Guest teako170 Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 While its nice to experience the Shaw films in their remastered glory, I must confess that Crash Cinema's "Secret Rivals" is rather refreshing. The print "suffers" from graininess, heavy speckling, plenty of audio crackling and white noise and a funky English dub job - but that's what makes it so damn authentic. Watching this film is like taking a time machine ride back to when kung fu was shown on a beat-up projector in a smoked filled movie house. Old school cool, indeed. (And a kick-ass film at that). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest killer meteor Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 You know there's a far superior release from Soulblade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 nononono. Good (superior) is bad. Bad is goooood. :hat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest killer meteor Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Your loss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chia Ling AKA Judy Lee Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 I agree with Teako, I like my films with a bit of snow and what not. I also find the old 'higgledy-piggledy shelving unit talking to itself' trick they do with the cropping curiously comforting. Sometimes when these films get a perfect remaster they lose as bit of charm. It's all about authenticity. I'm not bashing remasters at all, it depends upon my mood and the film as to which I prefer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kermit Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 You know there's a far superior release from Soulblade Your loss You clearly didn't understand the point of teako170's original post. I know what you mean teako170. I love the super clean Celestial remasters but sometimes its nice to watch something that's a little 'rough around the edges'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lei Kung Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 Hey, maybe once the Celestials run their course, I'll buy the rights, scruff up the film a little and rerelease them as 'collectors edition'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chinatown Kid Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 I love to see remastered prints with the highest pic quality but can understand the appeal sometimes of old, scratchy prints as it lends a certain atmosphere of vintage entertainment...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chen lung Posted April 19, 2007 Share Posted April 19, 2007 isn't a Shaw film, nor was it remastered by Celestial. Soulblade, Mei Ah and Crash Cinema have given it DVD releases. The Soulblade is the best of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Brigadier Chow Posted April 19, 2007 Member Share Posted April 19, 2007 "isn't a Shaw film, nor was it remastered by Celestial." Nobody claimed it was, they were using Celestial's quality of print as an example of how clean DVD quality can get, opposed to the scratchier less than perfect quality that can sometimes have more charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest chen lung Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Nobody claimed it was, they were using Celestial's quality of print as an example of how clean DVD quality can get, opposed to the scratchier less than perfect quality that can sometimes have more charm. ...but fair enough . TBH, Soulblade's handling in some departments was prefered (genuine anamorphic, no dropped frames/cut segments, genuine mono and real subtitles). Still, image and sound were flawed all the same. I prefer FS's methods of restorations (one point includes HD for 'remastered' titles as opposed to Celestial who only do it for a select few - and reportedly imperfectly too). In another one of my short-but-sweet opinions: I didn't like this film, thought it was boring. Sure, there was some nice choreography, but there was too much kicking and sloppy (slow and false) contact - if any of the latter. I love the sequel, aside from the characters occassionally waving their limbs around to 'compensate', it's far more enjoyable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 and sloppy (slow and false) contact - if any of the latter. I love the sequel, aside from the characters occassionally waving their limbs around to 'compensate', it's far more enjoyable. Yeah, I did notice that. I haven't seen SR2 but think I will have to get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jadebadger Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 I know exactly what you mean by the old school cool. While I really do appreciate the time and effort (and results) when it comes to remastering these old kung fu films, especially if the print was pretty beat up to begin with, my heart will always have a special place for the old school feel of a kung fu flick, warts and all. Maybe I'm just used to it. I'm 34, and I remember when the only way to build up our collections was to take a rental from a video store and dub it by hooking up two VCRs, and even that wouldn't work all the time. Talk about grainy. I can't imagine what people had to do even before that. If you would have mentioned remastering back then, we would have thought you were crazy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kermit Posted April 20, 2007 Share Posted April 20, 2007 Secret Rivals 2 is absolute dump. I cannot fathom out all why people seem to like it so much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest the dirty tiger Posted April 21, 2007 Share Posted April 21, 2007 Secret Rivals 2 is a classic and I wont hear a word against it Maybe some time if enough people ask for it, some company might start putting both versions of the film on a disc, the roughed up version and the final remaster. I think this would be interesting to see some time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pressureworld Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 I just finished watching these for the umpteenth time, what beautiful, beautiful near perfect kung fu films what more could we ask for, no lame comedy, serious action, excellent leads and a charismatic nearly unstoppable villan. I just wanted to show two of my favorites some love Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldeschool17 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Did you like John Liu in these films more or in Invincible Armour? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Co-sign on the SR 1-2. I have SR 3 but haven't watched it yet. Did you like John Liu in these films more or in Invincible Armour? I watched this last month for the very first time but wasn't overly impressed with this film - despite its excellent cast of kickers. Anyway, my 2 cents.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldeschool17 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 really? I have this(invincible armour) on vhs and proabably have worn out the reel from playing this so much(personal viewing and loaning out to friends). What are the good versions to get of Secret Rivals 1&2? Crash Cinema and Mei Ah are the only ones available on DVD? However, arent those copies crap? What about Invincible Armour(what good versions to get)? Are videoasia/panmedia/ground zero the same company? I see hkflix listings and amazon listings all with the same cover www.hkflix.com/xq/asp/tit...titles.htm www.amazon.com/exec/obido...305/sr=1-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teako170 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 Yeah, I'm sure I'll rewatch IA again someday. Might not been in the mood for kung that night and it just didn't register. As for SR, here's an old thread: p081.ezboard.com/Secret-R...1630.topic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest killer meteor Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 What are the good versions to get of Secret Rivals 1&2? Crash Cinema and Mei Ah are the only ones available on DVD? However, arent those copies crap? Soulblade have the best DVDs of Secret Rivals - minor technical bugs aside For Invincible Armour, Vengeance Video is best Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest oldeschool17 Posted August 11, 2007 Share Posted August 11, 2007 cool. thanks for the links Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chen Zhen Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 i enjoyed SR1, altho i do think its overrated....i thought SR2 was much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tosh Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 I liked Don Wong Tao better than Tino Wong though when it comes down to it, it's all about the kickers HJL and Liu. I think the first movie is a better all around film, the 2nd is all about the action, especially that end fight. Silver Fox - Golden Fox, as long as it's HJL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chen Zhen Posted August 12, 2007 Share Posted August 12, 2007 ^^^agree 100%. i just couldnt get into the action of SR1....everything else about SR1 was better imo. but i still liked everything about SR2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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