|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I’m pretty sure I’ve posted trailer for at least a couple of these somewhere on the forum in the past, but Eureka has a nice combo trailer up for the three Shaw spy movies.
One disappointment right out of the gate is that ANGEL WITH THE IRON FISTS actually has a sequel, THE ANGEL STRIKES BACK. Along with other notable absentees like INTERPOL, ASIA-POL, THE BRAIN STEALERS, and BLACK FALCON, this would’ve made a great box set in the vein of that Joseph Kuo 8-pack from a couple years ago, which would’ve covered most if not all of the ‘Bond Craze’ films in one go. Alas, we wait. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
For December 2024. Nice to see another thematical grouping of Shaw films in a single set (two discs, though), plus NIMH finally getting what seems like a proper revisit:
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...31e4fdf8f.jpeg Extras for HORRIBLE HISTORY:
Extras for NIMH:
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I'm sort of frustrated with the recent focus on Kung Fu films. Not my thing at all.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by MooMooMooMoo
(Post 14504191)
I'm sort of frustrated with the recent focus on Kung Fu films. Not my thing at all.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I have no idea if any of them are actually good, but that Mabuse set looks incredible. I'm a little annoyed that it includes what seems to be the previously released 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse disc that I own but have never watched.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by rocket1312
(Post 14519292)
I have no idea if any of them are actually good, but that Mabuse set looks incredible. I'm a little annoyed that it includes what seems to be the previously released 1000 Eyes of Dr. Mabuse disc that I own but have never watched.
Eureka trailers for the new releases: |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
All 3 Dr. Mabuse films are worth watching. The 3rd is the worst. The first film is silent and like 4 hours long. It's worth seeing and great, but that's stil a commitment. The 2nd one has the same character return and is just overall an improvement.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by Lipid
(Post 14521200)
All 3 Dr. Mabuse films are worth watching. The 3rd is the worst. The first film is silent and like 4 hours long. It's worth seeing and great, but that's stil a commitment. The 2nd one has the same character return and is just overall an improvement.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by rocket1312
(Post 14521216)
You're talking about the Fritz Lang Mabuse films. This set only includes the 3rd Lang (1000 Eyes) along with a bunch of non-Lang sequels. I'm familiar with the Lang films. I'm wondering if these sequels are any good.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Now we're grouping Shaw Bros. films by the adjectives in their titles? Sure. Why not. At least it will make sense when shelving the set alphabetically, unlike the Horrible History set.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
No clue where the Adventurers places in Andy Lau’s extensive filmography but it is fun. And plus Chen Pui (aka Paul Chen) plays a great smarmy , weaselish bad guy.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by sleepyhead55
(Post 14545451)
No clue where the Adventurers places in Andy Lau’s extensive filmography but it is fun. And plus Chen Pui (aka Paul Chen) plays a great smarmy , weaselish bad guy.
Now I hope Eureka or one of the others would get their hands on ISLAND OF GREED, another kick-ass Andy Lau epic. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Eureka trailers for the March editions. Their ADVENTURERS trailer smartly leaves out footage of the spectacular climax. Probably too late to say this, but if you don’t want that spoiled, don’t watch the original HK trailer I posted earlier :lol:
Also, I’m assuming the films in the Laurel & Hardy sets are the same as the Flicker Alley versions, but the extras appear to be different. The UK sets are cheaper, too. https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/laur...nt-years-1928/ https://flickeralley.com/products/laurel-hardy-year-two |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I wish they'd drop the Asian "stuff" & go back to their former mainstays: German Expressionism & classic Hollywood.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
“Stuff” presumably being a polite euphemism for films you don’t like but others here do? ;)
I think it’s reasonable to have an additional “mainstay”, and clearly the Hong Kong films have a sizeable audience or they wouldn’t keep diving into that catalog. In looking through their past ‘classic’ editions just now (many of which are long discontinued) is see a lot of titles that have been released in North America by Shout, Kino, VS and other boutiques, some of which are still available. Perhaps there’s just fewer true ‘classics’ left to re-re-rerelease at this point, in terms of profits versus investment? Even some of the ‘old Hollywood’ stuff that Kino dredges up now is pretty fringe-y sometimes. I’m certainly glad they do it, but I wonder if they’ll run out of worthy titles at some point. Also, the Masters Of Cinema line – which I think is where a fair amount of the oldies often end up – is still a going concern, and not particularly stocked with Asian movies. https://eurekavideo.co.uk/masters-of-cinema/#page-1 |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Got an email with the May releases today.
https://eurekavideo.co.uk/ The KRIMI set is region A+B, the others are B only. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...9bd18e082.jpeg Really stoked to see more of the DEFA sci-fi movies getting released. I figured that catalog was being raided after Deaf Crocodile recently announced their deluxe set of two of them (both in this Eureka box). These are rarely the most exciting sci-fi pictures as they tend to be more cerebral with strong production design, so it’s nice to see them bundled like this, rather than trickled out to us over who knows how long. Same goes for the KRIMI films - just get ‘em out there at this point. Also of note: the DEFA set doesn’t include SILENT STAR’s Americanized version, FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS, which would’ve been cool for comparison, even in PD condition. I suppose the German rights-holders might not go for that as it is an inferior cut-down. I’ve had the Deaf Crocodile set in my cart there since it was announced, but this set seems to beat it hands down in terms of archival supplements and simply including all four films. Don’t know much about the commentary guy on the Eureka set, so I suspect the tracks on the Crocodile box might be preferable (comic artist Stephen R. Bissette and DEFA’s Mariana Ivanova) but who knows. Not sure why BELLS OF DEATH had to be region coded when so many recent HK movies from Eureka have been A/B. Presumably it must be coming from Shout or Arrow or whomever. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by Brian T
(Post 14557001)
Not sure why BELLS OF DEATH had to be region coded when so many recent HK movies from Eureka have been A/B. Presumably it must be coming from Shout or Arrow or whomever.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by rocket1312
(Post 14557079)
It's already in one of the Shout boxes.
Spoiler:
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
June releases are up. Two that MooMoo won’t buy, one that he might? ;)
Either way, it’s nice to see Eureka delving deeper into the East German DEFA library. The fact that it’s UK means we’ll likely see a (pricier?) version over here from Deaf Crocodile, but based on the duelling treatments of the sci-fi movies, this one probably has the better supplements. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...6d692d8ed.jpeg HEART OF STONE (Blu-ray) Germany, 1950 Director: Paul Verhoeven In 1950, DEFA – the state-owned film studio of East Germany or the GDR – embarked on what would prove to be a long tradition of producing films based on folktales by the likes of Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm. German author Wilhelm Hauff provided the source for the studio’s first folktale: The Cold Heart, which became Das kalte Herz or HEART OF STONE. The first East German production to be shot in colour, it remained one of the most successful films the GDR ever produced until DEFA’s dissolution in 1992. Peter Munk (Lutz Moik) lives in the Black Forest with his mother (Lotte Loebinger) and makes a modest living selling charcoal in the nearest town. He is deeply in love with the beautiful Lisbeth (Hanna Rucker) and equally as jealous of the arrogant Ezechiel (Paul Esser), a wealthy merchant who frequents the local tavern. Desperate to improve his social standing, Peter appeals to a mischievous forest spirit – the Glass Imp (Paul Bildt) – for help. The Imp grants Peter two wishes, but only with strict conditions attached that leave him wanting more. He then turns to the infamous Dutch Michael (Erwin Geschonneck), a reclusive warlock who can give Peter anything his heart desires – but only if he’s willing to exchange his heart for one made of stone. By turns whimsical, weird and darkly macabre, Heart of Stone is an arrestingly beautiful work of fantasy that established a template for DEFA’s future folktales – including a penchant for scenes likely to induce nightmares in children – and was swiftly followed by the likes of The Devil from Mill Mountain, The Singing Ringing Tree and Rumpelstiltskin. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present Heart of Stone on Blu-rayfor the first time in the UK from an astonishing 2K restoration by the DEFA Foundation. SPECIAL FEATURES
Older trailer for the German Blu-ray, without Eureka’s odd background music: |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
July releases. Looks like they’re digging a little deeper into the East German DEFA library. Curious to see an “American” western told from a communist propaganda point of view.
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...29bb0bdc2.jpeg |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
American indians speaking German..now i've seen everything...GMAB!
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Eureka Entertainment is proud to announce the release of EXACT REVENGE (THE EUNUCH and THE DEADLY KNIVES), two of Shaw Brothers Studio’s most compelling and underrated revenge tales, presented on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere in the world. Available as part of the Eureka Classics range on June 17, 2025 in North America. Presented in a Limited edition of 2000 copies exclusively featuring an O-card slipcase and collector’s booklet. Revenge is and has always been one of the most popular and prolific themes in Hong Kong cinema, from classic wuxia epics to kung fu movies and heroic bloodshed films. During the 1970s, Shaw Brothers Studio was the largest production company operating in Hong Kong and the king of the vengeance tale. Presented here are two of the studio’s most interesting and underrated takes on the revenge story: THE EUNUCH (鬼太監, Guǐ Tài Jiān, 1971) and THE DEADLY KNIVES (落葉飛刀 , Luòyè Fēi Dāo, aka FISTS OF VENGEANCE, 1972). A wuxia pian written by the legendary Lo Wei (FIST OF FURY) and directed by Teddy Yip (THE BLACK TAVERN), THE EUNUCH begins as the eponymous eunuch Gui De-hai (Pai Ying, THE VALIANT ONES) survives an attempt on his life ordered by the Emperor (Lo Wei himself). After killing the Emperor and his family in cold blood, Gui notices that the Prince is missing – and sets out to complete his revenge mission. Then, Ching Li (FOUR RIDERS) and Ling Yun (KILLER CLANS) star in the kung fu film THE DEADLY KNIVES as young lovers Guan Yue-hua and Yan Zi-fei, whose relationship is tested when Yan’s family comes under threat by Japanese thugs led by Ogawa (Ching Miao, THE SHADOW BOXER). He becomes determined to avenge their honor – even if that means taking on Guan’s corrupt father. THE EUNUCH and THE DEADLY KNIVES were made just as the wuxia film was giving way to the kung fu movie in the wake of Bruce Lee’s international success and provide a fascinating insight into how the theme of revenge was retooled as one genre superseded another. Eureka Classics presents both films on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere in the world. Running Time: 184 Minutes Number of Discs: 1 Language: Chinese (Mandarin) Subtitles: English Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 US Region Code: 0 SKU: EKV70586 UPC: 760137182337 Sreet Date: 06/17/25 List Price: $39.95 UK Region Code: B SKU: EKA70586 UK Rating: TBC Street Date: 06/16/25 RRP: £19.99 SPECIAL FEATURES • Limited edition of 2000 copies • Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Grégory Sacré (Gokaiju) • Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing on both films in this set by writer and film critic James Oliver and Jonathan Clements • 1080p HD presentations of both films • Original Mandarin audio tracks • Optional English dub for THE DEADLY KNIVES • Optional English subtitles, newly revised for this release • New audio commentary on THE EUNUCH by action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema • New audio commentary on THE DEADLY KNIVES by Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) * All extras subject to change |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
High Noon getting that sweet Fidelity in Motion love on the Eureka 4K, too.
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I'm a big fan of MOC, but 2 complaints:
1. Pricing is going through the ceiling 2. Too much kung foo that last year or 2. I collect German Expressionism. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
August titles are up. Sorry MooMoo, no German expressionism.
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...73ac4316e.jpeg |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Three releases for September, 16 movies in total. And they’re finally doing a Shaw set with more than three or four films in it. Alas, still no non-martial arts stuff from that company. FLAMING BROTHERS might be of interest for fans of Wong Kar Wai, as one of the many ‘mainstream’ HK movies he authored as he got closer to his own directorial career. I’m also keen on the DEFA ‘Rubble Films’ set as I read about a couple of those films decades ago but never figured they’d turn up in a LE-type set, and this seems to match Eureka’s excellent sci-fi set for worthwhile supplements (plus it seems to be a rather apropos time to release it, historically speaking):
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...73e708196.jpeg SYNOPSISFURIOUS SWORDSDisc 1: Men from the Monastery & Shaolin Martial Arts Disc 2: King Eagle & Iron Bodyguard FANTASTIC WARRIORS Disc 3: Fantastic Magic Baby & The Weird Man Disc 4: Trail of the Broken Blade & Wandering Swordsman Disc 5: Trilogy of Swordsmanship & New Shaolin Boxers Distinguished by his penchant for bloodshed and a thematic concentration on the bonds of brotherhood and masculine sacrifice, Chang Cheh is one of the most prolific and accomplished directors ever to emerge from the Hong Kong film industry. Often hailed as the “Godfather of Hong Kong cinema,” he enjoyed a career spanning six decades and worked in a multitude of genres, from Chinese opera to kung fu films via wuxia pian, historical epics and tales of the supernatural. Presented here are ten films that reveal the range and versatility of Chang’s career as a filmmaker. Traditional wuxia pian is represented by King Eagle, Trail of the Broken Blade and Wandering Swordsman; choreographed by Lau Kar-leung, Men from the Monastery and Shaolin Martial Arts are both drawn from Chang’s Shaolin cycle, included here alongside New Shaolin Boxers; Iron Bodyguard, released at the dawn of the kung fu era, is representative of changing trends in Hong Kong cinema; and some of Chang’s more esoteric work is represented by the opera film The Fantastic Magic Baby and the supernatural fantasy The Weird Man. Also included is the anthology film Trilogy of Swordsmanship, to which Chang contributed a segment alongside his contemporaries Yueh Feng and Cheng Kang. All produced during Chang Cheh’s tenure at Shaw Brothers, these ten films are a testament to the director’s distinct aesthetic style and his recurring thematic preoccupations. Eureka Classics is proud to present this selection of Chang’s work for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK. SPECIAL FEATURES
FLAMING BROTHERSstandout Hong Kong crime thriller released amidst the wave of heroic bloodshed films that followed in the wake of John Woo’s A Better Tomorrow and Ringo Lam’s City on Fire, Flaming Brothers features Alan Tang and Chow Yun-fat (who was quickly rising to superstardom in the late 1980s) as triad brothers determined to protect their criminal operation – and each other – no matter what the cost.Both orphaned at a young age, Cheung Ho-tin (Chow) and Chan Wai-lun (Tang) grew up together on the streets, forming a strong bond in their childhood that remains unbroken as they become triad brothers in adulthood. Having recently opened a nightclub together, they begin to feel that they have finally made it. That is, at least, until they become embroiled in a conflict with the ruthless gangster Ko Lo-sei (Patrick Tse) and his right-hand man (Norman Chui), who threaten to take away everything that Tin and Lun have worked for. In equal parts an action-packed thrill-ride and a rumination on the bonds of male friendship, Flaming Brothers boasts a screenplay written by Wong Kar-wai, the celebrated auteur who would go on to write and direct Chungking Express and In the Mood for Love. Eureka Classics is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK from a 2K restoration. SPECIAL FEATURES
WRACK AND RUINFilms Include : The Murderers Are Among Us • Somewhere in Berlin • Police Raid • Marriage in the Shadows • The Blum AffairThe first film studio to begin operating in post-war Germany, DEFA was officially authorised to begin making films in the Soviet occupation zone in 1946. Overseen by the Soviet Military Administration, one of its primary mandates was to aid in the denazification of Germany by focusing on anti-fascist themes in films that would ruminate on the literal and figurative wreckage left behind by the Third Reich. Often shot on location in the ruins of Berlin, these early DEFA productions have come to be called Trümmerfilme or “rubble films,” and remain some of the most important pictures the studio ever made. The first film produced in post-war Germany, The Murderers Are Among Us sees a concentration camp survivor return home to Berlin only to find a stranger living in her apartment: an ex-soldier who harbours a terrible secret. Somewhere in Berlin follows a group of children who spend their days playing in bombed-out buildings and a returning prisoner-of-war seeking a new sense of purpose. In Police Raid, a determined detective leads a crackdown on black marketeers who aim to exploit the chaos of the post-war period to their own advantage. Set during the Nazi era, Marriage in the Shadows charts the tragic life of an actor and his Jewish wife as they attempt to survive the Third Reich. Finally, The Blum Affair recounts the true case of a Jewish industrialist who was tried for murder in the 1920s. Encompassing a range of genres – including the thriller, the police procedural and the courtroom drama – and ranging in visual style from expressionism to stark realism, DEFA’s rubble films are bound together by a concern with the physical and psychological damage wrought by Nazism, World War II and the Holocaust. The Masters of Cinema series is honoured to present all five films for the first time on Blu-ray in the UK, accompanied by a wealth of new and archival extras. SPECIAL FEATURES
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I gotta rewatch Flaming Brothers . I know I’ve seen it at least twice. Just don’t remember what I thought of it
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Nice to finally have the last couple of films in Chang Cheh's "Shaolin Cycle" on BD.
And that DEFA set sounds great. I've never seen any of them, but it seems like they would be right up my alley. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Trailers for the September stuff:
Originally Posted by sleepyhead55
(Post 14610422)
I gotta rewatch Flaming Brothers . I know I’ve seen it at least twice. Just don’t remember what I thought of it
The more I thought about Eureka releasing it alone, though – and in light of them doing the 10-pack martial arts thing – I think a Heroic Bloodshed box set would be a cool opportunity for some boutique to give us a bunch of other fun movies from that packed tier, as well as movies from a genre besides straight martial arts for a change. In fact, Alan Tang, CYF’s co-star in FLAMING BROTHERS, was a big 70’s and early 80’s name who had a small career revival when he made a bunch of them in the late 80’s. I’d imagine these being from different production companies and rights holders would preclude them from being packaged together, but one can dream. I wouldn’t say any are absolute classics, but they have their moments and probably don’t need individual releases or pricey LEs: Spoiler:
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by rocket1312
(Post 14610430)
Nice to finally have the last couple of films in Chang Cheh's "Shaolin Cycle" on BD.
And that DEFA set sounds great. I've never seen any of them, but it seems like they would be right up my alley. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Eureka’s October set:
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/dvdtalk...3f896d695.jpeg Trailer for THE ISLAND, since it’s the only ‘new’ old film in the bunch (and the only multi-region disc). Eureka’s comparison to the American horror classics is apt, but mostly in the sense that it was indeed inspired by that movement, so to speak. It’s still infused with Hong Kong sensibilities through and through, but it’s cool to see it getting some attention instead of another martial arts title. That sleeve art probably oversells a certain aspect of it though. ;) SYNOPSISPerhaps the most accomplished genre picture directed by British-Chinese filmmaker Po-Chih Leong (Hong Kong 1941), The Islandis Hong Kong’s answer to the likes of Deliverance, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and Motel Hell – a film that transports the visceral survival horror so popular in the 1970s and 1980s from the backwoods of America to a remote island in East Asia.At the height of summer, teacher Mr Cheung (John Sham) takes a small group of his students on an excursion to explore a rural island that he assumes is uninhabited. But upon arrival, Cheung and his class discover that they are not alone – the island is, in fact, home to three deranged brothers and their equally deranged mother. And when one of Cheung’s students refuses a marriage proposal from the youngest – and perhaps most disturbed – member of this deeply strange family, both the teacher and the young people in his care soon come to wish that they had stayed at home. Following in the footsteps of its Western predecessors, The Island plays out a pointed class conflict as it pits its educated urbanites against the violent members of an isolated rural community – but never loses the unique qualities of a Hong Kong horror movie. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere outside of Asia. SPECIAL FEATURES
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
An update on the Shaw Brothers FURIOUS SWORDS 10-film set.
Release Date ChangeWe have a couple of updates to share with you regarding our forthcoming release of Furious Swords and Fantastic Warriors.The release date has now been moved to the 20th October in the UK and 21st October in North America. The set will now be strictly limited to a single pressing of 2,000 copies and will not be reissued once sold out. Also, as an addition to the extra features we can now also confirm that the following films included in the set will have optional English Dubs: Men from the Monastery, Shaolin Martial Arts, Iron Bodyguard, The Weird Man, The Trail of the Broken Blade, New Shaolin Boxers. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Two new announcements for December. I know at least one party here won’t be pleased with these ;) , but I’m glad to see at least one boutique doing and increasing number of multi-film sets of older HK movies that wouldn’t necessarily be big sellers on their own. Gets the stuff out there faster. This one comes with the international versions of two of the films on a bonus disc as well:
UK only APACHE extras:
UK/US/Canada TRIPLE THREAT extras:
|
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Reviews are in for the Furious Swords Chang Cheh set. And they are not good.
"With no detail provided as to the transfers, there’s been some obvious, heavy restoration work undertaken. On the first film, texture and grain hasn’t just been removed it’s been nuked, softening the image which at times isn’t helped by some real focus issues in its source. Colours also run very hot too, but it’s a bright, punchy image that’s also been scrubbed of source damage and dust. The final film returns some of the texture to its picture but there’s still times when it's completely absent and it's this underlying characteristic of the restorations that carries on across all the films in the set. They look strong but completely devoid of natural film texture so if that’s triggering for you, you might want to avoid this set." FWIW - I canceled my pre-order from Amazon. Very disappointing.... Very. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by cinemaman
(Post 14652657)
Reviews are in for the Furious Swords Chang Cheh set. And they are not good.
"With no detail provided as to the transfers, there’s been some obvious, heavy restoration work undertaken. On the first film, texture and grain hasn’t just been removed it’s been nuked, softening the image which at times isn’t helped by some real focus issues in its source. Colours also run very hot too, but it’s a bright, punchy image that’s also been scrubbed of source damage and dust. The final film returns some of the texture to its picture but there’s still times when it's completely absent and it's this underlying characteristic of the restorations that carries on across all the films in the set. They look strong but completely devoid of natural film texture so if that’s triggering for you, you might want to avoid this set." FWIW - I canceled my pre-order from Amazon. Very disappointing.... Very. The other thing that jumped out from that review is it mentioned all the soundtracks are in Cantonese. Chang Cheh's films should all be in Mandarin. So either Eureka goofed big time, or the reviewer is mistaken. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
I hear you, but I have seen quite a lot of Arrow/Shout/88 Shaw films, and I can't remember any one film where I could say the grain was 'nuked.'
I haven't followed that particular reviewer, so s/he may be prone to hyperbole, exaggeration, etc. Also, many people are not bothered with grain removal. I got physically ill watching Kit Parker's L&H "Definitive" restorations where in at least one entire disc, all the grain was removed and L&H looked like wax dummies to me. I literally had to stop the disc. Others praised the release, and some even listed it as one the top releases of that year, and many are excited about the second volume from that same company. So there is that. In any case, I have cancelled my pre-order. There is Shout's SB V8 and Shawscope V4 coming out, which is more than enough SB for me for now. Maybe if future reviews of this Eureka set come in more favorably, I might reconsider. Appreciate your perspective, though. |
Re: The Official Eureka / Masters of Cinema Thread
Originally Posted by rocket1312
(Post 14652698)
The other thing that jumped out from that review is it mentioned all the soundtracks are in Cantonese. Chang Cheh's films should all be in Mandarin. So either Eureka goofed big time, or the reviewer is mistaken.
All ten have lossless Cantonese subtitles and six have lossless mono English dubs I’ll take his review with a grain of salt, though. He evidently watched the first and last film in the set, then skimmed (I guess?) the remaining eight films and proclaimed the same problems. He may be absolutely right, of course, but it may also be bearable, especially for those of us who are upgrading from older DVDs and especially VCDs. I have eight of them on the old IVL DVDs, one on VCD, and was never able to find WEIRD MAN locally, but I doubt I’ll be doing any direct comparisons at this point. As this set is Region A/B it seems unlikely another company will take a shot at all ten, and even if they did we might not get them all in a single box, so more $$$. Also, Eureka announced rather abruptly a while back that this had turned into a 2000-copy limited edition, no reissues, so I wonder if these are maybe ten problematic transfers for which there was no ideal workaround to begin with? Or maybe they were financially obligated to use whatever compromised transfers were ultimately provided and subsequently limited the release as a result? Those are obviously huge guesses, and I’m not trying to justify ordering it before the bigger review sites weigh in; just noting that there may be other factors at play. I preordered the set from Amazon Canada which was uncharacteristically cheaper – especially after a couple of drops – than importing from Amazon US (which adds the ‘import charges’ up front) or Eureka in the UK (because their thicker boxes are all but guaranteed to get hit with duties whereas single-width discs rarely do). Guess I’ll see what I get, and how tolerable it is. |
| All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:48 PM. |
Copyright © 2026 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.