Does anyone believe the box office success of Hero will allow Raise the Red Lantern to be released on DVD in R1? Both movies are directed by Yimou Zhang.

We can only hope...

We'll have to see what kind of legs Hero has. I got so many complaints from disappointed filmgoers the other day, ranging from "it was boring" to "they ain't speaking American".

Definitely need this one on DVD ...ranks with Days of Heaven, Bound For Glory and a few others as one of the most gorgeously photographed movies of all time.

Here's to hoping. Lantern was easily one of the best films I've EVER seen. This really needs a proper R1 release. I'd love to see ANY interviews or commetary from Gong Li regarding this role.

I think that Hero's success could only help in getting a Raise the Red Lantern release.

Keeping my fingers crossed, I've been waiting for Raise the Red Lantern for years!

Did somebody actually say "they ain't speaking American"?

Is it possible that Raise the Red Lantern is in some sort of rights limbo? It was originally an Orion release, then somebody (not sure who) released it on VHS, then MGM acquired the Orion library and re-released it, but now MGM seems to be losing a lot of their Orion titles so maybe it's waiting for a new distributor or something. Anyway the current Hong Kong DVD is abysmal so this definitely needs a re-release.

Sure, "Hero" made some nice coin for Miramax this weekend...but can you imagine how it would have done if they'd brought it out when it was nominated for a best Foreign Film Oscar...in 2002?

Those dopes at Miramax have ruined so many Asian film releases here in North America, I was kind of hoping Hero would tank so they'd stop buying them up...

Wait... didn't Tarantino direct Hero? That's what the poster says?

I can't make this stuff up.

It gets worse; today, some dude threatened to kill my manager because she refused to give him free passes (after his money had already been refunded) because we had "tricked" him into seeing a subbed movie.

I would also like to bang the Gong in order to alert some company to release RAISE THE RED LANTERN on DVD.

Did he want it to be 1.33:1 too?

I think it's fantastic/horrifying that HERO was #1 at the box office. Fantastic because it's about time Americans got to see Zhang Yimou's visual masterpiece.

However, I know that for every awe-struck viewer there are just as many ready to blindly fame the film for reasons stated above. Many of the people that went to see it last weekend were also the first ones in line for Cradle 2 the Grave.

The matinee audience I watched Hero with adored the film, so please don't generalize from the idiot exceptions. Great movie! (And I'll add another vote for a R1 release of RTRL - A few extras would be nice, too.)

I'll also bet that a number of those people that bought tickets just walked out after seeing it was subbed.

I remember years back, when I went to see Brotherhood of the Wolf, over half the people left after they found out it was in French.

I'd love quality releases of all of Zhang's great period films. .The version of RTRL that I reviewed for DVDTalk a few years ago was an abomination.

Off on a tangent, but back when I was doing merchandising for a convenience store company: a Hispanic couple entered the store chatting briskly in Spanish. When they approached the register the gentleman spoke in slightly accented but otherwise perfect English. After they left the 450 lb. manager (I kid you not, this guy actually weighed 450 lbs.) starts into a diatribe about "That's what's wrong with this country . . . If you are going to come to America then speak American! If you want to speak Mexican, go back to Mexico!" I just shook my head and walked away (this was the same guy who called the cops shortly after 9/11 because a couple of guys of Arabic descent pulled up in a U-Haul and left it parked in the lot while they went next door to grab a burger at Mickey-D's).

Wow, what's this world coming to?

Does anyone know if Hero will get a R1 release soon?

Dude, it opened in theaters three days ago! It's going to be a few months.

You're asking this three days after its American theatrical release? Give it a little time, man.

edit: beat to the punch!

R0 discs of the film have been available for about a year and a half. Even if your not region free, there's no need to wait for a R1 disc, my friend.

I was shocked at how packed this movie was on Saturday when I went and saw it. Sure, I've had the DVD for ages, but I wanted to support more Asian cinema on the big screen. Sue me.

I'll back up more of the idiot claims as well. Five minutes into the movie a group of people got up and left loudly proclaiming they weren't watching this ching chang chung bullshit. I couldn't believe they had actually come to see the movie when the entire trailer never shows one person who isn't Chinese. Luckily the manager (whom I love to death. She is stupidly cool) told them to go bugger off when they asked for their money back. Apparently they had been giving out a lot of refunds to idiots all weekend and got tired of it.

Another vote for a proper release of Raise the Red Lantarn. One of my favotites of all time!