Home Theater Forum  ›  Forums  ›  Entertainment and Media  ›  SD DVD - Film and Documentary  ›  Ashes of Time
Hey There!

Thanks for checking out our community! We've got lots of great stuff going on around here... why don't you create an account and join the fun? Why?

Forum Nav More Forums | All New Posts | New Thread

Ashes of Time

#1
Rating: 0
1/1/07 at 6:17pm
  • Joined: July 2006
  • Location: Toronto
  • Post Count: 261
You know, when i finally saw this film i wasn't too impressed with it but more and more i am fascinated with it, for sure Wong Kar Wai's most unique entry.

The existing DVD is infamous for having a poor picture, audio and even subtitle translation--its basically a cheap HK import and is typical of the near-bootleg quality you often find with those dvds. Has anyone heard any news of this being picked up by a real distributor? Seems to me that it would be a perfect candidate for a Criterion disk, but really anything beyond the existing one would suffice. Kino of course has their Wong Kar Wai boxset, which collects everything from before In The Mood For Love--but this title is mysteriously missing. Is there any reason? Is there rights issues at hand that is preventing this film from being properly released? For that matter, even the Kino box set of Wai's films is not very impressive but at least they are in watchable quality.
Export to Wiki
#2
Rating: 0
1/1/07 at 6:31pm
  • Joined: October 2005
  • Post Count: 298

Re: Ashes of Time

TF1 Video, a DVD company in France, has released another poor release of Ashes of Time, but with no english subtitles. some screen caps at http://www.hkcinemagic.com/fr/page.asp?aid=176&page=1

I have the world video, and dvdaff list it as misframed. Its a crappy dvd as well to say the least. I keep hoping Criterion will put hands on it. i'm sure there are other companies who could do a good job with it, but not sure who else would see it as profitable. its a shame too, as the movie is wonderful.
dvd aficionado
Export to Wiki
#3
Rating: 0
1/2/07 at 8:44pm
  • Joined: June 2002
  • Post Count: 393

Re: Ashes of Time

Is the audio at least synched in the TF1 verson? I rented a R1 copy of AoT once and the audio was several seconds ahead of the action. I'd never seen a DVD cocked up that badly.
Export to Wiki
#4
Rating: 0
1/2/07 at 9:11pm
  • Joined: September 1999
  • Post Count: 773

Re: Ashes of Time

You may want to check out this link. http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/008075.html

Wong Kar Wai is revisiting Ashes of Time. I welcome a director's cut but would hope that a quality release of the original is also included.
Matt

Hong Kong DVD Reviews and News
http://www.loveandbullets.com

New Jersey Punk Rock
http://www.NJPUNKONLINE.COM

Export to Wiki
#5
Rating: 0
1/3/07 at 7:22am
  • Joined: January 2001
  • Post Count: 765

Re: Ashes of Time

I've held off on this one for quite some time. I hoping the film finally gets the justice it deserves.

Master Poe: Close your eyes. What do you hear?
Caine: I hear the water. I hear the birds.
Master Poe: Do you hear your own heart beat.
Caine: No.
Master Poe: Do you hear the grasshopper, which is at your feet.Caine: Old man, how is it that you hear these things?Master Poe: Young man, how is it...

Export to Wiki
#6
Rating: 0
1/3/07 at 8:25am
  • Joined: July 2006
  • Location: Toronto
  • Post Count: 261

Re: Ashes of Time

Quote:
Originally Posted by Matthew Brown
You may want to check out this link. http://www.twitchfilm.net/archives/008075.html

Wong Kar Wai is revisiting Ashes of Time. I welcome a director's cut but would hope that a quality release of the original is also included.
Matt

That explains why there has been no news for the past year or two. I hope the original cut is included for posterity, as you said. Would be great to have some kind of extras that explore the very tumultuous history of the film.

On a related note, it is well known that during a hiatus from the film, Wai shot Chungking Express, but less known is that he also produced another martial arts epic using the same cast and even the same locations and costumes, called Eagle Shooting Heroes. Unlike the art house take that AOT offered, this is a absurdist parody of the epic, truely one of the most off-the-wall hong kong flicks i have ever seen (and that is really saying something). I obtained a copy due to a bootleg from chinatown but it really is a shame that this has never been released in the west.
Export to Wiki
#7
Rating: 0
1/4/07 at 8:16pm
  • Joined: June 2004
  • Post Count: 649

Re: Ashes of Time

The news of the re-edit is incredible...

It doesn't really seem like a coincidence that this revisiting is being called Ashes of Time Redux, since the film's production history sounds a bit like Apocalypse Now, especially in regards to the respective films's directors getting lost and needing a few decades to clear their heads for a recut.

I can't wait.
Export to Wiki
#8
Rating: 0
12/26/07 at 8:34pm
  • Joined: July 2006
  • Location: Toronto
  • Post Count: 261

Re: Ashes of Time

Okay, an annual bump for this. I guess theres been no news on this since last year?
Export to Wiki
Forum Nav More Forums | All New Posts | New Thread