Heroes Two DVDReview

[gfanikf]

Heroes Two is considered by many to be one of the quintessential and milestone Shaw Brothers films. Cheng Cheh with the help of choreographers Tang Chia and Lar Kar Leung and actors Chen Kwan Tai and Alexander Fu Sheng deliver a truly remarkable kung fu film with the use of real martial arts and a wonderful tale of revenge and brotherhood. The film is set in the Qing Dynasty after the burning of the Shaolin Temple by the Manchu’s. It’s not exactly a tale told once, but with Cheng Cheh and cast and crew, it’s a tale told well! This is the first Shaw Brothers release from Media Blaster and an amazing DVD film with excellent extras and options that make this DVD a MUST BUY!


Full review at:
http://hkfilmnews.blogspot.com/2008/04/her...-review-by.html (http://hkfilmnews.blogspot.com/2008/04/heroes-two-media-blaster-dvd-review-by.html)

[Morgoth Bauglir]

I agree the interview is very good, and it doesn't just have random questions about nothing. It's a perfect DVD release. I can't wait for The Master. Great writeup g.

[gfanikf]

I agree the interview is very good, and it doesn't just have random questions about nothing. It's a perfect DVD release. I can't wait for The Master. Great writeup g.

Thanks. I told myself when I started writing it that it would not be overly long. lol So much for that :). I'm happ you liked it.

[venom10463]

Great review Lan. I can't wait until this week, when my dvd finally arrives.

[chen lung]

Sorry to go on, but there's really annoying and backwards step keeping it from being really good: Interlacing (http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=111330). I've requested before in advance but damn it...

Media Blasters, PLEASE get your flagging right.

[gfanikf]

Sorry to go on, but there's really annoying and backwards step keeping it from being really good: Interlacing (http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=111330). I've requested before in advance but damn it...

Media Blasters, PLEASE get your flagging right.

Its fine and hardly a reason to care. It so minor and unimportant and I noticed it only on one tv.

[oldeschool17]

Sorry to go on, but there's really annoying and backwards step keeping it from being really good: Interlacing (http://www.bulletsnbabesdvd.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=111330). I've requested before in advance but damn it...

Media Blasters, PLEASE get your flagging right.
suprised its interlaced but is it worse than an IMAGE transfer? How could you tell it was 60i?

[chen lung]

suprised its interlaced but is it worse than an IMAGE transfer? How could you tell it was 60i?
It won't be worse than Image as they convert here to there, where as in this instance, it's not a conversion problem - the fields aren't properly flagged.

Interlacing on NTSC can only be 60i AFAIK.

[gfanikf]

suprised its interlaced but is it worse than an IMAGE transfer? How could you tell it was 60i?

Lord no. The Image would have been like the IVL. Look at how shitty and smeared it is. It looks like it had been transferred in someones anus by comparison.

[oldeschool17]

Lord no. The Image would have been like the IVL. Look at how shitty and smeared it is. It looks like it had been transferred in someones anus by comparison.
Didnt need the visual, but thanks. hah

Is it that much more effort to flag fields? Hey it could have been alot worse. Pal to NTSC to NTSC. lol

[chen lung]

It looks like it had been transferred in someones anus by comparison.
:D

[chen lung]

Is it that much more effort to flag fields? Hey it could have been alot worse. Pal to NTSC to NTSC. lol
Yes, it could have been worse. It's one of the things Dragon Dynasty managed to get right, but their subtitles are poorer in comparison to MB who re-translated theirs.

I don't know the ins and outs, but it's certainly an oddity why it wasn't flagged properly and it's not really minor when today's equipment consists of progressive screens. Because of the field treatment, it'll be fine in the first 2 frames, but the next 3 or so will ghost and then go back to normal, same process again (something like that).

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Interlacing, flagging, 60i AFAIK? I'm so lost. Damn all you smart people out there.

[gfanikf]

Yes, it could have been worse. It's one of the things Dragon Dynasty managed to get right, but their subtitles are poorer in comparison to MB who re-translated theirs.

I don't know the ins and outs, but it's certainly an oddity why it wasn't flagged properly and it's not really minor when today's equipment consists of progressive screens. Because of the field treatment, it'll be fine in the first 2 frames, but the next 3 or so will ghost and then go back to normal, same process again (something like that).

However, a lot of players will correct this on the fly.

[chen lung]

However, a lot of players will correct this on the fly.
Can you recommend one please?

[gfanikf]

Sure

Pretty cheap too especially for people with pounds and euros :)
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/xq/asp/pid.153/qx/details.htm
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/xq/asp/pid.137/qx/details.htm

[chen lung]

Sure

Pretty cheap too especially for people with pounds and euros :)
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/xq/asp/pid.153/qx/details.htm
http://www.hkflix.com/hardware/xq/asp/pid.137/qx/details.htm
Thanks, but it's no use:

1) I was after software so that I don't lose quality outputting through this player to the projector with no access to settings.
2) "The rarer NTSC film discs authored without Progressive Flags (known in the biz as "hard telecined") currently play back in Video mode, with small jaggies. These discs are rare and typically only include older releases from low-budget labels, but it'd be good if Oppo could fix this all the same." means it's not capable.

Donno if it's that cheap either ;).

[gfanikf]

With a 2:1 exchange rate on the dollar I would say thats not bad at all.

[oldeschool17]

Will an unpconvert dvd player fix that?

[chen lung]

Will an unpconvert dvd player fix that?
Nope, that's a different issue altogether. Unless it has an 'inverse telecine' option on it :).

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

Alternatively you could buy a DVD player from a retailer that doesn't support that dipshit Stiller and his crappy bootlegs.

[gfanikf]

Alternatively you could buy a DVD player from a retailer that doesn't support that dipshit Stiller and his crappy bootlegs.

What like FYE or Suncoast? lol The more I learn the less I have against HKFlix. Lets be honest if consumers didn't buy them, they wouldn't sell. Besides educating consumers, there is not much more I can do. Besides I've always like Hkflixs customer support and database which is second to none.

[vonhumboldtfleisher]

I'd probably say that if I was nibbling on the crumbs that fell from their table too.

[gfanikf]

I'd probably say that if I was nibbling on the crumbs that fell from their table too.

LOL. I wish. I generate occasional income (maybe 50 bucks over the last year). Still I appreciate your confidence in my success. :D

[The Running Man]

gfanikf,
do you have contact with Media Blasters? If you do, can you just give them the message to encode their Shaw Brother stuff as progressive for future releases? :)

[gfanikf]

gfanikf,
do you have contact with Media Blasters? If you do, can you just give them the message to encode their Shaw Brother stuff as progressive for future releases? :)

I haven't mentioned it yet. Still talking about extras and the such, but I'll give it a mention. It may also be something beyond their control.

[mantis FIST]

sounds like a great release. As always, someone has to find some bs reason to bitch about the disc! BLAH BLAH BLAH!

Rant over!

Cheers!

[Kung Foolery]

Just picked this up and Intimate Confessions for a grand total of $22.96 including tax at the local Best Buy.























I work there about 6 hours a week for the nice discount. :D

[mistertpitydafoo]

I just started watching it and the colors are a lot more vibrant but what depressed me is it's interlacing. I dont recall it being that bad on my Thai Heroes Two dvd, it just caught my eye for some reason while I was admiring the brighter picture. I even have it upconverted to 720p instead of 1080i and it still interlaced pretty badly while action is occurring on screen. Anyone recall if the IVL or Thai (which I think is basically the same except for including Thai language too along with Mandarin and not having as many extras). I truly can't wait for Five Element Ninjas to be released by them, but if they can do it progressive instead of interlaced, it would be the icing on the cake, truly making this the ultimate upgrade from your IVL disc. Otherwise I felt that I bought it just for special features, unless of course I rewatch my other version and see interlacing then I would like this new version a lot more since it is truly the best yet. But now in the future if a newer version comes out without interlacing I'll have to upgrade yet again. I just wish they would truly release the ultimate enchanced edition. Then it's gonna be like a Terminator 2 dvd thing where they have T2 Special Edition, T2 Ultimate Edition, T2 Extreme Edition, T2 Ultra Ultimate Edition, T2 Ultra Extreme Enhanced Edition... You get the idea. I just wish that one flaw was fixed in the future releases but other than that small complaint, the picture is definetly nicer in quality and brightness plus there are lots of interesting extras. I noticed they have a lot more stills available than IVL/Celestial ever includes in their R3 DVDs.

Ben

[chen lung]

I just started watching it and the colors are a lot more vibrant but what depressed me is it's interlacing.
Damn. I was hoping it would be in one or two places only. Thanks for the certification. That sucks.

Anyone recall if the IVL or Thai (which I think is basically the same except for including Thai language too along with Mandarin and not having as many extras).
Na, Celestial put the film through the rounds twice I believe: The first attempt was PAL non-anamorphic with no frame-cuts - IVL and Thailand took that and incompetently converted it to NTSC and added 5.1 Mandarin only. The 2nd attempt is a frame-cut HD version - Any country that at least uses anamorphic will have used that (Wild Side, Media Blasters) and it's possible the non-anamorphic (oddly) Momentum Asia DVD has used it too.

The '2nd attempt' anamorphic ones look far better image wise and have more information, but they're sadly frame-cut to avoid repairing the splices at each shot.

It's just annoying because of dodgy motion. I really hope something can be arranged to recall it for those bothered by it, fix it for future batches and manage to avoid such an issue in the future with 'The Master', etc.

[The Dragon]

Will an unpconvert dvd player fix that?

I have a Samsung 42" Plasma HDTV, and I'm running both an Oppo 981 1080P DVD player and a Sony DVP NS70H Upconverting player. The Movie looks great on both. My understanding of interlacing isn't very clear, however, the video is heads and shoulders above the IVL release.
Btw, Linn's commentary is VERY cool, and super informative. I wish he would have had the opportunity to do this earlier, before he left us. So much information this man had to share, I truly appreciate what he contributed, and I will seek out more of his articles, and thread posts here.:)

[mistertpitydafoo]

I've noticed it A LOT during the intro fights, when the temple is being attacked. I got about 10 mins further and took it out to watch ICOACC first since I've never seen it.

[chen lung]

What's ACOACC?

God, I still don't have the disc for Linn's commentary!

Pause and skip frames on your DVD player, you'll notice the side effects (ghosting) of it being interlaced I think :).

Would be cool to know MB's response or if anyone else has contacted them.

[Morgoth Bauglir]

ICOACC- Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan

[The Dragon]

Pause and skip frames on your DVD player, you'll notice the side effects (ghosting) of it being interlaced I think :)

Thanks. I still didn't see much of a problem.:o

[Killer Meteor]

It does depend on the player as well. My DVD player does the progressive for me, even if the disc is lacking in that regard

[chen lung]

It does depend on the player as well. My DVD player does the progressive for me, even if the disc is lacking in that regard
Are you sure your player reverses the 3:2 pulldown? Technically it shouldn't without pulling off ghosting frames, unless you've a player that specifically states such option.

[teako170]

Finally got my disc from DeepDiscount today.
Hmm.. wondering what I'll watch tonight? :rolleyes:

[mistertpitydafoo]

My dvd player is progressive and my tv is progressive and i've upconverted, ect, but it still shows. Its not as bad as the film wears on, you don't notice it as badly cuz the beautiful picture takes away from it. But still it is a downer in that I can notice it, especially when Fong Sai Yuk waves around his big white fan. Nonetheless a great release, and oh my god does Linn's commentary rank as one of the top I've heard. Usually they are boring but before I knew it almost 30 mins of the movie had gone by and I was so interested to here all of his facts and details. I truly wish he was able to record some other commentaries for future releases because he has to be one of the most informative commentators ever. Usual it's something like Arnold Schwarzenegger and the director laughing at a scene saying, "ha ha I remember dat, dat was funny. Here comes da part where I pumped de iron." "ya it was a difficult shot Arnold" blah blah blah. This one was so informative and interesting I almost couldn't turn it off to go to sleep in time for waking up this morning. If anyone wants the commentary, if there's enough requests I could always rip it or something. I am trying to deinterlace it through the computer so hopefully I can offer an ULTIMATE edition of the movie for download eventually so you could somehow compile your own enhanced edition dvd by buying it and ripping the extras and menus and replacing the interlaced version with the deinterlaced. Nonetheless buy this film so we can see others especially Five Element Ninjas.

[bravearcher101]

The Tokyo Shock version of Heroes Two, is by far the beat print i've seen of the film. The audio, was pretty good, the other versions like Siren was okay, everyone should have this one, but i hope all their other releases will be master in HD.