The 88 Films Blu-Ray Thread

[starschwar]

Sounds like it could be a fingerprint or smudge on the disc? 

[drees5761]

Going to be the one that thought The Master was awful...lol

Awful acting, poor plot, sure some of the action was good, but that does not make a decent film, for me anyhow. Not surprised it was originally shelved.

Kung Fu Bobs artwork was miles better than the film itself...:-)

To each their own as they say, if you love it then good for you!

Edited May 10, 2021 by drees5761

[andy338]

I noticed on the back cover of SITES there is a screen shot of Jackie holding a large pot, this scene isn't in the movie & it looks like it's from Drunken Master (although i've not double checked), has anybody else noticed this?

[Drunken Monk]

42 minutes ago, andy338 said:

I noticed on the back cover of SITES there is a screen shot of Jackie holding a large pot, this scene isn't in the movie & it looks like it's from Drunken Master (although i've not double checked), has anybody else noticed this?

Yep. It’s from Drunken Master. Seems to be a mistake.

[andy338]

1 hour ago, Drunken Monk said:

Yep. It’s from Drunken Master. Seems to be a mistake.

Thought so, the photo actually appears on one of the lobby cards included too. Seems odd that it slipped through unnoticed.

[KUNG FU BOB]

10 hours ago, andy338 said:

I noticed on the back cover of SITES there is a screen shot of Jackie holding a large pot, this scene isn't in the movie & it looks like it's from Drunken Master (although i've not double checked), has anybody else noticed this?

 

9 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

Yep. It’s from Drunken Master. Seems to be a mistake.

 

8 hours ago, andy338 said:

Thought so, the photo actually appears on one of the lobby cards included too. Seems odd that it slipped through unnoticed.

Yes, it's a mistake. The photo is from DRUNKEN MASTER, and the gentleman responsible for the mistake is pretty upset with himself about it.

I'm not sure, but I think this may have been partly Sony's fault, as they likely sent the lobby cards to 88 Films, which were then used. But it may have even been the HK company that Sony originally licensed these titles from (Seasonal?) that sent them the lobby card with the wrong picture.

[Drunken Monk]

It’s sad that someone’s beating themselves up over it. It’s a minor mistake that doesn’t effect the release. In my eyes anyway.

[starschwar]

 It seems like a very reasonable mix-up to make.  Both films are from the same studio, director, have almost entirely the same cast, and were released the same year.  Similar if not identical wardrobe for the two people pictured.  Wasn't Drunken Master even originally envisioned as a sequel to SITES?  I'm a big fan of both, but will be the first to admit that, at a glance, they are basically the same movie.

Certainly nothing like, say, that DVD of Fantasy Mission Force that uses Drunken Master II art for the cover!

[andy338]

8 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

It’s sad that someone’s beating themselves up over it. It’s a minor mistake that doesn’t effect the release. In my eyes anyway.

Totally agree, it doesn't in any way effect the release which is in my opinion superb. 

[KUNG FU BOB]

14 hours ago, Drunken Monk said:

It’s sad that someone’s beating themselves up over it. It’s a minor mistake that doesn’t effect the release. In my eyes anyway.

 

10 hours ago, starschwar said:

 It seems like a very reasonable mix-up to make.  Both films are from the same studio, director, have almost entirely the same cast, and were released the same year.  Similar if not identical wardrobe for the two people pictured.  Wasn't Drunken Master even originally envisioned as a sequel to SITES?  I'm a big fan of both, but will be the first to admit that, at a glance, they are basically the same movie.

 

6 hours ago, andy338 said:

Totally agree, it doesn't in any way effect the release which is in my opinion superb. 

I agree, and that's nice of you guys to say. He does come to the forum, so I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that. He's a a huge Jackie Chan fan, and making these releases the best they can be is very important to him, so of course making this mistake irks him. But I'd say this tiny oversight is easily overshadowed by everything else he's done on all these releases. As a Chan fan I am personally thrilled with these Blu-rays, and that has nothing to do with me doing the cover art. The content on them is simply spectacular!

[Rubber John]

I'm agreeing with the recommendations on here.

I would like to add Master With Cracked Fingers (including all versions of the original film).

Also, Enter the Fat Dragon with Sammo Hung, which I saw at the Cinema and have never seen it since.

 

[starschwar]

A remaster of Little/Cub Tiger of/from Canton/Kwang Tung would be great.  I've never actually seen the original version, but the clips I've seen indicate the old DVD release is pretty dire. There's, what, two different cuts of the Cracked Fingers version, right?  One with a daytime finale, the other at night, at least as far as I'm aware.  Maybe make it a box set with Fearless Hyena II.  The "semi-legitimate Chansploitation collection"!

[Yihetuan]

I also went back to check this sequence for the aforementioned possible glitch and my copy also shows the scene (starting at 01:20:22) without any freezes or miscues. Must be a one off on your disc.

[Ramji]

I don’t dislike Fist of Legend, I think it’s brilliant. But I can understand the criticism and I imagine it is to do with Jet using his martial arts in a contemporary style, like Bruce. Because of his Wushu background it doesn’t always convince as it might do if he had training in more modern styles, boxing, tkd etc. 

[Rubber John]

16 hours ago, starschwar said:

A remaster of Little/Cub Tiger of/from Canton/Kwang Tung would be great.  I've never actually seen the original version, but the clips I've seen indicate the old DVD release is pretty dire. There's, what, two different cuts of the Cracked Fingers version, right?  One with a daytime finale, the other at night, at least as far as I'm aware.  Maybe make it a box set with Fearless Hyena II.  The "semi-legitimate Chansploitation collection"!

I agree that Fearless Hyena 2 would also be nice.
I always wondered if there was anything they could do to make a "proper" short film from the footage without using scenes from Fearless Hyena 1. Length wouldn't be an issue for me as long as they could create a semi-cohesive story. Refer to the 30-40 minute Game of Death Redux, which is so much better than the official Game of Death movie.

[starschwar]

Now there's an interesting idea.  I wonder if the original script still exists somewhere?  That would be the key for restoring the original vision.  Pop in some summary inter-titles for anything that wasn't filmed, alter the subtitles to reflect any changes made to the dialogue after Jackie departed the production. That'd be a must-watch for me for sure.

[WaverBoy]

So, if I’m not mistaken the remaining announced Jackie Chan films awaiting release are:

HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU — 88 Films

ARMOUR OF GOD — 88 Films

DRUNKEN MASTER II — WB (🙄🙄🙄)

Which can only mean the remaining unannounced classic period Jackie titles are:

CUB TIGER FROM KWANGTUNG

KILLER METEORS

MAGNIFICENT BODYGUARDS (3-D 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻)

FANTASY MISSION FORCE

ISLAND OF FIRE

TWIN DRAGONS

And I guess I’ll add:

RUMBLE IN THE BRONX

I really hope plans are in the works for one or more of these...

Edited May 16, 2021 by WaverBoy

[actionfan93]

8 minutes ago, WaverBoy said:

So, if I’m not mistaken the remaining announced Jackie Chan films awaiting release are:

HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU — 88 Films

ARMOUR OF GOD — 88 Films

DRUNKEN MASTER II — WB (🙄🙄🙄)

Which can only mean the remaining unannounced classic period Jackie titles are:

CUB TIGER FROM KWANGTUNG

KILLER METEORS

MAGNIFICENT BODYGUARDS (3-D 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻)

FANTASY MISSION FORCE

ISLAND OF FIRE

TWIN DRAGONS

And I guess I’ll add:

RUMBLE IN THE BRONX

I really hope plans are in the works for one or more of these...

What about Who Am I and First Strike

[WaverBoy]

1 hour ago, actionfan93 said:

What about Who Am I and First Strike

Not too bothered about anything after the Golden Age cutoff year of 1994, as the quality of his films overall sank like a stone after that IMO, but I guess I’d take POLICE STORY IV: FIRST STRIKE for completist’s sake even though it’s not remotely as good as any of the preceding three.

Edited May 16, 2021 by WaverBoy

[saltysam]

I'd take Who Am I over any of those unannounced releases, a great Jackie movie. I've already got a german Blu of Fantasy Mission Force, i really don't see 88 releasing it. Might hide it as an easter egg on one of their releases

[starschwar]

20 minutes ago, saltysam said:

I'd take Who Am I over any of those unannounced releases, a great Jackie movie. I've already got a german Blu of Fantasy Mission Force, i really don't see 88 releasing it. Might hide it as an easter egg on one of their releases

 

Assuming they have the rights, it'd work well as a three-pack with Killer Meteors and Island of Fire - the Jimmy Wang Yu / Jackie Chan collaboration combo. 

Thoughts on some of the unannounced/unreleased stuff that I haven't mentioned earlier in this topic:

MAGNIFICENT BODYGUARDS:  The original anaglyph 3D would be awesome.  I know the Japanese laserdisc had that, so a port of that in SD would be an acceptable fallback if the prints/negatives aren't viable.  I never thought too much of the movie,  but maybe the missing dimension might enhance things.  If nothing else, it might be some good Friday the 13th popcorn-in-your-face fun.

 

Fantasy Mission Force:  I missed out on that German Blu-Ray, and even then, a restoration by the most capable hands would work wonders.  The alternate Fire Dragon cut would be a most welcome extra as well. 

 

The Protector:  I know 88 has already put this one out, but the Hong Kong cut is an SD upscale, which is a bummer.  There's a Japanese Blu-Ray that has a proper HD release of that, as well as a third cut that mixes and matches both.  A re-release featuring both of those would be an enticing double-dip, I imagine.

Island of Fire:  Having only seen the shorter Hong Kong cut, the extended Taiwan version would make for an enticing viewing experience.

Police Story 3:  Who even owns the international rights to this one?  How is the Hong Kong remastered Blu-Ray?  I've read some complaints about the sound mix having incorrect sound effects in places?  Is it that big of a deal, or is this a "as good as we're likely to get for a long time" scenario?

 

Once A Cop / Project S / Supercop 2:  Pretty sure there's no Blu-Ray of this, in its uncut format at least.  Jackie has a memorable cameo at least.  Probably suitable for a pack-in with its predecessor.

 

Thunderbolt:  No Blu-Ray release yet, is there?  At any rate, I'd like an extra (commentary or short video) dealing with the mystery of the movie's director.  Some versions credit Jackie, others credit Gordon Chan.  What went on behind the scenes that could cuase such a discrepancy?

 

Rumble in the Bronx:  One of my most-wanted.  For ages, our options have been high-quality New Line cut dub, ultra low quality Mandarin dub (with missing footage due to print damage), or the uncut, sync sound, cropped, untranslated Japanese DVD.  We're long overdue for a proper release.  Now, if they could work in the bits that were exclusive to the New Line cut for an ultimate extended edition, that'd be going the extra mile.  I think Warner has the rights to this?  Hopefully if Drunken Master II sells well this will get expedited.

 

The Medallion:  I hate myself for even bringing this up.  I truly despised this movie.  But as I understand it, it only exists in a recut version that's missing about 20 minutes of footage?  A part of me wants to see what the original vision was supposed to be.  But as the absolute last resort.

 

New Police Story: I'm sketchy on the details, but don't some versions have a different ending?  I'm not sure what has been released on the Blu-Ray front.

 

[WaverBoy]

I also said that I was talking about his classic period, which definitely ends with DM2 and if I’m being kind I’ll include RITB...I’m just really not interested in his later stuff except for that nifty revenge thriller he did. This opinion is based on having suffered through the following post-RUMBLE films:

THUNDERBOLT

POLICE STORY IV

MR NICE GUY

THE TUXEDO

And, reading terrible reviews of nearly all the rest. If WHO AM I? is supposed to be really good, I might give that one a whirl. Has he done any other watchable films in the latter part of his career?

Edited May 16, 2021 by WaverBoy

[starschwar]

If you don't care for the likes of First Strike and Mr. Nice Guy, I'm not sure if you'd care for his later work at all.  Tuxedo was a special kind of awful, though.  Anyway, my two cents on post-Mr. Nice Guy stuff (excluding Hollywood productions):

Who Am I:  On par with Jackie's other late 90s movies.  There's a show-stopping stunt near the end, some solid fights and chases.  It's not one of his best by any means, but solid fun.

Gorgeous:  Having only seen the edited dub ~15 years ago, my opinion is likely to change if I ever rewatch it.  The few fights were good, but I found the plot insufferable.  But it's a romantic comedy, and I'm not a fan of the genre so your mileage may vary.

The Accidental Spy:  Similar to the likes of First Strike and Who Am I but lesser.  I struggle to remember any specifics.  Average to mediocre, I guess.

New Police Story: Surprisingly great.  I'd put it above First Strike, even Supercop.  My biggest let-down is the fact that it's a reboot for no reason.  It would have been a satisfying conclusion for Ka-Kui and May, and I like to pretend they are indeed the same characters in my head-canon.

CZ12/Chinese Zodiac:/Armour of God 3:  Another pleasant surprise.  The plot was extra ludicrous, but the action scenes felt like the good old days at places.  It would have been a good one to retire on (but I still welcome future output all the same).

Police Story 2013/ Lockdown:  At least this one makes sense as being disconnected from the rest of the series.  A boring psychological thriller with a few bits of underwhelming action.  Not recommended.

 

I haven't seen the other 21st century ones yet.  Someday, I guess.  I'm prioritizing revisiting the older material in this 88/Eureka/Warner Archive renaissance.

 

.

 

 

[Rubber John]

46 minutes ago, WaverBoy said:

his classic period, which definitely ends with DM2

I totally agree with this.
I still might grab one or two of those later titles if they get a worthy release though (Who Am I, Gorgeous, First Strike, Rumble).
I only saw Thunderbolt once, when I was a teen and I don't remember what I thought of it.

If by the revenge thriller you mean The Foreigner, then yes, I also agree.

 

[actionfan93]

not knowing what Warner or Fortune Star's plans are even though Jackie Chan sells I don't see them putting out everything even if they have it all in good condition I could see Who Am I,Rumble in the Bronx and First Strike as high chances maybe thunderbolt and Twin Dragons and if Warner changes their mind Police Story 3 would probably have high chances like everything else they will probably focus on what they think think will sell the most to make it worth their time to restore/remaster the movies

the ones I'd say with highest chances if both companies want their best potential sellers out there for future releases

Who Am I

First Strike

Rumble in the Bronx

Police Story 3

Thunderbolt

Twin Dragons

but who knows I didn't think the protector would get a release after reading about it so who know whats those companies have planned

Edited May 17, 2021 by actionfan93