies that feature the full intestine pulling scene and more. Mentioned in the MGM DVD featurette, there was an alternate chest-carving sequence that was a lot more graphic than what is in the unrated version of the film.

The original British Anchor Bay DVD issue contains an alternative cut of the film, dating from the days when it was still known as "Krug and Company." It is still missing some footage due to censor interference. The main difference is a short scene in which Sadie is seen performing oral sex on Mari, with Krug telling her, "Hurry up, because Weasel and I are very hungry." The UK 3-disc edition contains the full uncut version.