French DVDs and Blu-Rays of Asian Movies

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 12 Apr 2006, 17:32

Since everybody loves HK Video, I thought it would be a good idea to remind people that not all their releases are perfect. For example, even though their Drunken Master is easily the best release for that film, the picture quality is still inferior to Mei Ah and Columbia. Of course their soundtrack is a million times better than Columbia's Cantonese-English mix or Mei Ah's Cantonese-Mandarin-English mix (my personal overall dvd ratings would be; Columbia: 3½/10, Mei Ah: 3/10, HK Video: 7/10).

I also noticed that (judging by R2J screencaps) HK Video's Sister Street Fighter, even though it has a great transfer, seems slightly inferior to Toei's transfer. HK Video is a bit too bright, and also seems slightly stretched.

Female Prisoner 701: Scorpion also has some problems. HK Video has much better black levels, but Toei / Media Blasters has superior colors which I think is the most important thing in a visully stunning film like this.

And the soundtrack in Fist of Legend is slightly out of sync during some fight scenes...

... but I still love them :drunken:

ericf · Post by **ericf** » 14 Apr 2006, 11:32

I just got hold of the HK Video version of Dr Wai and the Scripture (????).

It has two versions of the film.

Does anyone know if there is a script for the international version available or do I have to translate the french subs? I have the HK disc which should be the HK version.
Thanks.
ericf

HungFist · Post by **HungFist** » 14 Apr 2006, 12:29

There's a script for the HK cut at www.scriptclub.org. The subs aren't that great really (they often go too fast IMO). I've been thinking about doing some retiming, but I'm not gonna have time for it anytime soon.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Apr 2006, 12:44

of Dr Wai and the Scripture (????)

with no words ?

if there is a script for the international version available

There's one on Kloofy's. Don't know where they got it from.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 14 Apr 2006, 13:24

hey,

any thoughts on the french release of Blood Money (Lo Lieh, Lee Van Cleef), Tom? French title LA BRUTE, LE COLT ET LE KARATE.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Apr 2006, 13:38

http://www.dvdrama.com/rw_fiche-5261-.php

Very good anamorphic picture.
Nice and clean english and french mono tracks.
Subtitles are player-generated, but don't appear to be removable.

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

hey,

the subtitle issue is no problem so this is a buy. Good price too at amazon.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 14 Apr 2006, 16:19

Is the original language English? I've never heard of Blood Money BTW

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Apr 2006, 16:39

There is no original language.
I think it was shot in mandarin/italian/english.

The producers have agreed that english should be the official language.
Still, I have to admit I love the french dub on this one. Old french dubs are really funny.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 14 Apr 2006, 16:44

hey,

one of Shaw's co-productions, grim.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 14 Apr 2006, 17:53

Ah.
When was it made - 70's?

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 14 Apr 2006, 17:55

hey,

1975 I believe. Aka Stranger And The Gunfighter.

Seen this tagline since?

http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/images/mo ... c00f88.jpg

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 14 Apr 2006, 17:56

Tack (sp?)

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 14 Apr 2006, 22:51

Knete wrote:Seen this tagline since?

Isn't that Rush Hour ?

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 15 Apr 2006, 00:38

Tom2681 wrote:There is no original language. I think it was shot in mandarin/italian/english. The producers have agreed that english should be the official language.

The film is known in America as The Stranger and the Gunfighter.

English is the intended release language, with Lee Van Cleaf dubbing his own voice ala the Spaghetti Westerns, but yes there are snippets of Mandarin in there. Like many European co-productions, actors and shooting territories vary, but always they're intended as international films, hence the English-where-possible approach. In other words anyone who could speak English would (see Argento, Fulci, Leone, etc). Even Lo Lieh is speaking English throughout, but seems to be post-dubbed by someone faking a Chinese accent. Pity.

The film is a Italian-HK-Spanish-US co-production.

Blood Money is the original English title.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 15 Apr 2006, 00:39

Oh, and it was made in 1974.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 15 Apr 2006, 06:58

hey,

any sign on the horizon of the previously announced The lovers/Love In The Time Of Twilight set?

Last I heard there was the usual difficulties of locating good enough source material.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 15 Apr 2006, 10:15

hey,

DVD comparison grabs for Terracotta Warrior:

http://adg.invisionzone.com/index.php?a ... #entry8604

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 15 Apr 2006, 11:33

Tom2681 wrote:
Knete wrote:Seen this tagline since?
Isn't that Rush Hour ?

LOL! It does sound like Rush Hour (or perhaps Shanghai Noon)

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 15 Apr 2006, 15:07

any sign on the horizon of the previously announced The lovers/Love In The Time Of Twilight set?

It was available for pre-order in august 2004, then... nothing.

AFAIK they're still working on it.

Since HK Vidéo are Tsui Hark fans, I'm sure they won't let us down.

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 16 Apr 2006, 06:22

Weekly HK Vidéo DVD overview:

Black Mask (Hong-Kong - 1996 - From Daniel Lee with Jet Li)

http://rapidshare.de/files/18124012/BlackMask.rar.html
Promotional trailer.

Black Mask was one of the first films to be released on DVD by HK Vidéo in 2001. They've used the original HK print (not the US montage).
Picture quality probably can't be as good as the new HK remaster, but I'm positive it's better than the original R1 Artisan.

FR on top.
R1 at bottom.

The disc also contains a Tsui Hark interview and a Daniel Lee interview.

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 16 Apr 2006, 07:20

hey,

They've used the original HK print

Actually they used an uncensored Cantonse print (unrated in a sense) so it has the violent bits inact but not the extended bits from the Taiwan print. Right? Or are there several French dvd's?

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 16 Apr 2006, 07:29

but not the extended bits from the Taiwan print. Right?

Ah, I didn't know there was a taiwanese print.
It's just an uncut cantonese print (96 minutes PAL).

Knetan · Post by **Knetan** » 16 Apr 2006, 08:11

hey,

Taiwan dvd
http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.1656/qx/details.htm

Not that much extra footage to be excited about. Some extended dialogue in the library, Anthony gets to be sleazy for a few extra seconds and there's more violence in the hospital when the Gwailo terminators enter. Among other things...

tom2681 · Post by **tom2681** » 20 Apr 2006, 23:03

Late reply I know, but:

About Hanzo the razor:

HungFist wrote:Home Vision Entertainment's R1 box set is very good, but the first film is missing audio during two scenes (the soundtrack goes mute for about 15 seconds both times). Maybe that's why Wild Side skipped the first part.

Actually Wild Side couldn't release the first part, because the rights belong to HK Vidéo.
Didn't stop them from releasing the rest though (unlike HKL who don't want to release A Better Tomorrow 2 and 3 because they don't own the rights to the first one

)