Alternate versions

There was a home video release during the 1980s that was an extended cut which included many of the deleted scenes found on the Special Edition DVD.

The Brazilian version was cut for a '10' rating to reduce some deaths by the car, a burning body, a boy getting injured during a football game, a girl getting strangled by the car, a boy being impaled with a glass shard, reduced language, and some horror scenes. The uncut version is rated '12'.

The TV version that was shown in the 1980s was heavily edited, omitting all of the foul language including milder swear words, the scene where Arnie first meets and is insulted by Darnell and consoled by Dennis is missing along with the scene where Arnie calls Leigh to get back together and where Buddy and Richie are buying liquor prior to being chased by Christine in the Camaro. Also missing is a lot of dialogue between Junkins and Arnie about Moochie's murder and the defecating on Christine's dash board. Buddy's death scene was also cut to a commercial break on commercial TV as Christine runs him down and the scene where Arnie is impaled by the glass is removed.