The 88 Films Blu-Ray Thread

[BigDruDogg]

Seems like both The Last Blood and Long arm of the Law Set were both delayed today (US versions at least)

The Last Blood now at Oct. 10

Long Arm of the Law set now at Oct. 24

[PandaPawPaw]

City On Fire: Fight Back to School Trilogy Details

Those covers while nice are so fucking busy! I notice this a lot with all these drawn covers.

[sifu iron perm]

2 hours ago, PandaPawPaw said:

City On Fire: Fight Back to School Trilogy Details

Those covers while nice are so fucking busy! I notice this a lot with all these drawn covers.

The entire cast and movie illustrated in one image.lol

[Niklaus Vogel]

On 9/4/2023 at 4:40 PM, DiP said:

Not a big fan of the movie but it has one of Jet Li's best final fight scenes (the overall action is good too). Plus it will be a huge upgrade over the HK bluray in terms of video, audio, subtitles, and extras.

A bit disappointed that Frank Djeng is not doing an audio commentary for this film (No offense to James Mudge) as I am sure Frank would've been able to explain more of the Cantonese wordplay jokes. He must've been occupied with so many commentary requests for other titles! 

[HeavenSword]

Long Arm Of The Law now shown on Amazon as being released in December !? 
 

In The meantime , Last Blood has been shipped 😁

[Drunksnake]

They know how to do a deluxe edition.

[HeavenSword]

Wonder why these latest releases from 88 weren’t allowed  to have new restorations….the quality on these movies aren’t bad ( well Taxi Hunter is kinda rough ) but I noticed Magic Cop, Twin Dragons and now Last Blood and probably the Fight Back To School series look a bit different . I see these films all came from Media Asia Entertainment. Not a complaint just curious.  

Edited September 22, 2023 by HeavenSword

[chen lung]

‘Fight Back’ was Gala Film Distribution (not Media Asia).

Edited September 24, 2023 by chen lung

[Yihetuan]

On 9/22/2023 at 10:10 AM, HeavenSword said:

Wonder why these latest releases from 88 weren’t allowed  to have new restorations….the quality on these movies aren’t bad ( well Taxi Hunter is kinda rough ) but I noticed Magic Cop, Twin Dragons and now Last Blood and probably the Fight Back To School series look a bit different . I see these films all came from Media Asia Entertainment. Not a complaint just curious.  

 

Edited September 24, 2023 by Yihetuan

[HeavenSword]

1 hour ago, Yihetuan said:

 

I saw some more screen caps and the DVD does actually look a bit better 😬 crazy . 
 

Something else odd I noticed about  88 sometimes is when info is missing from the extras. The back shows an audio commentary from Frank Djeng , but it also includes John Charles. Same when FJ Desanto was uncredited on Iceman Cometh .

[Ah_Tao]

Gosh this is really painful to look at. Reminds me of that terrible American Shaolin "Blu ray" I bought this year. Just can't help but be reminded of those horrendous "digitally remastered" labels on those old Xenon DVDs- which were ripped straight from 2nd gen VHS tapes. I really hope whoever was behind this decision will change course and allow these distribution companies to stay on their A game. This is beyond unfair to them (as they do stellar jobs in restoring these negatives) and to us consumers- that pay top dollar for old school HK flicks

[ChillyChong]

I don`t have sharp eyes for such things and don`t see much difference in pics with Andy Lau. Perhaps dvd has bit pale colors but I actually prefer that But in other, dvd is clearly nicer looking. Which is sad thing considering price of BR, for budget release it would be ok.

Wonder if/when they get Double Impact&RW standard edition to stock. Free int shipping+BD code is nice but don`t want to place an order for items not in stock. And not want to add into cart coming soon item as delaying is if not likely at least very possible.

Have to just keep waiting...

Edited September 24, 2023 by ChillyChong

[Drunksnake]

12 hours ago, Yihetuan said:

 

I'm pretty sure I read that 88 or whoever were not allowed to scan the masters? What work was done may have been done by David Mckenzie?

In the case of Twin Dragons it's definitely an improvement over any other release and I found it pleasant on the eye. Although Ninas legs did disappear into the wall when her character goes to pick up all the medicines on the floor.

We are very entitled now and should remember to be grateful for what we are getting. Remember when 88 released Miracles, Dragons Forever, Crime Story and The Protector? Those releases ( along with Eureka's) started a trend in putting exceptional amounts of TLC into these HK movies and actually listening to what the fans wanted, and even accepting the fans' help and contributions. Look at the cool artwork commissioned for these amazing movies!! Hell, they're even re - releasing (again at the fans requests) their early Jackie Chan titles to bring them more up to scratch to the quality we've been getting used to. Only to be accused of milking the market.

I firmly believe 88 Films and Eureka were the leaders in getting these films released in ways we couldn't imagine before then. Good quality resulted in good sales and other labels soon caught on and started to replicate this TLC in other titles and it has been a truly amazing time to be a fan.

I've been a fan of HK cinema for 28 years and am still learning thanks to these releases.

It's far too easy nowadays to split hairs and pick out things to moan about but people need to simmer down and think about how thankful we should be.

Edited September 24, 2023 by Drunksnake

[HeavenSword]

1 hour ago, Drunksnake said:

I'm pretty sure I read that 88 or whoever were not allowed to scan the masters? What work was done may have been done by David Mckenzie?

In the case of Twin Dragons it's definitely an improvement over any other release and I found it pleasant on the eye. Although Ninas legs did disappear into the wall when her character goes to pick up all the medicines on the floor.

We are very entitled now and should remember to be grateful for what we are getting. Remember when 88 released Miracles, Dragons Forever, Crime Story and The Protector? Those releases ( along with Eureka's) started a trend in putting exceptional amounts of TLC into these HK movies and actually listening to what the fans wanted, and even accepting the fans' help and contributions. Look at the cool artwork commissioned for these amazing movies!! Hell, they're even re - releasing (again at the fans requests) their early Jackie Chan titles to bring them more up to scratch to the quality we've been getting used to. Only to be accused of milking the market.

I firmly believe 88 Films and Eureka were the leaders in getting these films released in ways we couldn't imagine before then. Good quality resulted in good sales and other labels soon caught on and started to replicate this TLC in other titles and it has been a truly amazing time to be a fan.

I've been a fan of HK cinema for 28 years and am still learning thanks to these releases.

It's far too easy nowadays to split hairs and pick out things to moan about but people need to simmer down and think about how thankful we should be.

Yes.  88 , Eureka and Arrow are definitely working hard to satisfy the fans and that’s  a great point about 88 even re-releasing films to make the quality even better .  I even think Shout Factory , who  seem to be looked at as a C Tier label for some people, does great work . I think those “Shaw Brothers Classics “ sets look great . 
 

I can’t speak for everyone , but for me the disappointment isn’t 88 or Eureka, it’s the companies that aren’t allowing these films to get the proper treatment, due to wanting too much money , not wanting a rescan or whatever the reason is.  No fault of 88 or Eureka  , simply out of their control . 
 

 

[Yihetuan]

14 minutes ago, HeavenSword said:

Yes.  88 , Eureka and Arrow are definitely working hard to satisfy the fans and that’s  a great point about 88 even re-releasing films to make the quality even better .  I even think Shout Factory , who  seem to be looked at as a C Tier label for some people, does great work . I think those “Shaw Brothers Classics “ sets look great . 
 

I can’t speak for everyone , but for me the disappointment isn’t 88 or Eureka, it’s the companies that aren’t allowing these films to get the proper treatment, due to wanting too much money , not wanting a rescan or whatever the reason is.  No fault of 88 or Eureka  , simply out of their control . 
 

 

yes, that's exactly my sentiment. Of course, I'm thankful that these old HK film are getting the blu ray treatment but at the same time, fans need to make the judgment themselves whether these are true upgrades over what they already have & whether it's worth splurging out the not insignificant amount of money these labels are asking.  The only way they can make that choice is by written reviews or screencaps. I wish I hadn't blind purchased the Arrow Female Prisoner Scorpion blu ray box set and waited for screenshots because that was a terrible looking print!

Edited September 24, 2023 by Yihetuan

[Drunksnake]

29 minutes ago, Yihetuan said:

yes, that's exactly my sentiment. Of course, I'm thankful that these old HK film are getting the blu ray treatment but at the same time, fans need to make the judgment themselves whether these are true upgrades over what they already have & whether it's worth splurging out the not insignificant amount of money these labels are asking.  The only way they can make that choice is by written reviews or screencaps. I wish I hadn't blind purchased the Arrow Female Prisoner Scorpion blu ray box set and waited for screenshots because that was a terrible looking print!

Yeah I agree the reviews should also point out any issues involved that the buyer needs to know about but it's all about context fron where I'm sitting. Point the issues out, freely express your opinion but don't just put the issues down to a labels laziness, neglect or ineptitude. Try to find out and inform us on why these issues occur because more often than not, although not always, these issues are out of the control of the labels releasing them.

Edited September 24, 2023 by Drunksnake

[Yggdrasil]

28 minutes ago, Yihetuan said:

yes, that's exactly my sentiment. Of course, I'm thankful that these old HK film are getting the blu ray treatment but at the same time, fans need to make the judgment themselves whether these are true upgrades over what they already have & whether it's worth splurging out the not insignificant amount of money these labels are asking.  The only way they can make that choice is by written reviews or screencaps. I wish I hadn't blind purchased the Arrow Female Prisoner Scorpion blu ray box set and waited for screenshots because that was a terrible looking print!

Never watched it. It's still sitting in my pigeon hole to watch list. Arrow are normally pukka when it goes to their releases. I didn't think they'd fail.

Did you message Arrow and them you're not a happy chappy? 

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

15 hours ago, Yihetuan said:

 

I like the bluray look imo. My TV ain't that great anyways all looks the same to me. 

[Yihetuan]

38 minutes ago, Yggdrasil said:

Never watched it. It's still sitting in my pigeon hole to watch list. Arrow are normally pukka when it goes to their releases. I didn't think they'd fail.

Did you message Arrow and them you're not a happy chappy? 

No I didn't but I probably would've just received a BS reply about its an artistic choice that complies with the original director's intent or some BS like that. You'll be in for a real treat when you finally pop that box set in your blu ray player. It's just awful color grading that gave everything a cyan tinge to it and the highlights are blown out and the contrast took a hit too compared to the dvd releases.

[PandaPawPaw]

[Yggdrasil]

4 hours ago, Yihetuan said:

No I didn't but I probably would've just received a BS reply about its an artistic choice that complies with the original director's intent or some BS like that. You'll be in for a real treat when you finally pop that box set in your blu ray player. It's just awful color grading that gave everything a cyan tinge to it and the highlights are blown out and the contrast took a hit too compared to the dvd releases.

Lol, thanks for that. Cyan tinge. Just dreading it already. I'll put that on after I get through the Ju-on set.

[KUNG FU BOB]

1 hour ago, Yggdrasil said:

Lol, thanks for that. Cyan tinge. Just dreading it already. I'll put that on after I get through the Ju-on set.

The movies are good, and the PQ is decent aside from the blue tint (which I believe was how the studio sent them to Arrow). To fix (or at least improve it a lot) go to the color adjustment controls on your TV (usually labeled PICTURE) and use the TINT or TINT (G/R) to simply adjust it a bit into the red. This will make it look much more natural and should only take about 15 seconds.

[Drunksnake]

1 minute ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

The movies are good, and the PQ is decent aside from the blue tint (which I believe was how the studio sent them to Arrow). To fix (or at least improve it a lot) go to the color adjustment controls on your TV (usually labeled PICTURE) and use the TINT or TINT (G/R) to simply adjust it a bit into the red. This will make it look much more natural and should only take about 15 seconds.

Or you could make the temperature setting warmer, which would be my preference rather than adjusting the tint. I kind of like some of the blue depending on the movies.

Eureka's Project a looked beautiful but those white uniforms were rather blue.

[KUNG FU BOB]

1 minute ago, Drunksnake said:

Or you could make the temperature setting warmer, which would be my preference rather than adjusting the tint. I kind of like some of the blue depending on the movies.

Eureka's Project a looked beautiful but those white uniforms were rather blue.

What I suggested would not remove the blues, only make everything less blue. No parts that should be blue will remain so. On the other hand, using the TEMPERATURE control to make things WARMER actually alters everything and will further change the color from how it was originally intended to look. As an artist, I detest those kind of controls as they aren't specific enough. But you're right that it would still probably look better than watching the discs as they are.

[Drunksnake]

9 minutes ago, KUNG FU BOB said:

What I suggested would not remove the blues, only make everything less blue. No parts that should be blue will remain so. On the other hand, using the TEMPERATURE control to make things WARMER actually alters everything and will further change the color from how it was originally intended to look. As an artist, I detest those kind of controls as they aren't specific enough. But you're right that it would still probably look better than watching the discs as they are.

I'm hearing you. I personally don't mind a little bit of blue and just leave it but sometimes it can bit a bit heavy. The films still look amazing though.