jrutz

Found this on Kung Fu Cult Cinema:

Didn't see this posted here, so I thought I'd share. Uncut...and English subs? One can only hope!

Jeremy

Hendrik

...ahh... yes... Ong Bak...

...and yes! there is a (R4?/PAL) DVD... without subtitles...

...and the reason for that is more or less explained in this review...

...sigh...

. . . . . .

zerotl

Hell yeah! Loved this flick, even though I didn't understand a word they said on my PAL dvd

jrutz

No no! Luc Besson bought the rights to distribute it Internationally. I heard his production company will be cutting it to fit each market, but it's good news the HK version will remain intact. So do anticipate seeing it in the US and UK, at least on video, in some form in the future.

Jeremy

tinlunlau

i haven't seen this film yet but luckily, i understand enough chinese to read the subtitles so it's still gonna be in my list of dvd's to purchase. so even if it doesn't have english sub's, who cares?

Furious

Hmm for a start how about the rest of the world that doesn't read Chinese (yes believe it or not, there are a few of us out there), but that's great for you at any rate. According to Toronto Intn'l Film Festival programmer Colin Geddes the HK DVD won't include English subtitles due to licesing restrictions:

Yocke

It will be released in Sweden sometime during 2004 by Universal. No idea if it will be cut or subtitled in English though.

harosa

Although I understand the need for subtitles to understand the small intricasies of what people are saying, it really is not necessary to grasp this film, it follows every kung fu cliche since the days of Shaw Bros to Van Damme and Seagal. What demands that people hunt and see this movie is the action, plain and simple. For fans of ass kicking, watching this is as relevatory as someone who sees Police Story or even the Matrix for the first time, you will be impressed as people actually get kicked and hit in this movie, there's no denying it and in case you missed it there's the old Van Damme "helicopter kick" standard from back in the day, the multiple angle shot of every stunt but it works because you're analyzing it each time it happens as the filmmakers prove to you that no wires are used, watch the DVD extras to see the run throughs of the stunts in case you have any doubts. I cant recommend this movie enough and it is very cheap to get.

eXcentris

I don't agree. I don't care if there's only one line of dialogue in that movie, I want to be able to understand it. People will whine if a film is cut, cropped, dubbed, or is missing an insert but suddenly have no problem seeing a film they can't understand. I don't get it.

harosa

Well, I understand what you mean about wanting to know what is going on, if it was any other type of movie I'd be down 100 percent, my arguement is that this type of movie has no grand exposition in it, or Matrix Reloaded Architect-type speech at the end which requires a translation. Hell, even a Die Hard kind of movie I wouldnt want to see unsubtitled but Ong Bak is getting a rep mostly for it's stunts and fight work, something that doesnt need translation. This time, moslty because its cheap to get, I'd recommend getting the import. I do disagree with you about people whining about the state of a foreign movie if its altered in any way, anyone getting an unsubtitled copy of the film and whining about it is a fool, this is something you know going in, a foreign movie thats cut or dubbed and you dont know about it is different, especially if its edited.

axolotls return

Hendrik:

The only PAL disc I know of is the R3 PAL Thai DVD. It's Anamorphic, dts.

axolotls return

And, I disagree with the reviewers saying this is all wire-free. There are wires used in a few scenes like when he runs across the tops of a dozen peoples heads ala Fong Sai Yuk.

axolotls return

I was worried -also- that the lack of English subs would ruin the movie for me. I have to say, no sir it didn't one bit!

Although, I did read a synopsis of the film first from another internet site.

I've seen this a half of a dozen times already and now I've forgotten that there are only thai subs on it.

And, for those who care, English is spoken a few times throughout the movie.

harosa

There are no wires in that scene, even in the Making Of they show you him doing it on the cuff and he performs the stunt at a few premieres of the movie also.

axolotls return

huh? ok i'll look at the making-of. can i run on top of your head..

Hendrik

...yeah, my bad, should have looked up which Region Thailand was in...

. . . . . .

eXcentris

Just saw this on the Premier Asia (HKL) website:

http://www.hongkonglegends.co.uk/ind...category_id=28

Question is cut international version or uncut?

There's also specs for the 2 disc SE of Volcano High on that page.

litza

I cannot disagree with you more strongly. And I am disagreeing with you partially based on the fact that your comments inspired me to get this title, unsubtitled, in the first place.

How anyone can claim that this movie doesn't need subtitles when there is literally no action for the first 35-40 minutes of the movie? Its all story and set up. And in fact, there's a lot of nice humor that is totally lost on us non-Thai speaking folks (I saw it with someone who is Thai, and she was laughing her a** off at many parts that were in the dialogue).

Yeah, the stunts and fight work is good. And yeah, you can sort of follow the story, but you can sort of follow just about any movie without knowing the dialogue, but if you don't understand what people are saying, you're not watching the movie, you are watching one aspect of the movie. Boiling down the movie to this simple element really is doing the film makers a disservice.



thomas

harosa

My arguement was that anyone who has seen a martial arts movie can follow the story, whats selling this movie to everyone and why it receives my highest recommendation and of others who have seen it is because of the uniqueness of the fighting style and the WOW factor of the main actor doing his stunts. This has the same story as any Van Damme or early Jackie Chan/Shaw Bros. film. The story is not what is getting this movie international attention. Apparently you were able to follow the story, of course you werent going to get the smaller things said, thats obvious, there are no subtitles, you knew that going in yet you still got the movie, dont act like you were duped somehow.

litza

As eXcentris said above, this logic is beyond me. God forbid if a movie is released with 30 seconds missing, or has the wrong aspect ratio, and the internet will be buzzing about how sacraligious this release is. In fact, even the topic of this thread worries about possible re-editing of the original work, as though that would somehow ruin the movie viewing experience

And yet, some people can lay claim that they've seen a movie without really understanding a word people are saying.

Yeah, you can FOLLOW this movie without knowing what is being said. You can FOLLOW just about any movie without knowing what is being said.

Can you claim to have really seen the movie? I don't think so.

Watching any movie, without understanding the dialogue, is no different than watching a movie that is pan and scanned or edited. Under your definition, you can following a widescreen movie that has been cropped to a full-screen ratio. But understand that you are not watching the movie that the filmmakers wanted you to watch.

Rather than claim that you can watch this movie, unsubtitled, and enjoy/understand/appreciate the movie is a misnomer.

What you should say is that if a person wants to watch pure action and stunt sequences that have no context within character or story, then buy the cheap unsubtitled Thai VCD. On the other hand, if you want to experience this movie in any way close to resembling the way the filmmakers (who devoted four years to making it by the way) intended, for now, us English speaking only people will just have to wait.

eXcentris

Wait being the keyword here. People have a real problem with that in our days where one "must have this NOW" so they tend to throw all critical thinking out the window and rationalize their purchase with faulty logic.

harosa

Lets get this straight, I had no problem watching the movie without subtitles. I wasnt going into it expecting some thought provoking drama, I wanted some kick ass action scenes and got it, period. THAT is what I based my recommendation on, and I did see the movie that the makers wanted me to, make no bones, this movie is made to showcase the Thai fighting style and action choreography of these new up and coming filmmakers. If all this is made clear up front, whats with all the holier than thou comments about the sanctity of foreign films? I got a LEGIT DVD release, and why settle for a VCD when the DVD can be had for $12 shipped? As for the culture of not being able to wait, what is it to you if I or others want to do this or not? Does it affect you in any way other than it seems your jealous of others seeing something before you.

eXcentris

Doesn't affect me, just trying to understand the reasoning behind buying a movie you can't understand. I'm not jealous, since I can wait. But I think you just admitted that the real reason for getting this is because you wanted to see it before everyone else.

harosa

I wanted to see it because the movie was being hyped on sites that I visited but it wasnt playing in any thatre near me, nor do I live near where any festivals were playing so my choices are limited, either hunt down the movie as is or let it stay in the dust. When I got the movie there was no mention of a US release on video or even HK so I rolled the dice and loved what I got. And hey, it got you talking about the movie and I'll admit it, I love seeing stuff before the hype machine starts in the US. If I hear a movie getting a rep across the seas and I can get a DVD release before it hits the States, hey, Im down, sue me. Some of us like being ahead of the curb and finding fresh movies, some like following the herd and waiting for someone to present it to them.

litza

I've got no problem with what you do/did.

I do have a problem with your claims that you can see an unsubtitled movie in language you do not understand and then claim that you actually understood and saw the movie.

Basically, from you said, you really have little interest in the film itself, rather you want to be the first one on your block to say you have seen it. Cooler than the rest of us.

Sorry, I respect the filmmakers a little bit more than that. I believe that the director/producer of Ong-Bak intended it to be an entire entertainment experience. Not just a series of mindless stunts. Which is basically all that you took away from the experience of seeing it.