Shaw Brothers Celestial DVD Reviews
10-12-03, 04:26 PM
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Shaw Brothers Celestial DVD Reviews
I am starting a short review column for the Shaw Brother movies released on DVD by Celestial region 3. I have purchased over 20 of these now and plan to start doing a few reviews per week. I will also be buying more in the future. Please feel free to add your own reviews or refute mine. I will try to do 2-3 per week.
10-12-03, 04:26 PM
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The Delinquent
Movie:
Minor Spoilers:
Dramatic conflict between a father and son forcing them each to make decisions about their relationship that unknowingly impacts their intertwined fate. The father guards a warehouse for a living, but possessed great fighting ability during his youth which negatively affected his life. His wife left him due to physical abuse and he never emotionally recovered from it. He does not want his son to repeat the same mistakes and wants him to avoid fighting. But his son inherited his father's fighting ability and must decide between his father's desires and his need to be his own man.
End of spoilers:
The cinematography in this movie rocked. Many outdoor shots with a very gritty look at life in the high-rise apartments in Hong Kong during the early 70's. There were some really cool outdoor fight scenes in the dry riverbeds between the apartments. I highly recommend this title as a place to start with the Celestial DVDs.
Video
Anamorphic transfer could not look better. I viewed on a 57 inch widescreen and the movie looked like it was filmed yesterday. No complaints here.
Audio:
DD1 Mandarin - what do you expect for a movie this old. The sound was more than adequate. Sub-titles were also excellent with only a few spelling errors.
Extras:
Just some trailers.
Overall:
Definitely pick this one up.
Movie: 8/10
Video: 9/10
Audio: 7/10
Subtitles: 7/10
Extras: 4/10
Movie:
Minor Spoilers:
Dramatic conflict between a father and son forcing them each to make decisions about their relationship that unknowingly impacts their intertwined fate. The father guards a warehouse for a living, but possessed great fighting ability during his youth which negatively affected his life. His wife left him due to physical abuse and he never emotionally recovered from it. He does not want his son to repeat the same mistakes and wants him to avoid fighting. But his son inherited his father's fighting ability and must decide between his father's desires and his need to be his own man.
End of spoilers:
The cinematography in this movie rocked. Many outdoor shots with a very gritty look at life in the high-rise apartments in Hong Kong during the early 70's. There were some really cool outdoor fight scenes in the dry riverbeds between the apartments. I highly recommend this title as a place to start with the Celestial DVDs.
Video
Anamorphic transfer could not look better. I viewed on a 57 inch widescreen and the movie looked like it was filmed yesterday. No complaints here.
Audio:
DD1 Mandarin - what do you expect for a movie this old. The sound was more than adequate. Sub-titles were also excellent with only a few spelling errors.
Extras:
Just some trailers.
Overall:
Definitely pick this one up.
Movie: 8/10
Video: 9/10
Audio: 7/10
Subtitles: 7/10
Extras: 4/10
Last edited by indycohiba; 10-12-03 at 04:35 PM.
10-12-03, 06:37 PM
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I know that R1/R0 region DVDs are woeful in comparison to the many R3 movies available. Are there are any R1/R0 Shaw Bros. dvds you can recommend for those who haven't sprung for the region free player?
Thanks!
Thanks!
10-12-03, 06:40 PM
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Seriously, don't waste your time. Go get a region free player for $150-250 and pick up the R3's. You won't regret it. Most of the other release are atrocious compared to these. 
10-13-03, 10:52 AM
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Just so you guys know. If you get the official Celestial remastered Shaw Bros. releases from Thailand (distributed by United instead of IVL) they are set to R0 instead of R3. They're also NTSC unliked most Thai DVDs. The picture and sound quality are exactly the same as the R3s. The only difference is that they included optionaly Thai audio and subtitles, also the covers sometimes look a little different. You can order them from eThaiCD.
Just a heads up to those who don't have an ALL Region player and are desperate to get their hands on some Shaw Bros. goodness.
Just a heads up to those who don't have an ALL Region player and are desperate to get their hands on some Shaw Bros. goodness.
Last edited by LeRoy; 10-13-03 at 04:00 PM.
10-13-03, 04:00 PM
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I just got The Water Margin (aka Seven Blows of the Dragon) and upon first pass, I thought I noticed some changes. I'll have to compare it side by side to the dubbed Warner Home Video tape I have (which is not a taped from tv/bootleg)
11-14-03, 03:37 PM
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Okay, Here are some more quick reviews. I am only going to comment on the film, as most of the DVDs are very similar, with the only exception being the earlier releases which were not anamorphic and some had 5.1 remixes. I have not been disappointed in the audio/video of any of the DVDs below and all are worth watching or owning if you are a collector.
Magic Blade 8/10
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan 7/10 (I did not like it as well as other people seem to)
Water Margin 6/10 (but still worth watching)
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin 9/10
The Blood Brothers 7/10
Come Drink With Me 10/10 (some do not prefer the slower swordplay, but I loved it - great style)
Disciples of the 36th Chamber 8/10
The Empress Dowager 7/10
Knight of Knights 7/10
Police Force 7/10
Return To The 36th Chamber 7/10
Shaolin Hand Lock 8/10
Shaolin Temple 7/10
Twelve Gold Medallions 9/10
Magic Blade 8/10
Intimate Confessions of a Chinese Courtesan 7/10 (I did not like it as well as other people seem to)
Water Margin 6/10 (but still worth watching)
The 36th Chamber of Shaolin 9/10
The Blood Brothers 7/10
Come Drink With Me 10/10 (some do not prefer the slower swordplay, but I loved it - great style)
Disciples of the 36th Chamber 8/10
The Empress Dowager 7/10
Knight of Knights 7/10
Police Force 7/10
Return To The 36th Chamber 7/10
Shaolin Hand Lock 8/10
Shaolin Temple 7/10
Twelve Gold Medallions 9/10
