Police Story 1 & 2 Criterion Blu-Ray Boxset

[Asmo]

On 1/24/2019 at 11:50 AM, hanshotfirst1138 said:

It’s unbelievably depressing to hear that Fortune Star, a huge company, behave so unprofessionally. It’s sad that the passionate fan base is left to clean up their mess. Regardless, there’s no question Eureka (and presumably Criterion) deserve major kudos for allowing that extra work to appear on the final releases. Now if only we could get PS3 out of Miramax’s clutches. Are the films that they have the rights to just in their death grip forever? Don’t they ever expire? PS3 is a damned classic, and deserves a proper definitive release. It looks like if Fortune Star do release the 4K master they’re sitting on (which looks unlikely), they may release it with a shoddy downmix too. It’s amazing how so many companies can work on home video releases of Hong Kong films for decades, and yet still do such substandard work. 

The Japanese version of PS3 has the 7.1 DTS track, which doesn't really bode well for any future release (outside of 'intervention' like that of Eureka).

[hanshotfirst1138]

12 hours ago, Asmo said:

The Japanese version of PS3 has the 7.1 mono track, which doesn't really bode well for any future release (outside of 'intervention' like that of Eureka).

Yeah, I don’t see Fortune Star licensing many releases out, and they seem incapable of and unwilling releasing things properly themselves. It’s amazing how even after decades, Hong Kong cinema on home video still gets such shoddy treatment and so few companies seem to have any interesting in improving. Or maybe it’s jusr the constant death grips of Fortune Star and Miramax  .

[Master with OK Fingers]

On 1/24/2019 at 1:18 AM, Asmo said:

The Japanese version of PS3 has the 7.1 mono track, which doesn't really bode well for any future release (outside of 'intervention' like that of Eureka).

Other than the release by 'he who shall not be named' does anyone know of any official release of Police Story 3 with the original Eng Dub? Any Japanese release that might have it as an extra like Wheel on Meals?

[Asmo]

15 hours ago, Master with OK Fingers said:

Other than the release by 'he who shall not be named' does anyone know of any official release of Police Story 3 with the original Eng Dub? Any Japanese release that might have it as an extra like Wheel on Meals?

I'm guessing it's on an old DVD, but it has to be somewhere because that particular release had it in 5.1. I doubt the track was upmixed.

PSIII is getting a HK release next week. But sadly it doesn't look to have it included.

[Drunken Monk]

This has dropped from $50 to $37 on Amazon.

[KenHashibe]

Criterion updated their "Special Features":

Quote

35 mm subtitled theatrical print of the condensed Hong Kong version of Police Story 2, presented in 2K for the first time

I'm assuming that means it'll have the burnt-on Chinese/English subtitles (which might be interesting to see in 2k). Also, it'd be interesting comparing the colors of the 4k scan with this new 2k scan. Pretty awesome nonetheless.

[KenHashibe]

Another announcement of some new special features:

Quote

• New interview with filmmaker Edgar Wright and a 2017 podcast conversation between Wright and actor-director Jackie Chan
• Episode of Son of the Incredibly Strange Film Show from 1989 featuring interviews with Chan and actor Maggie Cheung
• Excerpts from Jackie Chan: My Stunts, a 1999 documentary codirected by and starring Chan
• Excerpt from a 2017 television program reuniting Chan with the original members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team

I'd love to see Wright's interview with Chan. Wright has stated before that Police Story is one of his favorites, so it'd be interesting to see Chan be interviewing by a hardcore fan. Also, Wright and Chan are two of my favorite people to watch interviews for. Definitely a nice bonus.

The Incredibly Strange Film Show episode is great. The sections from My Stunts are great too so viewers who haven't seen the documentary can get insight on the dangerous stunts. Still waiting on an official announcement about the original monos, but I'll be patient. There's still another two months or so until its release.

[Drunken Monk]

For those interested, here's the whole Jackie Chan/Edgar Wright conversation...

 

[inframan]

Police Story/Police Story 2 are having limited theatrical runs, I wonder if it will be the Criterion versions? I recently caught Drunken Master on the big screen and I think it was the Eureka version, they are playing the Police Story films next week and I'll be seeing at least one of the screenings. Need to save some cash for the actual blu ray too.

[muppetdanny]

Packing artwork:

[KUNG FU BOB]

On 2/19/2019 at 2:45 PM, KenHashibe said:

Another announcement of some new special features:

I'd love to see Wright's interview with Chan. Wright has stated before that Police Story is one of his favorites, so it'd be interesting to see Chan be interviewing by a hardcore fan. Also, Wright and Chan are two of my favorite people to watch interviews for. Definitely a nice bonus.

The Incredibly Strange Film Show episode is great. The sections from My Stunts are great too so viewers who haven't seen the documentary can get insight on the dangerous stunts. Still waiting on an official announcement about the original monos, but I'll be patient. There's still another two months or so until its release.

Wright and Chan? Gotta check that out!

The JC episode of Incredibly Strange Film Show is one of my favorite things I've ever seen JC in. I actually do a JC imitation regularly quoting him from that episode. 😃 It'll be nice to see it in a higher quality than I've been watching for all these years.

@KenHashibe did you see in the post above that on the back cover they list "mono" for the Cantonese soundtracks?

 

On 2/19/2019 at 3:00 PM, Drunken Monk said:

For those interested, here's the whole Jackie Chan/Edgar Wright conversation...

Thanks! I'll be listening to this sooner than later.

 

On 2/21/2019 at 10:23 AM, inframan said:

Police Story/Police Story 2 are having limited theatrical runs, I wonder if it will be the Criterion versions? I recently caught Drunken Master on the big screen and I think it was the Eureka version, they are playing the Police Story films next week and I'll be seeing at least one of the screenings. Need to save some cash for the actual blu ray too.

From what I heard the recent showings of POLICE STORY 1 and 2 are using the Criterion prints, and I keep hearing that they're exquisite.

 

[KenHashibe]

4 hours ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

The JC episode of Incredibly Strange Film Show is one of my favorite things I've ever seen JC in. I actually do a JC imitation regularly quoting him from that episode. 😃 It'll be nice to see it in a higher quality than I've been watching for all these years.

@KenHashibe did you see in the post above that on the back cover they list "mono" for the Cantonese soundtracks?

I agree, it's an excellent episode. A lot of great insight there!

And thanks for bringing my attention to that! I hadn't seen the back covers, and I'm happy they've announced that they'll be including the mono tracks. It's Criterion, they gotta have it. 😁 @Irongod2112 has been helping Criterion and supplied them with certain audio tracks for the films. I've been following what he's been up to on the Blu-Ray.com forum. I'm especially excited to see that Criterion was apparently able to get the Japanese version on there. According to the cover, it says "Special Edition Features...Japanese-release version of Police Story, presented in a high-definition digital transfer"! I'm surprised they were able to get the rights (unless this is a tentative cover and they included it just in case they got the rights later on; fingers crossed).

[Irongod2112]

When I was helping Criterion I was told that they were not allowed to include the Japanese cut of Police Story 1 because of both the USA & Japan being Region A and the fact that in theory Fortune Star could lose sales in Japan because the extended version has burned in Japanese subtitles.

Eureka probably got away with it because they are Region B.

Criterion did originally plan on including the Japanese cut.

If it's included that would be a BIG surprise to me.

I wouldn't count on it though.

[inframan]

 

[muppetdanny]

After reading Irongod2112's posts on blu-ray.com's forum, it looks like I have to double dip 

[Graysman]

Release Date delayed On Police story/Police story 2 The Criterion collection (Blu ray) at Amazon.

We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on April 15, 2019. Police Story/Police Story 2 (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]"
Estimated arrival date: May 07, 2019 - May 13, 2019

[thekfc]

6 hours ago, Graysman said:

Release Date delayed On Police story/Police story 2 The Criterion collection (Blu ray) at Amazon.

We now have delivery date(s) for the order you placed on April 15, 2019. Police Story/Police Story 2 (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]"
Estimated arrival date: May 07, 2019 - May 13, 2019

This time I bought mine via Best Buy to add to my purchases to re-qualify for Elite Plus status for next year.

Tracking shows that it was shipped yesterday & due for delivery Monday.

[Graysman]

6 hours ago, thekfc said:

This time I bought mine via Best Buy to add to my purchases to re-qualify for Elite Plus status for next year.

Tracking shows that it was shipped yesterday & due for delivery Monday.

That's great news

[thekfc]

On 4/26/2019 at 2:26 PM, Graysman said:

That's great news

Mine was delivered today - a few days earlier than stated.

[Graysman]

10 hours ago, thekfc said:

Mine was delivered today - a few days earlier than stated.

Have you watched them yet? Hows Police Story 2 Hong Kong cut HD?

[thekfc]

3 hours ago, Graysman said:

Have you watched them yet? Hows Police Story 2 Hong Kong cut HD?

No, I haven't watch it yet.

I am/was "out & about" taking care of stuff that I have been procrastinating on. 

I have yet to watch my recent purchases of Project A 1 & 2, Once Upon A time Trilogy, or Wheels on Meals (I have seen them all on the big screen so no need to rush). Hopefully in the coming weeks I will get some "sit down" time to watch them.

[thekfc]

3 hours ago, Graysman said:

Have you watched them yet? Hows Police Story 2 Hong Kong cut HD?

You can check out @Irongod2112 post on the BD forum. 

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16315744&postcount=566

[Graysman]

21 minutes ago, thekfc said:

You can check out @Irongod2112 post on the BD forum. 

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=16315744&postcount=566

Hey thanks brother much appreciated ordered it so just the waiting.

[sifu iron perm]

do both films include the classic english dubbing?

 

 

[KenHashibe]

Got mine yesterday. Drove an hour and a half through LA traffic to pick it up from Amoeba. Definitely worth the awful drive getting there (and getting home). I haven't been able to watch both films all the way through yet, but I did get to skim through the films and the special features. The picture quality is excellent. And the original mono tracks sound incredible.

As for the 2k transfer of the original HK version of Police Story 2, it surprisingly looks great! It looks a tiny bit dark, and of course, there's some blemishes and missing frames. But it's very sharp and vibrant. The print doesn't look faded at all. And none of the defects are that distracting. Apparently, Criterion sourced this print from the American Genre Film Archive and they did a great job preserving it.

13 hours ago, sifu iron perm said:

do both films include the classic english dubbing?

Police Story has the rare English dub from a Dutch VHS which contains the original soundtrack. The "Police Force" version with the alternate synthesizer soundtrack is not included in the Criterion release. Police Story 2 has the new English dub.