French DVDs and Blu-Rays of Asian Movies

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 02 Apr 2006, 11:04

Weekly HK Vidéo DVD overview:

Butterfly Murders (Hong-Kong - 1979 - From Tsui Hark with Eddy Ko)
We're going to eat you (Hong-Kong - 1980 - From Tsui Hark with Tsui Siu-Keung)
Don't play with fire (Hong-Kong - 1981 - From Tsui Hark with Lo Lieh)

http://rapidshare.de/files/17013650/But ... s.rar.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/17013839/His ... s.rar.html
http://rapidshare.de/files/17013957/Enf ... s.rar.html
Promotional trailers.

These 3 Tsui Hark films were released in 2004 in a boxset called "La trilogie du chaos" (The Chaos Trilogy).
Butterfly Murders suffers from heavy print damage and one scene is cut (just like in the new HK edition).
"We're going to eat you" looks good for the most part.
The "Don't play with fire" disc has both the tame international cut and the original director's cut (the cut footage is in VHS-quality).

There's a Tsui Hark interview, a Lo Lieh interview and a documentary on the differences between both cuts of Don't Play With Fire.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 02 Apr 2006, 11:11

hey,

yea, been meaning to get that for the Dangerous Encounter edits (only seen the "censored" version). But to my understanding the "lame" cut was not an international cut but Tsui Hark was essentially being forced by censors to alter the film drastically, shooting new scenes to please them.

Already own the other mei ah discs of the first two but wouldn't mind paying for them again. At least HK Video had the decency to warn us ahead of time unlike Mei Ah but otherwise, they are what they are. Deal with it and the piss.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 02 Apr 2006, 11:36

You're right. Tsui was forced to remove some scenes and shoot some other stuff to please the censors (most of the "arms dealer plot" did not exist in the original cut).
Since the original print had been destroyed, HK Vidéo used both the censored cut and an old VHS copy of the original cut to make their DVD. The end result isn't pleasing to the eye, but it's the only way to watch this film as it was meant to be seen.

BTW, I said "tame" cut, not "lame".

It's not that bad, actually.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 02 Apr 2006, 11:41

hey,

sorry, tom. Read too fast.

And Hk Video's solution is as good as anything. At least someone fucking bothered! You found that effort in Universe when creating some of their Cat III dvd's. Otherwise, no one cares in Hong Kong.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 02 Apr 2006, 18:24

Update:

Wild Side releases from May to July:

May 4th:

Hanzo the Razor boxset (thanks HungFist):

3-disc boxset.
Extras: Interview with Masanori Sanada, interview with assistant director Seiichi Ichiko.
A documentary on Shintaro Katsu.

June 21st:

Throne of Blood, Hidden Fortress and Dode's Kaden:

All these movies will have 2 dvds each with interviews, documentaries (about 80 minutes of extras per film).

Every disc will feature the original japanese mono tracks and french subs.

source: hkmania.com

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 02 Apr 2006, 22:19

Damnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn ...
Mannnnn.... I cant fucking believe how lucky the French are! What the fuck did THEY ever do to deserve all this!?

Gawd I wish I had payed better attention in school's french classes...

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 03 Apr 2006, 15:57

Update:

French label Kaze are releasing Appleseed (2004) on April 5th.
Look how pretty !

105 minutes.
Extremely good 1:85 Anamorphic transfer.
French DTS and DD 5.1 tracks. Original japanese stereo track.
French and Dutch subtitles.

Extras:
Pre-production (6 mins)
Design (5 mins)
3D modeling (13 mins)
Production (11 mins)
Videoclip (3 mins)
Picture galleries, games, storyboards, pre-viz, trailers.
Director's interview (25 mins)
Press Conference (20 mins)
Documentary on the Annecy animated film festival (20 mins)
A CD-rom with lots of goodies.

I'm tempted.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:08

DUTCH subtitles ::D
Meaning it will probably be released in Holland as well (or maybe only Belgium?)

Now if only I knew if I'd like Appleseed or not...

Are there other asian DVD's (produced in France) that also have Dutch subs?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 03 Apr 2006, 16:32

Are there other asian DVD's (produced in France) that also have Dutch subs?

Only the ones that can be found in both France, Belgium and Holland I think.
I don't see why a DVD that's only available in France would have dutch subs.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 03 Apr 2006, 17:54

Yeah I'm sure that's for the Belgian market.

Isn't Flemish when written Dutch? The difference being spoken.

p.s - I don't like that Appleseed cover much, it makes a change.

BiscLimpkit · Post by **BiscLimpkit** » 03 Apr 2006, 17:58

I love that Appleseed cover but have heard mixed reviews of the film.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 03 Apr 2006, 20:04

I loved it, so it must be crap.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 03 Apr 2006, 22:26

Tom2681 wrote: Extremely good 1:85 Anamorphic transfer.
French DTS and DD 5.1 tracks. Original japanese stereo track.

I'm tempted.

Are you retarded? According to those specs that French release ONLY has Japanese 2.0, and French dubbed DTS and DD5.1. No, the original theatrical track WOULDN'T be stereo in this day and age on such a recent high-budgeted action film. The R1 & R4 (which is native PAL) have Japanese DD5.1 and DTS tracks - they're automatically superior to that piece of bile.

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 03 Apr 2006, 22:36

Oh yeah good spot. The French dub strikes again.

Oh and you know it's extremely good how exactly?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 03 Apr 2006, 22:43

Brad wrote:and you know it's extremely good how exactly?

Review:

http://www.dvdrama.com/rw_fiche-6247-.php

Eva wrote:No, the original theatrical track WOULDN'T be stereo in this day and age on such a recent high-budgeted action film.

Given the nature of this "film" I'm not so sure.
Further investigation is needed. (although I'm sure that a DTS mix would sound better)

ReconFive · Post by **ReconFive** » 04 Apr 2006, 03:13

I LOVED Appleseed.
Great story, great animation, great film.

As for this dvd, i personally think that for this particular movie, the Japanese DTS track is worth going for the R1 or R4 editions.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 04 Apr 2006, 03:37

My guess is Appleseed played in Japanese theatres with DD5.1, DTS and/or SDDS tracks. This isn't some shoe-string budget live-action J-film which would have highly more likely been originally in stereo.

Hell, the R2J DVDs all have DD5.1/DTS.
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/search.html?ty ... =appleseed

Could someone who has the film please fast-forward to the end of the end credits and to see what sound format logos are listed? Thanks.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 04 Apr 2006, 12:25

Update:

First review for HK Vidéo's Terracotta Warrior DVD is up:

http://www.dvdrama.com/rw_fiche-6253-.php

For those who don't speak frog:

Picture = 8/10
Apart from some specks and weak black levels, the transfer looks brand new. Sharpness is good, colours are remarkable.

Sound = 6/10
The original cantonese mono soundtrack (yes, despite having Gong Li and Zhang Yimou, TW is a cantonese film) is clear but suffers from noticeable audio distortion at times. Nothing too problematic, though (surely a lot better than those classic muffled HKL remixes).

Extras = 1/10 (ouch !)
The original Hong-Kong trailer.
A Photo gallery.
Promotional HK Vidéo trailers.

20€ for a DVD with no extras is a bit much, but for a french DVD it's quite cheap. Sold !

bradavon · Post by **bradavon** » 04 Apr 2006, 12:27

surely a lot better than those classic muffled HKL remixes.

Does it really say that?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 04 Apr 2006, 12:38

No, I'm saying that.

...Because I can't stand those remixes. In Police Story the dialogue is so muffled it's barely audible.

On those HK Vidéo discs the audio sounds harsh but not muffled.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 04 Apr 2006, 14:07

hey,

I heard a rumour that a shorter Cantonese print exists so I'm not totally sure I want to jump up and down yet. Runtimes between Chinese dvd and French would be good for starters.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 04 Apr 2006, 14:11

French running time = 107 minutes PAL. 112 minutes NTSC. (according to the cover)
Chinese running time = 106 minutes NTSC. (according to HKflix).

If anything, the french DVD looks like it's longer than the chinese cut.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 04 Apr 2006, 14:19

hey,

that a running time from reviews and specs?

And also, I believe the setting is all China and with the main actors being Mandarin speakers, I doubt it's a Cantonese film. Ching Siu-Tung's inclusion doesn't make it Cantonese.

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 04 Apr 2006, 14:37

I loved Appleseed, too. Though I saw it on a big screen, and I doubt it will work as good on dvd / TV screen.

I received Wild Side Video's Dead or Alive: Hanzaisha today. Took a quick look and the picture quality seemed excellent considering the source material. I bet it's the best version available. Definitely worth the 13€ I payed for it.

I also got HK Video's Street Fighter Box Set. All transfers looked very nice. There were also trailers for some films I didn't know they were releasing:
Ninja Wars
Dragon Princess
Shogun's Ninja
G.I Samurai
The Killing Machine
Shogun's Shadow
One Armed Boxer

ericf · Post by **ericf** » 04 Apr 2006, 20:23

The Swedish PAL VHS of Terracotta Warrior is 1 hr 47 min long (1.46.31). The Chinese DVD is 1 hr 46 min long (1.45.55).

But the soundtrack on the Chinese DVD is not the same as that on the Swedish VHS, I think. There's still a lot of subs on the theatrical print of the Chinese DVD that has no dialog accompanying it but most of these places had no dialog on the VHS either.

I can only find one instance where there is an evident difference and that is at about 31 min into the film (PAL) where some people are drinking water and commenting on it tasting strange. I'm not sure if that is the original dialog or not. Also at about 1.22.40 there are two lines subtitled on the chinese print that Lily is supposed to speak but no one speaks. You can see that quite clearly.

ericf