The SD-DVD & HD Comparisons thread

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 02 Jun 2006, 00:07

bradavon wrote:But the slightly cut version is actually the director's cut? I'm sure I read it was cut for animal cruelty to a chicken??? Didn't they boil it alive or something.

Are you not thinking of Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid? That one is still cut. Just recently the BBFC ordered the removal of 14 secs for animal cruelty.

I checked the BBFC and the X-cert cinema release (of The Wild Bunch) was cut, but cuts were waived for video in the 1980's. It's never been censored here since.

It seems that the old VHS ran only 135m compared to the "director's cut's" 138m. I thought that they were essentially the same apart from a few MPAA cuts. Perhaps it was this version referred to here: "The first domestic version is essentially identical except for the removal of the Aurora flashback, which Peckinpah agreed to, albeit with great reluctance; this version runs about 143 minutes." that was released in the 1980's? Now all the scenes are restored in the DC, but some snippets are still censored, that apparently weren't missing in the old UK video.

It's possible no fully uncut version exists. I wish I could find that MPAA cuts list.

That make sense?

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 02 Jun 2006, 00:45

Thanks Mark. It could but I thought it was TWB, clearly not.

I wish I could find that MPAA cuts list.

I wish the MPAA had a decent website.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 02 Jun 2006, 01:07

The MPAA's website is crap. In fact it's now worse than it was before - if you can believe that?

I remember two of the cuts:

1. A line of dialogue about a woman's nipple being longer than a thumb.

2. Angel's throat cutting was bloodier.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 03 Jun 2006, 14:43

@ Mark's avator.

Any chance of a "Way of the Dragon" - HKL Platinum Edition vs. IVL Fortune Star?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 03 Jun 2006, 22:49

Does anybody have the UK disc of The Blade ?
I'd like to compare it to the new HK Vidéo.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 04 Jun 2006, 01:02

It would help greatly if the COUNTRY OF ORIGIN of the DVDs was provided:-
-There are multiple countries within the R2 and R3 region territories. Eg if you just say R2, it could mean any number of countries:- UK, Japan, France, Germany, etc.
-Usually R1 & R4 are obvious (as we usually presume it's R1 USA and R4 Australasia), but need denoting if they're from a "non-usual country" such as R1 Canada or R4 Brazil.

Thanks.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 05 Jun 2006, 11:20

Agreed and the distributor too both are very important.

I've been meaning to mention this too. It's generally easy with R1 as most are American but you're right to just say R2 or R3 means very little.

Personally I always make a point of including the country but the distributor when it comes to comparisons is also needed AND if it's a Special Edition too for that matter.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 11 Jun 2006, 10:44

Anyone got R3 KR Hana & Alice? I would like to see if my Thai disc is identical. One screencap should be enough, no need to make a thread for it. Please include the time too, I haven't seen the film yet.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Jun 2006, 15:19

Is it worth "upgrading" from the theatrical cut of Zhang Yimou's HERO (Edko) to the Director's Cut (Edko)? Ten mins extra - but worth it or just padding? I'm assuiming the image is the same quality. It seems that the German release is slightly better but no English making Edko the only viable option.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 13 Jun 2006, 15:35

The DC doesn't really have any extra scenes, just extra shots.
IMO it flows better, especially in the action scenes.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 13 Jun 2006, 18:42

Further investigation tells me that this isn't the 116m dir's cut after all and only restores the film to 109m. Where's the other 7m?

I really liked the theatrical cut and so am worried that the extra footage will throw off the pace. In some ways I wish they'd left it alone or at least put two versions in the same package. I tend to think that unless there are flaws with the theatrical version of a film then it should be left well alone. If this isn't a proper director's cut all it is is a marketing exercise isn't it? I wonder what Dragon Dynasty will do with this? I was going to use my £5 CD-Wow voucher to get this for £3.99 but am now not so sure... might get Twelve Deadly Coins for £2.99 instead?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Jun 2006, 00:02

The TC is flawed. The music doesn't always match the motion. The DC is much more enjoyable in that regard.

TC = 99m.
DC = 109m (I think).

I'm pretty sure the DC is Yimou's original version, but I can't prove it.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 14 Jun 2006, 01:34

So this 116m version DC is untrue?

Your positivity toward the DC is swaying me... but I need a clincher!

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 14 Jun 2006, 02:10

Is the German Kinowelt DVD of 'Scream' the best available version of the Director's Cut?

They stock it at CD-Wow so I can get that for £5.99. Seems like a good bargain.

Any comment?

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 14 Jun 2006, 02:18

Markgway wrote:
Any comment?

I think Bisc has the R2G uncut Scream.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 14 Jun 2006, 02:19

Thanks, I'll PM him in case he doesn't look here.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 14 Jun 2006, 19:55

Markgway wrote:I really liked the theatrical cut and so am worried that the extra footage will throw off the pace.

It's very much the same film but with the odd minor change here and there. I kept the Extended Cut as it's the overall better cut but tbh I was struggling to decide which is better.

Markgway wrote:In some ways I wish they'd left it alone or at least put two versions in the same package.

Left it alone, what good would that do? I wouldn't want to miss out on footage just to make life easier. Two version on the same DVD would really be overkill when both are so cheap anyway and yes it looks identical to the HK TC DVD.

Markgway wrote:I tend to think that unless there are flaws with the theatrical version of a film then it should be left well alone.

What's the point in that?

We'd never know if the alternate cut is better/worse if they don't actually release it. Besides have you forgotten all the hours of discussion this film got?

Markgway wrote:I was going to use my £5 CD-Wow voucher to get this for £3.99 but am now not so sure... might get Twelve Deadly Coins for £2.99 instead?

Get that and knock £2/£3 separately for Hero and get that too.

Markgway wrote:So this 116m version DC is untrue?

It was all rumour. I've never ever seen any actual proof.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 14 Jun 2006, 22:14

HungFist wrote:Anyone got R3 KR Hana & Alice? I would like to see if my Thai disc is identical. One screencap should be enough, no need to make a thread for it. Please include the time too, I haven't seen the film yet.

I have that.

You go first - I'm feeling lazzzzzzzyyyyyyyyy.

PS: I did have the HK R3 but got rid of that (despite the superior artwork, taken from the JPN theatrical poster), as it was riddled with ghosting and pixilation, yo.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 14 Jun 2006, 22:15

The current "DC" of Hero is PAL to NTSC conversion. There's a comparison on DVDActive.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 14 Jun 2006, 22:54

bradavon wrote:Left it alone, what good would that do? I wouldn't want to miss out on footage just to make life easier.

If it's not a director's cut though there's little point just adding some bits and pieces. Nobody seems to actually know?

Two version on the same DVD would really be overkill when both are so cheap anyway and yes it looks identical to the HK TC DVD.

I never own two seperate editions of the one movie. You shouldn't have to. Put both versions on a 2-disc set. Perfect ecconomy. Price is irrelevant to me.

Markgway wrote:What's the point in that? We'd never know if the alternate cut is better/worse if they don't actually release it.

Because in the last few years every film under the sun has been released and re-released with extra footage so that it's become a joke. If a filmmaker has had to cut something for a theatrical release then fine with me if a director's cut hits DVD - or similarly an uncensored version of a previously cut title. But this "unrated" edition nonsense, for example, has gotten out of hand so that every piece of dung that comes out is trumpted as extended and uncut. Anything to sell a package...

Besides have you forgotten all the hours of discussion this film got?

Yes.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 15 Jun 2006, 00:57

Markgway wrote:In some ways I wish they'd left it alone

No way. I'd rather not have the cut which was forced upon Yimou by Weinstein.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Jun 2006, 01:45

The current "DC" of Hero is PAL to NTSC conversion. There's a comparison on DVDActive.

Are you sure? No one has mentioned it, including Tom. It sure as hell didn't look like one to me.

That isn't mentioned on the DVD Active comparison either.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 15 Jun 2006, 01:50

Markgway wrote:I never own two seperate editions of the one movie. You shouldn't have to.

Have you got a case of the Yi-long again?

I'd see a doctor. Agreed I too prefer not to own more than one version and usually don't if the two differents aren't much different but if both cuts of a film work well for different reasons (e.g - Musa) or there is some other value to owning more than one cut it makes little sense not to buy both just to hold to your principle "I must only own one DVD".

We're actually just talking packaging here, two cuts usually means two DVDs anyway.

Markgway wrote:If it's not a director's cut though there's little point just adding some bits and pieces. Nobody seems to actually know?

Not strictly true Tom said he likes the Director's Cut better. Put it this way it's the closest to the Director's Cut (it may even be just that) we're ever going to see.

Exactly Eva. It took a bloody long time but thankfully we got the proper cut in the end.

Markgway wrote:Because in the last few years every film under the sun has been released and re-released with extra footage so that it's become a joke. If a filmmaker has had to cut something for a theatrical release then fine with me if a director's cut hits DVD - or similarly an uncensored version of a previously cut title.

You're completely contradicting yourself here. I see what you're saying but you can't exactly be against re-releases if you want a DC DVD now can you.

Besides think of Hero: DC like Blade Runner: DC.

It's not a pointless extended cut it fixes what we should've got in the first place. Agreed there are to many extended cuts but if dropping the idea means true Director's Cut such as KOH don't get released (using your words) than that would be a sorry state of affairs.

No one is forcing you, I or anyone else to double dip. Personally I'm all for these extended cuts (most of the time) as I get to choose which is the better cut not the studio, mpaa, bbfc (kind of) or even the director sometimes.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 15 Jun 2006, 15:37

bradavon wrote:"I must only own one DVD".

Each film should take up one place on my shelf. It's worked for me so far.

Not strictly true Tom said he likes the Director's Cut better. Put it this way it's the closest to the Director's Cut (it may even be just that) we're ever going to see.

Tom doesn't know - he was assuming. Maybe it is closer to the DC than the TC, but since Zhang supervised the TC, can we also say he supervised this Extended edition? Original reports suggested the DC was 116m. With 6 mins missing it's not a DC. And that makes me quesiton it's true validity. That's all I'm saying.

Markgway wrote:You're completely contradicting yourself here. I see what you're saying but you can't exactly be against re-releases if you want a DC DVD now can you.

How am I contradicting myself? I never said I was against re-releases in principle only pointless marketing exercizes that stuff cutting room floor scenes back in so they can be sold as "new and unrated" or some shit like that? A proper director's cut or uncut edition I have no problems with and encourage.

Besides think of Hero: DC like Blade Runner: DC.

Blade Runner was a giant bore. Even Harrison Ford thought so.

It's not a pointless extended cut it fixes what we should've got in the first place.

Says who? What does the extended Hero fix?

No one is forcing you, I or anyone else to double dip.

They do if they don't sell the two versions together. I personally think Edko are greedy cocks for not including the TC and original extras.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 15 Jun 2006, 20:23

bradavon wrote: Are you sure? No one has mentioned it, including Tom. It sure as hell didn't look like one to me.

That isn't mentioned on the DVD Active comparison either.

Someone on theDVDF said so. Not sure if it's true or not.

Doesn't bother me though.