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| Discotek upcoming DVDs | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Apr 26 2009, 04:45 AM (691 Views) | |
| Jared | Apr 26 2009, 04:45 AM Post #1 |
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Star Member
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US based distributor of Asian films. Great work on ZERO WOMAN RED HANDCUFFS, BLIND WOMAN'S CURSE, EBOLA SYNDROME, CHINESE TORTURE CHAMBER STORY, BOHACHI BUSHIDO CODE OF THE FORGOTTEN EIGHT and STAR OF DAVID HUNTING FOR BEAUTIFUL GIRLS. New update on titles coming soon: http://www.discotekmedia.com/blog/?p=27#more-27 SEX AND ZEN in September! A new DVD of FEMALE PRISONER JAILHOUSE 41 in the works! |
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| Jared | Jun 2 2009, 01:41 AM Post #2 |
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Nobody responded to this before and I must admit I was quite irked. No-one cares about this rather amazing list of upcoming releases? C'mon a new special edition DVD of SEX AND ZEN? Discotek's terrific handling of EBOLA SYNDROME and CHINESE TORTURE CHAMBER STORY demands you pay attention when they choose to put out 90s HK stuff. Those two previous are easily the best looking DVDs available for Cantonese Cult Films of that era. Most of you will agree that nearly all HK dvds look like shit. For someone to put a loving restoration of this spectacular trash is something to be thankful for in this crassly commercial era we live in, where putting care and attention to things not part of the mainstream is looked down upon if not outright demonized. SO C'MON and GET WITH THE PROGRAM! After MM and Severin, Discotek/Eastern Star are the best US video label extant and are worthy of your hard earned cash. |
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| Stephen Gladwin | Jun 2 2009, 02:31 AM Post #3 |
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Jared, I hear ya. But I do have a major beef with their EBOLA disc: WHY didn't they re-integrate the legendary cut footage BACK into the film? As a supplemental feature, it's just pointless. I heard a possible explanation a long time ago from the late, great Lynn Haynes (RIP): He said that a lot of HK distributors don't like US companies "tampering" with their films by altering them (that is, adding new footage, EVEN if it is original, CUT footage!), so the best Diskotek could do is add the cut footage as a supplement. Better than nothing, I know, but it's still irksome and smacks of a lost opportunity. *Speaking of, does anyone know of a fan edit DVD that reintegrates the cut footage into the film? I'd LOVE to have that! **Another problem I have with Diskotek is their library of films: It's just not that special. A lot of it is new J-horror which I find boring and even their older films like STAR OF DAVID have been released before on VHS and even DVD (uncut, no less)! Why not release the rarities that NO ONE has seen before unless you were lucky enough to catch it in its original Asian theatrical release or can only see it on a cut, smeary bootleg? Synapse did a great job with this situation with HORRORS OF MALFORMED MEN and I'd like to see Discotek do the same. Here's two rare Japanese horror films they could start with: LIVING SKELETON and GHOST OF THE HUNCHBACK. THOSE I would like to see on DVD, not another release of SEX AND ZEN. Or why not go whole hog and try to dig up those seemingly lost South Korean horrors like GRUDGE OF THE MOON LADY? I know that may be a lost cause, but I'd applaud their efforts to get a definitive answer on the status of those films. Sorry if I seem spoiled. But I've just been watching/researching/reading about these films for MANY years and am now down to the nitty-gritty about what I really get excited about anymore. And, of course, I'm no businessman. I know that marketability is a major concern for every company and I don't think the titles I'd like to see would make much money
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| Jared | Jun 3 2009, 12:43 AM Post #4 |
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I understand where you're coming from Stephen but I would say I disagree at least somewhat with some of your statements. Firstly, I do believe it was a legal issue with the deleted EBOLA scenes. They COULD NOT re-integrate them as they were bound by contract not to. This came straight from the horses mouth, Discotek themselves, in a post at DVDManicacs. Though I too must admit - that release would've been much cooler had the movie really been "complete". Quite a bit of their stuff is newer and less interesting, especially the anime, which I can't stand. But as you infer, these are as much business decisions as those of personal taste and a wider variety of offerings is probably what has kept them afloat. And as far as the re-hashing stuff that's already been out, well quite simply, as I intimated in my post above, their DVDs look a whole hell of lot better than anything previous. And that is worth something to me (And I say that as someone known to think that DVD quality nitpickers are insane or at least have too much time on their hands). The Japan Shock DVD of STAR OF DAVID looks like shit. I've seen much, much worse to be sure but Discotek's version is far superior. And has loads of extras you can't get anywhere else (a commentary track and interview with Norifumi Suzuki for X's sake!). Same with EBOLA and CHINESE TORTURE. Sure there have been many other releases of these movies but they have always looked awful. Good enough if nothing better is available, but why go for the lesser when a greater product is available? I'm looking forward to SEX AND ZEN and FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION JAILHOUSE 41 because previous editions have left much room for improvement. And I'm a sucker for extras and my hope is that in addition to looking great these movies will come stocked with loads of features placing the films in a wider context. I may be somewhat less picky. I've really only been into the whole "cult" movie thing seriously for about 5 years, but no matter what level of seniority one has achieved I think anyone with a taste for these movies can appreciate a stellar S.E. DVD remastered and loaded up with great extras. |
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| Jared | Jun 3 2009, 12:51 AM Post #5 |
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Oh, and I think it's a real possibility that Criterion could eventually be releasing LIVING SKELETON and GHOST OF HUNCHBACK (or at least LIVING). They seemingly have the rights to a host of Shochiku horrors that they've been sitting on. Perhaps not, but I may speculate that there will be an Eclipse box set of "classic Japanese horror" sometime in our future. It will be the first Criterion I will buy the week it comes out. And tell me more about this lost Korean movie. Maybe you should start a thread about it? |
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| Jack J | Jun 3 2009, 12:58 AM Post #6 |
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I haven't bought any of their releases because I keep buying tons and tons of dvds all the time and it's ONLY a DROP in the ocean! There is so much stuff!! There's tons of stuff on HK dvd. On Euro dvd. On Thai vcd. On Malay vcd. On UK dvd. On Malay dvd (last month I got a HUGE parcel from Sensasian with old HK horror/comedy flicks, only released in Malaysia), giallo films, 50s sci-fi stuff, Filippino trash on vhs, so much stuff. I just can't get it all. And I keep buying MM dvds cos I still haven't got them all. There's simply too much stuff for one lifetime. Stephen, yes there is a fan edit. I don't download and I don't have it but I remember seening it on some torrent site when I was looking for info on some rare snake woman film. And the reson the dvd doesn't have that footage in the film is because HERMAN YAU didn't want it in. |
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2019 AD. The only blog that survived the nuclear holocaust: EN LEJEMORDER SER TILBAGE The ONLY site in the world devoted entirely to trashy Filipino war flicks: When the Vietnam War raged... in the Philippines The FLIPSIDE of Asian cinema: Backyard Asia | |
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| Jared | Jun 3 2009, 02:06 AM Post #7 |
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Yeah, Jack that's a real good point. There's a ton of stuff out there and the seasoned fan has to look under rocks and wade through tidepools in order to find the goodies. Myself, having "come of age" as a exploitation movie fan during the DVD age, I tend to go the easy route and spend more cash on those new releases than tracking down VCDs and imports of impossibly rare stuff. But I am jealous of you guys, and I wish I could get it all. In fact I may soon take the plunge and start downloading (otherwise unavailable films of course) form torrent sights as a way to see more movies and save more money, two values high on my list of goals at the moment. |
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| Stephen Gladwin | Jun 3 2009, 03:05 AM Post #8 |
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Jared - The Korean film is, from what I can tell (I've only read vague reviews of it in books like THE OVERLOOK FILM ENCYCLOPEDIA), an old-school Asian horror film that is closer to the spirit of classic HK horror which is my favorite Asian horror. That is, there isn't a lot of humor or a mix of other genres. I know that's not a lot to go on, but that's kind of the point. This type of hyper-rare horror really needs more exposure, or at least some research into if they are still around or lost forever. I wish I could provide more info, but all of my film reference (books, mags, pamphlets, etc) are packed up as I'm moving
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| Jared | Oct 24 2009, 05:26 AM Post #9 |
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TAXI HUNTER on 2/23/10 http://jared-a.dvdaf.com/on-order?pm=one&pg=29 |
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| Jack J | Oct 24 2009, 07:52 AM Post #10 |
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I sincerely hope they put it out in the right lbx format. The Malay DVD that came out last year was fullscreen. I have the vcd which is lbx but... well... is a vcd. :lol: |
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2019 AD. The only blog that survived the nuclear holocaust: EN LEJEMORDER SER TILBAGE The ONLY site in the world devoted entirely to trashy Filipino war flicks: When the Vietnam War raged... in the Philippines The FLIPSIDE of Asian cinema: Backyard Asia | |
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