Hard Boiled

mark raeburn

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What is the best version of this to get for picture/sound/uncut.

Also where is the cheapest place to get it?

Cheers

Mark
 
I have the Criterion version. Although non anamophic, I think it has the best picture of the ones I've seen (I also have the mei-ah DTS version). It also has some nice extras. But the print here is far from faultless.
 
The Criterion is very badly framed as my link above shows.
 
So it says. Can't say I've actually noticed, been a while since I've watched it. I will have a look and compare the versions.
The french 2 disc of The Killer is interesting as it has the 124 min(pal) version on. Although not John Woo's prefered version of The Killer. It does have a bit more blood shed in and some extra scenes. Again the picture is far from great.
 
I hear Bullet In The Head is getting a re-release with lots of extra's butttt Tartan Video i think might be doing the transfer and i'm not too pleased with most of their efforts.
 
Originally posted by FoxyMulder
I hear Bullet In The Head is getting a re-release with lots of extra's butttt Tartan Video i think might be doing the transfer and i'm not too pleased with most of their efforts.

HKL are releasing it, not Tartan.
 
Just checked the 2 versions (Criterion and Mei-Ah). The criterion is tighter at the top and bottom, but has more information at the sides, compared to the Mei-Ah version.
Can't wait for a decent version of Bullet In The Head. My Megastar version is at best ropey!
 
Hi,

It seems that no one has compared the latest Tartan DVD "uncut" release against the other versions that are out.

It looks, to me, that what we really need is:
- John Woo supervising a complete audio and picture restoration of this movie, with...
- a double-disc release, with the film on one disc, and all the extras on disc two, with...
-the uncensored Director's Cut print from Long Shong International, with...
- total and correct reformatting of the print, to make it in the correct AND anamorphic widescreen ratio (which looks like it should be 1.77:1 or 1.85:1 approx), as well as...
- the print and remastering techniques of the TF1 version, with
- a brand-new, remastered DTS soundtrack, or high-quality Dolby Digital Surround, alongside..
- all new, remastered English subtitles, that have been correctly quality-controlled prior to the disc's release, with
- all the extras from Criterion's edition, the TF1 edition, and the hour-long documentary that was on Tartan Video's original UK VHS release, which profiled John Woo himself! (Are the two documentaries - from the Tartan VHS and the TF1 DVD release - the same?)
- and a brand new audio commentary (subtitled if needed) with Woo and Chow Yun-Fat themselves, or failing that, a new and detailed on-screen interview.

:thumbsup: :lesson: :thumbsup:

Oh, and release it in PAL format as well! And just for a laugh, include a free Tequila shot-glass and Hard-Boiled logo-embroidered napkin too. (If you haven't seen the film, you won't get the clever filmic reference here!) :D

I would happily pay around the £25 to £30 for this, if a single company was willing to put this little package together. After all, this was the film that really brought Woo to the attention of English-speaking fans, who then went on to rediscover "The Killer" and "Bullet In The Head", et al.

It's a shame that "Hard-Boiled" has not been given the treatment it so richly deserves! Maybe, as an added fun thing, the film could be called "Hard-Boiled: Reconstituted" or "Hard-Boiled: The Unbroken Shell Edition", instead of the usual "Remastered Edition" or "Director's Cut Edition", et al. :D

Lastly, has anyone compared the Sunday night (18th April 2004) transmission on Channel 4 with any of the DVD versions, to see what the TV print was like?

Pooch
(A big "Hard-Boiled" fan!)
 
Blooming hell pooch!!:laugh: that would be some dvd release!!:eek:

i have the Criterion and Mei Ah releases and although anamorphic the mei ah one isn't great. With regard to Bullet in the Head..i have high hopes for the HKL release...i was quite happy with there release of The Killer.
 
www.hkflix.com have an uncut version, not sure on quality though.
 
When is Bullet in the Head being released by HKL???

I love that film, but I don't have it on DVD as I've been waiting for some sort of a semi-decent release. And by semi-decent, I mean good picture and audio quality.
 
Loafer,

Yeah, you're right! it would be an AWESOME DVD release! Shame that it's unlikely to happen though. :(

Pooch
 
Wahey,

Fan-bloody-tastic news!!!!! :clap: Metro Tartan have announced the "Hard-Boiled: Special DVD Edition" to be given a Region 0 (UK) DVD release, later this year! :thumbsup:

The 27th September 2004, is the date for the release! The ONLY details that Tartan are willing to OFFICIALLY confirm at this time, are as follows:

1) The film will have an all-new, digitally-remastered picture, for the highest and best look that "Hard-Boiled" has ever been seen on DVD around the world.

2) The disc will house both, an English-dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, AND an all-new DTS Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack too. (News of the original Cantonese Stereo soundtrack also being included with the DTS and English 5.1 tracks, are still unconfirmed!)

Other than that, all information is being kept strictly hush-hush, which is a shame.

However, this could be a disc worth keeping an eye on. Any more news, and I will let you know in this thread!

:clap: Tartan!

Pooch
 
I'll believe it when I see it.

I can't see Tartan spending any money on a new print or even cleaning the one they have used so many times before.

The French dvd release by HK Video is quite amazing quality and it even has the correct 'blue tint' of it's original release (those who have seen the Japanese laserdisc will know what I'm talking about).

The only thing missing from the French release are English subs due to regional contracts.

Fans should also consider looking for the Taiwanese dvd released by Long Shong as it features a very rare alternate cut.
The quality of this dvd is poor but is well worth getting.
 
Tartans "special editon" release of Audtion was pretty impressive in the picture stakes - the extras where pretty limited in quanity, but not quality.

I'm hopeful that they have learned that a top quality picture & audio transfer sells movies, and that Hard Boiled is one of those movies that has let to have anything like a decent transfer on DVD.

I'm guessing by making this a Region 0 disk that they are hoping to export as many copies as they sell here, and people will only import this film if its a top quality transfer.
 

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