Joy Sales: Legendary Collection: Any Good?

[Guest Markgway]

Do any of the JS/LC DVDs actually have GOOD A/V quality?

Or are they all shitty interlaced PAL>NTSC transfers.

I rewatched my copy of Twin Dragons the other night and the picture was terrible, the mono muffled.

Any action/martial titles (old school or new) you guys would recommend on this score?

[The Silver Fox]

I have a bunch of them and I personally find them watachable and an excellent value but based on your criteria I couldn't really recommend any.

[Guest Markgway]

I used to buy them but from memory they were all rather poor. I sold the ones I had. Just wondering now if I missed anything good.

[sdog2006]

I got the likes of Broken Oath, Stoner, The Tournament, Invincible 8, The Devils Treasure etc and was happy with all of them.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Any particular movies you are wondering about? I have lots to recommend, but my 30 inch TV and 20$ DVD player probably wont tell you what you need to know:crossedlips:

[sdog2006]

And don't forget Queens Ransom lol. WHAT A LOAD OF SH*T! Hahahahahahaha

[Delirious]

They're all craptastic DVD5. I have a good 20+ and so far none of them has error-free subtitle. Some are not even anamorphic.

[kaleyboy]

And they crop all around the frame of each movie. Must be idiots who make them.

[Guest Markgway]

It's not so much the movies I'm after recommendations for (I've seen most of them already) but the quality.

Any genuine PAL or genuine NTSC transfers for a start?

[Guest WuxiaFan]

It's not so much the movies I'm after recommendations for (I've seen most of them already) but the quality. Any genuine PAL or genuine NTSC transfers for a start?

Here are the titles I have and for the most part, I am VERY happy with them compared to previously released versions. Yeah, there are subtitle problems here and there, but I wouldn't say that they're flat out crap (i.e. Dragon Dynasty). I am also very happy with the transfers even if they are DVD-5. A lot of these movies were shot back in the early '70s so even if there's not an anamorphic transfer, I can live with that. Kaleyboy mentioned cropping, but again, that didn't bother me too much. Overall, for $5.13USD at dddhouse.com, I would order these DVDs all day long if I could!

A QUEEN'S RANSOM

ANGRY RIVER, THE

BROKEN OATH

HIMALAYAN, THE

KUNG FU GIRL

LADY WHIRLWIND

STONER

THUNDERBOLT

TOURNAMENT, THE

WHEN TAEKWONDO STRIKES

The only title I haven't watched yet is A QUEEN'S RANSOM, so I can't commnet on sdog2006's post. I don't know if he's talking about the movie itself or the DVD. For the rest of the list, I've tried to post quick reviews of the movies and the DVD in this Forum (Classic Martial Arts).

[Sheng]

Well, I must have picked up close to 40 of Joy Sales LC titles so far. Granted, none is really good, not a single one. As far as the classic GH titles go, I remember THE ANGRY RIVER and KUNG FU GIRL as the poorest prints (still happy to have ‘em though!) and BROKEN OATH and THE TOURNAMENT belonging to the most presentable ones.

I also noticed that most of them appear to be somewhat cropped, like Kaleboy already mentioned. None of the subtitles are entirely free of typos or Chinglish grammer structures (omission of articles, etc). Sometimes the subs are fairly decent, other times they’re simply the pits (CARRY ON PICKPOCKET).

But as mediocre as the PQ may be, compared to what the likes of Vengeance, Crash Cinema or Rarescope (and others) used to churn out these are still pretty, er… “watchable”.

And let me make this clear: I find all of them recommendable and I gladly banged my taels on the table for ‘em because hardly one of these titles exists on DVD presently, at least not with original audio and English subs. And that’s my main criteria here, goes for Joy Sales re-issues as well as the BD’s (or “fake BD’s” or “SD upscales”, whatever you fuckin’ call ‘em) of re-issued classics that Kam & Ronson and others are dropping presently.

Question is, are there chances that anybody else (in the US or Europe) releases the same titles in the forseeable future and at the same time has the decency to adhere to all the quality standards that should be obligatory in an ideal world? (non interlaced, genuine PAL or NTSC transfers, rae, rae...) Well, with the collapsing DVD market in general and the dwindling intrest in HK cinema in the West in particular, I don’t see this happen anytime soon.

So yes, for the moment I’m exceedingly happy that Companies like Joy Sales - and even more so Hoker from Taiwan - made movies available that I’ve never believed I’d see on DVD.

[Guest WuxiaFan]

hardly one of these titles exists on DVD presently, at least not with original audio and English subs. And that’s my main criteria here

Absolutely - meant to say that in my previous post! That's worth it alone, plus they're not cut to my knowledge either.

[nectarsis]

I have Tiger on Beat, while prob not perfect, it is very watchable...and enjoyable.

[blue_skies]

I only have about four of these titles, having watched three of them I would agree with what has been said. The picture quality is watchable but the main problem is the subtitles are filled with errors. I often felt like things were getting lost in translation. However, they are cheap and original language with English subtitles. So at least giving you a chance to see certain films you wouldn't otherwise or probably never will have the chance to see , on a legitimate DVD with English subtitles.

[luckystars]

I made a rule of only buying stuff on DVD that hadn't been out before.

Didn't care bout the possible benefits of 'upgrades' to old films..just bought stuff that had only been out on VCD...subbed or otherwise.

Nearly all my Legendary Collection DVD's are early Golden Harvest films.

I could cry though, they appear to have stopped translating films...I'd kill to get The Association with English subs.

[The Dragon]

If they were offering the Eng. dubbs of these, they'd all be sold out!

[mpm74]

I have a lot of these (the ones I have are mostly from the 1970's Golden Harvest era) and I like them. Since they're older movies, I don't mind that they're muffled and a little grainy.

I like that they're left all scratchy and old looking... adds to the fun.