THE WORLD OF SUZY WONG on Blu-ray???? (1 Viewer)

[classicmovieguy]

Well I pulled the trigger and the DVD arrived today.

Dated? Yes.
Filled with ethnic stereotypes? Yes.
A guilty pleasure based on the cinematography in Hong Kong, a stunning Nancy Kwan, and the tragic yet triumphant love story? Absolutely!

Thanks for the recommendation, guys; this one definitely lived up to the hype.

The Flower Drum Song DVD arrives Thursday

If you are region-free, then I also recommend the Nancy Kwan films "Tamahine" and "The Wild Affair", available on DVD in the UK.

 

[Dick]

I searched high and low for the soundtrack on CD - well worth digging around for.

You needn't dig. Bruce Kimmel's Kritzerland label has an expanded (stereo) CD of this coming out very soon. But, like many soundtracks anymore, it is a limited edition, this one of one thousand copies:

http://www.kritzerland.com/suzie_wong.htm

It is a nice score, and I've actually only owned the 1960 release on LP, which omits a lot of music in favor of source music. This new release will have, I believe, the complete score. If you pre-order quickly, you might be lucky enough to get a copy signed by Nancy Kwan. And, no, I have no affiliation with the company. But I can read, and the Kritzerland site tells the story.

 

[classicmovieguy]

I own the RCA Spain CD reissue, a few years old now. Thanks to that label I also own the soundtracks of "Darling Lili" and "The Helen Morgan Story".

 

[rsmithjr]

Does anyone have any information about the Spanish title? In particular:
-- can you get it from Amazon Spain easily?
-- does it play on region A machines?
-- what is the quality like?

Thanks!

 

[Dick]

If you are region-free, then I also recommend the Nancy Kwan films "Tamahine" and "The Wild Affair", available on DVD in the UK.

But definitely avoid LT. ROBIN CRUSOE U.S.N. from Disney on DVD which, despite Kwan's great beauty and the presence of the so-talented Dick Van Dyke, is an atrocious comedy that I hated as a kid and hate now as well.

 

[classicmovieguy]

But definitely avoid LT. ROBIN CRUSOE U.S.N. from Disney on DVD which, despite Kwan's great beauty and the presence of the so-talented Dick Van Dyke, is an atrocious comedy that I hated as a kid and hate now as well.

I used to enjoy it - as a child - but watching it now is an altogether different experience.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Does anyone have any information about the Spanish title? In particular:
-- can you get it from Amazon Spain easily?
-- does it play on region A machines?
-- what is the quality like?

Thanks!

If you have an account with the regular US Amazon site, your same email and password (along with your credit/debit card info) is also on tap with the other Amazon sites all over the world. I have shopped with Amazon Spain, Italy, France, Germany and UK, in addition to the main US site, with no issues. The Blu-ray of "Suzie Wong" available from Spain is marked region 1-6 (that denotes region free) on the back, so you should be good to go. I cannot comment on quality.

 

[Dick]

If you have an account with the regular US Amazon site, your same email and password (along with your credit/debit card info) is also on tap with the other Amazon sites all over the world. I have shopped with Amazon Spain, Italy, France, Germany and UK, in addition to the main US site, with no issues. The Blu-ray of "Suzie Wong" available from Spain is marked region 1-6 (that denotes region free) on the back, so you should be good to go. I cannot comment on quality.

Be a little cautious with Blu-rays from Spain. A lot of boots come from there. Trust me, I tell you from experience. That's not to say a few truly excellent ones aren't available there, but I'd suggest doing a little research before ordering.

 

[classicmovieguy]

Be a little cautious with Blu-rays from Spain. A lot of boots come from there. Trust me, I tell you from experience. That's not to say a few truly excellent ones aren't available there, but I'd suggest doing a little research before ordering.

I agree. This Blu-ray looks suspect to me. I only order things I know are proper studio authorized releases from Spain.

 

[JeffT.]

Well the technical specifics clearly state the Spanish blu-ray edition is both a BD-R and Pal formats.

So we pretty much know what that means.

The point of this very discussion forum is to persuade the stateside home video distributors to market the classic films here in our own backyard for our benefit.

It has been pointed out (many times) that the classic U.S. produced films (and television series) are much better respected and appreciated aboard than they are here. And this is just not acceptable. Not for myself at least.

Just what kind of society are we going to have with a generation weaned (exclusively) on what is (generally) passed off as entertainment today?!

Jeff T.

 

[TravisR]

Just what kind of society are we going to have with a generation weaned (exclusively) on what is (generally) passed off as entertainment today?!

People said the same exact thing about the pop culture of the era that you love. "These kids today like those mop top Beatles..."

 

[Charles Smith]

You needn't dig. Bruce Kimmel's Kritzerland label has an expanded (stereo) CD of this coming out very soon. But, like many soundtracks anymore, it is a limited edition, this one of one thousand copies:

http://www.kritzerland.com/suzie_wong.htm

It is a nice score, and I've actually only owned the 1960 release on LP, which omits a lot of music in favor of source music. This new release will have, I believe, the complete score. If you pre-order quickly, you might be lucky enough to get a copy signed by Nancy Kwan. And, no, I have no affiliation with the company. But I can read, and the Kritzerland site tells the story.

It's a WONDERFUL album -- but it's not "coming soon" -- it was released many months (a couple of years?) ago. That it's not sold out yet is astounding. Don't miss this one.

 

[ahollis]

It's a WONDERFUL album -- but it's not "coming soon" -- it was released many months (a couple of years?) ago. That it's not sold out yet is astounding. Don't miss this one.

Well I just jumped on that this morning. I listened to a few of the sample tracks and was completely mesmerized last night. I can't wait until it arrives.

Now we just need a Region A Blu-ray

 

[Dick]

Well I just jumped on that this morning. I listened to a few of the sample tracks and was completely mesmerized last night. I can't wait until it arrives.

Now we just need a Region A Blu-ray

I was looking at what I thought was the current Kritzerland web site and thought this was a pre-release listing. Might have accessed an old post. Sorry for the misinformation. Probably the Kwan-autographed copies are long gone...but I'll have to order this soon.

 

[JeffT.]

You (confidently) infer that there's no harm.

I (adamantly) say that there is.

Who's right on this?

Time will tell. Perhaps (much) sooner than realized.

Jeff T.

 

[Dick]

Well the technical specifics clearly state the Spanish blu-ray edition is both a BD-R and Pal formats.

So we pretty much know what that means.

The point of this very discussion forum is to persuade the stateside home video distributors to market the classic films here in our own backyard for our benefit.

It has been pointed out (many times) that the classic U.S. produced films (and television series) are much better respected and appreciated aboard than they are here. And this is just not acceptable. Not for myself at least.

Just what kind of society are we going to have with a generation weaned (exclusively) on what is (generally) passed off as entertainment today?!

Jeff T.

This country has been dumbed-down in so many ways during the past four or five decades that I have little hope for our society. We're all cushy consumers with little or no critical thinking or truly intelligent conversation to offset our vacuous behavior. Wall Street and Madison Avenue and government agencies have conspired to take advantage of our ambivalence and an increasing reluctance to question it. Movies are just another symptom of the disease. Most titles now are pretty much produced to appeal to the lowest common denominator, which is what more and more of us have become a part of every year. I tend to prefer indie, foreign language, Australian and UK films which unfortunately just about never turn up in the Regal plex near to me. Makes me wish I could just walk to all the museums and niche theaters in NY and Boston anytime I wished.

 

[JeffT.]

Do you recall in SOYLENT GREEN (1973) where the elder Sol Roth (Edward G. Robinson) is always futilely trying to council his skeptical younger partner Detective Thorne (Charleton Heston) about the past until the latter finally sees it for himself in the euthanasia scene and he incredulously remarks, "How could I know? How could I ever imagine?"

Thorne is very representative of a sheltered younger generation pretty much oblivious to things and Roth, of course, is the older generation trying to bestow important knowledge and experience.

This has always been going on with progress, change and advancement since time immemorial.

So, pertaining specifically to film, it becomes a responsibility (or obligation) to retain vestiges of the Past worth maintaining and having ready access to.

You see?



Jeff T.

 

[Nelson Au]

Guys, thought I’d revive this thread. I happen to see Nancy Kwan in Hawaii Five-O’s pilot film last night. I’d forgotten that she was in it. So it reminded me of her first film The World of Suzie Wong and got me searching for a blu ray of it. I see in the thread that there is a blu ray from Spain but from reading the comments, it might be best to avoid it. I see it’s available on Amazon and eBay in the $33 range. Not bad. But if you guys think it’s iffy, I think I’ll avoid it and hope that maybe it will be on the list for the Paramount Presents label.

In the mean time, I went through my library this morning because I knew I had the DVD of Suzie Wong. I’m not necessarily a William Holden fan, but I did pick up the Twilight Time film, Love Is A Many Splendid Thing. What got me interested in seeing Suzie Wong and also LIAMST is that they have exteriors filmed in Hong Kong during this time period. I thought LIAMST was a pretty good movie. But I held off watching Susie Wong because I was kind of fearing it is the usual Hollywood take of Asians and might have the usual stereotypes. However, I know it’s a film of that time period. I’m really curious to see it. Plus the cinematography I’ve read is very good.

I think I’ve concluded that I will just finally watch the DVD and hope that a blu ray will come. Though I’m betting it could be a while. I’m also interested in seeing The Flower Drum Song. I don’t see a blu ray of it. This film I’ve also sort of avoided because I was afraid it would be full of stereotypes. Though it is the Crazy Rich Asians of its time.

I realize both Suzie Wong and Flower Drum Song are available on iTunes, so that’s an option for an HD version. For now it appears the only legitimate disc version is the DVD that I already have of Suzie Wong and the DVD of Flower Drum Song.

And just for fun:

 

[Robert Crawford]

Flower Drum Song was available on iTunes for $4.99 last week. The World of Suzie Wong has been as low as $4.99, but has been $6.99 several times including last month. I have both HD Digitals.

 

[Nelson Au]

Thanks Robert, I happen to miss both sales. How do they look on iTunes? An improvement over the DVD?