Member SamuraiDana Posted September 16, 2008 Member Share Posted September 16, 2008 Question about print quality: I’ve been going to Chinatown stores (NYC) to pick up a lot of the Golden Harvest films on DVD and VCD, the ones in the Fortune Star Legendary Collection line distributed by Joy Sales. I bought the VCD for HAPKIDO (1972, per IMDB), starring Angela Mao, Sammo Hung, and Carter Wong. It’s widescreen and subtitled, which makes it a vast improvement over the bootleg English dubs I previously had in my collection. But the print used for this transfer is easily the worst I’ve ever seen in any of the Fortune Star releases. Splices, scratches, choppiness at reel changes. Color values change from shot to shot. Every other shot is washed-out (i.e. overexposed). Subtitles are burnt-in, white-on-white and sometimes unreadable. And reviews of it on the web refer to a 2006 HKL R2 release in PAL that was made from a decent master. Why wasn’t that master used for this release? Question about the content: I believe this was Angela Mao’s first full-fledged starring fighting role. Anyone know if that’s true or not? IMDB is short on release dates for her films. I consulted a book, “Kung Fu: Cinema of Vengeance,” by Verina Glaessner, published in 1974, that insists HAPKIDO was released in 1970, which would put it before many of Angela’s other films. I’ve seen Angela’s first film, ANGRY RIVER, also out on Fortune Star VCD, but I don’t consider her role in it a full-fledged fighting role like this one. I also believe this was Sammo Hung’s first good-guy starring role, too. He played small part villains in a bunch of films around that time, but this one’s the first, I’m sure, in which he got to be a hero and participate in solo fight scenes with multiple opponents. He beats up Bruce Leung twice. And beats up Lam Ching Ying once. Question about HAPKIDO’s role in kung fu film history: I believe this one has an important place following THE CHINESE BOXER and FIST OF FURY (THE CHINESE CONNECTION) in establishing the model for so many kung fu films to follow of setting up rival schools and developing conflicts between them as the structure from which the kung fu fights flowed. Now, was HAPKIDO the first Hong Kong film to emphasize an actual martial art, in this case Hapkido, as the basis for the conflict? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted September 16, 2008 Member Share Posted September 16, 2008 DD was supposed to have this on their release schedule. Same as Fist of Legend, only time will tell when. The HKL disc is one I have which includes a few decent extras, original trailer, original Mandarin, and an Eng. dub. The transfer is as clear as any of the other HKL remasters, and appears to be the best thus far. The Angry River was Angela's debut with Golden Harvest, and Hapkido was made around the same time as Lee's WOTD. Production photos have shown Lee, Norris, and Bob Wall visisting their set so it definetly places the film around 1972, after FOF. As far as it being the first stylized film, Venoms5 could probably answer that for you. Check the thread here on Hapkido, many have the HKL disc and are quite pleased with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member David Rees Posted September 16, 2008 Member Share Posted September 16, 2008 Hapkido was filmed in 1972 and released i think either late 72 or early 73..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted September 16, 2008 Member Share Posted September 16, 2008 Released October 1972 The HKL dvd goes badly out of sync during a fight scene on the mono track - I don't count the 5.1 cause it sounds horrid. Hopefully DD will rectify this - oh, who am i kidding? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member David Rees Posted September 16, 2008 Member Share Posted September 16, 2008 I didnt notice any out of sync on the mono , can you say where so i can double check my disc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Killer Meteor Posted September 16, 2008 Member Share Posted September 16, 2008 I didnt notice any out of sync on the mono , can you say where so i can double check my disc. The scene where Angela returns the sign to the Japanese school - and pastes Jackie Chan in the process. Towards the end of that sequence, the sync goes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted September 17, 2008 Member Share Posted September 17, 2008 .... and pastes Jackie Chan in the process... Beautiful. Didn't happen enough back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member chen lung Posted September 17, 2008 Member Share Posted September 17, 2008 Joy Sales use non-remastered theatrical prints for their VCD contract (taken from a PAL digi-beta perhaps). HKL use remastered sources for their DVD contract - easily the better option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member SamuraiDana Posted September 17, 2008 Author Member Share Posted September 17, 2008 Joy Sales use non-remastered theatrical prints for their VCD contract (taken from a PAL digi-beta perhaps). HKL use remastered sources for their DVD contract - easily the better option. Unfortunately, the store I go to in Chinatown doesn't sell the HKL discs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted September 17, 2008 Member Share Posted September 17, 2008 Unfortunately, the store I go to in Chinatown doesn't sell the HKL discs. What's great about this is you can purchase over the Net. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member SamuraiDana Posted September 18, 2008 Author Member Share Posted September 18, 2008 What's great about this is you can purchase over the Net. What web source do you recommend for purchasing HKL discs like HAPKIDO from? Reliability and speed of delivery are valued over price. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member GwaiLoMoFo Posted September 19, 2008 Member Share Posted September 19, 2008 I got my HKL Hapkido from cd-wow for under $10 shipped! Very reliable, and all orders on cdwow have FREE shipping. Damn good deal! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member The Dragon Posted October 4, 2008 Member Share Posted October 4, 2008 Well... there you go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member sonnychibaidol Posted April 9, 2009 Member Share Posted April 9, 2009 I am also looking for this particular HAPKIDO DVD release in its original Mandarin language as well as any special features. Please let me know where I can go for this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Asmo Posted April 9, 2009 Moderator Share Posted April 9, 2009 Try ebay.com.au or any of the other options listed. Australian sites may be your best bet as HKL titles are OOP in the UK but are still fairly common out here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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