I know the thread title might have been a tad confusing, but I just wanted to talk about this a bit with you folks. So Volcano High (from Korea) is gonna be on Mtv. I saw a commercial for it - they're gonna play Volcano High commercial free some night soon (didn't catch when). Probably will be dubbed. Anyone else think this is a bad thing? Maybe I'm being elitist, but I kinda think things like this lose their 'special-ness' when everyone and their momma gets such easy access to it. Like when Cowboy Bebop ends up on Cartoon Network or when they started playing punk music on the radio and started signing bands to major labels. I'm not saying it's gonna make me like all this stuff any less, but I guess when it's not so special and more easy to obtain here in the states - this sort of stuff kinda loses my interest.

I guess when hollywood started the trend of taking asian movies and remaking them (I mean the recent flurry of it), it kinda started to feel less cool. Now that they're gonna play a film like this on Mtv for every 15 year old to see, it's just gonna make me less cool somehow (if that's possible). I'm not saying that I watch these to be cool or anything, but I just kinda feel like my tastes are a bit more unique. My tastes won't change at all, but they just will be more mainstream which makes me feel just as lame as everyone else. I don't know - it's hard to express how I feel about this without sounding like a geek or a snob or whatever. Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Does it mean nothing?

I think what bothers me the most is that when things become mainstream, they are dumbed down to appeal to the lowest common denominator and thus lose their appeal for me.

It won't make the film any lesser for me if more people get tuned into it. In fact, I'm happy that a film is out there and available to everyone - I'll have someone to talk to about it.

Now if MTV would play Withnail & I and Human Traffic, what a wonderful world this could be.

I'm not really bothered by lots of other people watching it, but I know what you mean about it losing its "special-ness". It's fun to feel a part of something that you know is good. As soon as everyone gets into the act, and something becomes popular, it usually changes, and hardly ever for the better.

The thing I'm bothered about, is that MTV is presenting a cut, dubbed, re-scored (with a hip-hop soundtrack) version.

I'm also bothered to think that this will be the first exposure of this film (and Korean cinema) for some people, and that they will have no idea what has been done to the film.

I know it's an old, tired argument, but what in the world is wrong with films like this in the first place, that there is a need to make them different? Someone at MTV saw this movie and liked it enough to want to air it. But nooooooo, they have to change it so that it's more like a music video.

Really, I guess I just keep hoping that American viewers are not so damn scared to experience something different, but companies like MTV are making sure they never have a chance.

Just my opinion.

Yeah - that's kinda the point I'm trying to make... but I guess I feel (in addition to that) that I kinda like being the one who introduces people to stuff. Guess I'm selfish in that way. At least I can admit it. But yeah - moreso I'm just kinda turned off by the fact that in order for something to become mainstream around here, it has to be altered somehow or run through the suck machine only to come out on the other side being just like everything else. Kung Fu Soccer? Zu Warriors? C'mon - are we (americans) too stupid to like something the way it is without it having to be watered down?

I'm going to e-mail MTV: "Trigger is our God do NOT mess around with his playground!"

Seriously I hear ya. Altering stuff to make it palatable to North American viewers sucks.

I think it's a good thing. Sure, it'll be cut and dubbed and Lord knows what else, but it's getting some mainstream exposure which is something that doesn't happen too much with Korean cinema in the US. And while some people couldn't probably care less about it, you never know who's going to see it and thing "Hey, that's pretty good." and maybe start out on a path that will lead them to more foreign cinematic goodness in it's truer form. Surely some of you guys watched old Kung Fu movies on TV as a kid. Dubbed badly and cut greatly, but did any of you care back then? I doubt it. But if any of you are Kung Fu fans today, watching it fully restored, remastered, and subtitled, it's probably because of those old Kung Fu movies.

It's not like MTV is marketing this to people who are already fans of Volcano High, and it's not like MTV is keeping you from seeing it in it's original version. This is for all those people who don't know and probably don't care what they're missing out on. And maybe they still won't after this. But maybe they will. Who knows?

And besides, it's not like Volcano High is the Mona Lisa here people.

I didn't mean you people... I'm hardly the resident expert around here... I was talking about my buck-toothed uncultured friends who knew nothing before they met me.

I understand what you are saying, and you are right about any exposure being good exposure, but you are kind of missing the point.

There is no reason to cut, dub and re-score the movie. They are not making it a better movie by doing this. Why not allow people to watch the original and at least give them a chance to watch something they are not used to, and even explore something new, instead of airing an Americanized version?

I love Volcano High, but when is this thing going to air?

I really want to see how bad MTV messes the film up.

I don't think it's elitist to want to have the movie shown the way it was made originally. I think I could understand them airing the HK theatrical cut length (100 minutes?), and dubbed, but don't change the soundtrack or "mess" with anything else.

Your tastes may be unique within your circle of friends, but they are shared by hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people around the world. There is really nothing unique about them at all.

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Would you please bear in mind the Board Rules concerning personal attacks and either develop a less antagonistic manner in which to express yourself or find somewhere else to do it. Thanks. [Benedict]

Speaking of "Volcano High" is there anyplace i can still find the Korean 2 DVD version?

All we need now is a slew of re-edited, re-scored and re-titled films to hit video stores like they did with both Chan and Li films.

... with LAUGH TRACKS!

Think I got mine at www.dvdasian.com or someplace like that.

I got it recently at: www.yesasia.com

I was joking of course. But you do deserve credit for all the time and effort you put into your review threads.

Maybe MTV will actuall make this watchable??? At least it will be amusing watch to say the least

Yeah, especially if they use Snoop Dog and other rappers for the dubbed voices!

It must've played over the weekend... I missed it and can't find it in the listings since they only go back one day. I found a reference to it at mtv.com, but all they had for info on it was the times it was showing (which came up blank when I clicked on it)... Interesting to note - this is how it was described: "MTV Original Movie: Volcano High". MTV Original movie, huh?

Here's something else I found...

So I guess this is a trend of things to come - what's next on the chopping block? Grrr....

Can't wait to see what else they butcher.

Do they have to get a special license to do this to a movie? I guess the money is tempting, but I would never let them do something like that to any movie I ever made (not that I made any, but you understand).

Someone with that type of "inspiration" should have their moviegoing privileges revoked...

FOREVER... Like how about have their EYE's gouged out!!!

Sadly, I was only kidding about Snoop Dog, and apparently he and a bunch of other rappers are the dubbed voices.

Can anyone confirm this?

MTV will rape Volcano High on December 21st at 9pm.

The film will be edited into 90 minutes (I'm sure they only have the rights to the international cut, not the Korean cut) and the soundtrack will be replaced by a "hip-hop" soundtrack as rappers (Snoop Dog, Method Man, Mya, and others) will dub the actors.

So what we have here is an edited 90 minute film (taken from a 100 minute international cut which was taken from a 120 minute director's cut) with all the music (which was really good to begin with) taken out and replaced by crappy music while adults dub the voices of actors who are in their teens. Wow, this is the stupidest f-ing idea I have heard of in ages. And yet, it will happen in a few weeks.



Thanks a lot MTV, taking what was once a good movie and raping the daylights out of it. Keep on making your crappy original movies (2GETHER EXCLUDED) and don't touch any films you didn't have a part in the making of.