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Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 08:09
by luckystars
Another thought about viewing habits

Don't put a film on and do another 10 other things at the same time.
I'm not obsessive about kit but my favourite setting at home is evening viewing with my amp, tv and DVD player fired up with low lighting. Basically as close to a cinema as possible (but not as noisey). I don't spend the whole time texting/talking on the phone/checking Facebook/watching YouTube/gaming on a second screen/reading an eBook/doing emails etc etc. which so many people seem to do as standard these days. I'm not saying don't multitask a bit, but you're not even giving the film your attention how is it going to be a rewarding experience. It's a two way street.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 10:05
by grim_tales
Hung makes a good point, upgrading stuff I already have is actually annoying, even its from DVD to BD.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 11:14
by HungFist
luckystars wrote:Another thought about viewing habits

Don't put a film on and do another 10 other things at the same time.
I'm not obsessive about kit but my favourite setting at home is evening viewing with my amp, tv and DVD player fired up with low lighting. Basically as close to a cinema as possible (but not as noisey). I don't spend the whole time texting/talking on the phone/checking Facebook/watching YouTube/gaming on a second screen/reading an eBook/doing emails etc etc. which so many people seem to do as standard these days. I'm not saying don't multitask a bit, but you're not even giving the film your attention how is it going to be a rewarding experience. It's a two way street.
I know some "normal" people do that, but I never though anyone who actually cares about films would do that. I turn my cellphone off when I'm watching a movie.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 11:18
by Markgway
I try less to buy "good" films than films I'll likely re-watch.

I sold Born on the Fourth of July because even though it's a very good film, I couldn't see myself sitting thru it again.

Commando conversely is poorly made, but I've seen it countless times... and will no doubt do so again.

That make sense...?

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 12:37
by grim_tales
Yeah, I think it does :)

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 12:39
by Yi-Long
Markgway wrote:I try less to buy "good" films than films I'll likely re-watch.

I sold Born on the Fourth of July because even though it's a very good film, I couldn't see myself sitting thru it again.

Commando conversely is poorly made, but I've seen it countless times... and will no doubt do so again.

That make sense...?
very much. We've had that discussion many times. It's good vs enjoyable. A movie doesn't have to be great in order to be very enjoyable and thus rewatchable (Kickboxer and Bloodsport come to mind for me...), while some other movies are absolutely great in terms of script, acting, cinematography, but they might also be a bit 'heavy' to watch, so you end up watching them less often. Cyclo and Old Boy for instance...

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 16:40
by Masterofoneinchpunch
Mo wrote:...Alright, alright master of one inch punches. I need to single out one of your comments. People who watch Godfrey Ho movies. ...
I was being facetious with a touch of whimsically directed barbs. I wasn’t actually being serious. I was also joking with a previous Pauly Shore comment (since I do have several films with him in it) in a different thread.

Hey! You misquoted me. :D I wrote: "There are some that are perfectly happy watching Godfrey Ho films over and over and more power to them." If you substitute even Orson Welles I would still stand by the comment since it was meaning to diversify your watchings.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 16:49
by grim_tales
Yeah, I agree, a movie doesnt have to be 'well made' to be enjoyable. Commando is a pretty stupid movie but its great fun :D

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 16:53
by saltysam
grim_tales wrote: upgrading stuff I already have is actually annoying, even its from DVD to BD.
if you feel like that you probably shouldn't have moved to blu in the first place tbh.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 17:19
by Yi-Long
This is where downloading comes in, as far as I'm concerned.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 18:38
by luckystars
Downloading is the reason all the indie labels go under. I buy to support future releases

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 20:09
by Yi-Long
luckystars wrote:Downloading is the reason all the indie labels go under. I buy to support future releases
If they bother releasinga proper uncut version, I'll support them. If not, fuck them.

The Grandmaster? Cut. Fuck them. The Raid? No original soundtrack. Fuck them.

There's been a bunch of movies I would have loved to have picked up on BR, but they simply haven't gotten a proper release. Hero doesn't have the director's cut. House of Flying Daggers is supposedly poor quality in terms of video. Most of the time I don't even bother downloading a copy either, and I'll just stick with my existing DVD.

Like you said, I would like to support indie labels, but they do need to sell releases I'm willing to buy. Sadly, that happens very rarely. I'd argue it's now even worse than it was with DVD.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 21:09
by Beat TG
How about broadening your choices in movie watching and switch between different films? Always works for me.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 21:20
by luckystars
Yi-Long wrote:
luckystars wrote:Downloading is the reason all the indie labels go under. I buy to support future releases
If they bother releasinga proper uncut version, I'll support them. If not, fuck them.

The Grandmaster? Cut. Fuck them. The Raid? No original soundtrack. Fuck them.

There's been a bunch of movies I would have loved to have picked up on BR, but they simply haven't gotten a proper release. Hero doesn't have the director's cut. House of Flying Daggers is supposedly poor quality in terms of video. Most of the time I don't even bother downloading a copy either, and I'll just stick with my existing DVD.

Like you said, I would like to support indie labels, but they do need to sell releases I'm willing to buy. Sadly, that happens very rarely. I'd argue it's now even worse than it was with DVD.
The Raid: US blu has the original soundtrack
Grandmasters: WKWs preferred cut of the film, and only English friendly release of that cut

But I get what you're saying :)

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 22:01
by Masterofoneinchpunch
Mo wrote:... Yeah I misquoted that on purpose. I didn't want to admit that I watch them over and over. I've seen Golden Adventure around 10 times and Ninja Terminator around 50 times! But I do have to watch something else besides Godfrey Ho once in awhile :D
That's insane about Ninja Terminator! There is not too many films I have seen that many times. I probably do need to see some more Godfrey Ho films, but so much on the backlog it is insane (and how many lists I am working on as well as recommendations etc...)

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 22:20
by Masterofoneinchpunch
Mo wrote:Yeah Ninja Terminator is one of my favorite movies. "Ninja are supreme, and you have double crossed it. Why did you do that?" I think the only movies I've seen that many times are Legend of a Fighter, Snatch, Avenging Eagle and Shanghai 13.
Wait there is a non-MA film in that list? All my 30+ (possibly 50+) watch films are from my youth like Star Wars, Stalag 17 (watching it, I'm not that old to have seen it in the theater) and The Princess Bride.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 22:55
by grim_tales
saltysam wrote:
grim_tales wrote: upgrading stuff I already have is actually annoying, even its from DVD to BD.
if you feel like that you probably shouldn't have moved to blu in the first place tbh.
I have a bigger screen now so hopefully I'll get more out of BD now, I can appreciate the finer detailed picture more :)

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 21 Aug 2014, 23:32
by Yi-Long
luckystars wrote:
Yi-Long wrote:
luckystars wrote:Downloading is the reason all the indie labels go under. I buy to support future releases
If they bother releasinga proper uncut version, I'll support them. If not, fuck them.

The Grandmaster? Cut. Fuck them. The Raid? No original soundtrack. Fuck them.

There's been a bunch of movies I would have loved to have picked up on BR, but they simply haven't gotten a proper release. Hero doesn't have the director's cut. House of Flying Daggers is supposedly poor quality in terms of video. Most of the time I don't even bother downloading a copy either, and I'll just stick with my existing DVD.

Like you said, I would like to support indie labels, but they do need to sell releases I'm willing to buy. Sadly, that happens very rarely. I'd argue it's now even worse than it was with DVD.
The Raid: US blu has the original soundtrack
Grandmasters: WKWs preferred cut of the film, and only English friendly release of that cut

But I get what you're saying :)

I know US The Raid is the best version, but it's 4 times as expensive as the Hong Kong and Dutch releases, so no...

And I consider the HK cut of The Grandmasters as the original cut, especially because that's the version I watched when I was in Hong Kong, and it has the original soundtrack. US and European versions have been cut up and I believe also received an alternate soundtrack in places, so fuck that. Reception of the cut versions also hasn't been as positive as the HK cut.

Wong Kar Wai will say anything, he's just trying to sell his movie. He can't go out to western journalists and tell them the western releases are completely fucked up.

He also butchered his perfect Ashes of Time and replaced the gorgeous soundtrack, simply because he wanted to re-release it when there was a short resurgence of wuxia-movies which gained popularity in the west. Terrible terrible terrible. I've got the BR cause it was 2-3 euro or something, and I tried watching it, but hearing the new soundtrack is just heartbreaking to me. It's not the same movie I loved so much. It's stained.

I see it as someone serving you a big glass of cola, and while it will still taste pretty good on it's own, you know there's a huge spitball in there. It's just ruined.

I'm glad I've got the HK uncut version of The Grandmasters though, both on BR as well as download. Fantastic movie. I feel bad for anyone spending money on the incomplete butchered western releases. It's an incomplete product.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 08:18
by luckystars
Sorry should have read

Grandmasters: Korean Blu. WKWs preferred cut of the film, and only English friendly release of that cut.


Some other stuff was changed but version has an extra fight at the end not seen in any other version. Unfortunately it *is* one film that if you really care you need to get all the different edits of (which I don't)


Also I care about AV quality. Unless you're downloading an exact copy of a film, the sound/picture quality is compromised in the compression.

The US Blu is the Raid cost me under £10 btw

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 09:27
by HungFist
grim_tales wrote:
saltysam wrote:
grim_tales wrote: upgrading stuff I already have is actually annoying, even its from DVD to BD.
if you feel like that you probably shouldn't have moved to blu in the first place tbh.
I have a bigger screen now so hopefully I'll get more out of BD now, I can appreciate the finer detailed picture more :)
I was gonna suggest you smaller screen ja VHS :lol: So many great films not available on dvd...

It's not the finer detail that's gonna make you re-discover the passion. It's the cool films and genres you never knew existed that can make you re-discover the passion.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 12:04
by Markgway
luckystars wrote: The US Blu is the Raid cost me under £10 btw
A few months ago Amazon.com were flogging it for $4.99.

Made me wish I liked it more.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 13:35
by Yi-Long
Markgway wrote:
luckystars wrote: The US Blu is the Raid cost me under £10 btw
A few months ago Amazon.com were flogging it for $4.99.

Made me wish I liked it more.
I still haven't watched it. Haven't even bothered with a downloaded version, cause those were missing the original soundtrack as well, so I don't want to waste my time on that.
luckystars wrote:Sorry should have read

Grandmasters: Korean Blu. WKWs preferred cut of the film, and only English friendly release of that cut.


Some other stuff was changed but version has an extra fight at the end not seen in any other version. Unfortunately it *is* one film that if you really care you need to get all the different edits of (which I don't)


Also I care about AV quality. Unless you're downloading an exact copy of a film, the sound/picture quality is compromised in the compression.

The US Blu is the Raid cost me under £10 btw
Thanks, I didn't know about the Korean BR. Will check out some info on that. I was in South-Korea last year, but sadly didn't really come across many places that actually BRs or DVDs and such. Very disappointing.

The problem with obtaining The Raid US edition is the ridiculous shipping fees and such. Like I said, the Dutch release costs about 4-5 euro, and the HK release was also around that price, so I'm not willing to spend 3-4 times that much simply because local publishers couldn't be bothered to release it properly.

And Amazon.co.uk now charging shipping for deliveries to Holland hasn't improved matters much either, cause I haven't ordered anything from them since.

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 16:56
by Masterofoneinchpunch
luckystars wrote:Sorry should have read

Grandmasters: Korean Blu. WKWs preferred cut of the film, and only English friendly release of that cut.
...
Where and when (please have source) did Wong Kar-wai state he had a preferred cut of the film

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 22:22
by luckystars
Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:
luckystars wrote:Sorry should have read

Grandmasters: Korean Blu. WKWs preferred cut of the film, and only English friendly release of that cut.
...
Where and when (please have source) did Wong Kar-wai state he had a preferred cut of the film

I can't find the quote but I've seen it written a few times. Maybe someone else knows more?

Re: Feel like I'm losing my passion for cinema :( Now what?

Posted: 22 Aug 2014, 23:41
by Shingster
Absolutely shameless plug here but why don't you try and discover a regular film podcast that will provide ideas for fresh genres to explore? I'll direct you to the Digital Fix Podcast not because it's a particularly great pod (I'm sure there's a billion better pods out there) but because we've strived to cover a wide range of genres and also I personally take part in them so if you want to try out any of the films in our pods you can always PM me later or start a thread here to discuss the topic further. Give the swashbucklers episode a go, it's a great genre for a fan of Kung Fu films to plunder if they want a break from Asian cinema. Just ignore our first episode, it's awful! Alternatively if you want to stick to asian cinema give Knetan's podcast a go, he's been at it years now!