LorenzoL

Any more Shaw titles forthcoming by Image?

LorenzoL

Cover image of the upcoming "Deadly Breaking Sword".

http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=48024

LorenzoL

Image has updated their website and the following Shaw Bros. title has been announced:
- The Killer Snakes (11/13/07)

http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=48006

LorenzoL

According to Amazon.com, the release date has been changed to 12/04/07
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...edigitalbit-20

flixtime

I don't know if I'm doing the right thing by bumping this thread, but since many of you might not participate in the international forum.....it is there that I read the very sad news that DVDTalker Linn1 died yesterday in a car accident.

Since he was a key participant in this discussion (and most kung-fu discussions in this forum), I just wanted to bump this as a...memorial.

Tenacious D

Wow, that's terrible news. I only knew him from his posts on here, but he seemed like a nice guy and always shared good information. My thoughts are with his family.

LorenzoL

Image is releasing the title below this week (April 22nd):

LorenzoL

According to Amazon.com, this title will be released on June 10, 2008:

Brian T

Wonder if this will differ from the edit released on the HK edition. Anyone know?

Alkaline

Am I correct in assuming that the majority of Celestial's Shaw collection is split up, rights-wise, between Miramax and Image in the U.S. (with Miramax holding many of the 'bigger' titles), and that it is the Miramax-owned titles which are gradually being released through their Dragon Dynasty division? Are there other distributors which hold U.S. rights to a percentage of this collection? Just curious.

dablueguy

Media Blasters has maybe a dozen. Some good ones like "Five Element Ninjas"...

LorenzoL

I believe that BCI has also has rights to some Shaw Bros. films in Region 1.

LorenzoL

Upcoming Shaw Bros. releases from Image:

- 07/08/08 Bat Without Wings
http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=69144

- 08/12/08 Kiss Of Death
http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=69140

- 09/09/08 House Of Traps
http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=69156

- 10/07/08 Corpse Mania
http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=69146

- 12/02/08 Seeding Of A Ghost
http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=69150

Mondo Kane

^Thanks!

LorenzoL

BCI Titles:
Life Gamble
Opium and the Kung Fu Master
The 14 Amazons
Shaolin Hand Lock
Hong Kong Godfather
Shaolin Prince
Invincible Shaolin
The Bastard Swordsman
The Duel
Return of the Bastard Swordsman
Shaolin Rescuers
Soul of the Sword
The Lady Hermit
The Supreme Swordsman
The Sword of Swords

WillardC

I've only seen one Shaw Bros movie, 'The 36th Chamber of Shaolin' and loved it.

Can anyone recommend a couple of other movies as a good starting point to a Shaw newbie like me?

riotinmyskull

any of the other dragon dynasty shaw bros. releases

Alkaline

Thanks for the info Lorenzo. Would you happen to know if they just ported the Celestial transfers or did any tinkering/different transfers altogether?

Ky-Fi

Actually, I think it's still a minority of Celestial's Shaw collection that were acquired by by US distributors. I think there are somewhere around 700 Shaw titles, and the US distributors are just getting small packages of films. While most of the best titles will probably see a US release, the Shaw studio system generally maintained a very consistent quality control, so there's often not much of a dropoff in quality with their "lesser" titles, IMO. If you become a serious fan of the Shaws, you'll still probably want to go region free when you see how many decent titles are not in Region 1.

Ky-Fi

If you've got a bit of time, here's a good resource by a very knowledgeable bunch:

http://kungfucinema.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3688

Brian T

This is a crucial idea I've promoted in a couple of Hong Kong cinema-related threads here. I've got over 500 of the Shaw titles released in Hong Kong, both on DVD (for premium "must-haves") and VCD (for everything else). I've been region-free since 1998 and it's opened so many doors.

And to folks who are afraid of importing or venturing into the nearest Chinatown, I can safely say that I paid less (on a per-disc basis) on virtually each and every one of those 500+ titles--brand new, though often long after release date to save money--than I would have had I bought them in R1. In fact, I've paid around $2 - $3 for nearly every Shaw VCD I've picked up, and around $5-$7 for each DVD (save for titles in the first few waves, before I realized how quickly legit Chinatown retailers will discount product that no longer sells). At prices like that, I can afford to have plenty of potential misfires on hand as I generally recoup a sizeable portion of the investment when I resell them.

New (and even veteran) fans in the West, particularly here in North America, could have their eyes opened so easily (and cheaply!) to the incredibly diverse Shaw catalogue that exists outside the martial arts period pictures that are being distributed over here. Contemporary pop musicals, crime thrillers, social dramas and romances, screwball comedies, gambling pictures (yes, they existed before Chow Yun-fat), science fiction and so much more.

But most if not all of this stuff will never see the light of day over here as long as the distributors think all people want to see is "old school" martial arts pictures (or, worse, if they continue to believe that a complete set of spine numbers represents a good cross section of Hong Kong cinema to the average U.S. fan ). Thus, your observation that "most of the best titles will probably see a US release" is, sadly, only a partial truth. Perhaps most of the best Shaw Brothers martial arts titles will see a release here (though it could be debated, considering the size of the martial-arts catalogue), but most of the best Shaw Brothers films will not.

Ky-Fi

Point taken. I've got some fantasy titles like The Monkey Goes West films, and I enjoyed the early horror pic Enchanting Shadow, but I'm mainly a martial arts fan, and those make up the vast bulk of my 150+ Shaw titles---so I did mean to say that the best Shaw martial arts pics will see a US release. And yes, I would also agree with you that even that is debatable, as I've certainly discovered quite a few Shaw martial arts pics that I think are fantastic which I had never heard of before and weren't talked about much among fans---and they probably won't come out in the US. And I concur with your central point: if you really want to experience the full scope of the great Shaw universe, region-free is a requirement.

Alkaline

I've been region free for a long time. It was just more of a curiosity thing.

LorenzoL

LorenzoL

Upcoming release:
- 11/11/08 The Thunderbolt Fist
http://www.image-entertainment.com/d...roductID=69152