Best dvd release of King Hu "A Touch of Zen"

[thelastweaponmaster]

Hi everyone.

I was just wondering if anyone knows what is the best dvd (or blu-ray) release of King Hu's "A Touch of Zen" in terms of original, complete cut with good video/audio quality with English subtitles? Any release with quality extras?

Thanks.

[Sheng]

Best version of TOUCH OF ZEN is the remastered French edition on Films Sans Frontiers, issued in 2004. It does come with English subs! You can order it directly via their own website.

http://www.films-sans-frontieres.fr/fiche-film/film-touch-of-zen-135.html

They're very helpful there, think they charged me 15 €. Maybe you also get it on French Amazon.

A BD release is still a distant dream, I guess...

[thelastweaponmaster]

Thanks Sheng.

I might just pick up the French edition. Were there any Hong Kong or Chinese dvd releases of this movie that are half decent or is the French edition just heads and shoulders above all other releases?

Thanks again.

Best version of TOUCH OF ZEN is the remastered French edition on Films Sans Frontiers, issued in 2004. It does come with English subs! You can order it directly via their own website.

http://www.films-sans-frontieres.fr/fiche-film/film-touch-of-zen-135.html

They're very helpful there, think they charged me 15 €. Maybe you also get it on French Amazon.

A BD release is still a distant dream, I guess...

[Sheng]

French issue is the best by far. The british Optimum is letterboxed with burnt-in subs, the Taiwanese doesn't even offer English subs, as far as I remember. Never heard anything good about the US Tai Seng either...

[Killer Meteor]

German DVD is good, anamorphic, Mandarin sound, English subs, and has RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN as a bonus

[Sheng]

Yes, there is a German issue on WGF, true. However, I do remember it being inferior to the French issue. I also recall the English subs were programmed way too fast, another nuisance... There's also the WGF double version of TOZ incl. RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN. Then again, if you care for that flick the French Films Sans Frontiers single issue of RAINING should also be your prefered choice!

[Son Of A Gun]

I watched Touch of Zen and it was the most boring thing ever! I thought the scenery and the lighting of night time scenes and ambient sounds of the dubbing were nice at first and was waiting for it to get going but it didn't.

Nothing happens really.

[thelastweaponmaster]

Anyone else has an opinion on this movie? My impression, having not seen the movie yet, was that 'Touch of Zen' was a trendsetter of the martial arts film genre of that time. Not an action movie per se from start to finish but along the lines of 'Crouching Tiger' for that period.

Thanks.

I watched Touch of Zen and it was the most boring thing ever! I thought the scenery and the lighting of night time scenes and ambient sounds of the dubbing were nice at first and was waiting for it to get going but it didn't.

Nothing happens really.

[Guest Markgway]

German DVD is good, anamorphic, Mandarin sound, English subs, and has RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN as a bonus

Lol... Raining is the better film!

[KyFi]

Touch of Zen is one of my all-time favorites. In some ways, it is a bit slow, as King Hu works in a very formal, deliberate style, and builds the movie slowly and methodically. But the story, atmosphere and martial arts scenes really deliver, IMO.

I saw it once on the big screen---for DVD I just have the Tai Seng release, and I would not recommend that one. It's widescreen, but non-anamorphic and not restored. The daytime scenes are watchable, but the nighttime scenes are not.

[Guest WuxiaFan]

Best version of TOUCH OF ZEN is the remastered French edition on Films Sans Frontiers, issued in 2004. It does come with English subs! You can order it directly via their own website.

http://www.films-sans-frontieres.fr/fiche-film/film-touch-of-zen-135.html

They're very helpful there, think they charged me 15 €. Maybe you also get it on French Amazon.

Ordered it today from amazon.fr for 11.28 EUR - thanks Sheng!

http://www.amazon.fr/Touch-Zen-Hsu-Feng/dp/B0017KP7IC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323466192&sr=8-1

[Sheng]

Búkèqi, WuxiaFan!

[Guest Markgway]

I was under the impression that the German release is anamorphic and progressive, whilst the French release is letterboxed and interlaced... am I wrong?

[Killer Meteor]

I was under the impression that the German release is anamorphic and progressive, whilst the French release is letterboxed and interlaced... am I wrong?

German is anamorphic for sure.

[Guest Markgway]

So why would anyone buy the French release instead?

I feel like I'm missing something...

[waywardsage]

I saw a R1 release of this for sale at a local used DVD store in LA. But it wasn't anamorphic. I hope they release this on R1 with a decent anamorphic release.