Absolution (1978)

I saw this in horrific conditions from the moderately intriguing and extremely entertaining 'Drive-In Movie Classics' pack of 50 films on 12 double-sided DVDs. Ten minutes were cut from the film and it was pan-and-scan--specifically spliced to get it to fit into a two-hour TV-spot with commercials. Still, it was an exceptional work, and I'm extremely curious for two reasons--why it was shelved for 10 years from U.S. release (until Burton was dead for four years), and why it seems to have fallen to public domain. It has a strong script, very good direction, Burton's performance is masterful (in fact, one of the best I have seen from him) and the supporting cast of both unknown youths and Billy Connolly is downright impressive. The film deserves a much better fate...Absolution itself, methinks. ;)