agarwood

Wondering if anyone has seen either the Korean or Hong Kong -- or preferably both -- version of Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Pulse (Kairo), since I'd like to get it and DVD Beaver doesn't review it. I'm interested in the quality of transfer and extras, not plot.

I don't have a fancy set-up, just a 20" TV and a Yamakawa 288 player.

Thanks.

Bleddyn Williams

-sigh- A question mark in your title is always a good idea when you're asking a question!!!

agarwood

sorry, i'm new at this.

Grimfarrow

Pulse is going to be released theatrically in the US soon. You may wanna wait, as the HK version's quality is not the best, and nor is the Korean version.

goosh

Unfortunate news about the delay as I have been looking forward to seeing this one in the theater for a while.
Any info on an eventual R1 DVD release?

agarwood

Thanks to both of you for the info. Disappointing but not unexpected that the 2 released versions are less than perfect -- particularly the HK, which is only $7.99 for good reason, I see.

I'll have to find something else to test my player's region-free capabilities, like Tokyo Twilight.

dullboy

I don't mind my HK release. The picture may seem a bit drab, but I think that's just the way it's supposed to be. The 5.1 mix is pretty damn good. Just look at the scene where the guy turns into a stain on the wall and says "help me...help me". The ambient noise in the room just completely drops out, and then you hear the whisper so crisp, clear, and loud coming from the rear channels only. It really freaks you out. I always play that scene to freak out my friends. Just buy the HK version if it's cheap. You won't regret it. Great movie.

rsortor

Spoilerish:

Hopefully, the domestic theatrical and subsequent DVD release will re-instate the sound effect of the plane exploding when it crashes into the building near the climax. Anyone remember reports of how un-nerved people got at film festivals right around 9-11-01 when they saw that scene? I guess for that reason, the sound was removed for the Asian DVD releases. George Romero was right about how soft and fuzzy and timid everyone got during that time... And it really ruins the atmosphere of KAIRO that the movie spent ther better part of 2 hours building up!

printerati

The HK release has been priced at $25HK as part of DDDHouse's Weekly Cheap Sale for months. I wasn't particularly impressed with the quality (or the film, for that matter), but I'm not sure how much of the grain and desaturation was intentional.

dullboy

I had no idea that's why they might've removed the sound. I personally thought the effect of seeing the explosion with no sound completely added to the atmosphere...making it more dreamlike. I felt Kurosawa was actually relating to me on a very personal level because I have had many dreams where planes and other objects fall from the sky above, and sometimes make no sound on impact. It's what you're expecting and dreading...and if you don't hear it, you're not sure if you are dreaming or it's an effect of shock.

dullboy

Nice review up here by Bill Gibron on the HK version, by the way.

agarwood

I did get the HK version and I think it's a very good film, well worth the price on yesasia ($7.99). Kurosawa, like most Japanese filmmakers, works with a pretty low budget, and I'm not at all sure the quality of the disc isn't more the budget limitations & Kurosawa's style.

In any case, this is his best work next to Cure, and really a kind of sequel to that film, as others have mentioned elsewhere.

BTW, I think the silent airliner crash was more effective, creepier, than sound would've been (if rsorter didn't bring this up, I would never have suspected).

Grubert

Can you confirm the HK edition is anamorphic? I found conflicting information.

Vandaahl

It is indeed anamorphic. You can check the screenshots I made right here (scroll to the centre of the page).

dullboy

And now that the R1 version has no 5.1 track, another reason to have the HK R3. This movie MUST be heard in 5.1 to get the full effect, as mentioned in the review posted here.

Richard Malloy

Is that right?!?

The R1 release of "Tropical Malady" is the same way, reducing the subtle and convincing 5.1 surround-track (mostly the second half in the Thai jungle) to a nondescript 2.0 mush. For this reason alone, the the Thai disc is far preferable (it's also less expensive). I think there are many films where 5.1 vs. 2.0 makes little difference (and often are no different at all), but this is certainly not true of "Tropical Malady".

And apparently the same is so for "Pulse"? I haven't seen it yet, but I'm thinking I might need to delete it from my Netflix queue and pay the money to import it... hmmm.

dullboy

It's true, there is no 5.1 track for Magnolia's R1 release of Pulse. Read the review posted here:
http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/read.php?ID=20277

I'll probably give it a rent for the 45 minute behind the scenes bit, but I will definitely prefer to watch the actual film on my HK R3.

chente

Anyone know how the soundtrack was originally recorded? IMDB say "Dolby Digital" but that format supports Mono, Stereo as wells as 5.1.

Liersi

It was Dolby Surround theatrically. No upmix on the R2J either so all should be fine.

Richard Malloy

I saw the R1 version last night. The 2.0 track was really quite good. Even the whispered "Help" from the rear of the room sounded fairly discrete. However, if the 5.1 is as amazingly designed as the DVD Talk review suggests, I can only imagine that it's quite an enhancement. But a very good sound design even in 2.0 surround.

And apparently the sound of the crashing plane has been restored on the R1 release. You can hear it before you see it, then hear it swoop overhead, over the building and crash into a loud fiery explosion (even woke up my wife who looked around in distress!).

I liked the film alot, and though somewhat derivative ("Serial Experiments: Lain" really came to mind), it had those wonderfully dreamlike rhythms that Kurosawa seems so adept at achieving. It it's true that Wes Craven is doing a US remake, I can only shudder at how the obviousness of his style and hamfisted editing will utterly ruin the best part of the film, all those glorious dream waves lost in translation. And I cannot imagine this story populated with chatty-Cathy American teenagers, giggling and "Oh my gawing". I'm certain they suffer from their own brand of alienation and anomie, but its manifestations seem to speak to an entirely different sort of false consciousness.

So, is the HK still considered the best version? Is there a Korean version?

joekun

The 2.0 track on the R2J was fantastic, I see no need for an upmix at all. From my limited understanding about these things a Dolby Surround mix merely sends the same track to both rear speakers rather than having a discrete track for each speaker, so it's not like you aren't getting creepy rear effects.

The only disc I've seen of this film is the R2J so I can't state which is the best, but I found nothing lacking with the R2J.

Richard Malloy

Since posting, I did find that there is a Korean version. It may have better video quality than the HK, and like all releases but the HK one... a DD 2.0 track.

Having read joekun's post about the R2J, and knowing my own experience with the R1, I'm trying to determine to what extent the remixed 5.1 track on the HK disc is better (if at all). It seems all but completely established that the 2.0 surround is the original mix, though I'm not against any alterations that might make this film an even more nuanced and effective mind-trip. But, see, I have my doubts, especially when it comes to an el cheapo HK edition.

dullboy

During the scene that has the "help me" whipered in the rears, do the 2.0 tracks on the R1 and R2 demonstrate a complete dropout of room ambiance and hiss right before the words are spoken? Because the 5.1 track on the R3 does, and plays most effective to having the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up.

Richard Malloy

dullboy, I don't recall a complete dropout of ambient noise, but of course it's a fairly quiet moment and a comparably loud whisper.

Another little point about the R1 that I mentioned above... is this the only current release with the sound of the plane and crash restored? I understand those who argue it's even more effective in silence - and I wonder what I'd think - but it's quite effective in its fullblown, room-shaking original form too!