Asian Cinema on DVD (1 Viewer)

[LorenzoL]

Brian,

I basically lucked out in getting the tickets for Flying Daggers.

A coworker of mine had two tickets for the Gala but could not go so she decided to sell it and of course, I jump at the chance to buy it from her.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Time for another Korean DVD update. Here's mini-reviews of six more I finally got around to watching recently, with varying degrees of entertainment. I've attached links to the discs at [url=http://www.yesasia.com]www.yesasia.com[/url] but if anything interests you, I'd recommend [url=http://www.dddhouse.com]www.dddhouse.com[/url] first, as they're often cheaper for the HK editions.





SILVER KNIFE (2003) Directed by Kim Sung-deok.Written by Kim Hyun-hee and Joo Jung-geun. Smalltown uber-virgin Min Seo (Shin Ae) takes her ferociously traditional family’s long history of virtuous women - each protected by a small ceremonial dagger known as a changdo - to Seoul University, where horny roommates, a horny boyfriend (Ok Gi-ho), and his horny pals lead her into all sorts of temptation, forcing her to face up to modern, liberated sexual attitudes while keeping her prized little blade ever ready to fend of attack. Female writers Kim Hyun-hee and Joo Jung-geun preface the film with a spoken declaration that this is their true story, but it fast becomes clear their rose-colored glasses are darkly tinted for the sake of low-brow comedy. Still, the message is clear, and it’s pounded home in scenes featuring Seo-min’s maniacally authoritarian dad (the same actor who plays fathers in TOO BEAUTIFUL TO LIE and SINGLES), who eats only the yolks of eggs and gives the whites to either his wife or the dog, depending on the mood he’s in. In the end, Min-seo’s ill-preparedness for the real world forces her to return to what she always thought was the comfy confines of home, but her friends soon follow and her mom, fearing history will repeat itself, leads them in literally rescuing her from the clutches of repressive chastity. Character development is minimal (and rather unrealistic) as the filmmakersdrive home their simple message about women breaking with tradition. A choppy narrative structure is heightened by sets that seem designed (and shot) for television sitcoms. 3. [url=http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/]http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/[/url]



For an interesting history of the changdo ornamental knife, with which women of old were often expected to kill themselves if their virginity was threatened, look here: [url=http://www.women.or.kr/ehtml/cultur...gdo/chang1.html]http://www.women.or.kr/ehtml/cultur...gdo/chang1.html[/url]



THE ROMANTIC PRESIDENT (2003) Written and Directed by Jeon Man-bae. You know those moments in American movies about fictional presidents where the heroine (it’s almost always a heroine) realizes just what a normal, decent, lovelorn man-of-the-people the president really is, a moment that usually solidifies her love for him? Well, leave it to the Koreans to construct a movie almost entirely out of scenes like those. In fact, this film’s President Han (Ahn Sung-ki) is such a man of the people, hehangs out in subways with bums and drives the occasional cab to find out what his citizens really think. His approach to policy amounts to centrist vagueries like “Our policy shouldn’t be superficial or formal, but full of hope for the future is most important.” Yes, Ahn Sung-ki makes a very cuddly president, which is probably why a no-nonsense high school teacher named Choi Eun-soo (Cha Ji-woo), who takes no shit from his bratty daughter, eventually falls for him, after a series of romantic moments - on a city bus, at a jazz festival, in a tavern closet, on a rainy Seoul sidewalk (the most popular kind!) and via a piano serenade of “Love Is A Many Splendored Thing,” (the president is known as “The Piano President” for his skill with the ivories) - that in any other cinema besides Korea’s would be loosley termed as stalking. If one had to pick a Korean actor to play the Korean president, it would be Ahn Sung-ki, and I’m absolutely certain the dignified, popular actor would top many filmmakers’ lists as well. Now if only one of them had thought of the idea before writer/driector Jeon, who wallows in candyfloss sentimentality that doesn’t require much conflict and has little payoff, Ahn could have had the role of a lifetime. Of interest in this film is the fact that the characters discuss (and constantly hear the theme song from) the hollywood soaper LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING, which featured Korean-American Phillip Ahn in a sizable role. 3. [url=http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/]http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/[/url]



TOO BEAUTIFUL TO LIE (2003) Directed by Bae Hyeong-jun. Written by Park Yeon-seon. When a double mixup onboard a train from Seoul to Pusan finds recently paroled fraud artiste Young-gu (Kim Na-heul) in possession of small-town pharmacist Hee-chul’s (Kang Dong-won) engagement ring, her attempts to lie her way out of the situation only draws her further into his doting, presumptuous family, who quickly convince themselves that a) she was the intended recipient of the ring and b) Hee-chul never introduced her because she’s pregnant. When Hee-chul finally returns from Pusan at the behest of his increasingly angry family, and decides not to return an important handbag she left on the train to pursue the theif, Young-su warns him about screwing with her, then uses her prison-perfected martyr routine to turn his family even further against him. As you might expect, the family grows to love having her around while their son desperately searches for evidence to prove she’s a hustler. A convenient wrench in the works comes when two of her ex-cellmates show up with plans to rip off the annual Pepper Festival, at which Hee-chul has been forced to compete in the Pepper Boy contest. Very sweet, slightly overlong romantic comedy - set in a refreshingly modern rural town called Yonggong - rises above tired Korean cinematic conventions by not having the secondary characters seek to control every aspect of the relationship - in this case, it’s all they can do to find out the truth from their hitherto secretive, untraditional son - and by ending the movie with the hope-filled beginning of a beautiful friendship. Kim Na-heul is an absolute delight (one almost hopes this is a breakout role) as a woman whose crocodile tears - a well-honed act that secured her parole (and probably got her through life), are replaced by the real thing when she realizes she must leave her newfound family. And wide-eyed Kang plays Hee-chul in a way I’ve rarely seen in these fluffy comedies: he’s bound by filial piety and the vertical relationship model to a point but prefers to go about dating both his ultimatum-wielding girlfriend early on and Young-su as the film progresses as far from the madding family crowd as possible. There’s little doubt that these two might eventually fit the societal model, but kudos to the filmmakers for at least giving them an open ending and the dinstinct possibility of deciding their own fates. One of the better Korean romantic comedies to date. 9. [url=http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/]http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/[/url]



SINGLES (2003) Directed by Kwon Chil-in. Written by Pak Hyeon-su, No Hye-yeong and Seong Ki-yeong. Sparkling, incisive, progressive-minded comedy-drama leaves much of this genre looking exactly like the disguised condoning of tradition it really is. One can only begin to imagine how entrenched thinkers in Korean society would react to this honest, observant, level-headed look at four late-twentysomethings for whom life provides obstacles in both career and love that neither regressive, collective cultural thinking nor parents - who barely figure into the plot - can solve. Nan (Chang Jin-young), is a wide-eyed fashion industry drone busted down to Chilli’s manager by her sexist middle manager. The shift stings, but also points out realities she’s not entirely uncomfortable with. Into her world comes Seo-hoon (Kim Ju-hyeok) a decent fella securities trader who clearly wants to pursue a relationship despite her reservations. Meanwhile, her best friend Dong Mi (Uhm Jeong-hwa), a web company employee out of work thanks to her own sexist superior, shares a flat with old pal Joon (Lee Beom-soo, in a 180 degree turn from his creepy role in OH! Brothers), who’s as unsuccessful at removing himself from bad relationships as she is successful at bringking home a long string of bad boyfriends. That both of these couples should end up together is a given. That the film provides no easy resolutions yet plenty of optimism for these truly modern Korean women is the years most pleasant K-cinema surprise: it allows the protagonists an honesty and resolve in deciding their own fates that many recent K-comedies seem hell-bent on denying similar characters. Here, marriage to a handsome man and financial success - long the expectations of many young Korean women - are not depicted as an absolute guarantee of security and/or happiness, and turning 30 without being defined is hardly the end of the world, particularly for Korean women who remain adaptable to the changes happening around them, rather than being pressured to fit a mold as their ancestors were. Fine acting across the board, anchored by Chang’s captivating, believable performance, raises this far above the low-brow antics too often seen in these kinds of films (CRAZY FIRST LOVE immediately comes to mind). Almost needless to say, but the production design and cinematography are sterling, with warm and inviting environments (including an absolutely gorgeous Seoul) a veritable extension of the optimism with which these characters ultimately face their uncertain future. Must-see contemporary Korean cinema, and easily one against which all similar Korean romantic films should be measured. 9. [url=http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/]http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/[/url]



SORUM (2001) Written and Directed by Yoon Jong-chan. A young taxi driver (Kim Myung-min) moves into a decrepit tenement building and soon discovers his fifth floor neighbours have a whole bunch of skeletons in their closets, but none, ironically, that can compare to his own! Shades of William Peter Blatty’s NINTH CONFIGURATION, minus all the supernatural religious hooey, permeate this very unconventional horror yarn: measured, contemplative, sometimes pretentious, but always creepy without once copping to the existence of literal ghosts - the spectres here haunt the damaged minds of society’s bottom feeders, who frequently turn on each other as a result. 7. [url=http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...section-videos/]http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...section-videos/[/url]



PARADISE VILLA (2001) Directed by Park Chong-won. An online gamer geek pops a headvalve when a hacker steals all his character’s weapons, then pops over to the perp’s apartment during a big Korea-Japan Soccer match for some real-time revenge, seemingly unfazed that the place is a bigger moral cesspool than he could ever have hoped for. Obvious social commentary enlivens the otherwise standard B-slasher plot machinations employed here; the whole thing just misses being wicked black comedy, although many of the supporting players give it punch: the illicit lovers who scramble to dispose of the adulterous landlord’s body after a scuffle leaves him dead; the water purifier saleslady who’s secretly polluting the rooftop water tanks to increase sales; the landlord’s son and his pal (the psycho’s intended target), who plot to make hidden-camera sex videos of the porn starlet who lives downstairs. Basically, it all boils down to a fast-paced exercise in contrasting psychoses: while the killer cuts an impartial, linear swath through virtually everyone who gets in his way, the tenants prove far more calculated and oblivious in their own selfish pursuits. Director Park shows some flare for the genre, although his tendency to rely on cliches (like the flickering power supply) is slightly distracting. Lack of anyone to root for may put off some viewers, though it’s quite appropriate for the material. 7. [url=http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/]http://us.yesasia.com/en/PrdDept.as...-k/version-all/[/url]

 

[RyanAn]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but does anyone have any updated news on whether Jackie Chan's Police Story Trilogy will get the respect it deserves on DVD in perhaps a set? Supercop 1 and 2, which are unofficial sequels 3 and 4, are already out of DVD, and I have been holding out buying them because of for a box set. "Jackie Chan's New Police Story" is looking amazing, hopefully something will come of it. Thanks for your time,



Ryan

 

[Moe*A]

Okay guys this is my first post in this thread I have just read over the last few pages and haven’t seen Arahan mentioned, I watched this today.



Tech details: 5.1 DD and DTS, 1:85:1



The film centres around a bumbling policeman, Sang-hawn who is unable to turn his back on any misdemeanour and wants to bring justice to the world, even if that means giving a speeding ticket to the local congressman or standing up to the local gang members. However it turns out that he is unable to fight which severely handicaps him. This all changes one day when he meets the beautiful (and I do mean BEAUTIFUL) Eui-Jin and her seven masters.



I had heard on other message boards that this film was getting a mixed reaction, some liked it some thought it was average at best, I loved every minute of this from start to finish. It has just the right balance of comedy and action to keep one entertained through out. Granted this is a leave your brain at the door popcorn flick but it is so well executed you have to admire it. Production values on this film are high, if it was not for the subtitles you could easily be forgiven for thinking that this was a Hollywood presentation.



The fighting is amazingly done, there are a few instances were the magic is ruined and you can tell that it is blatant CGI, but there are others were you are so engrossed in on screen action that you will not notice any of the tomfoolery. This really reminds me of the eighties US martial arts flicks that I have not seen in such a long time, ie down and out meets a master who trains him to kick ass. Yep there a few cheesy moments but do not let that get in the way of enjoying this excellent film. I really was wanting for more, I generally dislike fight scenes that go on for to long but here there were nice an inventive and really did give the Matrix a good kicking.



The quality of the DVD transfer is very good, there is no grain or any artefacting that I noticed, if I was to complain about anything I would say that the flashback sequence towards the end is a little dark and at times a bit difficult to make out what is happening, but this looks more like an artistic choice then problems with the transfer.



I am a DTS freak so naturally opted for this option, on the action sequences the mix is adequate, there are a few scenes were the rear speakers get a nice work out but this does not happen often, there are few moments in the film were you expect there to be oomph from the soundtrack which fails to deliver and then in some scenes it goes into overdrive.





On a scale of 10 I say 8,



Oh and the actress that plays Eui-Jin is incredibly beautiful, did I mention that already?

 

[ChrisBEA]

BrianThib:

I noticed you posted in another thread about finding THE POSTMAN STRIKES BACK in the 5.50 WM bin, what other titles are in this wave? I didn't even know it was coming....

Thanks!

 

[PaulaJ]

>Sorry if this has been asked before, but does anyone have any updated news on whether Jackie Chan's Police Story Trilogy will get the respect it deserves on DVD in perhaps a set?



IVL/Fortune Star is releasing a newly remastered box set of the 3 Police Story films on September 23. I believe they will be Region 3.



www.asiandvdguide.com has the following details:



September 23 Fortune Star Releases



Police Story Box Set containing:

*Police Story

*Police Story 2

*Police Story 3: Super Cop



Specs

*Digitally Remastered

*Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced

*DTS and DD 5.1

*Cantonese, Mandarin, Cantonese (Original)

*Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles

*Extras

*Interview with director Stanley Tong

*Interview with actor/stuntman Benny Lai





I'm wondering -- who owns the video rights to the Police Story movies in North America and will this set ever be released in Region 1?

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

PaulaJ.

New Line released Police Story 1 and 2 on VHS a few years ago. you can still find them on Amazon. Dimension released Supercop on VHS and eventually DVD (Criterion did a modest laserdisc version of it). I don't know, however, if those rights still hold.


ChrisBEA,

The other titles in the latest Fox wave are

THE IRON FISTED MONK with Sammo Hung

KNOCKABOUT with Yuen Biao

BATTLE CREEK BRAWL with Jackie Chan

MR. VAMPIRE with Ricky Hui and Lam Ching Ying.

If you could only buy ONE of these (not that I'm recommending that), MR VAMPIRE is the best of the bunch. A very influential film with a great comic performance from the always underrated Ricky Hui.

 

[RyanAn]

quote:New Line released Police Story 1 and 2 a few years ago

I assume you mean on VHS Tape, right?



Thanks Paula and Brian for your help... I am not sure if I will buy the region 3 box set or wait for an region 1 set to coincide with the new flick...



Ryan

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

Sorry about that, Ryan. I did mean VHS only. I've corrected my earlier post, as well.

Incidentally, I read a rumour on the HKMDB.com forums that Jackie Chan is not allowing NEW POLICE STORY to be released in North America (at least not for a long time) because he's not been overly impressed with the treatment his films have received so far, or the fact that Miramaxe and New Line are still sitting on some of his better work (the original DRUNKEN MASTER 2, THUNDERBOLT, uncut FIRST STRIKE, just about anything in the original language). They say he's staying away from American movies for a while as well (who wouldn't after a constant stream of "co-starring" sidekick roles).

The VHS versions of POLICE STORY 1 and 2 were dubbed and, in the case of the first film, cut.

Odds are, this R3 box will be the best these films have ever looked, even if the extras are paltry, and may prove to be the only such editions available for a long time to come.

 

[Matthew Brown]

Here are links to reviews of most of Fox's recent releases. Knockabout should be up any day now as will Battle Creek Brawl.



http://www.loveandbullets.com/foxifm.htm

http://www.loveandbullets.com/foxmv.htm

http://www.loveandbullets.com/foxtpfb.htm

Matt

 

[PaulaJ]

>PaulaJ.

New Line released Police Story 1 and 2 on VHS a few years ago. you can still find them on Amazon.



Lord, I wouldn't buy those old things.

I am happy with my Deltamac DVDs for now... not sure I want to get the R3 box set... I will probably hold out for a while and see if it comes to R1.



I just watched Mr. Vampire and loved it all over again. Those hopping vampires crack me up.

And it looks so beautiful on the new Fox disc.



In the better late than never category -- Volcano High. Loved it. Emotion-free content but so amusingly trippy and whacked out that it made up for lack of story.

I had a silly grin on my face the entire time.



So... will Fox be releasing more Fortune Star films on DVD or is that it?

 

[Matthew Brown]

Paula -



Fox will be releasing more. I think it is possible they may even be bringing over that Bruce Lee box set that was region 3. That's rumor at the moment. I wouldn't be surprised if they release all the Fortune Star titles they can as long as they don't interefere with what others currently have rights to. Who knows? If Anchor Bay only had the rights for limited amount of time, Fox could feasably release A Better Tomorrow.



I have a feeling that they may even wind up surprising many with the releases. I know of one major title that may not be owned anymore by Buena Vista/Disney and it would be great if Fox could release it.



Matt

 

[ChrisBEA]

Thanks for the Fox info.

I found The Postman Fights Back on the 5.50 rack, 1 copy so I snagged it.

I have the Deltamac Mr. Vampire, very entertaining, is the Fox transfer better? I would consider it if it is.

I'll definitely track the others down.

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

I have the Megastar version of MR VAMPIRE, and it was pretty good in the first place, but the Fox disc is better. Can't say how it compares to the Deltamac, although the impression I get is that the Deltamac Reissues are as good as the Fox ones in many cases as they're both using the Fortune Star Masters.



I did read over at Mobius that this batch, unlike previous sets, is encoded in progressive scan, as well as including having the original mono cantonese tracks and properly translated subtitles in place of dubtitles,

 

[ChrisBEA]

I just may have to dig it up then!

 

[Bob Turnbull]

Now you people have done it...

I only recently started following this thread and have gone back to review the other pages. By page 3 or 4, I had already placed my first DDDHouse order. Damn you for showing me the way towards inexpensive discs with free shipping (and didn't get dinged for duty either!).

But before I discuss some of those and others I've rented recently (found a new nearby rental place with some good selection of new and old foreign films), why did I check out this thread in the first place?

Well, I have to squarely point the finger at Jackie Chan and John Woo. My first Chan experiences were, like many other North Americans, with his films like Rumble In The Bronx and Operation Condor. Though not always grabbing me with plot or characters, the stunt work was always tremendous and left me and the audience gasping and laughing with astonishment. His films are hit and miss for me, but there's always at least some fun.

As for Woo, a work colleague pointed me squarely to both Hard Boiled and The Killer a few years ago after we were discussing "action" movies. The opening gun battle of Hard Boiled was enough. Wow! Though I find his films can pile on the cheese factor, the long action sequences can be breathtaking.

With a recent interest in deepening my exposure to film, I've also been renting and buying many "world" cinema titles. The S&S Film Challenge thread has contributed to this somewhat as well...Seven Samurai, Rashomon, Tokyo Story, In The Mood For Love...All incredible films. Another favourite is After Life which I saw in the theatre a few years back. Gentle, sweet and very moving. All words that can also describe Koreeda's earlier Maborosi.

Oh yeah. Anime too. So far, mostly the Miyazaki stuff that's available and some others (Grave Of The Fireflies, Perfect Blue, Millenium Actress, etc.). The imagination involved in the characters, creatures and scenery of these films play a big part in involving me deeper into the stories.

Another avenue I've really enjoyed of late is the Japanese "horror" films of the late 90's and early 00's. Though I haven't seen many, I love the sense of dread and tension they build up. Instead of always relying on the shock scenes, I end up curling up into a ball for lengthy periods on the couch while watching these films. Again, as with many folks in these here parts, it started with The Ring (which I greatly enjoyed) and the backtracking to the original Ringu. I've followed that so far with The Eye, Cure and Ju-On: The Grudge. This thread has pointed me to a few others I hope to find, such as Dark Water, Pulse, Turn and Chaos. And though Takashi Miike isn't usually associated with this genre directly (could you really associate him with ANY genre?), Audition's final scenes will be sticking with me for a long time to come...

So back to my current state...This new rental place (just North of Eglinton, one street West of Yonge for those in Toronto - it's called Filmfest Rental), though not huge has a wide variety of stuff. During my first browse of their stacks I came across 2 films available for rent that were to be shown the following week at the Toronto Filmfest and that I had wanted to see - Johnnie To's Breaking News and Old Boy. Though I found Breaking News to be disappointing, Old Boy is, um, well, quite the experience...Enthralling, engaging, uncomfortable, surprising...My buddy at work is going to see it this weekend at the fest and I couldn't really say anything to him about it. I want him to fully experience it with no preconceptions.

On deck are City Of Lost Souls and Attack At The Gas Station (because the premise described here sounded fun).

As for my DDDHouse order, that's to discuss some other time (since I've not watched many). My first choice to watch out of the 9 ordered was hugely disappointing though. Wheels On Meals was, to put it bluntly, boring. I didn't enjoy the humour, the plot, the characters (the main female is not likeable at all) or even the few stunts. Oh well, I have high hopes for the rest of the batch...

Thanks to all for the continuation of this thread and helping me find some great movies. I hope I can participate here and there...

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

quote:As for Woo, a work colleague pointed me squarely to both Hard Boiled and The Killer a few years ago after we were discussing "action" movies. The opening gun battle of Hard Boiled was enough. Wow! Though I find his films can pile on the cheese factor, the long action sequences can be breathtaking.

I just watched Woo's HEROES SHED NO TEARS the night before last. If you sensed the cheese in his two most famous Hong Kong films, you'll find this to be quite the eye-roller! This film, Woo's first serious contemporary action film, was shot in '83 but released in 1986 to capitalize on the success of A BETTER TOMORROW. You can see Woo toying with many of the thematic elements of that film in this one, except here he feels the need to turn everything up to eleven - furious camera dollies, bloody slow-motion death scenes, bullets mowing down things behind flailing victims, barrel-launching, house-levelling explosions, and enough heroic chest-thumping, overbaked histrionics and just plain testosterone to make your hair fall out. Only behind the comedic setpieces reminiscent of Woo’s previous endeavours serve to slow the pace. There's also a rather obvious steal from LONE WOLF & CUB in the character of Eddy Ko's resourceful little son. It's only HK $30 at DDDhouse, if anyone's interested:

http://www.dddhouse.com/dddhouse/en...l&productID=763



It's also funny how with each passing John Woo movie (and now they seem to pass much quicker than they used to) I find more to treasure in his Hong Kong pictures circa 1986 to 1992. The things I can easily tolerate to this day in those pictures - like the overtly macho melodrama and the symbolic doves, etc. - I can't stand seeing in his American pictures, if only because it really seems like he peaked with HARD BOILED, left the colony, pulled off a minor classic in HARD TARGET (which really offered nothing new to his fans), and has largely been bleeding himself dry with every "blockbuster" picture since.

quote:So back to my current state...This new rental place (just North of Eglinton, one street West of Yonge for those in Toronto - it's called Filmfest Rental), though not huge has a wide variety of stuff. During my first browse of their stacks I came across 2 films available for rent that were to be shown the following week at the Toronto Filmfest and that I had wanted to see - Johnnie To's Breaking News and Old Boy. Though I found Breaking News to be disappointing, Old Boy is, um, well, quite the experience...

I'll guess I'll be checking that place out, either during my visit this weekend, or during a future trip. I have BREAKING NEWS in my "to watch" pile, and my expectations are lowered thanks to the rather mixed reviews, so perhaps I'll enjoy it more as a result. I've ordered OLD BOY from YesAsia.com on the strength of all the buzz. After having gorged on Korean comedies (see my reviews on the previous page), I'm starting to move into the darker films in my Korean pile, and this one has had my interest piqued since day one. I was mildly bummed that it sold out so fast at the festival, but knew it was already widely available, which brings me to another interesting thing about Asian cinema and film festivals:



A fair amount of the Asian stuff (I can't speak for cinema from other countries) that plays at the Toronto Film Festival and others like it, has been available on DVD from the originating countries for some time, usually at retailers in the same town, as you discovered Bob. Toronto's Chinese community, in particular, is huge, and the Chinese Malls in the North End of the city are treasure troves of pan-Asian DVDs - you just have to be careful to distinguish boots from legits. I know it's a big deal to see these things on the big screen, but my picks at the fest have usually been for Asian films I KNOW are not readily available on DVD (the fest showed ICHI THE KILLER and GAMERA 2 and WILD ZERO before they hit DVD in their own country, and years before they hit DVD here!). I prefer to leave the rest to the surprisingly unaware film aesthetes who really think they're seeing "premieres" of many of these things when they could walk a few blocks and probably rent or BUY the damned things and save big money (although I often wonder how many would take the risk on a rental when a film festival screening makes everything seem so much more "important"). My attempt to get tickets to OLD BOY was my first such attempt in several years of moderate festival-going to try to see something I already knew I could buy on-line or in Korea Town.



My tickets for this year's TIFF are to RAHTREE: FLOWER OF THE NIGHT (from Thailand), and STEAMBOY and ZEBRAMAN (both from Japan), none of which, according to my research, is on DVD yet. I can see RAHTREE hitting DVD at a reasonable price some day, since Thai DVDs are not hugely expensive at www.ethaicd.com but it could be awhile before the other two show up in non-overpriced-Japanese editions.



Incidentally, Johnnie To's other movie at this year's festival, THROWDOWN, is also available on DVD:

http://www.dddhouse.com/dddhouse/en...&productID=3936

 

[Brian Thibodeau]

quote:On deck are City Of Lost Souls and Attack At The Gas Station (because the premise described here sounded fun).

I love the motivation behind the four bored guys attacking the gas station repeatedly in ATTACK THE GAS STATION: "Because it's fun."



Wonderful movie.

 

[Miles]

Has anyone tried this version of "The Killer" and "Bullet in the Head"?



http://www.dddhouse.com/dddhouse/en...&productID=3782



If so, are the transfers any good? If not, are there other versions I should try?



I already have the Criterion version of "Hard Boiled" but never bought "The Killer" while it was around...

 

[Bob Turnbull]

quote:This film, Woo's first serious contemporary action film, was shot in '83 but released in 1986 to capitalize on the success of A BETTER TOMORROW

I have to say that neither A Better Tomorrow nor its sequel did a whole lot for me. It appears they are well liked, but something didn't click. Perhaps it was the cheese factor or just not enough "oomph" in them both. It's been awhile since I watched them, so I suppose I should revisit...



As for Breaking News, I expect you may still enjoy it Brian as I didn't hate it or anything. It just didn't seem to follow through with its concept or the lovely ~7 minute tracking shot that opens the film. A few too many stock characters (the father in the apartment was a one note character and an annoying one at that). That mixed with a couple of eye-rolling scenes of technology use, brought the whole thing down for me a bit. Still glad I saw it. Any other recommendations for Johnnie To films? The Mission is also available for rent so I'm considering that. Is PTU worth a look as well?

quote:I love the motivation behind the four bored guys attacking the gas station repeatedly in ATTACK THE GAS STATION

I slipped the disc in last night and watched the first 10 minutes...I have to say, it hasn't grabbed me yet. More stock characters (the bumbling panicky owner, the screeching girl, etc.). Also, I have no reason to like, respect or root for the 4 main thugs at this point (not that I typically "root" for thugs...

). I hope that changes. At least with Breaking News I actually cared what happened to the villains. That's not to say that you always need to see some redeeming characteristics in every person in a movie, but at least give me something. So far I don't even have the energy to care if something bad happens to them. But I'm getting ahead of myself...10 minutes certainly isn't enough to judge the film.



I forgot to mention also having just seen Battle Royale. Now that was a fine film! It's hard to explain to someone why I enjoyed a movie about 15-year olds trying to kill each other just so they can survive (I made a valiant attempt with my wife last night - she didn't look a me too suspiciously afterwards), but there's a good deal to like. The kids are protrayed very well by their young actors and there's somewhat of a realistic picture to how the whole thing plays out. Each teenager has their own approach to the news that they are now part of this game (run away, hide, don't trust anyone, suicide, platform for vengeance, kill or be killed, etc.). The director seems to have a VERY long list of films to his credit. Any more info on him? Sorry, too lazy to look him up in IMDB at the moment...