Are the Panorama DVDs of the Cathay catalogue Region Free?

[Stephe]

Does anyone know whether or not the Panorama-released DVDs of the Cathay

catalogue are Region Free?

Most Thai Celestial titles are listed as Region 3 but are Region Free,

and most Chinese Zoke Culture DVDs are listed as Region 6 but are Region

Free. Are the Panorama Cathay DVDs Region Free, then? I did an online

search and saw that BlueLaser.com has Panorama Cathay DVDs listed as

being "QB_code: NTSC all"

I ask this because I obtained the VCD of the Cathay film It's Only

Spring, because it was scripted by Chang Cheh, and was entranced by one

of the two actresses, Julie Yeh Feng. Turns out she was one of Cathay's

biggest stars, and she later did films for Shaws, including one scripted

by Chang Cheh: The Warlord and the Actress.

In all, Chang Cheh wrote four scripts for films starring Julie Yeh Feng:

The Girl with the Golden Arm (1961)

Come Rain, Come Shine (1962)

It's Always Spring (1962)

The Warlord and the Actress (1964)

Everywhere I look, the Julie Yeh Feng film Sister Long Legs VCD

is listed as having Chinese subtitles but no English subtitles, and yet, the

VCD I have of It's Only Spring is subtitled even though Sensasian.com

has it listed as having no subtitles at all.

...

I ordered four Panorama Cathay DVDs from Buyoyo. Three were listed as

being "Region All," and the fourth was described as being "Region Code 3."

We'll see when they arrive.

[Fang Shih-yu]

Legit DVDs of Cathay movies? I've only READ about these, but I'm interested to see if these are compatible (region free)! What movies would be good starting places for the Cathay experience?...

[Fang Shih-yu]

A quick check of two other sites (HK Flix and Yesasia) that also sell these Cathay DVDs shows there are "all Region"/"Region 0"/"Region free" versions available of some titles. If any of the titles you ordered are indicated as "Taiwan version", then you've got the "region free" DVDs you want.

[Guest Markgway]

Sucks that they only released two of the Cathay martial arts movies - and cropped to full screen at that!

[Stephe]

A quick check of two other sites (HK Flix and Yesasia) that also sell these Cathay DVDs shows there are "all Region"/"Region 0"/"Region free" versions available of some titles. If any of the titles you ordered are indicated as "Taiwan version", then you've got the "region free" DVDs you want.

There's a big catch to the Taiwan Version Cathay DVDs listed at YesAsia, though: they are only

subtitled in Chinese, not in English. These are made by Hoker Records, not Panorama, by the way.

Some of the Panorama-issued subtitled-in-English Cathay DVDs are designated as Region Free at

Buyoyo, and those are the ones that I ordered. Maybe Buyoyo is wrong, though: they list the Zoke

Culture DVDs are being All Region PAL, whereas they are really NTSC -- unless they have versions

of Zoke Culture DVDs that are different than others.

[AlbertV]

I'll have to check but the library I work at has a few LEGIT Cathay DVD titles from Panorama and they are listed as Region 3. I'll see what I can find in terms of that since I, as a staff member, can check out DVDs for 2 days (whereas students can only watch them in the library)...and we have a LOT of Asian films

[Stephe]

Everywhere I look, the Julie Yeh Feng film Sister Long Legs VCD

is listed as having Chinese subtitles but no English subtitles, and yet, the

VCD I have of It's Only Spring is subtitled even though Sensasian.com

has it listed as having no subtitles at all.

...

I ordered four Panorama Cathay DVDs from Buyoyo. Three were listed as

being "Region All," and the fourth was described as being "Region Code 3."

We'll see when they arrive.

I have since obtained Air Hostess, Mambo Girl, Our Sister Hedy, Sister

Long Legs, and The Wild Wild Rose on DVD, all of which are labeled as

being Region 3, but they are all actually Region Free.

I am now trying to find out if the Taiwan version of Sun, Moon And Star at

http://www.yesasia.com/us/sun-moon-and-star-taiwan-version/1004116725-0-0-0-en/info.html, which is

Region All, is indeed subtitled, even though it's listed as not being

subtitled in English, but only having "Traditional Chinese" subs. Does

anyone here know?

[Fang Shih-yu]

I have since obtained Air Hostess, Mambo Girl, Our Sister Hedy, Sister

Long Legs, and The Wild Wild Rose on DVD, all of which are labeled as

being Region 3, but they are all actually Region Free...

Are these widescreen, or are they full-screen versions of a widescreen movie ("pan and scan")?

[Stephe]

At http://www.coffeecoffeeandmorecoffee.com/archives/2009/12/because_of_her.html

it says that Cathay Scope began in 1963 with Because of Her, so it's my guess that

all Cathay / MP&GI films prior to 1963 are Academy ratio. Whether all of them from

1963 onward are widescreen is another story, though, since most of Cathay's films

were in black in white until this period (and maybe afterwards, for all I know), too.

Seeing as none of the Cathay films released on disc by Panorama had previously

ever been released subtitled in English in *any* format, it's a case of beggers can't

be choosers. By and large, Cathay films had better scripts and acting than Shaw

Brothers films did. They are mostly dramas, romances, and musicals, but they

are very well done, and many of the actresses are superior to anyone who worked

for Shaws (although Julie Yeh Feng made several films for Shaws after leaving

Cathay in 1964).

I've only watched one Hong Kong Panorama VCD and five Hong Kong Panormara

DVDs so far, but it seems that all of the discs are subtitled, and all the DVDs are

Region Free, even though they are marked as Region 3. There are also Taiwan

Panorama DVDs, and one the place I've seen them lists them as being Region Free

and subtitled in Chinese but not English, but I've got one on order and hopefully

will find out soon whether they're actually subtitled in English, or not.

[Winfred]

I have many Panorama DVDs of Cathay movies and ALLl of them have English subs. However when I was in Taipei, I was advised that the Cathay VCDs are without English subs. So I did not dare pick up any Cathay DVDs there either.

[Fang Shih-yu]

It says that Cathay Scope began in 1963 with Because of Her, so it's my guess that all Cathay / MP&GI films prior to 1963 are Academy ratio. Whether all of them from 1963 onward are widescreen is another story, though, since most of Cathay's films were in black in white until this period (and maybe afterwards, for all I know), too.

Your posting is very helpful, especially with regards to when Cathay's widescreen releases began. For the adventurous few Americans who will pick up any of the current crop of releases, you KNOW there'll be the hold-outs for the martial arts titles which are the stuff of legend! Is it possible some of THESE movies are being remastered as we chat with each other on these forums?... However, it's hard to imagine any American company picking up distribution rights to Cathay's martial arts films (if ANY ever do come out, not counting the comedy one out now), if the case history of US distribution of Shaw movies is considered; potentially, these titles might sell much LESS than the best performing Shaw titles! And if Image were to license the movies, watch out for more underwhelming format transfers! On top of that, the movies would be CROPPED! Again, thanks for the input, Stephe! How are those movies you bought?

[Stephe]

I have many Panorama DVDs of Cathay movies and ALLl of them have English subs.

Are you referring to the Taiwan Cathay discs, then, or the Hong Kong discs?

However when I was in Taipei, I was advised that the Cathay VCDs are without English

subs. So I did not dare pick up any Cathay DVDs there either.

As far as I know, all the Hong Kong Cathay VCDs are subtitled in English.

I have only watched one so far (It's Always Spring), but it was subtitled in

English. I just recently obtained three more Hong Kong Cathay VCDs, so

I'll know fairly soon.

[Stephe]

it's hard to imagine any American company picking up distribution rights

to Cathay's martial arts films (if ANY ever do come out, not counting the

comedy one out now)

You mean Mad Mad Sword.

There is one other martial arts film on Cathay Panorama VCD and DVD

besides Mad Mad Sword. It's called The First Sword.

http://www.cathay.com.sg/classics_war.html has this:

THE FIRST SWORD

1967 Mandarin Colour 83mins

Director : Tu Guangqi / Cast : Chen Manling, Zhao Lei

During a battle with Wu Qiong, the king of poison, Xie Wuyang, the chief

of the Golden Dragon Clan is poisoned. His junior, Tong Wanling risks her

life to save him and becomes poisoned herself. At his wit's end, Wuyang

seeks Wanling's grandparents for help. Meanwhile, Yan Zongqi plots to

overthrow Wuyang as the chief of the Golden Dragon Clan and schemes

with Wu Qiong to obtain the secret manual of the Clan.

http://www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/filmID.539983/qx/details.htm has this:

"The First Sword" is a "Class A" Cathay film with many first achievements.

Based on a popular martial arts novel in the same title by Tu Kwang-chi, a

well-known film director and media veteran, this was his first showcase of

his directorship since he joined Cathay. The martial art female lead Melinda

Chen plays her very first xia nu role (the feminine swordsperson) in it. Charlie

Chin, later a famous actor in Taiwan melodramas, just graduated from the

First Cathay Acting Training Course, made his film debut as a loyal member

of the Golden Dragon School.

http://www.melbournecinematheque.org/2008/specials/cathay.html has this:

The First Sword

Tu Guangqi (1967) 83 mins

Adapted from his own novel, Tu’s 1st directorial effort - in which a beautiful

swordswoman (Melinda Chen Manling) must save her poisoned master *- is

moody, atmospheric & packed with genre elements like booby-traps, deadly

rays, clan conflict & intrigue. Cathay was slow to pick up on the wuxia craze

(martial swordfighting epics) &, much like a battling clans plotline, had lost

ground to Shaw Brothers, their arch-rivals. This film was Cathay’s 1st return

parry & helped establish the xia nu (swordswoman) sub-genre.

If that whets anyone's appetite, keep in mind that this is a full-frame print of

a scope film.

At http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/people.asp?id=3179 there is a

short bio of Tu Guangqi, including this paragraph:

From the early 60s, Tu turns to the Wu Xia Pian starting in the genre with

The Daring Gang of Nineteen from Verdun City/Qingcheng Shiiiu Xia. In

1967, he directs Cathay studio first wuxia pian with The First Sword/Diyi

Jian followed by Invisible Sabre/Yanling Dao and Violet Mansion/Yijian

Qingshen. Despite his substantial quantitative contribution to the genre,

he never makes truly his marks on the genre the way fellow filmmakers

King Hu and Chang Cheh does. During this period he also writes many

wuxia novels some of them are turned into movies.

According to the above, The First Sword, released in 1967, was Cathay's

first wuxia pian. Escorts Over Tiger Hill and the comedy sword film Mad

Mad Swords are both from 1969.

if the case history of US distribution of Shaw movies is considered;

potentially, these titles might sell much LESS than the best performing

Shaw titles!

I think the real shame is not releasing any of the dramas, (non-martial arts)

comedies and musicals, because a lot of them are awfully good. I've come

to love Grace Chang (aka Ge Lan), So Fung, Jeanette Lin Cui (who was

later in one Shaw Brothers film in 1966, The Golden Buddha), and Julie Yeh

Feng in a very short time. And I think that most American women would love

these films if only they knew they existed. These are chick flicks with heart

and depth.

How are those movies you bought?

I thought Our Sister Hedy and The Wild, Wild Rose (with Grace Chang) and

It's Always Spring were all memorable, but Our Sister Hedy really stands

out. Apparently, it's the first Chinese film to ever have won a prize at an

international film festival. Mambo Girl, which was Grace Chang's breakout

film, is also quite good. I've also seen Air Hostess (with Grace Chang) and

Sister Long Legs (because Julie Yeh Feng looks hot in glasses ), but

they were rather uneven, even though both film are highly regarded.

[blue_skies]

Personally I can't understand why people don't just get a multi-region player? With so many different editions of films worldwide why limit yourself with a region locked player ?

[Fang Shih-yu]

Thank you for your addditional Cathay info, Stephe! This, combined with falkor's list, gives me more perspective on the Cathay output. So, while Cathay was in competition with Shaw, they were late-comers in swordplay/martial arts films!... At the very least, I'll check out one of those pre-widescreen movies and play it on my JVC "all-region" DVD player (with Blu-ray)! I've only three Region 3 Shaws so far, but being able to play more than only Region 1 discs is very liberating! blue_skies is right on target here; the prices on "all-region" players are coming down, too, and you can even get ones without Blu-ray playback. That said--WHY CHEAT YOURSELF? Get one with Blu-ray, and save yourself a hassle!

[Stephe]

Thank you for your addditional Cathay info, Stephe! This, combined with

falkor's list, gives me more perspective on the Cathay output.

Actually, I left a comment on Falkor's Cathay Filmography at

http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?p=126263

yesterday.

There are three films and two box sets that are not on his list:

138 Magic Lamp, The 01/23/64

181 First Sword, The 12/28/67

183 Darling Stay At Home 01/28/68

The Films Of Grace Chang box set

(includes 5 films: Mambo Girl, Spring Song, Because Of Her, Forever

Yours, and June Bride)

The Films Of Wong Tin Lam box set

(includes 5 films: The Story Of Three Loves I, The Story Of Three Loves II,

Because Of Her, Death Traps, and Mad, Mad, Mad Swords)

Maybe the reason you hadn't known that The First Sword had been

released to Panorama disc is because it wasn't on Falkor' list.

Cathay's 1964 film The Magic Lamp is Cathay's version of the Shaw

Brothers' 1965 film The Lotus Lamp, which starred Linda Lin Dai (in two

roles) and Cheng Pei-pei (in her first role -- as a man!).

The film is in black & white, but it was filmed in scope (and released in

full frame format by Panorama, alas). It is in the Huangmei Opera genre,

so while there are some martial arts, they are not the main aspect of the

film. I have seen The Lotus Lamp and there are battles therein, but they

are overtly dance-oriented than Chinese Opera pieces tend to be.

Instead of Linda Lin Dai, Grace Chang plays the goddess, and instead of

Cheng Pei-pei, Lucilla You Min plays the scholar. Jeanette Lin Cui plays

the son, which was Linda Lin Dai's second role in The Lotus Lamp.

At http://www.cathayholdings.com.my/classics/classics_drama.html there

is this:

THE MAGIC LAMP

1964 Mandarin B/W 93mins

Director : Wang Tianlin, Yi Wen, Tang Huang, Wu Jiaxiang, Luo Wei /

Cast : All stars at MP&GI

A production in celebration of MP & GI's 10th anniversary. Liu Yanchang

tours Mount Hua and is captivated by the beauty of the Goddess at the

Holy Goddess Temple. He writes a poem on the sleeves of the statue

and rings the temple bell which brings the Goddess to earth. They meet,

fall in love and eventually marry and have a son named Chenxiang.

However, the Goddess is soon imprisoned at Mount Hua by her brother

for breaking the laws of heaven. When Chenxiang is grown up, he gets

to know about his mother and decides to rescue her.

I haven't watched The Magic Lamp yet, but I just received the DVD in

the mail the other day, so it won't be long until I do.

Here is a clip from the film:

Chung Ching in "The Magic Lamp"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRZ_pwvSrb0

Jeanette Lin Cui comes at the 1:32 mark, and her character

is called a "Bastard" therein.

[Fang Shih-yu]

Stephe, you're really going "Leonard Maltin" with these Cathay movies! Too bad falkor isn't around to appreciate your contribution to his list!

[Stephe]

For more info on Panorama's Cathay and MP&GI VCDs and DVDs, check out my

"Comments on All 39 Cathay / MP&GI Films Released on Panorama VCD and DVD"

thread at http://www.kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13294