Curse of the Jade Scorpion - sound format? (1 Viewer)

[Greg Robinson]

I almost picked this up today, but stopped when I read the packing as it displayed sound as being Dolby Digital MONO. Is this true? Assuming it was a misprint, but nonetheless - does anyone own the DVD and can you confirm the sound format? Also, how is the movie? I like most of Woody's work and this looked promising. Thanks!

 

[Douglas Bailey]

The film -- like, I believe, every other Woody Allen film -- was released theatrically in mono. So the disc is an accurate representation of the director's intentions.

Allen is simply not much enamoured of stereo or surround. Maybe it's because a lot of his chosen source music is in mono. Maybe he feels that stereo surround distracts the audience's attention from what's on the screen. Maybe he (like Kubrick) feels that mono gives the most consistent soundfield for every listener in every cinema. Or maybe he has his own reasons.

Bottom line, though, is that you shouldn't let the mono sound put you off the DVD. As far as I know, there is no other sound mix for the movie.

 

[ChrisMatson]

I think that every Woody Allen movie and DVD is in mono.

 

[rutger_s]

Woody Allen just prefers that his films be presented in mono. Allen believes that surround sound has no place in comedy and that mono is just fine.

So all of his films on DVD(even the newer Small Time Crooks & Curse of The Jade Scorpion) are mixed for mono presentation.

 

[PatrickL]

I think there's just one recent exception to the "Woody Allen film = mono sound" rule, but it must be one of the very few I don't own yet. "Deconstructing Harry" perhaps?

 

[rutger_s]

Deconstructing Harry is presented in mono.

 

[PatrickL]

rutger s, I stand corrected. (DVDEmpire lists it as Dolby Digital Stereo, which is probably where I picked up the misinformation)

 

[Rob W]

People get confused because they see the Dolby Digital logo and assume it means stereo. All his films are mono, and the Dolby Digital ones only take advantage of Dolby's noise reduction but are still mono mixes.

To answer your second question, I have been a Woody Allen fan since the classic United Artists days and have seen almost all of them in theatres. This is easily the worst film he has ever made. It is a very sad and pathetic effort from a tired old man. It actually depressed me to watch it.

I strongly recommend a rental before you buy.

 

[Robert_eb]

I liked the film but it's certainly not his finest effort. There are quite a few scenes that are very funny.

 

[Blaine Skerry]

The three audio choices on CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION are English Mono, French Mono, and Spanish Mono. I, too am/was a big fan of Woody's film through the 70's and 80's but I have to agree with Rob W on this one.

 

[Gabe D]

I actually liked the movie quite a bit, although the May-December(of next year) romance between Woody Allen and Helen Hunt was kind of creepy.

But addressing the original topic, the mono sound is fine- good, even. (Mono isn't always bad.)

 

[Rob Lutter]

The reason both Stanley Kubrick and Woody Allen preferred mono to stereo was for the presentation of their films... they wanted you to see it as they saw it in the editing room. They set up the sound to the lowest setting (1 speaker) so that everyone, whether with seven-speaker surround sound or a 1 channel mono tv speaker will hear the same thing (what the director wants them to hear).
(At least that is how I understand it)

 

[Derek Duncan]

Although it might not count, because it's not a comedy. Wild Man Blues was in stereo.

Derek

 

[Jason Whyte]

Rob's description is pretty much dead on. Bear in mind, Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" was mixed for Dolby SR-D, DTS and SDDS because he felt that most, if not all theaters could support his sound ideals.
What's interesting is that Curse of the Jade Scorpion was not only mono, but Dolby SR-D encoded mono, DTS encoded mono, even SDDS encoded mono! One thing I like about that is the clearer resolution and no soundtrack damage.
"Wild Man Blues was in stereo."
Wild Man Blues was not directed by Woody Allen.
Jason

 

[Michael Reuben]

Wild Man Blues was not directed by Woody Allen.

Jason beat me to it. The director was veteran documentary filmmaker Barbara Kopple.

M.

 

[Mark-W]

I love most of Woody Allen's films, and I don't
think this is his worst film. That moniker should
be bestowed (in my opinion) on Celebrity,
which is the only Allen film I know I will never have
the desire to revisit.
I liked Curse of The Jade Scorpion,
but it very very lightweight. Personally, I think
Allen should stop acting in his films, unless he
casts someone else in the lead.
Bullets Over Broadway is a recent highpoint
for a reason: We got John Cusack as the embodiement
of the "Woody Allen character," and it worked brilliantly.
I loved Deconstructing Harry,
but pairing up Allen with Elizabeth Shue as his
love interest was much more "creepy" than Helen Hunt.
Mark

 

[PatrickL]

I love most of Woody Allen's films, and I don't think this is his worst film. That moniker should be bestowed (in my opinion) on Celebrity

I love most of Woody Allen's films too and while I think "Bullets Over Broadway" is easily the best of his more recent output, I've a great deal of affection for "Celebrity," flawed as it is, which is something I can't say about "Everyone Says I Love You" or some of the others. I don't see "Celebrity" as much of a comedy though apart from certain scenes. It strikes me as mostly a drama with a very interesting structure I don't think I've seen before. (We see a couple divorce as the film opens, and then we follow each of their stories seperately in the aftermath of the breakup) I think Allen's point, about the folly of pursuing some narcissistic fantasy of what love is, has resonance and I think Judy Davis, Kenneth Branagh, Famke Jensen and Winona Ryder all do good work in the film. Although the movie takes too many dead-end detours and would have been better without reaching for a link between the narcissism of the character and the narcissism of celebrity culture, I don't think it deserves to be completely dismissed. But that's what makes horse races...

"Curse of the Jade Scorpion" probably should have been a sweet nostalgic diversion. Charlize Theron has a blast in it, playing a "bad girl" in the 40s sense (think Veronica Lake with a fresh mouth and a lot of va-va-voom) but the film is pretty much dead weight with Woody in the lead. Add to the mix Helen Hunt, pitilessly miscast, (her fire underneath her ice is just...not even warm) and I'd say it falls far short of almost all of his pictures.

 

[Mark Bendiksen]

I really wish Woody would occasionally reconsider his "mono only" rule. Movies like Manhanttan and Sweet and Lowdown would sound great with at least a stereo soundtrack.
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