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  • #61
    you'll have to live the rest of your days wondering what it was. I won't tell you.

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    • #62
      Originally posted by Mike T View Post
      Dream Home...
      Oh, I should warn anyone thinking of importing this on BD or DVD from Hong Kong to wait for a domestic version! The problem with the HK version is the aspect ratio: it was shot with the Red One HD system and formatted for 2.35 'scope, but the HK version has been weirdly formatted for somewhere around 2.1 to 2.2 with a visibly vertically stretched image. It's not major, but it is noticeable. Which is a bugger, as I believe the HK BD is pretty good -- the DVD is real nice as is, with progressive scan transfer and DTS-ES and Dolby EX audio. There's a mainstream UK release in the offing soon (which will undoubtedly drop the great audio for 2.0, like a lot of non-specialist Asian releases in Britain) so I'd hazard a guess that a US release won't be far behind. Plus the HK censor cuts will be reinstated, I believe, so international versions should be uncut. :)

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      • #63
        Thanks for that, Mike. I'll hold off then.
        Rock! Shock! Pop!

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        • #64
          Watched The Storm Warriors on BD today. Against all of the negative online hype, I really enjoyed this - it is, however, a CGI-FX enthusiast's wet dream as it looks a lot like 300 in parts. Though, tbh, I think people expecting a repeat of the original Storm Riders were kidding themselves for more of the same with the Pang Brothers in-charge. It's closely patterned after the comics, and similar to the first film, but it's also very much a Pang film. However, worst ending of a mainstream movie since that "To be continued" card came up at the end of Matrix Reloaded. Just when you think you're going to get a resolution for an enormous plot twist...the credits roll!

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          • #65
            I enjoyed it for what it was - basically a goofy comic book come to life. I missed Chiba from the first part though.
            Rock! Shock! Pop!

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            • #66
              Originally posted by Ian Jane View Post
              I enjoyed it for what it was - basically a goofy comic book come to life. I missed Chiba from the first part though.
              Exactly! It's a live-action comic, and that's pretty much all there was to it. It's entertaining, and the visual design with all the CG is amazing.
              But from some of the reviews I read at the time of its releases...sheesh, you'd think some people went in expecting the second coming of Christ...:cuckoo:
              Btw, I really liked what the Pangs did with the colour subtraction in the second half of the film - the more Wind was possessed, the less colour there was.
              Nice use of digital technology to create an encroaching feeling of a darker mood and atmosphere through colour.
              Last edited by Mike T; 01-20-2011, 10:22 AM.

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              • #67
                I'm not such a fan of the overuse of CGI, but I'll give the Pangs credit for using the technology in ways that a lot of their western counterparts don't seem able to do. Re-Cycle would be another good example. Very creative CGI in that one.
                Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                • #68
                  Getting myself back in Hong Kong mode for the benefit of the blog: Fatal Move (2009), recent triad-crime-action-thriller with Sammo Hung, Simon Yam, Danny Lee and the amazing Wu Jing. Don't believe the naysayers - it's frickin' awesome! But CGI pikers, be aware there's loads of digital blood everywhere in this one. Your standard "inner crime circle decide to doublecross the boss" story, but some great action and ripping martial arts sequences (inclusive of a climactic showdown between Sammo, his stunt double and Wu Jing) all gorgeously lensed by Herman Yau. Dennis Law directs. The HK BD is...um, good for the most part, but some pretty naff compression issues arise in the blacks. Otherwise...two and a half thumbs up! :)

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                  • #69
                    Today I finally watched Warriors Two (1978)! Whilst I can appreciate that it's often hailed as a martial arts classic...boy is it some slow going at certain points. I know kung fu nuts go berserk for those lengthy training montages, but it was boring as batshit here for me. It was like: just get on with the story already! The film really did come alive once Sammo got involved in the fights, though. And what was with the **SPOILER** mask at the end? How the hell did that have any bearing on anything? It just felt like Sammo did it to say "Surprise!"...

                    edit: btw, the HKL edition of W2 quite disappointed me on the restoration front over some of their other stuff. Way too much DNR -- even in closeups of the actors' faces there's just no fine detail in the image at all. It's all soft and waxy looking. But too late to complain now, HKL as a label have been dead for a couple of years now.
                    Last edited by Mike T; 01-22-2011, 01:00 PM.

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                    • #70
                      Sammo's allowed to do that. He's Sammo and he can surprise you however he wants and you can't stop him.
                      Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                      • #71
                        Last night we watched Blood Of The Vampires, the Filipino vampire film that Sam Sherman distributed. The dubbing was horrible and I bet it would play a lot better in its native language but it was still a pretty interesting movie. It was basically a Hammer vampire movie but with an odd Filipino spin on it, so you get this bizarre culture clash thing going on and on top of that director Gerry De Leon seems to be channeling Bava's sixties era Giallo work because there's a whole lot of primary colored lighting gels used that, for me at least, instantly evoke his movies. I could be reading too much into it though.

                        Either way, a fun movie with some really fantastic set pieces. The Alpha DVD has a Sherman commentary, 8 minutes of deleted scenes, a whack of trailers for this and the Blood Island movies and it is available for about $5 - money well spent.
                        Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                        • #72
                          Originally posted by Ian Jane View Post
                          Sammo's allowed to do that. He's Sammo and he can surprise you however he wants and you can't stop him.
                          Yep, even though the guy's 59 and needs stunt doubles for some of the more complex stuff these days, there's no way I'd question his decisions!

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                          • #73
                            I watched Paranormal Activity last night. It was pretty effective right up to the Ouija board scene, but that ruined it. Then I watched Paranormal Entity, which is a total ripoff and no better. Then I watched The Entity, which I've always liked. A night of dumb ghost movies. Not too shabby a way to spend you life away.

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                            • #74
                              Ghost movies are awesome.

                              Check out The Ghost Keeper, an eerie and completely low-fi Canadian movie from the 70s (that Code Red is supposedly releasing this summer). You'd dig it.
                              Rock! Shock! Pop!

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                              • #75
                                Originally posted by Ian Jane View Post
                                Last night we watched Blood Of The Vampires, the Filipino vampire film that Sam Sherman distributed. The dubbing was horrible and I bet it would play a lot better in its native language but it was still a pretty interesting movie. It was basically a Hammer vampire movie but with an odd Filipino spin on it, so you get this bizarre culture clash thing going on and on top of that director Gerry De Leon seems to be channeling Bava's sixties era Giallo work because there's a whole lot of primary colored lighting gels used that, for me at least, instantly evoke his movies. I could be reading too much into it though.

                                Either way, a fun movie with some really fantastic set pieces. The Alpha DVD has a Sherman commentary, 8 minutes of deleted scenes, a whack of trailers for this and the Blood Island movies and it is available for about $5 - money well spent.
                                I have the Cinematic Titanic version. I can't remember it really, but I can't remember anything that I'd like to. I'm sure it was funny, though.


                                I finally rewatched Forgotten Silver. Fun movie. I wish there were more Stan the Man clips. Great stuff.

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