Vista Video Chinatown Kid

[daTOAD]

reading a lot about cut and alt. versions of Chinatown Kid[love this movie] ,just want to know if the old vhs Vista Version is cut or the alt. version[from Celestial] everyone is talking about before i buy it again. thanks.

[venomchamber]

Vista did not release THE CHINATOWN KID, however, there were 3 other companies that did!

1- the first was a 108 minute pan & scan version released by Warner Bros. Home Video in the UK. (Two cover variants exist.)
2- the next one was World Northal's edited for television by Larry Bensky version released on VHS here in the States by Fox Lorber.
3- the third and most definitive release to date was made by Southgate Video, clocking-in at 114 minutes in widescreen ShawScope!

*there are also two unauthorized DVDs in circulation, one was by NS Video (read: Ground Zero) which appeared to have been made from the cut Fox-Lorber tape, the other by Red Sun which utilized the Southgate video.

The version currently available on region 3 DVD and VCD by IVL is an alternate, watered-down version made for the Taiwanese market in compliance with their censorship practices. (They did the same thing with The Boxer Rebellion, even going so far as to retitle it "Spiritual Fists")
In this version, Fu Sheng and Kuo Chui are merely arrested instead of killing each other. What's more, they chose to feature Taiwanese star Kuo Chui as the main villain of the film (in new scenes not found in the HK version) rather than Tsai Hung, who along with his bodyguard Wang Li, doesn't even appear in this print! (except for a glimpse of Wang Li's corpse laying on the floor at the very end!)

Happy Hunting! ;)

[Morgoth]

Great information Venomchamber!:) I saw the GZ version, but at least it sounds a hell of a lot better than the Taiwanese print!

[The Dragon]

VC, you know your stuff man... How'd you get so informed? Thanks for your shared info. man... I never knew Shaws had so many versions of CTK out on the market...

[WhiteTiger1]

3- the third and most definitive release to date was made by Southgate Video, clocking-in at 114 minutes in widescreen ShawScope!

I have two original vhs copies of Southgate and 3 original copies of Warner Bro video

Southgate was the best in my opinion.Dubbed Version

[teako170]

3- the third and most definitive release to date was made by Southgate Video, clocking-in at 114 minutes in widescreen ShawScope!

Southgate rules!
http://www.teako170.com/chinatown.html

[daTOAD]

thanks VC, i may be confusing Vista with Southgate. so is the Celestial worth picking up at all?

[Chinatown Kid]

If you really like this film let me suggest you consider getting the fansite DVD from the Five Deadly Venoms fansite. It has the international Southgate version plus it has the alternate footage from the Celestial version as well. You can find it here:http://fivedeadlyvenoms.cjb.net

[venomchamber]

...so is the Celestial worth picking up at all?


a few good reasons:
1- if you're a completist like myself,
2- for the beautifully restored, digital remastered picture quality (on the DVD only, avoid the inferior quality VCD),
3- if you prefer to hear it in Mandarin instead of the English dub.

with my sincerest regards...

[daTOAD]

Thanks to everyone for all the info. I am a completist so i guess ill be getting Celestial version and checking out the one at FDV fan site.

[Hermeskungfu]

You might find this article comparing the various versions in some detail useful.

http://www.teako170.com/chinatown.html

[daTOAD]

thanks for the info.