Female Prisoner Scorpion Box set from Arrow in July

[47lab]

Any chance Arrow can pull a Shout Factory Bruce Lee Legacy Collection and recall this & fix it before shipping it out? The other Arrow release I was looking forward to was Kobayashi's HUMAN CONDITION trilogy blu ray set but I read that it's also been delayed. Did Criterion ever announce they were going to release it as well?

[Alison Jane]

Huge difference. That sucks.

[Dom D]

eh I think people are getting carried away bashing the release already based on those screen grabs (which don't look half bad to my eyes)
I think they will look the same as Battles films.
That is to say, solid but not exquisite.
The Japanese studios I think apply a lot of DNR. Maybe that is how people want to see them over there.

Usually I'd be right there on the barricades with you on this one as fans getting carried away about nonsense is a pet hate but look at these two grabs together. It's not even that the new releases are over DNRed (they are) it's that they don't look the way they're supposed too. It appears that some complete knob, for reasons defying description, has come along and stuck a green filter over the films. Why do that? The films were beautiful. Now they look like bad footage left on the cutting room floor from Underworld.

[Rakesh R.]

I love the movies, but I'll pass. The contrast is blown out, with severe black crush, and the colors look really off.

[Keeth]

Yeah, that blue tint looks weird. I'm definitely going to wait until reviews are out. The set is too expensive to take a risk on considering all of the other releases that are 'coming soon'.

[enandalusiskhund]

Oh no, this was the one release Arrow weren't allowed to fuck up. These are some of my favourite films. Now I don't pretend to know how the Sasori films are supposed to look, as I didn't see them projected theatrically in the 70's, but I'm pretty sure that cold blue colour timing is wrong. I've never seen a Japanese 70's film timed liked that on DVD, it just looks unnatural and very modernised. Can't really judge detail with such small screens, but I also feel some might have been lost in black crush.

Already sold my DVD's and pre-ordered, so not much to do about it, but I'm extremely disappointed. Arrow is a cineaste label, releasing obscure films no nomal people buy, or have even heard about, and they've treated the films with respect in the past. There is no need to make them "glossier" or scrub them clean for an imaginary mainstream audience, so this is puzzling to say the least. Toei' HD masters, judging from Takuma's caps earlier in the thread, probably aren't even colour timed like this.

[Takuma]

eh they don't look bad

Yeah, they don't look bad, they look horrible

I'll be happy to stick to my dvds which look so much better.

[Bogart]

Thanks. I thought so, I'm just still having difficulties believing the discs could look like that...

eh they don't look bad

[Sundance]

Good thing I didn't pre-order.

But I would think Arrow would cancel and refund if you request it.

[Takuma]

They are 'test discs' that should represent final product but they didn't come in retail packaging or anything, so it's possible it could change before release date, though that doesn't usually happen.

Thanks. I thought so, I'm just still having difficulties believing the discs could look like that...

Has anyone ever cancelled their order from Arrow's website after having paid with Paypal? Does that work out?

[Ian Jane]

Ian, are those Blu-Ray discs? Official review copies?

They are 'test discs' that should represent final product but they didn't come in retail packaging or anything, so it's possible it could change before release date, though that doesn't usually happen.

[Lalala76]

I have this set pre-ordered and paid for, so I cant get myself get too negative about how this looks. They are still quality films, and the effort Arrow always puts into these releases has to be commended. The artwork also isn't great but they will have reverse sleeves at least. I'm still very much looking forward to this set. The transfers on all these Japanese releases haven't been great, as they use what they have been given, but it hasn't stopped me from a) buying them and b) enjoying them immensely

[Bogart]

eh I think people are getting carried away bashing the release already based on those screen grabs (which don't look half bad to my eyes)
I think they will look the same as Battles films.
That is to say, solid but not exquisite.
The Japanese studios I think apply a lot of DNR. Maybe that is how people want to see them over there.

[47lab]

yep, I was one of the guilty parties who ordered the UK version. I actually wanted the US version but the cheapskate in me just couldn't pass up the price difference for the "u" in honor & the BBFC logo on the front.

[Derrick King]

The US BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR set sold out, but that had its print run dropped from 3000 to 2500 and the UK went from 2000 to 2500 because so many people in the US were ordering the UK set because it was cheaper.