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| teddanson |
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Posted: 27 Jul 2021, 10:16
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| It would be great to be able to pay with cryptocurrencies or just anything that doesn't involve PayPal, Stripe, Transferwise, Google etc. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 28 Jul 2021, 12:01
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Oh cool, glad you got to finally see Berlin Blues! What did you think of it after watching it? It's an alright film I think.
I agree with you on the AR. It feels a bit odd yet I think it was 1:85:1 or something around there still rather than 4:3. I'm not 100% though it's a weird film. The audio too. I couldn't believe it was native Spanish audio. Either that or the dubbing is exceptional. It is on DVD but only in Spain and it's a) hard to get and b) a bit weird in terms of the source used I think. I've not seen it though as the Laserdisc is good enough.
It's a fun film to waste some time on. Far worse out there to watch. :thumbup: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 28 Jul 2021, 15:09
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https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ythW8fQTkhw/UCcbUT4BmZI/AAAAAAAAIMI/8EY1Cv6NXFc/s1600/RA1.jpg
Watched Rome Armed To The Teeth last night, aka The Tough Ones, aka Assault With A Deadly Weapon, aka Brutal Justice aka Die Viper, aka ahhhh fahgettaboudit! :crazy:
Umberto Lenzi's high octane crime entry that sent the Poliziotteschi genre kicking and screaming all the way to dominating Italian cinema in the 1970's. Yes, other notable entries came before this film, but it was Rome Armed To The Teeth that was supposedly the catalyst that sent the genre in to maximum overdrive. It would also spawn a sequel, The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist which is a fantastic film and available on 88 Films Blu also directed by Lenzi (and in my opinion the better film). You get the two big heavyweight lads here headlining too in Thomas Milian and Maurizio Merli. They would go on to grace a number of these genre films with Merli making an entire career of it, just take a look at his filmography!
Merli plays a gungho cop who is permanently pissed off for the whole film. He's after a gang leader with a hunchback at the top of the tree of a crime wave sweeping Rome. Stand in the way of our hero and he'll kick your head in!
That's essentially the plot for Rome Armed To The Teeth, although it's somewhat disjointed in it's execution as Merli moves from criminal to criminal, working his way up the ladder to get the final boss. The constant jump from lead to lead made the film feel more processional than it perhaps should have, and in my opinion it suffers a little for it. It's not quite so paint by numbers with The Cynic, The Rat and The Fist but with this film the cracks do tend to show and it wobbles a little on the way to the climax scene; which is saved by being being brilliant.
There is a lot to love about the film though. The opening credits, driving through the streets of Rome, over the shoulder guerilla film style are a wonder and complemented by one of the best soundtracks of any film. It's a good job with the Grindhouse Blu Ray you get the soundtrack thrown in on a third disc! Rome Armed To The Teeth is very much an appealing film both on visuals and with regards the soundtrack. Lots of car chases (and some amazing early 1970's Alfa Romeo Alfetta's, Ferrari Dino's and more pootling around corners at breakneck speeds), shootouts, fisticuffs, scowls and more combine to form a veritable 1970's Italian crime film cocktail fiesta!
A few notes on the disc though which you might want to take heed of, especially if you are planning to watch this film. From what I understand the Grindhouse Blu Ray is the best version available to date. I'm not sure what source was used but I'm inclined to think it's from a 35mm print from outside the USA. The reason being that the Aquarius release that would have likely hit New York first (as Aquarius was based there) is missing the opening 10 minutes and also has a rake of changes made to it. All of this is present on the Grindhouse release, which does state it is the full, uncut and original version of the film.
That is to be lauded because as far as I am aware there is only one surviving 35mm print of the film in existence, in South Africa. My guess is this is the print that was used. It has to be because another one doesn't exist. Sadly though it does have a couple of errors in it, mainly around the audio where it seems to wobble and lose time for a split second. I would imagine this is due to damage from old age of the film stock. It only happens on a couple of occasions though and considering you won't find another print I think that's alright to live with and doesn't ruin the film anyway.
With the aforementioned in mind I would strongly advise going with the Grindhouse Blu Ray of The Tough Ones if you want the full, original and untouched film in the best possible quality. Be careful of any other releases as you may end up with the butchered Aquarius version. It's not worth it. Plus you won't get that sensational soundtrack CD either!
In essence, Rome Armed To The Teeth (aka INSERTRETITLEDNAMEHERE) is a great little film however I don't think it quite lives up to the reputation it's garnered over the years. Don't get me wrong, it's a good film, and I imagine when it landed in cinemas back in the mid 1970's it caused quite the stir. But better films followed it and more importantly (in my opinion) bettered it. It is a landmark film though and for that I think it's an essential addition to any film collection. Just make sure you get the Grindhouse Blu Ray version to be sure you have the right one.
Now, when are Raro USA going to hurry up and release Napoli la Camorra Sfida la Città' Risponde ? Christ on a bike THAT is some film! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 30 Jul 2021, 14:41
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So I tried a couple of times to replace the ailing PSU on my DVDO VP50 Pro. It's at the stage of impending death where it's making a whining sound after 5 minutes use. You could roast a duck on it.
Anyway, I tried a cheap knock off unit on eBay that lasted approximately 3 minutes 28 seconds before dying. It's in a recycling plant now somewhere.
Next I tried that Cyberdyne Systems crowd, or whoever they are, I forget now. The one folks on here recommended as the official supplier. I got halfway down the road with them and they ballsed up the order for an identical replacement PSU. I never bothered following up with Astro Cyberdyne or whatever there name is.
So I took a chance last week and contacted DVDO directly. They replied with "Yes. We have power supplies for your DVDO VP50 Pro. Would you like to buy one?".
Yes. Yes I bloody well would.
Punted the order in. Paid UPS an extortionate sum of money to ship it and it landed today with the most horrendous heartbreak tax slapped on it.
At this point I'm taking a break from writing this post. I just need to call The Samaritans. Go get yourself a cup of tea, have a nap or something then come back when you are ready.
Welcome back.
So this is what they sent me. It looks a lot better than the old brick they used to use. This damn thing cost an absolute fortune with all the stupid shipping and heartbreak tax slapped on to it so it better last! At least it's direct from DVDO and I hopefully have some sort of comeback if it goes wrong.
For Christ sake I wish the USA would sort out International shipping fees though. It's an absolute joke. I could ship a pallet of 100kg Anvils from Micronesia to me for a fraction of what this bloody thing cost to ship. FFS... :crazy:
Here it is anyway. I'm tempted to print this out and frame it.
https://i.postimg.cc/G3NGQ5XG/ba53caf2-7629-4932-88fa-32230002ffae.jpg |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 30 Jul 2021, 14:48
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I've had this goddamn "I Don't Know!" song in my head all day. It's like audio crack.  |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 01 Aug 2021, 07:03
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I've never seen Wilt but now want to.
From that poster it has the same two guys that were in Morons from Outer Space.
The one thinner guy was the director and actor in that or in other films and I guess this is one of them, or was it writer :think:
Anyway Want to track it down now, thx ted.
Some of your films are misses but some are hits for me. :thumbup:
https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/33525-morons-from-outer-space
Yep, Mel Smith (rip) and Griff Rhys Jones! Those of a certain vintage will remember them from the Wispa adverts too. I may be wrong but I think Mel Smith did the Trebor XXX mints adverts too?
Wilt reminded me a bit of the brilliant John Cleese film Clockwork in it's style. Both feature Norwich heavily too coincidentally. It's very British in terms of humour so may not work for everyone.
Definitely sniff out the Blu to watch it the best possible way. I hope you enjoy the film. Sure if we all liked the same things it would be a very boring world! :thumbup: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 05 Aug 2021, 21:50
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Yep extremely lightweight and packable. 'Waffer' thin, it's like a bin bag with taped seams. :lol: The taped seams part is often mandatory kit in ultramarathon's, mountain running etc.
Only downside to it is you get sweat collection in the arms. You can adjust the wrist straps though so it lets air in. The nanotech wotsit works very well though. Water literally beads off of it. After being caught in that cloud burst earlier today and was bone dry under the jacket.
I think it's more suited for hiking, powerhikes and shorter trails though so I might look to get another jacket as a backup. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 06 Aug 2021, 09:32
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Thanks chaps. :thumbup: I've been training non-stop since January for it (well, I was training for the Ironman 70.3 that got cancelled back in June until 2022 for obvious reasons). Had to switch out my training to suddenly incorporate an ultramarathon. Was a bit off/on at first adjusting. Hasn't gone all that well due to a number of other commitments, but hopefully I'll pull it off in September. The aim is just to finish it (and beat the first cut-off time of course in order to actually be allowed to finish the race).
Anything under 10 hours for a finishing time I'll be delighted with! :angel:
RE: The jacket. Yep unfortunately most of those types of jackets do that as they don't have adequate venting. They're more designed to protect you in a deluge, and if you are at altitude they'll help deflect the wind a bit too. You won't be super warm in one, but then again you can't really run in any heavier type of jacket. Sure I guess that's part of the reason why a bivvy bag etc are mandatory kit!
Side note: The R7G will hopefully live forever. Just remember to pet it a couple of times a day. Read excerpts from the instruction manual to it at bedtime every day. Oh and make sure to open and close it's tray before going to bed too. A happy R7G is a (hopefully) long lasting and working R7G! :mrgreen: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 18 Aug 2021, 10:38
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Forgetting everything about that LD for one minute. I just wanted to say that film is one of the best films ever made. It's so funny!
Just get the Blu Ray though. Save the money. Just do anything you can to watch it though. :D
EDIT: Just noticed the hot dog eating contest is missing from the Japan Laserdisc? Sheesh. What a waste of money. Just get the Blu. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 18 Aug 2021, 15:18
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The music scene is crazy.
You mean this?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m61KlN_n-ec
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Here's a useful comparison on the Blu Ray. The DVD is listed too as a separate entry.
http://dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=55930
Watch Out We're Mad! is just a wonderful film. I absolutely adore it. In my personal opinion it's right up there as one of the finest comedy films of all time. I bought the video game Slaps and Beans on Nintendo Switch too the second it came out to buy. Never have I seen a video game with so much fan service to Terence Hill and Bud Spencer.
I felt compared to write about it here if anyone cares:
https://thecoter.ie/2020/01/06/slaps-and-beans-my-video-game-of-the-decade/
The fact they got the Oliver Onions music too (Guido and Maurizio de Angelis, who else? :angel: ) is just a massive bonus. "Come and ride with in my buggy!" indeed! :clap: :clap: :clap:
Oh and I'll just leave this here... :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iia96lPKNzo
If anyone reading this hasn't seen the film then you haven't lived. :thumbup: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 19 Aug 2021, 10:09
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It's bugging me as to why the Japan Laserdisc has the beer and hot dog sequence removed. That's quite bizarre as it's one of the best scenes in the film in my opinion. You are right the film was shot 1:85:1. I'd never seen it in it's proper AR for years as all the home versions started off in 1:85:1 but then I think went to 1:33:1?
Was the opening squeezed to fit on the Laserdisc too? It's all starting to sound like a bag of grapefruits to me. If I owned the Laserdisc I'd be getting shot of it as it sounds like a mess. Ditch that and then switch to the (not exactly cheap unfortunately) Blu Ray and that's the end of the line there. The full film, proper AR, juicy picture and audio as crisp as a castrato singing "I shot the sherriff" on a clear Autumn day. Belissimo! :thumbup:
By the way, yer man Terence Hill made a great little film back in the late 1970's when he tried to make it in Hollywood. He done a turn in a film called Mr Billion with the lovely Valerie Perrine. It was a massive flop. I think critics at the time were probably too harsh on it as it is a better film than what reviews say it is in my opinion. Not as slapstick and belly-achingly funny as his wonderful work with Bud Spencer, but it's still 90 minutes of fun! I have it on a UK Laserdisc as well as Blu Ray (only available in Germany on Blu I think). If you are keen to have a look, go for the Blu Ray.
There's a trailer here but I think it makes the film look more like Dukes Of Hazzard or Cannonball Run than what the final product actually is, which is neither of those films.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_gfLPAzJPc |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 19 Aug 2021, 14:13
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There's a trailer here but I think it makes the film look more like Dukes Of Hazzard or Cannonball Run than what the final product actually is, which is neither of those films.
Honestly, that could be a contributing factor in why it went over poorly. If people are primed going in to expect a store-brand Dukes of Hazzard, they'll come out thinking it was that or worse unless it's a better DoH than DoH.
I'd be more than inclined to say that's what did it. The trailer is terrible. It tries to make Terrence Hill a character that he doesn't play. If ever there was a case for false advertising...
I still think it's a fun little caper. It's nice to see Terence Hill making his Hollywood debut and what they tried to shape him in to. For me though it's always about Terence and Bud together. Simply unbeatable comedy gold. It reminds me I still want to get a jacket with JUMBO on the back of it (I think you can get one on Etsy). The odd thing about their films is that (to the best of my rather limited knowledge), they were never a huge success in the UK and Ireland (possibly the USA too, i'm not sure?). Yet in Europe (Spain, especially Germany and of course Italy and more), holy cow their popularity is to the moon and back, even today. They were an exospherically popular duo.
I'd recommend Miami Cops and Who Finds A Friend Finds A Treasure. The latter film of the two is beyond funny, I think their films should come with health warnings for ruptured spleens from belly laughing too hard. Maybe it's the slapstick fun and silly scripts but for me it's just the sheer stupidity of some of the sequences. Like the guy in the gym fight in Watch Out We're Mad and Bud Spencer keeps saying "Not now!" every time he tries to hit him and pushes him away. Or the dude on the motorbike who gets in to a fight and says "Ow! Not the arm! Not the arm no I need it!" as he's getting dragged off of his bike! :lol: :lol: :lol: The incredibly dubious health and safety in the stunt driving too is great in that film. Just old cars getting ragged around tracks at breakneck speeds, jumping hills, tumbling out of control. Smashes, petrol and dirt everywhere. Good times. :thumbup:
I had a look there through the discussions around the 3L Blu Ray releases in Germany. Dear God the films have some next level grade of red tape wrapped around them. What a minefield! I think though with these discs it's a case of 3L probably doing the best they could around the legal and licensing stuff. Also the fact the English and Italian tracks all have forced German subtitles is a pain. That means you'll be likely dumping your discs to a NAS etc and removing the forced German PGS subtitle track. Sadly although the modchip on my Panasonic can skip restricted navigation etc I don't think the firmware can disable forced subtitles.
One other thing, Watch Out We're Mad! appears to be quite expensive on it's own these days. You'd be better off buying it in one of the many 3L box sets. Side note, the 20 film box set doesn't have it, you're better off getting the Bud Spencer Jumbo XXL box set which does have it plus some other great films. :thumbup: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 22 Aug 2021, 20:42
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There's loads of fun stuff to still be discovered on Laserdisc.  |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 23 Aug 2021, 16:01
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I called my wife in to tell me which one was the DVD and which was the LD and, interestingly, what she mentioned was that she couldn't believe that one of them was the same LD she's seen before. She was quite impressed by the improvement also.
You're lucky your wife takes an interest. Mine usually walks past the telly just as the words ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST or whatever appear on the screen in giant letters, shakes her head and simply says "For f**k sake..." before walking off.
:silent: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 23 Aug 2021, 16:54
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Are these bootleg or pirate copies?
Six of one, half a dozen of the other I'd say.
That said there is some proper effort that goes in to making these, what I would term, 'ultimate editions' for want of a better term. As an aside, the guy behind HKR recently got access to a print of Bullet In The Head and fundraised to have a professional 4K UHD scan done of the negatives. That's now been completed and a restoration/remaster is underway. From what has been said, nobody else from the majors appears to be interested in the film so the HKR guy is doing it to fill a gap.
While not exactly wholesome, I appreciate what the HKR project is doing. The work on Hard Boiled was outstanding, it's never looked better, for example. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 30 Aug 2021, 15:49
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rein-o wrote: Also watched Watch out we're mad on LD, such a fun film, I can't really say anything bad about the film, even if its missing the hot dog competition.
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 30 Aug 2021, 15:50
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ericeide wrote: Well, I can cite a study that says American millennials will inherit $68,000,000,000,000 (that's 68 trillion!) of debt from their Baby Boomer parents by the year 2030.
Fixed that for you. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 06 Sep 2021, 11:06
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The Godfather Epic/Saga (two different editions, one comprises Godfather I and II in chronological order, the other comprises the entire trilogy), both have been released digitally (sort of) and in HD. Most recently they were available on the HBO and Cinemax streaming services.
I forget which is the one that comprises part I and II. I watched that on Cinemax a couple of years back in one sitting, all 7.5 hours of it. :oops:
I have both laserdisc sets or Epic and Saga which are great except for the parts in Italian have Japanese subtitles and no English. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 06 Sep 2021, 12:45
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I unplug my R7G every night and tuck it in to it's own bed. Read it a few pages from the instruction manual before wrapping the power cord around the remote control nice and snug.
I've named him Alan and he's great.  |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 06 Sep 2021, 16:42
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The Godfather Saga (I think that's the right one, again I keep mixing Saga and Epic up) did originally air on network television in the USA only, on HBO I think. It was also later released on VHS in the USA but nowhere else as far as I am aware (Japanese Laserdiscs aside). I can't remember if the ending is different though.
I got the Laserdisc box sets for the same reason. I love the chronological version. Especially the earlier scenes when Vito kills the don and you see him hiding behind the wall listening in to conversations before killing him then running in to the grocers who helped him get away after knowing he was responsible. Lots of little details like that are great to see. I can happily watch the first two films without watching the turd, I mean third. With that said I haven't seen the Godfather Coda yet, the new version of part III. Is it worth a watch?
I would love to see a proper 4K UHD physical release of Epic and Saga. I think the trilogy is getting a 4K release soon so putting these versions out too would be a nice way to round it all off, perhaps with a nice dollop of HDR too.
There's some good information here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Godfather_Saga
Oh and apparently Jeff has it on his video service you can avail of if you pay him money for free delivery for a year. Just search for The Godfather Epic on his video service. USA only from what I can see for now. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 06 Sep 2021, 21:23
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Some tat from Japan arrived today.
First up the vinyl soundtrack for Future War 198X. I've been keeping an eye on this to come up for a few years now. It does appear occasionally but usually for silly money. Finally got a copy to go with the Laserdisc and Mechanic Special art book.
https://i.postimg.cc/k4JnSRCZ/3b7f859c-5685-468f-88c2-496db86b2a60.jpg
Next up is a VHS cassette and another in the Mind Control series. I've been waiting forever for Part 5 to appear on Laserdisc but it just doesn't seem to come up for sale. It does exist as there is a pamphlet inside the VHS box that lists it in the catalogue. Remember volumes 1-4 took me literally years to get and then they all appeared at once earlier this year! Volume 5 has never appeared, only this VHS release. Maybe the Laserdisc was cancelled? Just a side note, the LDDB entry is incorrect, the title for part 5 is Forest Fantasy, as you can see in the photo I took below. I've had stern words with Julien and submitted an update entry request. :lol:
https://i.postimg.cc/Kz0mDcvY/4ad2bc6c-cc34-4b11-bfb2-d68ed66eb891.jpg
Sixteen Candles may be heavily dated and not exactly PC today, but it is still one of my favourite films. Didn't really need the Laserdisc when the Blu Ray is the ultimate edition at present. It will be fun to watch though!
https://i.postimg.cc/vmd8QSNG/70c809eb-142a-4a29-b4a0-a853e2349fee.jpg
I have a soft spot for 1980's Japanese 'city pop' and 'city jazz' and recently got in to 1986 Omega Tribe. They have a great song called Crystal Night which is worth checking out. I wanted to hear more so got this rather obscure Laserdisc called Single Vacation. I'm hoping for that whole 80's city nights vibe. Driving a red Porsche 959 through the night streets. Ladies in cocktail bars sipping Martini's in one hand and twirling a Virginia Slim in the other. The clatter of plates and clinks of glasses in the supper clubs and jazz bars. The animated neon sign of an olive dropping in to a cocktail glass outside a late night city bar. The cutaway shot of a freshly shined formal shoe stepping in to a puddle on the rainy city streets. Cliche heaven!
This disc better live up to that. No pressure!
https://i.postimg.cc/fbjzkjGm/93ed9da6-d316-4e61-920e-9f3f87108575.jpg
Last up is a special Axis Records 20th Anniversary limited edition CD set. I listened to both discs today and it's spectacular. A great compilation of some of the best Axis pressings and also some remixes and unreleased tracks exclusive to this set.
You get information cards for every track in both English and Japanese as well as some great photographs. The box opens like a cigarette pack and has Jeff Mills' signature in gold on the inside of the box liner. It looks great and sounds even better. Delighted with it.
https://i.postimg.cc/Z5NKzhjf/a4f21190-6e05-4f72-ac20-6469e3f0ece9.jpg
I also finished the ultramarathon I trained for at the weekend. 60km and 5000ft of combined ascent in 11 hours 58 minutes. And the rain jacket worked a treat. :lol: |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 07 Sep 2021, 13:53
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Kiyotaka Sugiyama & Omega Tribe: Single Vacation (1984) [70001-58]
https://i.postimg.cc/KcV18TL0/93ed9da6-d316-4e61-920e-9f3f87108575.jpg
I have mentioned elsewhere about my fondness for 1980's Japanese 'city pop' and 'city jazz' music. If you're a fan of 'proper anime' (I can already see feathers being ruffled), ergo anything made in the 1980's up to the latter 1990's, then you'll probably be familiar with such music. Think of the background music in an elevator, complete with kitsch vocals, esoteric jangly guitars and cool synths. Or perhaps in an anime when the hero/heroine wakes up in the morning and the animators go to great lengths to show the character making coffee, breakfast, drawing back the curtains and reading a newspaper.
Ωmega Tribe fit rather nicely in to this genre. In fact they would probably be one of the go-to bands on any top 10 list at the mere utterance of great 'city pop' artists. Sure enough, one of their albums was even entitled Aqua City (sadly nothing to do with Big Blue from F Zero). They were around a good while too, before City Pop and City Jazz exploded in the earlier half of the 1980's. They formed in 1978 and since then have had more line-up's than Ronnie Wood and as of 2021 they are still active. In fact only recently in July the band announced a new remix project to commemorate their Aqua City album and also have a special project in the works to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Kiyotaka Sugiya & Ωmega Tribe. If you want to get in to their music, I strongly recommend the track Crystal Night which is under the band name 1986 Ωmega Tribe.
I'm not 100% around the history of this Single Vacation Laserdisc. From what my research shows, it appears to be a greatest hits video collection of hits spanning three of Ωmega Tribe's albums; Aqua City , River's Island and Never Ending Summer , released in September 1983 and March and December of 1984 respectively. There was a follow-up to the latter album, Another Summer released in July of 1985 though none of those songs appear here.
The premise for the collection filled me with a lot of hope. I mentioned in another post that I had hopes for pure 80's sensory overload. Tragic-looking cliche staged poses, fingerless gloves, aviator sunglasses, neon signs, beach sunsets through horizontal window blinds, martini's and pretty people in pastel attire. And for the most part that checklist is pretty much present. For the first three or four songs I was not disappointed at all. It appears that the majority of the videos were shot on location in Hawaii, I would imagine between 1983 and 1984. A lot of the opening scenery reminded me of the Shakatak 'Da Makani' Laserdisc. The gorgeous scenery, palm trees, yachts and achingly beautiful people sipping cocktails at exclusive bars and resorts. Yet you also get a stupendously heavy dose of tragic moody posing and modelling. It's all quite brilliant and toe-curlingly cringey!
The problem is that the videos change tact. What starts out as some sort of premise about a man chasing after a beautiful lady in some sort of long-lost Summer love nostalgia sequence quickly changes to standard 'band playing in a studio' setup before upping the ante a little with more location fodder towards the end of the disc. I imagine the band and/or label (VAP) probably spent all of their budget on their holiday in Hawaii and had to resort to boring studio fare to get the rest of the videos completed. It may also explain why there is a change of model in the latter videos, with the part of the nostalgic Summer vacation lady being played by a totally different model. It's a shame neither of them are credited at all as I'd be keen to see how their careers worked out and if they had been in anything else I may had seen.
In terms of presentation the disc itself is innocent enough. You get what appears to be shot on video footage presented in 4:3 and an analogue audio track. The picture quality varies a little between razor sharp and a little softer as you play it through. One thing I did notice is that scenes shot in low light appeared to have a lot more grain and a slight green tint to them. Perhaps that's down to the equipment used to shoot the videos. It doesn't look terrible by any means, it's just an interesting quirk I noticed. It looks like the kind of filter that would perhaps be used on a Tia Maria advert. Audio is fairly weak on this disc, meaning you will need to crank up the volume a little. It also felt a little flat. I found that by using Music mode on my Yamaha soundbar and setting it to Jazz Club mode that it sounded a lot better. If you do get this disc then be aware that it will require a little tinkering on the equalization to get the sound just how you want it. Once set up it does sound great, particularly when you kick the bass channel up just a little. It's nothing super serious to worry about, possibly more due to differences in audio equipment in 1983/84 and today?
Overall, this is a nice little disc. I think I perhaps expected a bit too much from it. I do wish that all of the videos followed the opening narrative of the first 3 videos though as it really was on a role. Resorting to terminally dull 'band in the studio' videos is a bit of a cop out when they could have gotten really creative. I guess though for the label it was not just about a lack of time and perhaps money but about getting the albums out in to shops to rake the money in before the band's popularity waned, such is the way of the music industry (especially back in the 1980's). I would suggest that if you are curious enough to want to hear more then by all means pick up this Laserdisc and give it a try, just don't expect the world from it, which is what I did and ended up feeling ever so slightly let down. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 07 Sep 2021, 15:09
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Oh yes, there's quite a lot of it too. City Pop and City Jazz were very popular in Japan in the 1980's. There is quite a lot to choose from too so don't be afraid to dive in!
Have a look on Alphabet's invasive streaming service and you will find lots of compilations to get you started:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syK3EZpi1sw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNcyCNes3JY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpP0BELFAEA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZpeH_UfNiQ
...and of course the most famous (in my opinion) of City Jazz artists was the wonderful Chickenshack. They did the soundtrack for the legendary anime Urban Square.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJGroI3ah5o
...oh and not Japanese but don't forget that Shakatak were absolutely huge in Japan in the 1980's (and still are popular today).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4etnjbVj0E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlymqNcvLXY
Here is 1986 Omega Tribe's brilliant song Crystal Night too if anyone is searching for it. Note it's not on this Laserdisc as it came later on...1986 in fact. :lol:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlSMFKtMB1k |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 10 Sep 2021, 16:51
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Magnificent Bodyguards (3D) (Fei du juan yun shan) (1978) [98SX-1]
https://www.lddb.com/cover/ld/29901-30000/29911.jpg
First off, apologies Julien I modified the thread title to make it fit by replacing the romanised title with the traditional title. I hope this is okay!
Magnificent Bodyguards, aka, Fei du juan yun shan (飛渡捲雲山) is a very interesting film. If you are a fan of 3D, or martial arts films or basically anything to do with obscure 1970's cinema then I would imagine that Magnificent Bodyguards may well have appeared on your radar. It is interesting on two main points. Firstly it is one of the earlier (read earlier not earliest) appearances of Jackie Chan (credited here as Jacky Chan) in a leading role. More importantly, and for the second reason, Magnificent Bodyguards was the first film made in Hong Kong to be shot natively in 3D. It's interesting quirks as a film aside, the 3D piece and it's historical significance in Hong Kong cinema are the main drivers behind my hunting this film down.
What is even more interesting is that the Laserdisc edition of Magnificent Bodyguards is the only home video release to this day that is presented in it's original 3D form. You cannot get the film in 3D any other way, aside from acquiring the original theatrical cannisters. Given how carefree the industry was back then, and especially so in the Far East, I imagine that would be an almighty mission to get hold of said reels. To confirm this about the 3D being a Laserdisc exclusive I went looking for more recent releases of the film. There's a couple of DVD's available (in 2D) although (afaik) no longer in print and tough to find. There is also a Blu Ray edition available in Japan. I purchased the Blu Ray from Jeff in Japan a few months back and can confirm that while Fortune Star did a reasonable job with the release, it is only available in 2D and with 2 Cantonese 7.1 and 5.1 audio tracks and a solitary Japanese 2.0 stereo track (the same, and the only audio track available on the Laserdisc release).
So that's it. If you want the full-fat, full beans, full 3D experience of Magnificent Bodyguards then the Japanese Laserdisc, indeed the only Laserdisc edition available, is what you are going to need to get.
Or is it?
Well, the problem is that aside from being offered with just a sole Japanese dub track, the Laserdisc released in Japan is also missing about 10 minutes of footage. I'm not really sure why this is either. Perhaps a move from a film censor in Japan or in Hong Kong prior to it's export overseas? So the goalposts move again! If you want the full-fat 3D edition, you will need the Laserdisc. If you want the full uncut print, get the Fortune Star Blu Ray. Just remember that the Blu Ray is 2D so you won't get all that lovely 3D, which does look a bit shonky when you take away the analglyphic effect that is on the 3D print.
What both the Laserdisc and Blu Ray suffer from (aside from zero English subtitles, I made my own with English subtitles from a DVD release and synced them up using ALASS) is a very poor, soft image. The Blu Ray, while soft in it's overall appearance, is at least more than serviceable and features some nice grain that hasn't been butchered thanks to any application of DNR and so on. The Laserdisc does not fare so well. The image is naturally even softer than the Blu Ray, and due to the way in which the anaglyph effect is applied to the film, it blurs the image to the point where there is very little in the overall red/blue separation. Thus meaning that when you pop your (supplied with the Laserdisc) 3D specs on, and note the 3D effect is for the entire duration of the film, the image presented is somewhat confused. Meaning that the overall 3D effect isn't quick as clean and pronounced as it really should be. Some scenes don't work at all, which is a bit of a shame. However when it does work the effect is seriously impressive. Lots of Bo staffs, ninja stars and flying kicks all burst out of the screen with alarming frequency. You can also tell that the film was set up to be shot in native 3D by the way the stages and scenery are set up. Gates and sliding doors, foliage and weaponry, actor placement and so on have all been carefully thought out. And when the film slows down and allows the viewer to drink it all in then the effect is seriously good, however crude you may think it looks on the surface of it.
The audio on both the Laserdisc and the Blu Ray are not exactly what you would call astounding. Very tinny in places, especially the opening theme music and not entirely loaded with wow factor in order to make use of panning and surround. This is especially the case with regards the Blu Ray. Quite why the need was felt to employ a 7.1 DTS-HD-MA track is somewhat puzzling to say the least. One point to note is that the 2D Blu Ray uses a print of the film where the blatant rip-off use of Star Wars music cues have been removed. The Laserdisc (as far as I recall, I will need to re-check this) does have the original Star Wars music cues present. You will also see these on the official trailer for the film.
Regarding the actual film, it's alright. I wouldn't put it down as one of Chan's best works however you can clearly see his influence as Stunt Coordinator and Action Director here, and some early signs of what would come as he would soon become a global superstar. It's a fairly simple story of a man hired to accompany someone to a doctor. The journey to the doctor is long and dangerous, passing through an area of the ancient hills which is controlled by a criminal gang. There is a nice plot twist though which I won't spoil so the film isn't as entirely procedural as you may be led to think.
Magnificent Bodyguards is certainly a title to hunt down on Laserdisc if you are a collector of the obscure, or if you just want to see the film in it's original (albeit cut) 3D form. Others may fare better by simply picking up the Blu Ray and being done with it, note though you may need to dump the disc and sync up some subtitles of your own. It's a fun little film in it's own right, and the 3D edition makes for a great curio (or an essential must-have depending on your views/needs). It's not a common title to come across by any means, so I would perhaps suggest going for the Blu Ray and keeping an eye out for the Laserdisc on the off chance it pops up for sale. On a personal level I am delighted to own a copy despite all the little bugbears around it. Then again, I just like odd stuff.
A worthy purchase, however be warned that your mileage with it may vary. |
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| teddanson |
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Posted: 11 Sep 2021, 17:55
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I'll dig out the disc and take a photo of the TV screen soon no problem. Here's a screengrab from the Japanese Blu Ray. As you can see, the print is fairly soft (and not 3D), but considering the wonderfully proactive stance the industry took back then to preserve negatives, I think it's a wonder it has made it to Blu Ray at all.
Note the screengrab is from a 1:1 dump of the Japanese Fortune Star Blu Ray. When I dump my discs to my NAS I never re-encode them, they're just untouched 1:1 dumps.
https://i.postimg.cc/kX6352Kc/8329798326579832659732.png
Also, I found this over at TMDB, an alternative poster for the film. I don't know of it's origins, yet if it is for an international release then it's reasonable to assume that the 3D print reached further than just cinemas in Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea.
https://www.themoviedb.org/t/p/w600_and_h900_bestv2/3yFl9q3l0V6sUWBqv4PPMpKVK9c.jpg |
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Thanks list