Bullets 'n' Babes

The Speedy VCD features a 2.0 Cantonese soundtrack. This version is the Malaysian print and it is in a bad shape. It would seem someone didn't telecine it properly and we get a distorted (anamorphic-like) image, at the end you can even see the print at the black non-film bit! It is similar in length to the Hong Kong version but it's abruptly cut in places (Nancy kissing Keung in the apartment, majority of swearing and even insult gestures) and the soundtrack is affected by it too. It DOES feature one unique substitute shot for Angelo's arse (trousers up instead of down). The one big advantage is the inclusion of English (Chinese AND Malaysian) subtitles (all at the same time!). This version also has opening/closing credits. The hybrid English/Cantonese sync-soundtrack is an oddity as there is more 'dubbing' (Danny speaks more Cantonese than English when he should do the latter - he does for the Thakral/Chinastar DVD however).

The Thakral/Chinastar DVD was aimed for both China and Hong Kong (co-production) - only difference maybe the artwork/case (I seem to have the HK variation). Whilst the image is a bit of an improvement, it's still swimming in pixelation and looks worn - awful really for a film a few years old but tolerable. No subtitles, time coding, menus or opening/closing credits. It does have the full HK version (Speedy VCD omits a few things abruptly) The soundtrack has more 'sync' (better than Speedy VCD) with regards to languages of the actors and a few minor instances of dubbing (Keung/Danny getting advantage of the henchmen in the apartment and Nancy wondering what's happening with regards to the trashed supermarket) making this a more prefered version for 'purists'. It does have a rather annoying 'error' made by Stanley Tong when someone (Nancy or Danny) speaks in English - Keung talks Cantonese (very hybrid).

Warner Bros DVD features the New Line English soundtrack (and video) which we all know. The Cantonese/Mandarin 2.0 soundtracks have been cut-down to fit and lifts music from the New Line version at times (plane-credits until the car journey when to reverts back to original HK mix, even Bill shouting "Keung!" is lifted from the New Line version). Any scenes not in the original HK print (nightclub escape) have lifted audio from the New Line version. No subtitles (the Cantonese version of the Warner VCD had subtitles and the full version - gfanik was lucky to get a copy).

I'll leave you with these desirable captures.

Speedy VCD = Malaysia.
Thakral/Chinastar = Hong Kong R0.
Warner Bros = Hong Kong R3.

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SPEEDY:


THAKRAL/CHINASTAR:


WARNER BROS:

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SPEEDY:


THAKRAL/CHINASTAR:


WARNER BROS:

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SPEEDY:


THAKRAL/CHINASTAR:


WARNER BROS:

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SPEEDY:


THAKRAL/CHINASTAR:


WARNER BROS:

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SPEEDY:


THAKRAL/CHINASTAR:


WARNER BROS:

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Warner is obviously the best but it's still not particularly good. Someone needs to remaster this movie.

What's with the differing resolutions, Chen? It's hardly a fair comparison.

VCD and DVD resolutions are different, thus the size.

Warner looks better than the captures I've supplied strangely. The print could have been cleaned up a bit more but it is a great transfer.

Resized Warner captures but I can't do anything to the VCD or 'Thakral/Chinastar' DVD as they are below 720 in width.

The VCD is obviously correct but the 'Thakral/Chinastar' seems wrong. Maybe a setting in WinDVD or they just capture incorrectly. Can anyone possibly verrify?

Do we really need to see these transfers at the same resolution, even Stevie Wonder could tell you which is the best transfer ffs!

Thanks Shingster 8) .

I think the word you mean EvaUnit02 is 'uneven' and not 'unfair'. Infact, what I'm kinda doing just now is unfair to the superior DVD (lowering to a level that's inferior and gives the inferior DVD an unfair chance to win).

If I were to blow up an image in resolution (false) or something, then yes, that would be unfair to the opponent .

chenlung wrote:Resized Warner captures but I can't do anything to the VCD or 'Thakral/Chinastar' DVD as they are below 720 in width.

What resolution natively is the Thakral? As it should be the same but non-anamorphic.

Agreed you can't fix the VCD, we were certainly don't want you to enlarge anything.

EvaUnit02 wrote:What's with the differing resolutions, Chen? It's hardly a fair comparison.

As Chen is picking films where the quality differs so wildly I don't mind. If he picked a DVD where it's harder to choose then agreed I'd want them the same size.

I would only assume it's natural NTSC DVD resolution.

I'd be happy to reticify all the non-anamorphic NTSC (or indeed PAL) DVDs I submitted if someone shows me how it's done in WinDVD 8) .

gojensen wrote:MPC FTW

What's this ?

The latest version of Media Player Classic.
Allows you to capture DVDs at the correct resolution.

All you have to do then is resize in Paint/Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro and save as .jpg

I did a test (using dvdplay.exe on my computer) and the captures are still the same...