Van Damme's Kickboxer turning blu

Old Pang Yau · Post by **Old Pang Yau** » 30 Mar 2009, 05:25

Just recently caught this bit of news:

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=2538

Talk about a "left field release". This is one of the first films I remember seeing in theaters, when I was around 4 years old. Classic 80s Van Damme. Plus, here's the cover art:

Now I can enjoy this scene in all its high-def glory:

Nice

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 30 Mar 2009, 07:03

Cool. The only decent DVDs until now have been the OOP HBO and the current German 2-disc set which are both anamorphic widescreen. The BD should trump both. Will probably be the abridged version but since the full cut has never been properly available on disc there's no surprise element. I wouldn't expect any extras either though an SE is long overdue.

Old Pang Yau · Post by **Old Pang Yau** » 30 Mar 2009, 07:40

Good point, I know some VHS release had the extra scene in the hospital (it's lurking about on YouTube), but not sure where it was from.

Meanwhile, with Warner Bros churning out their action film catalog on blu-ray (Under Siege 1 and 2, Eraser, Road Warrior, etc), can we expect Bloodsport sometime?

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 30 Mar 2009, 15:58

The UK/European versions (cinema and video) of the movie were the full cut (minus various censorship edits).

If the scene was in English it probaby came from the old UK tape.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 30 Mar 2009, 17:32

Its been out on Blu Ray for 5 months

in Germany. Same crap cover too

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 30 Mar 2009, 19:45

You saw it when you were 4?!? Bloody hell

Is the full cut available anywhere at all?

Old Pang Yau · Post by **Old Pang Yau** » 31 Mar 2009, 05:30

grim_tales wrote:You saw it when you were 4?!? Bloody hell
Is the full cut available anywhere at all?

No lie... I might even still have the ticket stub to prove it, heh heh.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 31 Mar 2009, 16:36

Lol... nobody takes a 4-year old to see a film like Kickboxer unless they're deranged.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 31 Mar 2009, 17:40

It's not exactly Cannibal Ferox is it? (Which my friend's whole family sat down and watched when he was just 8!)

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 31 Mar 2009, 17:51

Its the fact they let him in the cinema thats the disturbing thing.

EvaUnit02 · Post by **EvaUnit02** » 31 Mar 2009, 18:01

When I saw Slumdog Millionaire at a matinee screening, there was a young couple with an infant.

romerojpg · Post by **romerojpg** » 31 Mar 2009, 18:15

I have seen kids in 18 rated films many times, alwasy disturbed me that, sad and pathateic that they bring kids into such films.
One was the remake of Hills Have Eyes, and the kid was 1 or 2 at most. The noise alone would have disturbed it.

The parents need a slap and the cinema needs a fine for letting them in at all with a baby! gladly the kids have strangley always been silent, unlike kids films where they always scream. Odd.

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 31 Mar 2009, 18:46

Ah well back in the day cinemas didn't give a shit if kids went in to most films if they were with their parents. It was only when cinemas became homogenised by the big chains in the early 90s and the post Bulger clampdown on violent cinema, that this started to be a big no-no.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 31 Mar 2009, 21:21

Shingster wrote:It's not exactly Cannibal Ferox is it? (Which my friend's whole family sat down and watched when he was just 8!)

That's hardly the point.

It's like saying it's OK to stab someone because shooting them in the head is worse.

4 year olds should NOT be watching Kickboxer.
and
8 year olds should fucking definately NOT be watching Cannibal Ferox(!)

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 31 Mar 2009, 22:40

As I've mentioned many many times before, I feel these kind of rules should be up to the parents, not up to the goverment.

If we are allowed to poison our kids with religion, surely it won't do them any more harm if they see a violent movie...

Obviously, I'm not talking about EXTREMELY violent movies, but just the regular poof-poof action flicks should be OK.

I hope this BR of Kickboxer will be great. I love the movie, but seeing as I've only come across cut and/or 4;3 versions, I never bothered picking it up on DVD.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 31 Mar 2009, 22:59

Yi-Long wrote:As I've mentioned many many times before, I feel these kind of rules should be up to the parents, not up to the goverment.

Yeah, because most parents are soooooo responsible.

If we are allowed to poison our kids with religion, surely it won't do them any more harm if they see a violent movie...

That's like saying I let my kids smoke dope because it's better than heroin. Hardly the point. And you know how I feel about religion.

Obviously, I'm not talking about EXTREMELY violent movies, but just the regular poof-poof action flicks should be OK.

Can you give me an example of a poof-poof action flick?

I hope this BR of Kickboxer will be great. I love the movie, but seeing as I've only come across cut and/or 4;3 versions, I never bothered picking it up on DVD.

It stands up surprisingly well. Seems Lionsgate will be putting out a DVD as well as BD so hopefully everyone should be happy.

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 31 Mar 2009, 23:07

Markgway wrote:
Yi-Long wrote:As I've mentioned many many times before, I feel these kind of rules should be up to the parents, not up to the goverment.
Yeah, because most parents are soooooo responsible.

Many are, some aren't. Point is that the parents who aren't responsible, will just let these kids watch these movies at home anyway and not even paying attention to it. When a parent spends time with his kid and TAKES him to see an action-movie in the cinema, and sits besides him, I doubt it will do any harm. Again, I'm not talking about extremely violent movies here, or about 3-year old kids (just teens, obviously).

When you, as a parent, KNOW your kid and know he knows the difference between real and fiction, and has morals and values and respect etc... than what right does the goverment have to tell you they know what's good for your kid better than you as a parent!?

If we are allowed to poison our kids with religion, surely it won't do them any more harm if they see a violent movie...
That's like saying I let my kids smoke dope because it's better than heroin. Hardly the point. And you know how I feel about religion.

Nope, that's like saying that the outcry over violent movies and videogames is a bit hypocritical while at the same time we allow kids to be poisoned by religion.
And I don't want my kids to use any kind of drugs. Would I prefer it of they smoke dope instead of using heroine!? Duh(!) I would also prefer it if my kid watched kung fu movies all the time instead of becoming a religious nutter.

Obviously, I'm not talking about EXTREMELY violent movies, but just the regular poof-poof action flicks should be OK.
Can you give me an example of a poof-poof action flick?

The Die Hard movies, or the Lethal Weapon crap, or the John Woo stuff.

I hope this BR of Kickboxer will be great. I love the movie, but seeing as I've only come across cut and/or 4;3 versions, I never bothered picking it up on DVD.
It stands up surprisingly well. Seems Lionsgate will be putting out a DVD as well as BD so hopefully everyone should be happy.

Yeah, I hope this will be good. Won't pick it up full-price, obviously, but still...

Old Pang Yau · Post by **Old Pang Yau** » 01 Apr 2009, 01:34

Wow... um... didn't mean to freak everyone out saying I saw this when I was 4

I saw a lot of r-rated films with my family when I was little. Very little was "censored" from me, although my dad did occasionally cover my eyes during some movies. Like Predator 2 when I was 5... but that's completely off topic

Yi-Long · Post by **Yi-Long** » 01 Apr 2009, 01:59

Old Pang Yau wrote:Wow... um... didn't mean to freak everyone out saying I saw this when I was 4 I saw a lot of r-rated films with my family when I was little. Very little was "censored" from me, although my dad did occasionally cover my eyes during some movies. Like Predator 2 when I was 5... but that's completely off topic

...so how many people have you killed thusfar, and how many women/children are now locked in your basement as a result of this!?

Old Pang Yau · Post by **Old Pang Yau** » 01 Apr 2009, 02:16

Hey, it was balanced out with seeing the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles around the same time in theaters! Seriously though, I never had any "issues" that many people seem to think kids would get seeing R-rated films or playing M-rated games. My parents, mainly my dad, knew as long as they taught me what was real and "make believe" when I was little, I'd turn out all right. The worst I ever did was create gore effects with fake blood and fake skin from the local party store. Hey, I could go on talking about playing Mortal Kombat II in arcades when I was 8 too... Oh, and as for someone mentioning Cannibal Ferox... yeah, caught that film on VHS when I was around 14, but that's going into high school territory, so that doesn't really count 8)

Shingster · Post by **Shingster** » 01 Apr 2009, 02:25

Is there anyone here who didn't watch a film like Kickboxer when they were a toddler? It's a generic action film ffs, the way Mark is talking you'd think it's a disturbing experience! It's no more violent than Enter the Dragon, I grew up watching the violent classics of the 80s.

Old Pang Yau · Post by **Old Pang Yau** » 01 Apr 2009, 02:45

Speaking of ETD, I first saw that on VHS when I was two... heh heh heh.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 01 Apr 2009, 06:47

Yi-Long wrote:Again, I'm not talking about extremely violent movies here, or about 3-year old kids (just teens, obviously).

That's different. Old Pang Yau said he was 4 yrs when he saw the R-rated Kickboxer. The ratings are there for a reason. And just because legally you can take a small child to see an adult movie doesn't mean you should. Also films have more impact at the cinema than they do in the comforts of your own home with smaller screen and lower sound.

The Die Hard movies, or the Lethal Weapon crap, or the John Woo stuff.

Sorry, I was taking the piss at your use of the word 'poof' to describe action movies. Anglo-humour.

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 01 Apr 2009, 06:51

Old Pang Yau wrote:My parents, mainly my dad, knew as long as they taught me what was real and "make believe" when I was little, I'd turn out all right.

Still not convinced... but how many parents even bother to do that?

The worst I ever did was create gore effects with fake blood and fake skin from the local party store.

You sick fuck!

Oh, and as for someone mentioning Cannibal Ferox... yeah, caught that film on VHS when I was around 14, but that's going into high school territory, so that doesn't really count 8)

14 is waaaay different to 4. At pre-school age you can't comprehend what's going on no matter how well it's explained to you. A child's mind doesn't have the capacity to understand complex issues of morality and the horrors of the world. And nor should it...

Markgway · Post by **Markgway** » 01 Apr 2009, 06:55

Shingster wrote:Is there anyone here who didn't watch a film like Kickboxer when they were a toddler?

Yeah, me! Violent movies for toddlers? WTF??

The BBFC gave it an '18' for a reason.

I'm not saying it's going to "disturb" anyone under that age but is that really the barometer we measure suitabilty for kids by? How much a film is going to fuck them up?

I saw Kickboxer first when I was 11 - and that was very young for that sort of movie. Saw Enter the Dragon about the same age.

When I was a toddler I was going to see Disney animation. I think THAT'S the norm, guys!

Old Pang Yau wrote:Speaking of ETD, I first saw that on VHS when I was two... heh heh heh.

You're taking the piss.......