Question about Image Entertainment and Well Go DVD

[OldPangYau]

Hey, as sad as it sounds, I've JUST started collecting Shaw Brothers DVDs (aside from the occasional Celestial/IVL DVD from trades), and I've been focusing primarily on Dragon Dynasty and Media Blasters, as they actually have proper NTSC progressive scan transfers (aside from Media Blaster's "Heroes Two" DVD, which I believe is the proper NTSC speed but interlaced) and original audio (aside from the Dragon Dynasty My Young Auntie "situation" with Mandarin instead of Cantonese). However, I've been trying to find solid info on Image Entertainment's and Well Go's releases, and that being said, I have some questions:

1. Image Entertainment's DVDs... do ALL of them have the annoying PAL-to-NTSC-to-Slower-NTSC double interlacing situation? I know their earliest releases, such as Black Magic and Super Inframan have this issue, but I wasn't sure how the later releases might've compared. From what I've read, instead of just using PAL-to-NTSC transfers that IVL used, they took said transfers and slowed them down to match NTSC speed... with disasterous results.

2. Well Go DVDs... I know these are interlaced, but in what way? Are they NTSC speed interlaced? PAL-to-NTSC interlaced (a la IVL's DVDs)? Or the Image Entertainment style cock-up?

Actually, these are the only questions I have, but I figured the serious colelctors could jump in and give me some good answers.

[Killer Meteor]

Hey, as sad as it sounds, I've JUST started collecting Shaw Brothers DVDs (aside from the occasional Celestial/IVL DVD from trades), and I've been focusing primarily on Dragon Dynasty and Media Blasters, as they actually have proper NTSC progressive scan transfers (aside from Media Blaster's "Heroes Two" DVD, which I believe is the proper NTSC speed but interlaced) and original audio (aside from the Dragon Dynasty My Young Auntie "situation" with Mandarin instead of Cantonese). However, I've been trying to find solid info on Image Entertainment's and Well Go's releases, and that being said, I have some questions:

1. Image Entertainment's DVDs... do ALL of them have the annoying PAL-to-NTSC-to-Slower-NTSC double interlacing situation? I know their earliest releases, such as Black Magic and Super Inframan have this issue, but I wasn't sure how the later releases might've compared. From what I've read, instead of just using PAL-to-NTSC transfers that IVL used, they took said transfers and slowed them down to match NTSC speed... with disasterous results.

2. Well Go DVDs... I know these are interlaced, but in what way? Are they NTSC speed interlaced? PAL-to-NTSC interlaced (a la IVL's DVDs)? Or the Image Entertainment style cock-up?

Actually, these are the only questions I have, but I figured the serious colelctors could jump in and give me some good answers.

1. Image's are all the PAl-NTSC on ntsc speed messes

2. well gos are PAl-ntsc and badly remixed, regardless of whether the HK disc had original mono or not

[OldPangYau]

*sigh* I hoped Image would've learned from their mistakes, but apparently not. As for Well Go, sounds like ports of the IVLs, just with audio remixes instead. Well, that pretty much answers my questions. Guess the best releases of the films they have the rights to would be PAL DVDs. Too bad, DD and MB have done the best job so far. I can only hope Media Blasters picks up the rights to BCI's Shaws. DD will only sit on the rights, and of course Image and Well Go will botch them.

[Killer Meteor]

*sigh* I hoped Image would've learned from their mistakes, but apparently not. As for Well Go, sounds like ports of the IVLs, just with audio remixes instead. Well, that pretty much answers my questions. Guess the best releases of the films they have the rights to would be PAL DVDs. Too bad, DD and MB have done the best job so far. I can only hope Media Blasters picks up the rights to BCI's Shaws. DD will only sit on the rights, and of course Image and Well Go will botch them.

I reccomend the following PAL releases for anamorphic PAL transfers. All have mono sound and English subs

From Germany

Boxer from Shantung
The Condemned
The Heroic Ones
Invincible Shaolin (interlaced)
Mad Monkey Kung Fu
Shaolin Temple
Vengeance!


From Australia

The Assassin
Dragon Swamp
The Shadow Whip
The Water Margin
The Spiritual Boxer
The Web of Death

I'll get you links later if you'd like!

[OldPangYau]

I reccomend the following PAL releases for anamorphic PAL transfers. All have mono sound and English subs

From Germany

Boxer from Shantung
The Condemned
The Heroic Ones
Invincible Shaolin (interlaced)
Mad Monkey Kung Fu
Shaolin Temple
Vengeance!


From Australia

The Assassin
Dragon Swamp
The Shadow Whip
The Water Margin
The Spiritual Boxer
The Web of Death

I'll get you links later if you'd like!


Wow, that would be great! I have ordered from Australia before (can't remember the site though), but not Germany. I did indeed try to find Boxer From Shantung on Amazon.de, but I think they were all Marketplace sellers, and they probably would only ship to other parts of Germany in that case. So yeah, whatever links you have would be great! Thanks in advance!

[The Silver Fox]

I don't know, I find the Image releases and Well Go for that matter to be pretty good. From Image I currently have Shaolin Intruders,Human Lanterns,Bat Without Wings and The Magic Blade(waiting on Killer Snakes.)

From WellGo I have The Heroic Ones,The Battle Wizard,Two Champions of Shaolin,Journey of the Doomed.

I can't think about any one of these films where I've not been able to enjoy the film because of this PAL to NTSC stuff. No offense but I think some of you guys get overly critical on microscopic issues regarding these films. Up until a couple of years ago, you couldn't even find half of these movies and if you did it was big bucks for a crappy bootleg.

Bottom line. you get a remastered print at a reasonable price and that's good enough for me.

[OldPangYau]

No offense but I think some of you guys get overly critical on microscopic issues regarding these films. Up until a couple of years ago, you couldn't even find half of these movies and if you did it was big bucks for a crappy bootleg.

Bottom line. you get a remastered print at a reasonable price and that's good enough for me.

I will admit, I am a videophile/audiophile, so I can indeed be picky. I think it's also the film-buff OCD of "if there's a better version currently available, I have to have that version". Now, while I can stand the improper PAL-to-NTSC conversions (my collection of Mega Star and Universe DVDs can prove this), I don't think I'd be able to watch the Image Entertainment discs. I've personally tested out stretching PAL-to-NTSC conversions to interlaced NTSC speed... and I nearly had seizures.

Maybe I've just been spoiled by Dragon Dynasty and Media Blasters' releases, I dunno.

[Killer Meteor]

I will admit, I am a videophile/audiophile, so I can indeed be picky. I think it's also the film-buff OCD of "if there's a better version currently available, I have to have that version". Now, while I can stand the improper PAL-to-NTSC conversions (my collection of Mega Star and Universe DVDs can prove this), I don't think I'd be able to watch the Image Entertainment discs. I've personally tested out stretching PAL-to-NTSC conversions to interlaced NTSC speed... and I nearly had seizures.

Maybe I've just been spoiled by Dragon Dynasty and Media Blasters' releases, I dunno.

I don't accept PAL-NTSC stuff. I'll trade for it sure, but there's plenty of dvds from companies that actually give a damn for me to spend my money on

[kaleyboy]

I think if someone is willing to pay good money for a product, then the product should be to the specification of the buyer. What happened to the customer always being right? This may sound harsh, but if some these companies go out of business in the recession, I won't be missing them.

[Killer Meteor]

I think if someone is willing to pay good money for a product, then the product should be to the specification of the buyer. What happened to the customer always being right? This may sound harsh, but if some these companies go out of business in the recession, I won't be missing them.

True, I think too many distributors of kung fu films on DVD took things for granted and didn't bother to make good quality dvds. I have no issue with buying an old pan'scan print of say, Fists and Guts, because that's likely all there is. But when distributors keep throwing non-anamorphic transfers, standards conversion, awful remixes and crummy subs at us, eventually it gets too much

[David Rees]

Killer Meteor can you tell me how many of those releases from Germany and Australia are Anamorphic, i cant stand letterbox discs they look awful on my tv
when zoomed and it messes up the subtitles.




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[OldPangYau]

Killer Meteor can you tell me how many of those releases from Germany and Australia are Anamorphic, i cant stand letterbox discs they look awful on my tv
when zoomed and it messes up the subtitles.

Oh yeah, and where we can find them? ;)

[Whirlwind]

Oh yeah, and where we can find them? ;)

I have these ones which are anamorphic :

Siren:
The Assassin
The Web of Death
The Shadow Whip

M.I.B:
Secret Service of The Imperial Court
The Heroic Ones
Vengeance

I got the German DVD`s here :

http://shop.dtm.at/index.php?manufacturers_id=24&osCsid=b493a4a7f1c58050247cc635bc774971

[Killer Meteor]

Amazon.de for most German titles - just type Shaw brothers into search box

DMT - use for the 18 rated German titles but otherwise don't use, shipping is extortinate

Sanity.com.au for Australian discs

[OldPangYau]

Well, in regards to Amazon.de, what if the DVDs are only available from marketplace sellers? In other words, sellers who most likely only sell within Germany... and speak only German :p As you can see, I haven't done much buying from other countries, outside of the UK and Australia, that is. Maybe I'm just making it out to be far more complicated than it really is.

[Killer Meteor]

Reccomended GermanDVDs (for being anamorphic and OK subs)

Mad Monkey Kung Fu - http://www.amazon.de/Shaw-Brothers-Killer-mit-Affenpranke/dp/B0017IK93W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1244478249&sr=1-1

Shaolin Temple - http://www.amazon.de/Tempel-Shaolin-Sheng-Fu/dp/B000NVL8N4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1244478249&sr=1-2

The Condemned - http://www.amazon.de/R%C3%A4cher-aus-Todeszelle-David-Chiang/dp/B0014YEDGS/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1244478534&sr=1-22

Invincible Shaolin - http://www.amazon.de/Das-H%C3%B6llentor-Shaolin-Sun-Chieng/dp/B00095MRAW/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1244478534&sr=1-19

Vengeance! - http://www.amazon.de/Kuan-unerbitterliche-R%C3%A4cher-David-Chiang/dp/B00095MRBG/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1244478652&sr=1-28

Heroic Ones - http://shop.dtm.at/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=24&products_id=28773

Boxer From Shantung is no longer at DTM for some reason (amazon doesn't stock) and M.I.B's Chinese Boxer release seems to have totally vanished

Avoid German Shadow Whip for out of sync subtitles, Five Venoms for awful picture quality (it's a long story), Web of Death for interlacing (Australian is progressive) and the non-anamorphic titles (36th Chamber, Return to 36th Chamber, Lion Vs Lion, Soul of the Sword, Have Sword Will Travel)

Have just recived German DVDs of Magic Blade, Killer Clans, Twelve Gold Medallions and Disciples of 36th Chamber so I'll report on those later. Have yet to see Secret Service of Imperial Court, legend of Bat, Human Lanterns and Blood Brothers, but they should be anamorphic

[Killer Meteor]

Well, in regards to Amazon.de, what if the DVDs are only available from marketplace sellers? In other words, sellers who most likely only sell within Germany... and speak only German :p As you can see, I haven't done much buying from other countries, outside of the UK and Australia, that is. Maybe I'm just making it out to be far more complicated than it really is.

If they won't sell International not sure what you can do. its not really worth the hassle though

[OldPangYau]

That's the thing... Boxer From Shantung is the one I want the most! GAH! I did some research, and I think Amazon.fr still has new copies for sale... you think the Wildside French DVD would be decent? I've read that their releases are pretty solid.

[Killer Meteor]

That's the thing... Boxer From Shantung is the one I want the most! GAH! I did some research, and I think Amazon.fr still has new copies for sale... you think the Wildside French DVD would be decent? I've read that their releases are pretty solid.

Go for the Dutch release because at least it won't have forced subs - and its anamorphic and Mandairn mono. But you might as well hang around for a bit and see if you can get the German DVD

[OldPangYau]

Okay... so where would I find Dutch DVDs? :D I may just get the French one either way and work out a custom DVD for myself. Convert the video from PAL to proper 24p NTSC, and just get the subs already available. I enjoy the movie enough to work on something like this for myself.

Maybe even send it to Dragon Dynasty and say "HEY! Make something like this and release it!" Then after they have me locked up, maybe they'll consider it :p

[David Rees]

Thanks Killer Meteor, Heroic Ones and Shaolin Temple Anamorphic ...Excellent!!
Cant find Heroic Ones on Amazon tho, are there any problems shipping from Amazon .de to the UK as the prices are good too...XD

[Killer Meteor]

Thanks Killer Meteor, Heroic Ones and Shaolin Temple Anamorphic ...Excellent!!
Cant find Heroic Ones on Amazon tho, are there any problems shipping from Amazon .de to the UK as the prices are good too...XD

Heroic Ones is rated 18 so its only technically avaliable from the crappy DTM. Buying from Amazon.de is usually hassle free! Not sure what the exchange rates like now

Avoid the German Magic Blade, the subs are absolutelty hopeless. They play twice in a row and run at least 2min out of sync with the picture. the anamorphic transfer is, like the German Five Venoms, a poor copy from the NTSC master. No blurred frames but very dark and poor resolution. This just affected that batch and I still don't know why