DVD Talk Forum - The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

DVD Talk Forum (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/)

- HD Talk (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk-55/)

- - The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread (https://forum.dvdtalk.com/hd-talk/650842-official-arrow-films-4k-blu-ray-discussion-release-thread.html)

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by Master O (Post 14130512)

I wonder if Arrow Films would ever want to release the movie Samurai Reincarnation (1981) as a Blu-Ray. It's the kind of film that would be right up Arrow's alley.

Kinda surprised there hasn't already been a Sonny Chiba boxed boxed set assembled that would include this and maybe some of his similar films from that period. I know Shout did the STREET FIGHTER set, and Arrow has done some singles, but Chiba did a lot of movies (and movie series) that could be bundled together in cool packages.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/imag...57222624_7.jpg

My review of Hell High is up now. If you weren't into Arrow's past few offbeat slashers, especially Girls Nite Out, this one probably won't be for you either. Less Jason Voorhees, more high school sex comedy-meets-I Spit On Your Grave. The allure is less the body count (which is low and largely relegated to the final half hour) and more the tonal shifts and pervasive mean streak. This is a movie you'll probably just grudgingly tolerate, but the people who love it are really gonna be into it. And if you are, you have something like 7.5 hours of extras to look forward to, along with a top-shelf remaster. Recommended.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

I guess if you ordered the Arrow Twelve Monkeys on blu-ray you are just shit out of luck.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by stvn1974 (Post 14131066)

I guess if you ordered the Arrow Twelve Monkeys on blu-ray you are just shit out of luck.

Yeah, I just bought it from them in their recent sale, it's still sealed. I had no idea it had the error too. I wonder if I could get them to do a return at least.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Apparently the Giallo Essentials (black) set has been pushed back to 8/30. Review copies are out in the wild, and the culprit is apparently because one of the interviews is in Italian but doesn’t have English subtitles as intended.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by dex14 (Post 14132809)

This is likely Arrow.
https://twitter.com/outcastmarc/stat...geJXTm4_0TVdUA

The only Wuxia that he ever did and this one is totally wild. A dark Fong Sai Yuk tale.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

I chatted Arrow on Facebook about the 12 Monkeys Blu and a rep named Callum said I could use the same form for the UHD replacement for the Blu-ray and it should work. I'll try it later and let y'all know if it goes through.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Glad to see BURNING PARADISE being give some more recognition, especially after years of sub-par tapes and discs from various places. Panorama's HK Blu-ray from last year is reportedly excellent, and I'm sure whomever's releasing it stateside will better that in terms of original audio mixes and extras, although if the latter amount to just more commentaries, I might grab Panorama's HK Blu-ray from one of their 50% sales and save a whole bunch of money.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

My copy of An American Werewolf in London 4K arrived today and while I was pleasantly surprised by the extras that came with it. I'm not sure how I feel about the disc. The film looks fine although I was expecting and even more polished look (I know it's an old movie but the Blu-ray looks better in some areas then this release) and there is no chapter selection menu.

Still glad I got it but a tad underwhelmed.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

I have the Arrow BD set of An American Werewolf and I imported the Turbine 4k before Arrow announced theirs. I wouldn’t say I was completely disappointed with the transfer, just a tad underwhelmed.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

So it's safe to say since I have the Arrow BD for American Werewolf, it's not worth the upgrade to 4K?

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by joltman (Post 14139634)

So it's safe to say since I have the Arrow BD for American Werewolf, it's not worth the upgrade to 4K?

I would still get it based it on the extras - It's a package for true fans. The booklet, poster, and promo cards are excellent.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by joltman (Post 14139634)

So it's safe to say since I have the Arrow BD for American Werewolf, it's not worth the upgrade to 4K?

If you're speaking chiefly about the video quality, most all the reviews average 4.5 outta 5 or 9 outta 10 for the video quality. The Arrow 4K release is probably as good as it's going to get.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Last month, Arrow teased that they were going to reveal at least something about the second ShawScope volume, and I'd hoped maybe we'd see it with these announcements, but apparently not.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by clappj (Post 14139683)

If you're speaking chiefly about the video quality, most all the reviews average 4.5 outta 5 or 9 outta 10 for the video quality. The Arrow 4K release is probably as good as it's going to get.

There was a fan made video on you tube of the transformation scene that made the 4k version look like trash - I think it's been taken down but it still might be out there - it looked like it was filmed damn near close to today's standards - sound quality was amazing as well. I will look for it and post it here if I find it.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by milo bloom (Post 14132928)

So I submitted my info a few weeks back and I got the replacement disc today.

I said in my form I got the regular Blu-ray and even included my receipt but they sent me a UHD disc anyways.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

The only non Kung Fu films are The Boxer’s Omen and Mercenaries but no one should complain about the inclusion of those two titles. We finally get the 36th Chamber trilogy.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Five Superfighters and Bare Footed Kid are the two "surprises" that I see, at least in the sense that we didn't have confirmation that they were coming. We didn't know for sure on some of the others, but it was easy to guess we were getting the entire 36th Chamber trilogy or something like Martial Arts of Shaolin. Five Superfighters and Bare Footed Kid are the only two I haven't seen (along with Hong Kong Mercenaries which I talked about somewhere in this thread), so I hope they're decent. I'm a little nonplussed at a 90's Shaw revival being included, but again, I haven't seen it.

Given that we knew these would all be late period Shaw titles I thought for sure we'd get Avenging Eagle and/or Five Element Ninja.

I'll certainly buy the set, but overall I think I'm slightly underwhelmed at the choices. It's nice to fill in a large chunk of Lau Kar Leung's filmography, but I really wish we could have gotten a little more variety. At least in terms of directors, if not genre. I hope Arrow makes good on their chatter about possibly releasing a wuxia themed set. To do two of these and have no Chor Yuen is a crime. I also need a large helping of pre-shaolin cycle Chang Cheh. Venoms stuff is fun, but it's those early titles that I think are his best.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

The Amazon link is dead... but here are the details:

Quote:

Picking up where Volume One left off, this sophomore collection of Hong Kong cinema classics draws together many of the best films from the final years of the Shaw Brothers studio, proving that while the end was nigh, these merchants of martial arts mayhem weren’t going to go out without a fight! Armed with stunning special features and ravishing new restorations, this boxset is even bigger and bolder than the last one. We begin with kung fu master Lau Kar-leung’s instant classic The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, in which his adoptive brother Gordon Liu achieved overnight stardom as the young man who unexpectedly finds spiritual enlightenment on the path to vengeance; Lau and Liu followed the original with two comically inventive sequels, Return to the 36th Chamber and Disciples of the 36th Chamber, both included here. Already established as a genius at blending dazzling action with physical comedy, Lau himself plays the lead role in the hilarious Mad Monkey Kung Fu, coupled here with Lo Mar’s underrated Five Superfighters. Next, we once again meet Chang Cheh’s basher boy band the Venom Mob in no less than four of their best-loved team-ups: Invincible Shaolin, The Kid with the Golden Arm, Magnificent Ruffians and culminating in the all-star Ten Tigers of Kwangtung, co-starring Ti Lung and Fu Sheng. After Lau brings us perhaps his best high-kicking comedy with My Young Auntie, a playful star vehicle for his real-life muse Kara Hui, we see Shaw Brothers fully embracing Eighties excess in our strangest double feature yet: Wong Jing’s breathtakingly wild shoot-‘em-up Mercenaries from Hong Kong, and Kuei Chih-hung’s spectacularly unhinged black magic meltdown The Boxer’s Omen. Last but certainly not least, Lau Kar-leung directs the last major Shaw production, Martial Arts of Shaolin, filmed in mainland China with a hot new talent named Jet Li in the lead role; it is paired in this set with The Bare-Footed Kid, a reverent remake of a Chang Cheh classic with Johnnie To (Running Out of Time) in the director’s chair and Lau back on fight choreography duties, in arguably the ultimate filmed tribute to Shaws’ everlasting cinematic legacy.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY COLLECTION CONTENTS
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all fourteen films, including nine new 2K restorations by Arrow Films
• Illustrated 60-page collectors’ book featuring new writing by David Desser, Jonathan Clements, Lovely Jon and David West, plus cast and crew listings and notes on each film by Simon Abrams • New artwork by Mike Lee-Graham, Chris Malbon, Kagan McLeod, Colin Murdoch, “Kung Fu” Bob O’Brien, Lucas Peverill, Ilan Sheady, Tony Stella, Darren Wheeling and Jolyon Yates
• Hours of never-before-seen bonus features including several cast and crew interviews from the Frédéric Ambroisine Video Archive
• Two CDs of music from the De Wolfe Music library as heard in several of the films, exclusive to this collection

DISC ONE – THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN
• Brand new 4K restoration by Celestial Pictures and L’Immagine Ritrovata
• Newly restored uncompressed Mandarin, Cantonese and English original mono audio
• Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Brand new feature commentary by critic Travis Crawford
• Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns • Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003
• Interview with cinematographer Arthur Wong, filmed in 2006
• Shaolin: Birthplace of a Hero and Elegant Trails, two archive featurettes with Gordon Liu produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
• Tiger Style: The Musical Impact of Martial Arts Cinema, a newly filmed overview of Shaw Brothers’ influence on hip hop and other music genres, featuring music historian Lovely Jon
• Cinema Hong Kong: Swordfighting, the second instalment in a three-part documentary produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003 and featuring interviews with Gordon Liu, Lau Kar-leung, Cheng Pei-pei, John Woo, Sammo Hung, Kara Hui, David Chiang and others
• Alternate opening credits from the American version titled Master Killer
• Hong Kong and German theatrical trailers, plus US TV spot
• Image gallery

DISC TWO – RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER / DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER
• Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Interview with star Gordon Liu, filmed in 2003
• Citizen Shaw, a French TV documentary from 1980 directed by Maurice Frydland, in which Sir Run Run Shaw gives an all-access tour of the Shaw Brothers backlot (including behind-the-scenes footage from Return to the 36th Chamber), remastered in high definition
• Hero on the Scaffolding, an archive featurette produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
• Alternate opening credits sequences for both films • Hong Kong theatrical trailers for both films
• Image galleries for both films

DISC THREE – MAD MONKEY KUNG FU / FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS
• Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono for both films
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Brand new commentary for Mad Monkey Kung Fu by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng and Michael Worth
• Newly filmed appreciation of Mad Monkey Kung Fu by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with actor Hsiao Hou, filmed in 2004
• Shaw in the USA, a brand new featurette on how Shaw Brothers broke America featuring Grady Hendrix and Chris Poggiali, authors of These Fists Break Bricks
• Hong Kong and US theatrical trailers for Mad Monkey Kung Fu
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for Five Superfighters
• Image galleries for both films

DISC FOUR – INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN / THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM
• Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Invincible Shaolin
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Interview with action director Robert Tai, filmed in 2003
• Poison Clan Rocks The World, a brand new visual essay on the Venom Mob written and narrated by author Terrence J. Brady
• Alternate "continuity" cut of The Kid With The Golden Arm, presented via seamless branching
• Alternate and textless title sequences for The Kid with the Golden Arm
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer for Invincible Shaolin
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer (audio only) and US TV spot for The Kid with the Golden Arm
• Image galleries for both films

DISC FIVE – MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS / TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG
• Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films, plus Cantonese mono for Ten Tigers of Kwangtung
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Brand new audio commentary on Ten Tigers of Kwangtung by filmmaker Brandon Bentley
• Interview with star Chin Siu-ho, filmed in 2003
• Rivers and Lakes, a brand new video essay on Shaw Brothers’ depiction of Chinese myth and history, written and narrated by Jonathan Clements, author of A Brief History of China
• Hong Kong (audio only) and German theatrical trailers for Magnificent Ruffians
• Hong Kong trailers (Mandarin and Cantonese audio options) and US TV spot for Ten Tigers of Kwangtung
• Image galleries for both films

DISC SIX – MY YOUNG AUNTIE
• Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio
• Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Brand new select-scene commentary by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with star Kara Hui, filmed in 2003
• Cinema Hong Kong: The Beauties of the Shaw Studios, the final instalment in the three-part documentary produced by Celestial Pictures in 2003
• Alternate standard-definition VHS version
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

DISC SEVEN – MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG / THE BOXER'S OMEN
• Brand new 2K restorations of both films from the original negatives by Arrow Films
• Uncompressed Cantonese and Mandarin original mono audio for both films plus English mono for Mercenaries from Hong Kong
• Newly translated English subtitles for both films, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dub
• Brand new commentary on The Boxer’s Omen by critic Travis Crawford
• Newly filmed appreciation of filmmaker Kuei Chih-hung by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Additional footage from Mandarin VHS version of The Boxer's Omen
• Interview with Mercenaries from Hong Kong action director Tong Kai, filmed in 2009
• Hong Kong theatrical trailers for both films
• Image galleries for both films

DISC EIGHT – MARTIAL ARTS OF SHAOLIN / THE BARE-FOOTED KID
• Uncompressed Cantonese, Mandarin and English original mono audio for both films
• Newly translated English subtitles, plus optional hard-of-hearing subtitles for the English dubs
• Brand new commentary on Martial Arts of Shaolin by Jonathan Clements
• Brand new commentary on The Bare-Footed Kid by Frank Djeng of the NY Asian Film Festival
• Newly filmed appreciations of both films by film critic and historian Tony Rayns
• Interview with Martial Arts of Shaolin screenwriter Sze Yeung-ping, filmed in 2004
• Alternate standard-definition version of Martial Arts of Shaolin
• Hong Kong and Japanese theatrical trailers for Martial Arts of Shaolin, plus trailers for the preceding Shaolin Temple films starring Jet Li
• Hong Kong theatrical trailer and UK VHS promo for The Bare-Footed Kid
• Image galleries for both films

DISC NINE – MUSIC FROM THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN, FIVE SUPERFIGHTERS, INVINCIBLE SHAOLIN AND THE KID WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (CD)

DISC TEN – MUSIC FROM RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER, MAGNIFICENT RUFFIANS, TEN TIGERS OF KWANGTUNG, MY YOUNG AUNTIE, MERCENARIES FROM HONG KONG AND DISCIPLES OF THE 36TH CHAMBER (CD)

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocket1312 (Post 14145726)

I'm a little nonplussed at a 90's Shaw revival being included, but again, I haven't seen it.

Has Arrow given any indication of how many ShawScope volumes there'll be? Or maybe I'm making bad assumptions just because the first two are chronological, since that wouldn't necessarily preclude a third volume from being all over the place.

I had a tiny glimmer of hope that Super Inframan would be the oddball in the set (a la Mighty Peking Man last time), but I guess with Boxer's Omen, that role is filled. :) Although Inframan wouldn't fit chronologically anyway. Here's hoping for a solo release since I missed out on importing 88's BD.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Originally there was supposed to be two sets, but in the aftermath of vol. 1 James Flowers made allusions to the possibility of more down the road.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Tyner (Post 14145732)

James Flower indicated that there’d be future volumes…. One would cover Chor Yuen titles.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

The reason why we are getting some of the lesser titles in these volumes has to do with how Celestial bundles the films for licensing. If you want to get the popular Shaws, you need to take the lesser ones too. That was the case back in the DVDs days and it seems that is still happening now.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by LorenzoL (Post 14145741)

Perhaps, but I would imagine access to/condition of elements would also play a role given that Arrow is doing new scans on a lot of these.

With regards to new scans it looks like 9 of 14 are new. The 5 that are using old masters are the two 36th Chamber sequels, My Young Auntie, Martial Arts of Shaolin and Bare Footed Kid.

I know I should be thankful for any new scans we've gotten, but it's spoiled me to the point that I'm now extra disappointed for the ones that didn't get a new scan.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocket1312 (Post 14145726)

A Wuxia set would make sense as we are still missing One-Armed Swordsman and its sequels. That's probably Volume 3?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adam Tyner (Post 14145732)

I remember seeing when I heard news that Arrow has rights for Shaw Brothers films that it was 26. The first two volumes encompasses the 26 titles. Obviously, if Arrow is going to release more Shaws, then they have acquired or are in process of acquiring more, I'm guessing.

Edit - lol Dex14 posted that screenshot after I posted this.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocket1312 (Post 14145749)

I'm guessing that they must be using the HD scans of My Young Auntie, Martial Arts and Bare Footed Kid that were available in the streaming services like Prime and Netflix when it was available. Was the 36th Chambers sequels available to stream too? I don't remember.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by LorenzoL (Post 14145770)

Yes, the 36th Chamber sequels were available. At least they were on itunes as far as I recall. They were also two of the handful of titles released on Blu ray in Hong Kong by IVL.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by LorenzoL (Post 14145741)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LorenzoL (Post 14145758)

I've always thought there were at least four of these boxes planned – pretty sure I read somewhere ages ago that they had licensed around 50-ish films. Or maybe that was someone guessing as well?

I think the the real gems in these collections – as well as a lot of HK titles from multiple companies – are the Frédéric Ambroisine interviews, many of which are with folks who are no longer around. I remember seeing a lot of these back when we were contributors to HKMDB around the time he was making them, and he would share them with us there (and presumably other forums he participated in). It was a bit sad that so many of his interviews weren't licensed for inclusion on DVD editions at the time, and were instead only posted on his website. Sad that it took 15-20 years for companies to finally appreciate what he was doing at the time, but I'm grateful that so much of it is finally coming out on a regular basis.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brian T (Post 14145806)

Had a feeling nothing had changed with the HK companies in this regard. Pretty sure Fortune Star operates the same way, or at least did circa the era of Shout releasing a bunch of multi-film packs of lesser titles in order to get their hands on the Jackie Chan films. There are definitely some lesser titles in that new Shaw box, but getting the gems as singles will probably never happen, or be so far down the road as to be pointless. As tempting as it is, I can hold off on this one as I did on the first one, which has remained in circulation long enough to be part of multiple sales now (even as low as $80-90 US, as I recall). I've always assumed there were at least four of these boxes planned – pretty sure I read somewhere that they had licensed around 50-ish films (?) – so have to be frugal about things.

I think the the real gems in these collections – as well as a lot of HK titles from multiple companies – are the Frédéric Ambroisine interviews. I remember seeing a lot of these back when we were contributors to HKMDB around the time he was making them, and would share them with us there (and presumably other forums he participated in). It was kind of sad that so many of his interviews weren't licensed for inclusion on DVD editions at the time, and were instead only posted on his website. Sad that it took 15-20 years for companies to finally appreciate what he was doing at the time, but I'm grateful that so much of it is finally coming out on a regular basis.

I'm looking forward to the Cinema Hong Kong documentaries and the Citizen Shaw one. The new one too "Shaw in the USA" seems interesting.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

So when is Arrow coming up with the 4K disc for Enter the 36th Chamber? That's a 4K scan baby!

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Quote:

Originally Posted by LorenzoL (Post 14145814)

I'm looking forward to the Cinema Hong Kong documentaries and the Citizen Shaw one. The new one too "Shaw in the USA" seems interesting.

I was fortunate back in the day to score an IVL disc that contained all three of those docs. I happened to stumble across a Chinatown store that barely sold any movies but had a dusty copy of that on a bottom shelf for seemingly ages. The stuff you find sometimes! I think the shows had appeared individually as bonus features on separate, relevant DVD titles back then, but there was one that I'd missed out on. They're pretty decent docs (presumably intended for TV based on their 50-minute run times), and I like the fact that they were actually produced in Hong Kong, rather than the usual 'white guys explain it to you' stuff. :lol: That said, I'm likewise looking forward to the 'Shaws In The USA' featurette because the 'These Fists' book is excellent. Hopefully those guys will be used more going forward, at least to break up what's becoming a collection of 'usual suspects' in the HK cinema supplement industry. :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by LorenzoL (Post 14145817)

So when is Arrow coming up with the 4K disc for Enter the 36th Chamber? That's a 4K scan baby!

That's the kind of lesser film that would've been a novel inclusion in this set, if only for that cash-in alternate title. :)

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

More insight as to why Arrow has focused on the Shaw Brothers Martial Arts films. I'm concerned once they start releasing their "lesser" films, the sales numbers will dwindle. There's no happy medium to this unless, they get licensed to the Arrow Streaming Service.

Re: The Official Arrow Films 4K/Blu-ray Discussion and Release Thread

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I recall a number of those early 88 Films Shaw Blu-rays having few bonus features (aside from the occasional commentary or trailer). Not that supplements are some kind of guarantee of anything, but when there was very few on those, I generally avoided them in favour of the sheer variety that Celestial/IVL was making available on DVD and VCD out of Hong Kong. I suspect certain 'lesser selling category' titles would be more discoverable to the unfamiliar if they were mixed into Shaw boxes and supplemented with a few extra bonus features for context. Their very inclusion in these sets would lend a certain credence to them in the eyes of a lot of people who might not have bothered with them otherwise (as with the 88 Films versions, which often seemed like random choices, tossed on the market). In other words, there needs to be an "in", and the boxed sets are the best and probably only option. I'm fine if we never see comedies and dramas and musicals getting any attention in the west; they're tend to be very culturally localized. But that's also why I continually recommend people at least try and check out a few of them just so they have some context about Hong Kong cinema beyond whatever titles the boutique labels cherry-pick and what the mostly 'white guy scholars' provide as context. I'm also the first to admit that that task does get harder with each passing year, as more and more of the old IVL DVDs and VCDs just seem to vanish into personal collections and the stock has dwindled at various online shops.