The DVD is anamorphic, French DD 5.1, and English subtitles (is the majority of the movie originally in French???)
Here's the DVD review: http://www.dvdrama.com/fiche.php?10632
It's available to buy at Amazon France: http://www.amazon.fr/JCVD-Damme-Jean-Claude-Van/dp/B001HBW306/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1227545231&sr=8-1
Giles
11-24-08, 01:37 PM
I'm hoping to catch this movie over at the Landmark this weekend.
Shiv Shankly
11-24-08, 11:18 PM
The DVD is anamorphic, French DD 5.1, and English subtitles (is the majority of the movie originally in French???)
Yeah, much of the movie takes place in Belgium, so a good deal of it is in French. I'd say maybe 70/30 French English. I liked this, a rather different, and fairly courageous performance by Van Damme, given how he portrays himself as a washed-up has been who screwed up his life. It probably could have been cut a bit during the latter half of the film, but worth seeing, especially if you like Van Damme. The film has a very washed out, dull brown color scheme, presumably to mirror Van Damme's "life" at that point.
Looks like Blu-ray edition comes out in February.
Tutut
11-25-08, 04:11 PM
Looks like Blu-ray edition comes out in February.
Yes, February 17 or 19.
UK-based distribs Revolver Entertainment are set to release Jean-Claude Van Damme's JCVD on February 2.
Variety:
Van Damme is back! Combined with recent news that the Muscles from Brussels will soon turn auteur with "Full Love," Gaumont's "JCVD," a French-language meta-movie parody par excellence, constitutes the headiest stretch of the beefy star's career since, well, ever. Playing "himself," i.e., an international action stud whose bruising child custody battle has him literally going postal , exec-producing Jean-Claude Van Damme reveals heretofore hidden third dimension to his monosyllabic persona. Ho-hum hostage crisis mayhem serves to buttress co-scripting helmer Mabrouk El Mechri's more experimental stunts, including a tonally opposite pair of longish takes -- one a wonderfully absurd ode to star's martial-arts moves, the other a tear- and prayer-filled Van Damme monologue that must be seen to be believed. An adventurous U.S. minimajor could reap modest B.O. following a June 4 French release.
Playful from its first moments of a balloon-toting cartoon tot kickboxing in Gaumont logo, "JCVD" pumps up "I'm too-old-for-this-crap" cliches via shrewdly deployed in-jokes. Title character is revered for having "brought" John Woo to Hollywood with "Hard Target" in '93 ("He'd still be shooting pigeons in Hong Kong," an industry player opines), but on-set colleagues find fault with 47-year-old's mark-hitting skills. Worse, prosecuting attorney in hero's L.A. custody case dissects icon's eye-gouging oeuvre by DVD to assert dad's history of violence.
Freshly spurned by preteen daughter, jetlagged from trip back to Belgium, and electronically dissed at the hometown ATM, JCVD loses his cool while seeking a post-office wire transfer of euros, only to find he has stumbled into in-progress heist for which he'll be blamed by cops -- and credited, oddly or not, by hordes of placard-waving fans (e.g., "Free Jean-Claude!").
As before, bulky thesp's acting is as flat as his pecs are sculpted, but here said limitations are more clearly part of joke within hollow mirror world, where JCVD loses key role to Steven Seagal because latter negotiated to topline sans ponytail.
Script's sharpest running gag has the concept of celebrity trumping human life in media coverage if not public estimation; even JCVD's sweet old Maman hints at worries of son's marquee rep while mistakenly urging him to release "his" hostages.
Incalculably superior in tone, attitude, intent, and intellect to bulk of bodybuilder vehicles, shrewdly produced pic limits limber star's acrobatics to first and last scenes without great detriment to whole. Gast Waltzing's horn-heavy score is pleasingly old-school and subtly parodic; Philippe Kohn's sound mix is crisply immersive; Pierre-Yves Bastard's widescreen lensing does the job despite de rigueur color-bleaching and scant closeups with which to flaunt Van Damme's near-Buster Keatonesque deadpan. Exception to that to is aforementioned long take wherein weeping JCVD flexes existential about his status as global-screen limb-snapper with backend points.
No kidding.
Pro-B
manicsounds
02-09-09, 11:59 PM
I just got the UK PAL 2 disc, and loved it!
It doesn't have the audio commentary from the French release, but still has some nice bonuses, including 2 documentaries and deleted scenes.
well, maybe the cover i too silly, I'm aware...
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61eBZiNl4AL._SS500_.jpg
dino88
03-04-09, 09:28 PM
The R1 version is available for rental at Blockbuster now, even though the release date isn't until April 28.
manicsounds
03-04-09, 10:39 PM
www.blu-ray.com has a review up for the US release, which has very few extras compared to the French and UK.
I wonder what he has on tap for 2024 that's going to top this?
dino88
04-15-09, 02:42 AM
The R1 version is available for rental at Blockbuster now, even though the release date isn't until April 28.
And now they are selling used copies. Isn't that illegal or something? To sell a movie that has yet to be released. Oh well, I bought a copy. It's eligible for their 3 for $20 deal if anyone's interested. The only negative thing about this copy is the "Blockbuster Exclusive" banner across the top of the cover art. Great movie.
I don't know if that UK cover art is meant to be a joke or if the company that released that dvd had no knowledge of the film and just thought it was typical Van Damme.
LOL...I quoted myself.
RaMMaR
04-15-09, 08:31 AM
... Go for the UK disc if you want the extrasAs of this post, CDwow! has the Blu-ray for $11.89 (http://www.cdwow.us/search?query=jcvd&category=bluray). i just got a couple of vouchers after placing my order :brickwl:. So, check your inboxes first! i've placed a number of orders with them recently and with a few exceptions - mainly studios pushing releases back - they seem to be doing better.
toddly6666
04-15-09, 09:01 AM
And now they are selling used copies. Isn't that illegal or something? To sell a movie that has yet to be released. Oh well, I bought a copy. It's eligible for their 3 for $20 deal if anyone's interested. The only negative thing about this copy is the "Blockbuster Exclusive" banner across the top of the cover art.
That was the best Blockbuster Video experience i've had yet. A couple weeks ago, I was browsing their used dvd section, and I saw the JCVD Blockbuster Exclusive DVD. I was like "what the fuck?" I scooped that shit up! I love when stores sell used dvds before official release date...European video stores do that a lot too...
dullboy
04-15-09, 10:16 AM
As of this post, CDwow! has the Blu-ray for $11.89 (http://www.cdwow.us/search?query=jcvd&category=bluray). i just got a couple of vouchers after placing my order :brickwl:. So, check your inboxes first! i've placed a number of orders with them recently and with a few exceptions - mainly studios pushing releases back - they seem to be doing better.
Rammar, I tried my $4 "We Miss You" voucher, and it told me it wouldn't work for sale items.
Pro-Bass, on your review of this UK BD, you review the extras, but state they are standard-def PAL...do you have a region-free BD player? It's my understanding that standard-def PAL material on a BD won't play on a PS3, even if the disc is region-free.
pro-bassoonist
04-15-09, 12:34 PM
Pro-Bass, on your review of this UK BD, you review the extras, but state they are standard-def PAL...do you have a region-free BD player? It's my understanding that standard-def PAL material on a BD won't play on a PS3, even if the disc is region-free.
Yes, I have two Region-B machines and a Region-A player. With other words, if you only have a Region-A PS3/SA you will not be able to access the supplemental features regardless of whether or not the disc is Region-Free. Obviously, if you have the Region-Free LG, however, then you are all set.
Pro-B
RaMMaR
04-15-09, 02:02 PM
Rammar, I tried my $4 "We Miss You" voucher, and it told me it wouldn't work for sale items...Ah. Well, sorry 'bout that. You gotta admit that it's still a decent price.
... if you only have a Region-A PS3/SA you will not be able to access the supplemental features regardless of whether or not the disc is Region-Free. i figured as much. If it's anything like the UK version of Chocolate, the only workaround (AFAiK) to watching the supplemental materials is playing the disc via a BD equipped notebook/desktop.
dullboy
04-15-09, 02:57 PM
Yes, Rammar, it still is a decent price, and I went ahead and ordered. Thanks for providing the link.
And thanks for the clarification, Pro-B...those LG players are still too pricey for my wallet, and it's a little scary seeing so many broken ones being pawned off on Ebay.
TinMan368
05-14-09, 07:42 PM
Did anyone pick up the 2-disc Gaumont DVD? Just wanted to know...
* if the soundtrack contains the original French, English, Chinese dialogue
* if the movie is subbed in decent English
* if subs are switchable
* if the extras (deleted scenes, docs) are subtitled in English
Buy: