Indian Cinema [PART 4] - Page 7

flixtime · 11-05-09, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flixtime

Oh well, here's a youtube trailer for a new Tamil superhero flick starring the likeable Vikram (ANNIYAN)...the movie - KANDASAMY - just hit theaters (with mediocre reviews), so we've got a bit of a wait until the DVD arrives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-eH5Qudb5Q

Looks like the wait for KANDASAMY on official DVD wasn't so long after all, it's now available (English-friendly of course).

toddly6666 · 11-05-09, 02:53 PM

Flixtime, thanks for the heads up. I forgot that I was waiting for that.

toddly6666 · 11-05-09, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flixtime

Looks like the wait for KANDASAMY on official DVD wasn't so long after all, it's now available (English-friendly of course).

Where's it sold? It's not at Bhavanidvd.com yet...

flixtime · 11-05-09, 03:10 PM

It was just listed at the Ayngaran UK e-tailer site, so maybe give it a few days for the supply to make its way to U.S. shops...of course you can always order it from Ayngaran UK but then too you have to factor in transit time for it to reach the U.S.

toddly6666 · 11-10-09, 12:18 PM

thanks Flixtime, I just ordered KANDASAMY from the Ayngaran UK site...American Indian retailers are so slow with Tamil dvds - they are just clueless with those big Tamil flicks that come out. Just because they sell mainly Hindi dvds does not give them the right to ignore the bit Tamil or Tegulu hits...

flixtime · 11-10-09, 04:16 PM

toddly, as always, it is my pleasure to be of service.

I'll be curious to hear what you think of KANDASAMY; I haven't watched it yet. The distribution of Tamil flicks to shops here in the U.S. seems to be a little weaker than it was a few years ago...at least to my eyes. I wonder too if KANDASAMY - coming out quite a bit sooner as compared to the usual theater-to-DVD window - might be the reason for the lag in reaching U.S. shops...not sure, just thinking out loud. Generally speaking, I have a feeling the market to purchase Indian regional-language official DVDs just isn't very strong here in the U.S. It seems most of the customer base satisfy themselves via rentals only.

nitin77 · 11-10-09, 08:06 PM

I saw 99 on the plane, not too bad. Although again, for what it is, a light caper comedy, 2.5 hrs is ridiculously long. Also has some laughable acting but overall the cast is charming enough.

toddly6666 · 11-13-09, 12:31 AM

Help! Can someone clarify what is going on with this supposed English-subtitled, ANAMORPHIC DVD or Blu Ray version of JODHAA AKBAR? Nitin? Flixtime? Anyone?

According forum people at zulm.net (http://www.zulm.net/forums/viewtopic...p=95993#p95993), there is a new DVD and Blu Ray release of JODHAA AKBAR with English subtitles by an Indian company called Big Home Video. There is rumors that the English subtitles are not in scope? I don't know what that means? I just want to know:
1. Is the DVD anamorphic and do the English subtitles fit normally on it without adjusting the image all over the place to make the subs fit?
2. Same question for the Blu Ray?
3. Where can I buy either? (please post links)

Is this a trustworthy site? http://www.moviemart.in/sales/Movie_...eid=8708&fmt=a
I'm afraid to give my credit card info to an indian dvd store in india...

nitin77 · 11-13-09, 06:17 AM

toddly,

there is a new post in that thread which says that the dvd is not anamorphic and has poor video quality.

There is no more comments on the blu ray version but from the screenshots it looks anamorphic. No idea about the subs but that description seems to suggest they cut off. Not sure though.

toddly6666 · 11-13-09, 10:14 AM

What the hell is wrong with India? These companies make great versions of their crappy-ass movies and they can't just do a simple correct version of one of their recent masterpieces. How stupid are Indian video companies when it comes to their English-subtitled versions?

Look at some of the best Bollywood films released on English-subtitled dvd:
1. Devdas (pixilated)
2. Dil Se (only good anamorphic version is the dubbed Tamil version)
3. Jodhaa Akbar (one's not anamorphic and the other has English sub probs)
4. Hey Ram (the only available versions are worse-than-VHS versions, and the only anamorphic version is out-of-print and impossible to find)

Why??????? I don't get it.

flixtime · 11-15-09, 01:07 PM

toddly, I can't offer any insight as to that new JODHAA AKBAR DVD release. I'd gather that the home viewing market in India isn't exactly up to the level that we have here in the U.S., so in that sense it'd seem very curious that this new DVD (which seems geared towards the Indian domestic market) would be much superior to what we got here in the U.S....all just some general speculation on my part. It'd be a shame if JODHAA AKBAR doesn't eventually get a better DVD release than what it has gotten so far. And for future reference, while I haven't used that Indian seller you linked to, I have used induna.com which is also in India...though their prices might be a little higher. Based on my experiences, I wouldn't have any concerns in dealing with induna.com...and the customer service was good too. Of course the site you mention might be fine as well.

As to your frustrations towards DVD releases in general as it pertains to the films you like, I think there is definitely a disconnect between what appeals to the Indian mass market versus what sort of Indian films appeal to International/Western audiences. Sure HEY RAM is terrific, but I doubt any Indian company would find financial reward in releasing a high quality version of an "old" movie like that. Granted, this general mindset applies to all world cinema if we are speaking on very broad terms. The buying market is predominantly interested in the latest and greatest...even here in the U.S. we get double-dips galore on newer films while older films get the DVD-R treatment from something like the Warner archive.

toddly6666 · 11-18-09, 12:48 PM

So per recent discussion at zulm.net, if one has a 1.85:1 HDTV screen, the Big Home Video Blu Ray version is the best English-subtitled version of this movie! I may have to change to Blu Ray soon then!

nitin77 · 11-19-09, 05:17 AM

saw Love Aaj Kal.

Definitely a disappointment despite having an interesting premise. There is just some ridiculously bad writing and directing in the second half.

But writer/Director Imtiaz Ali has shown me enough over his last two films to convince that he has a great film in him sometime in the future. Deepika Paudkone also improves considerable from previous films and could actually have a reasonable career.

And the period scenes were beautifully shot.

toddly6666 · 11-20-09, 02:31 PM

I just got my CHICKEN MAN (KANDASAMY) dvd in the mail today. I'll post a review of it as soon as I watch this 3-hour crazed film....

flixtime · 11-20-09, 04:56 PM

For KANDASAMY, haven't yet come across a rental copy with subtitles, but I did sample a few bits here and there, and it seems somewhat promising. Granted, you can't base too much on a minute of random sampling, but I think it could well turn out to be rather enjoyable...I hope. Looking forward to reading your review.

toddly6666 · 11-21-09, 12:27 AM

So I just saw KANDASAMY. Fair movie. It's a shame because it was totally entertaining for 2 hours, then in the third act I just got bored and got lost. The direction was actually pretty good, highly influence from Tony Scott. The premise is not as silly as it sounds. It's like a cross between Robin Hood, Batman, and Brothers Grimm. There are three reasons to see this film:

'Chiyaan' Vikram: he's a pretty good actor. He's got some presence. I've only seen him in Anniyan and I thought he was better in this. The Chicken superhero stuff is pulled off well and wasn't as stupid as I expected.

The main girl has an awesome song at the beginning. I think it stole from Shakira. But this song is worth it to buy the DVD. She's pretty hot as well whatever her name is.

MUMAITH KHAN cameo. I didn't know who she is until this movie, but she's like a Carmen Elektra of India. She's pretty hot. She popps up towards the end of the movie to wake me up.

FILM: 6
DVD VIDEO: 8.5 (anamorphic video)
DVD AUDIO: 9 (Dolby Digital or DTS Tamil)
ENGLISH SUBTITLES: 6

Holy crap, I will edit the English subtitles for free for any Indian DVD company.

nitin77 · 11-21-09, 06:21 AM

how can anything influenced from Tony Scott be good? The guy is seriously a hack.

11-05-09, 02:53 PM	#152
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] Flixtime, thanks for the heads up. I forgot that I was waiting for that. __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films.

11-10-09, 12:18 PM	#155
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] thanks Flixtime, I just ordered KANDASAMY from the Ayngaran UK site...American Indian retailers are so slow with Tamil dvds - they are just clueless with those big Tamil flicks that come out. Just because they sell mainly Hindi dvds does not give them the right to ignore the bit Tamil or Tegulu hits... __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films.

11-10-09, 08:06 PM	#157
nitin77 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 490	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] I saw 99 on the plane, not too bad. Although again, for what it is, a light caper comedy, 2.5 hrs is ridiculously long. Also has some laughable acting but overall the cast is charming enough. __________________ My DVDS http://nitin.dvdaf.com

11-13-09, 12:31 AM	#158
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] Help! Can someone clarify what is going on with this supposed English-subtitled, ANAMORPHIC DVD or Blu Ray version of JODHAA AKBAR? Nitin? Flixtime? Anyone? According forum people at zulm.net (http://www.zulm.net/forums/viewtopic...p=95993#p95993), there is a new DVD and Blu Ray release of JODHAA AKBAR with English subtitles by an Indian company called Big Home Video. There is rumors that the English subtitles are not in scope? I don't know what that means? I just want to know: 1. Is the DVD anamorphic and do the English subtitles fit normally on it without adjusting the image all over the place to make the subs fit? 2. Same question for the Blu Ray? 3. Where can I buy either? (please post links) Is this a trustworthy site? http://www.moviemart.in/sales/Movie_...eid=8708&fmt=a I'm afraid to give my credit card info to an indian dvd store in india... __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films. Last edited by toddly6666; 11-13-09 at 01:06 AM.

11-13-09, 06:17 AM	#159
nitin77 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 490	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] toddly, there is a new post in that thread which says that the dvd is not anamorphic and has poor video quality. There is no more comments on the blu ray version but from the screenshots it looks anamorphic. No idea about the subs but that description seems to suggest they cut off. Not sure though. __________________ My DVDS http://nitin.dvdaf.com

11-05-09, 03:10 PM	#154
flixtime DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,948	It was just listed at the Ayngaran UK e-tailer site, so maybe give it a few days for the supply to make its way to U.S. shops...of course you can always order it from Ayngaran UK but then too you have to factor in transit time for it to reach the U.S.

11-10-09, 04:16 PM	#156
flixtime DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,948	toddly, as always, it is my pleasure to be of service. I'll be curious to hear what you think of KANDASAMY; I haven't watched it yet. The distribution of Tamil flicks to shops here in the U.S. seems to be a little weaker than it was a few years ago...at least to my eyes. I wonder too if KANDASAMY - coming out quite a bit sooner as compared to the usual theater-to-DVD window - might be the reason for the lag in reaching U.S. shops...not sure, just thinking out loud. Generally speaking, I have a feeling the market to purchase Indian regional-language official DVDs just isn't very strong here in the U.S. It seems most of the customer base satisfy themselves via rentals only.

11-13-09, 10:14 AM	#160
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] What the hell is wrong with India? These companies make great versions of their crappy-ass movies and they can't just do a simple correct version of one of their recent masterpieces. How stupid are Indian video companies when it comes to their English-subtitled versions? Look at some of the best Bollywood films released on English-subtitled dvd: 1. Devdas (pixilated) 2. Dil Se (only good anamorphic version is the dubbed Tamil version) 3. Jodhaa Akbar (one's not anamorphic and the other has English sub probs) 4. Hey Ram (the only available versions are worse-than-VHS versions, and the only anamorphic version is out-of-print and impossible to find) Why??????? I don't get it. __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films.

11-15-09, 01:07 PM	#161
flixtime DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,948	toddly, I can't offer any insight as to that new JODHAA AKBAR DVD release. I'd gather that the home viewing market in India isn't exactly up to the level that we have here in the U.S., so in that sense it'd seem very curious that this new DVD (which seems geared towards the Indian domestic market) would be much superior to what we got here in the U.S....all just some general speculation on my part. It'd be a shame if JODHAA AKBAR doesn't eventually get a better DVD release than what it has gotten so far. And for future reference, while I haven't used that Indian seller you linked to, I have used induna.com which is also in India...though their prices might be a little higher. Based on my experiences, I wouldn't have any concerns in dealing with induna.com...and the customer service was good too. Of course the site you mention might be fine as well. As to your frustrations towards DVD releases in general as it pertains to the films you like, I think there is definitely a disconnect between what appeals to the Indian mass market versus what sort of Indian films appeal to International/Western audiences. Sure HEY RAM is terrific, but I doubt any Indian company would find financial reward in releasing a high quality version of an "old" movie like that. Granted, this general mindset applies to all world cinema if we are speaking on very broad terms. The buying market is predominantly interested in the latest and greatest...even here in the U.S. we get double-dips galore on newer films while older films get the DVD-R treatment from something like the Warner archive.

11-18-09, 12:48 PM	#162
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] So per recent discussion at zulm.net, if one has a 1.85:1 HDTV screen, the Big Home Video Blu Ray version is the best English-subtitled version of this movie! I may have to change to Blu Ray soon then! __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films.

11-19-09, 05:17 AM	#163
nitin77 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 490	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] saw Love Aaj Kal. Definitely a disappointment despite having an interesting premise. There is just some ridiculously bad writing and directing in the second half. But writer/Director Imtiaz Ali has shown me enough over his last two films to convince that he has a great film in him sometime in the future. Deepika Paudkone also improves considerable from previous films and could actually have a reasonable career. And the period scenes were beautifully shot. __________________ My DVDS http://nitin.dvdaf.com

11-20-09, 02:31 PM	#164
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] I just got my CHICKEN MAN (KANDASAMY) dvd in the mail today. I'll post a review of it as soon as I watch this 3-hour crazed film.... __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films.

11-20-09, 04:56 PM	#165
flixtime DVD Talk Special Edition Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,948	For KANDASAMY, haven't yet come across a rental copy with subtitles, but I did sample a few bits here and there, and it seems somewhat promising. Granted, you can't base too much on a minute of random sampling, but I think it could well turn out to be rather enjoyable...I hope. Looking forward to reading your review.

11-21-09, 12:27 AM	#166
toddly6666 DVD Talk Ultimate Edition Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 4,133	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] So I just saw KANDASAMY. Fair movie. It's a shame because it was totally entertaining for 2 hours, then in the third act I just got bored and got lost. The direction was actually pretty good, highly influence from Tony Scott. The premise is not as silly as it sounds. It's like a cross between Robin Hood, Batman, and Brothers Grimm. There are three reasons to see this film: 'Chiyaan' Vikram: he's a pretty good actor. He's got some presence. I've only seen him in Anniyan and I thought he was better in this. The Chicken superhero stuff is pulled off well and wasn't as stupid as I expected. The main girl has an awesome song at the beginning. I think it stole from Shakira. But this song is worth it to buy the DVD. She's pretty hot as well whatever her name is. MUMAITH KHAN cameo. I didn't know who she is until this movie, but she's like a Carmen Elektra of India. She's pretty hot. She popps up towards the end of the movie to wake me up. FILM: 6 DVD VIDEO: 8.5 (anamorphic video) DVD AUDIO: 9 (Dolby Digital or DTS Tamil) ENGLISH SUBTITLES: 6 Holy crap, I will edit the English subtitles for free for any Indian DVD company. __________________ Click here to see a DVD-buying addiction of animation, superhero, and foreign films.

11-21-09, 06:21 AM	#167
nitin77 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 490	Re: Indian Cinema [PART 4] how can anything influenced from Tony Scott be good? The guy is seriously a hack. __________________ My DVDS http://nitin.dvdaf.com