Shaolin Soccer : coming August 15th (1 Viewer)

[Matthew Brown]

Miramax has a marketing team contacting web sites offering goodies in exchange for putting up links promoting their release.

I ask any other webmasters to refuse if asked unless the movie is uncut and has the original soundtrack. I have heard for a while that there is an English dub and some cuts were made. This may be a chance to let them know that the cutting and dubbing has to stop. It's a good chance to send them a message.

Matt

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Summer doldrums, 2 years late, cut and dubbed. Please boycott

 

[Scott L]

Shaolin Soccer?? Lol! This movie looks great:

http://us.imdb.com/Gallery?0286112

But as always if it's cut and there's no original ST I won't buy it.

 

[david stark]

noooooooooooooooooooo please don't tell me is's cut and dubbed. after all the dissapointments so far this year I was really looking forward to this one. I saw it advertised around the time of the world cup in 2002, but missed it because it was only on at cinemas near me in Belgium for a week or two. Then I move over here and see it's coming out and I can't wait, only to hear this.

What seems to the preference over here for foreign language films, subtitle or dub?? In Belgium (well Brussels and the north of Belgium anyway) all films (except for some kids films) are always in the original language with subtitles.

 

[BrianB]

David, buy it on region free DVD, from the likes of DDDHouse. Original language, original cut, with English subtitles.

It's a superb film.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

And it has full bitrate DTS! That should be enough to push most of them over the edge

And it'll run you well under $20 after shipping! You can't beat the deal!

http://www.dddhouse.com/cms/dddhouse...productID=1705

Prices are in HK$ before you have a heart attack, $7.75-$1US approx

 

[Gordon Elgart]

This is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. It pains me that it has been butchered and dubbed. Those who have seen both tell me it is completely miserable in the English version. Now I will be told by people to whom I had recommended the movie that I had sold them a bill of goods.

Everyone should just get the Region Free DVD and enjoy the hilarity as intended.

 

[Cary T]

Don't know how many Stephen Chow movies you guys have seen, but I think Shaolin Soccer is one of Chow's worst. None of his recent films can match any of his late 80's and early 90's works. In Shaolin Soccer there were dramatic moments that were too serious for a comedy.

 

[JohnAP]

After seeing the dvd, I was really looking forward to seeing this on the big screen as it really is one of those movies I want to experience that way. After seeing the trailer and realizing it was dubbed though, I decided I probably wouldn't bother as dubbing in live action films is incredibly distracting and it means half these actors wonderful performances are cut. Most of the big live-action foreign film successes in recent years were subtitled, but those were mostly directed at older audiences, whereas SS has younger appeal as well, and I'm guessing they are dubbing it so as not to alienate kids. From what I saw in the trailer though, even young children will notice the voices don't sync up.

What I don't understand is why they don't do like Disney did with Spirited Away and release a dubbed version and a subtitled version for limited release in the art house theaters so that there is at least a choice to see the movie as its meant to be seen. Then again, at least they're releasing the original in some form, unlike most studios who're just buying the rights to asian films and remaking them.

Oh, and that extremely over-used "Kung Fu Fighting" song has to go.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

What I don't understand is why they don't do like Disney did with Spirited Away and release a dubbed version and a subtitled version for limited release in the art house theaters

Because art house theaters won't show a Kung Fu flick. Shaolin Soccer is not an art film. It's schlocky great fun entertainment, but it's not what appeals to their clientele. Before you bring up Crouching Tiger, that is a 180 degrees different kind of film.

 

[Cary T]

For those who are interested in watching Shaolin Soccer in a theater, can watch this in it's original language on July 25th. The Moving Image museum in new york will have a preview screening of Shaolin Soccer.

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Cary, if that is true, I'll take a pass. Never been that big a fan of his (and most of his stuff that I've seen is exactly from the late 80s to early 90s).

 

[TheLongshot]

Because art house theaters won't show a Kung Fu flick.

I'm not sure if my memory's right, but I thought that "Iron Monkey" was shown subtitled when I saw it in the theaters...

Jason

 

[Ted Lee]

how reliable is dddhouse.com?

 

[Chris_Morris]

Ted, they are very reliable. It takes a while for them to ship though. My last order was placed on 6-30 for $350HK ($45.33US). It shipped on 7-5 and I expect it to get here (east coast) around 7-12 or 7-14. And their customer service people are great, and very friendly.

edited to say that this is where I purchased Shaolin Soccer for ~$14.30 including shipping.


Chris

 

[Ted Lee]

thx chris...boy, i'm tempted!

 

[BrianB]

how reliable is dddhouse.com?

Very. Although their website may not be as slick as Western based companies, they're rock solid, reliable & friendly. Haven't had a problem with any of my orders from them, and I have a friend who places a big order with them pretty much every month, and he's perfectly happy with them.

Shaolin Soccer is a very funny film and well worth a purchase.

 

[Ted Lee]

thx again guys. i just placed my order. woo-hoo!

 

[Jeff Kleist]

Iron Monkey was released subtitled. It was also cut (supposedly at Yuen wo Ping's request, but I don't trust Miramax one iota considering how badly they beat on Stephen Chow) and rescored.

Iron Monkey also didn't do very well, so of course they determined it was the fact it was subbed rather than the film itself

 

[TheLongshot]

Iron Monkey also didn't do very well, so of course they determined it was the fact it was subbed rather than the film itself

To be honest, about as well as any of Jackie Chan's imports that they brought to the theater. They probably did it to see if it did any differently that way, which it didn't.

Not a surprise, considering how poorly they market HK films. Hell, I have yet to see a trailer for SS in the theater, and it is supposed to come out in a month.

Jason