Upcoming English-friendly GERMAN DVDs & Blu-Rays

[spannick]

On 2/12/2021 at 11:08 PM, saltysam said:

Jimmy Wang Yu's Knight Errant coming to Bluray in June- english & mandarin audio, english subtitles!

https://bluray-disc.de/blu-ray-filme/154193-wangyu_der_karatebomber?features

a newly done 2k transfer from 35mm of 3 prints, 2x German and one foreign uncut (no source given yet as info) combined!

 

[saltysam]

4 hours ago, spannick said:

Slaughter in San Francisco will be:

redone from the uncut 2.35 SD Print as English audio Export Edit with no Chuck Norris missing at all.  (84 mins 25fps)

Fortune Star does NOT Have English Subtitles for the uncut version or a HD Version of this movie at all as of now.

Is it likely to be an improvement on the UK DVD?

[spannick]

29 minutes ago, saltysam said:

Is it likely to be an improvement on the UK DVD?

at least it's the full export version, 7 Minutes! longer than the trash UK DVD, which was just lousy.

[kuenfist]

Nice to hear about Double - Crossers, Slaughter in San Francisco and Knight Errant.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Can anyone speak on the PQ on the Crystal Fist and Hell's Windstaff releases???

[thundered mantis]

On 2/27/2021 at 7:27 AM, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

Can anyone speak on the PQ on the Crystal Fist and Hell's Windstaff releases???

Crystal Fist? I missed that one. When did they release it?

[Yihetuan]

4 hours ago, thundered mantis said:

Crystal Fist? I missed that one. When did they release it?

I'm also interested in this title. The German title is Knochenbrecher halt die Ohren steif. Has this been released as part of the Asia Line?

[De Ming Li]

2 hours ago, Yihetuan said:

I'm also interested in this title. The German title is Knochenbrecher halt die Ohren steif. Has this been released as part of the Asia Line?

So far it hasn't been part of the Asia Line

[saltysam]

Translated review of Crystal Fist from Amazon.de

Label of this release is unfortunately unknown (Endless Classics?). After more than 40 years there is finally a DVD version of the film. From the Bone Crusher series featuring one of the best Kung Fu movies. So far there were VHS frames that were cut (77 min.). This DVD version runs 83 min. and should be the longest version in Germany so far, also in 2, 35:1 from a 35mm version. Image quality in my opinion is ok and fits a nice 35mm frame, there are people who like this. Image is not very sharp, but you can be glad that there is this film in this version at all. unfortunately not UNCUT, original version should go 94 min. But in Germany this is the longest version.

German tone unfortunately somewhat dull, English tone however good and clearly understandable.
Another minus point, there is no trailer to the film, subtitles are missing and a bonus you could also have included, e.g. in the form of pictures to the film, trailers or an alternative version of the film.
With the 35mm version, the label could also have published a bluray version.
4 stars are available from me only because the film is finally available in a longer version and finally on DVD, otherwise you could have expected more of this release after years of waiting.
Vllt. dares to publish a label again a sensible HD version with many special features.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

11 minutes ago, saltysam said:

Translated review of Crystal Fist from Amazon.de

Label of this release is unfortunately unknown (Endless Classics?). After more than 40 years there is finally a DVD version of the film. From the Bone Crusher series featuring one of the best Kung Fu movies. So far there were VHS frames that were cut (77 min.). This DVD version runs 83 min. and should be the longest version in Germany so far, also in 2, 35:1 from a 35mm version. Image quality in my opinion is ok and fits a nice 35mm frame, there are people who like this. Image is not very sharp, but you can be glad that there is this film in this version at all. unfortunately not UNCUT, original version should go 94 min. But in Germany this is the longest version.

German tone unfortunately somewhat dull, English tone however good and clearly understandable.
Another minus point, there is no trailer to the film, subtitles are missing and a bonus you could also have included, e.g. in the form of pictures to the film, trailers or an alternative version of the film.
With the 35mm version, the label could also have published a bluray version.
4 stars are available from me only because the film is finally available in a longer version and finally on DVD, otherwise you could have expected more of this release after years of waiting.
Vllt. dares to publish a label again a sensible HD version with many special features.

Got it coming in the mail, so it's too late now  

[Yihetuan]

22 hours ago, De Ming Li said:

So far it hasn't been part of the Asia Line

Thanks. For some reason, I thought it was a recent Asia Line release. After reading that review posted by @saltysam guess I'll stick to the infamous custom which at least is uncut to my knowledge since the German dvd isn't a newly remastered print or anything.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Yeah, am less than impressed with this one. Pretty worn out print with the usual spots and streaks, and some really unfortunate green lines running from top to bottom for long stretches of time. But the worst part is the soft image.... I can cut old prints some slack if they are at least sharp. It's not VHS era color bleeding bad, but def on the blurrier side. And since it's apparently cut, not really worth picking up. 

A few quick caps...

 

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

The screencaps looks better than the image does on my laptop for some reason.

[saltysam]

yeah they actually don't look too bad.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

1 minute ago, saltysam said:

yeah they actually don't look too bad.

Didn't try it on the TV, but that can only make the flaws more glaring. It did not look great on my laptop screen, the caps are for some reason a rather kind representation of the PQ. So potential buyers beware. 

[saltysam]

Fair enough, i have bought worse though  a recent Dragon Lee effort from Asia Line was  terrible and at 15 euros not cheap either

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Just now, saltysam said:

Fair enough, i have bought worse though  a recent Dragon Lee effort from Asia Line was  terrible and at 15 euros not cheap either

I use to blind buy the AL releases.... then I bought The Victim.... what a disgrace. It was actually uglier than the one I was hoping to upgrade from. From now on I need to see caps before committing. Recently bought the Terracotta DVD of King of Fists and Dollars too which was shockingly awful looking. Gotta beware.

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Quick comparison, guess it's pretty close. Anyone know of a version that looks better than these?

 

[laagi]

And that's why we'll never get a legitimate release of classics. I'm sorry guys but you just paid for stolen goods. Some asshole apparently slapped my 35mm print which I posted for FREE on my youtube channel years ago on a DVD and added the german dub. It's just despicable!

I still have the master tapes which feature the full HD print. A transfer I paid for with my own money and from my own 35mm print; which I sold years ago. You guys need to double check where you put your money. I understand we all want to watch classics but DON'T support these assholes! Rant over.

Edited March 8, 2021 by laagi

[laagi]

 

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

44 minutes ago, laagi said:

And that's why we'll never get a legitimate release of classics. I'm sorry guys but you just paid for stolen goods. Some asshole apparently slapped my 35mm print which I posted for FREE on my youtube channel years ago on a DVD and added the german dub. It's just despicable!

I still have the master tapes which feature the full HD print. A transfer I paid for with my own money and from my own 35mm print; which I sold years ago. You guys need to double check where you put your money. I understand we all want to watch classics but DON'T support these assholes! Rant over.

I knew the "custom" came from a 35mm print (and I'm guessing your HKKINO) but I just had a digital version that someone sent me as a file years ago, never knew where it came from, never shared it or passed it on. Just watched,  screen capped and deleted. Later saw it on youtube and suspected it was the same print. But, dude.... if you put something up on youtube, you have to expect people are gonna grab it and do whatever they're gonna do. Especially with this genre as has been proven time and time again. It's not right, but that's just reality.

When I ordered the German DVD on Amazon, you are right... I didn't check, nor could I, where the print comes from... that info is not available, German is not my language, the German DVD label landscape is not something I'm an expert in. I know if I order from Panmedia, FLK or HKR that I'm buying a boot.... so I never do. I only collect legit tangible releases. Me ending up with a YT rip and what appears to be a German boot of a print you bought was not my intention. I don't support boots in any way, and anyone that has known me on this forum will know that. 

You say you re-sold the 35mm print... so how can you be sure what happened to it after that? And you have a master tape in HD, so you are you "allowed" to do something with that or no? I honestly don't now how these things work. But it seems a bit weird to claim ownership of something you sold off years ago and start accusing people of buying "stolen goods". You're right, the German DVD and your print is almost identical, so they probably took it off of YT (which would explain the blurriness). But how are we suppose to know that stuff when it's sold on legit sites with legit looking cover art? I can usually spot a boot but I guess they got me here. 

Question: If you have the HD masters (I assume you also have them for the two other films on your channel) are you allowed to do something with those? Can you make customs or contact a legit label and work on something with them if that was the case? 

[laagi]

@TibetanWhiteCrane I didn't try to attack you or any other member personally. Just trying to raise awareness for fans like yourself. This has been and will keep happening. Just because something is sold on amazon or any other online platform doesn't make it legit. I'm honestly astonished how many bootlegs are being sold on amazon right now with obvious no to little consequences.

As for the print feel free to compare. I think it's pretty obvious it came from me. I won't bother going into the details but I've pretty much exhausted every possible way to find a distributor for those prints. But guess what, nobody gives a f*ck about theses movies. Because everybody knows it's a losing game for a company or individual one way or another. It's the sad truth!

That's why I'm just really pissed that others make a lot of money by just selling these boots. And fans should really double check what they're buying or supporting... Period! But hey if people are willing to pay $30 for some BS release be my guest. I just don't get the mindset a lot of fans have. There's so many out there that bitch and moan about classics not being released but when it comes to it, legit labels and releases are hardly supported. At the same time people don't seem to have a problem to just buy some shitty bootleg. It doesn't make sense to me!

I know at least a handful of collectors who probably hoard hundreds of classics on 35mm. One of them owns several prints I had (Crystal Fist, Snake in the Monkey's Shadow...). But they will never ever release these to the public! I use to think that they're a bunch of selfish assholes but to be fair I wholeheartedly understand them by now.

 

[Killer Meteor]

On 5/12/2020 at 9:52 PM, saltysam said:

Mission For The Dragon, coming in August

Any comments on the quality of this release?

[NoKUNGFUforYU]

On 3/8/2021 at 1:04 PM, TibetanWhiteCrane said:

I knew the "custom" came from a 35mm print (and I'm guessing your HKKINO) but I just had a digital version that someone sent me as a file years ago, never knew where it came from, never shared it or passed it on. Just watched,  screen capped and deleted. Later saw it on youtube and suspected it was the same print. But, dude.... if you put something up on youtube, you have to expect people are gonna grab it and do whatever they're gonna do. Especially with this genre as has been proven time and time again. It's not right, but that's just reality.

When I ordered the German DVD on Amazon, you are right... I didn't check, nor could I, where the print comes from... that info is not available, German is not my language, the German DVD label landscape is not something I'm an expert in. I know if I order from Panmedia, FLK or HKR that I'm buying a boot.... so I never do. I only collect legit tangible releases. Me ending up with a YT rip and what appears to be a German boot of a print you bought was not my intention. I don't support boots in any way, and anyone that has known me on this forum will know that. 

You say you re-sold the 35mm print... so how can you be sure what happened to it after that? And you have a master tape in HD, so you are you "allowed" to do something with that or no? I honestly don't now how these things work. But it seems a bit weird to claim ownership of something you sold off years ago and start accusing people of buying "stolen goods". You're right, the German DVD and your print is almost identical, so they probably took it off of YT (which would explain the blurriness). But how are we suppose to know that stuff when it's sold on legit sites with legit looking cover art? I can usually spot a boot but I guess they got me here. 

Question: If you have the HD masters (I assume you also have them for the two other films on your channel) are you allowed to do something with those? Can you make customs or contact a legit label and work on something with them if that was the case? 

What is a legit label? While someone can lay claim to stuff, there a shit ton of a difference between MGM and some guy who has a lawyer who filed papers so that he can lay claim to something that would and should be in the public domain. As far as the legal defense of the rich and connected system goes Wu Tang Collection is legit. I mean it doesn't matter if the people that made the movie are dead, destitute or disinterested, somebody HAS A RIGHT to the film. Certainly this could discourage people from creating a nice clean release, but plenty of companies with "legit" claims have done shitty releases. And they aren't all small companies. Just so you know, most "legit" companies don't want you to own anything, digital or hard copy, they want recurring revenue. "legit" Disney wanted to sell VHS with a spring in it that would destroy the tape after 25 viewings. And how many times should you pay for the experience of seeing Fist of Fury, etc? Now if a company has access and goes out of there way to get a 35 mm and remaster it, and most people that were part of the production were alive and still running a company, like Shaw brothers was or Golden Harvest, I can see them making a fuss. But let's not forget that most of these actors  were  treated fairly badly and many have bad memories of making these films, being injured, sexually assault, blackmail and triad threats. I am all for clean, legit releases, but don't try and make me feel like the money is going to Chen Kuan Tai or Lo Lieh's widow. It's going to some guy who filed papers.  

 

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

2 hours ago, NoKUNGFUforYU said:

What is a legit label? While someone can lay claim to stuff, there a shit ton of a difference between MGM and some guy who has a lawyer who filed papers so that he can lay claim to something that would and should be in the public domain. As far as the legal defense of the rich and connected system goes Wu Tang Collection is legit. I mean it doesn't matter if the people that made the movie are dead, destitute or disinterested, somebody HAS A RIGHT to the film. Certainly this could discourage people from creating a nice clean release, but plenty of companies with "legit" claims have done shitty releases. And they aren't all small companies. Just so you know, most "legit" companies don't want you to own anything, digital or hard copy, they want recurring revenue. "legit" Disney wanted to sell VHS with a spring in it that would destroy the tape after 25 viewings. And how many times should you pay for the experience of seeing Fist of Fury, etc? Now if a company has access and goes out of there way to get a 35 mm and remaster it, and most people that were part of the production were alive and still running a company, like Shaw brothers was or Golden Harvest, I can see them making a fuss. But let's not forget that most of these actors  were  treated fairly badly and many have bad memories of making these films, being injured, sexually assault, blackmail and triad threats. I am all for clean, legit releases, but don't try and make me feel like the money is going to Chen Kuan Tai or Lo Lieh's widow. It's going to some guy who filed papers.  

 

I don't know who this lecture was for, but knock yourself out.