Truffaut Fan

Does anyone have a copy of Song Of The South that they'd be willing to review? At $50, I'd like to know how the quality is before purchasing. The seller told me it "is in English and looks very good."

I'm mainly interested in the source of this DVD. Apparently there are no subtitles during the songs, so that rules out the Japanese LD. Is there a version available from the HK LD? I have a feeling this one is probably sourced from a European PAL release.

Any help on this title would be much appreciated!

Jeff

Static Cling

Moving to DVD Reviews.

Hendrik

" ...I have a feeling this one is probably sourced from a European PAL release. "

...and I have a feeling this one is - with a certainty of, roughly, 99,999% - a pirate copy from wherever... I own the movie on a - legitimate, ok quality - (PAL) VHS tape that I bought in London's Heathrow Airport, years ago... pretty certain the movie was never released on PAL LaserDisc, afaik only a Japanese LD was ever released...

...my advice is: caveat emptor...

. . . . . .

Truffaut Fan

I'm aware it is a bootleg, but seeing how unlikely it is that there will ever be an official release, this is my only resort unless I don't want to own the film at all.

There was a limited pressing in Hong Kong on LD without subtitles but they are extremely rare.

Jeff

highdef

Obviously the DVD is a bootleg!!!!!!!!
I own the LEGAL LaserDisc Import from Disney Japan and the
quality rocks. Considering the age of the film and the
transfer devices used in the early 90's (as this is the remastered edition in DD but with the very same video transfer from the 80's)
the disc is really very good - as good it gets, "LEGALLY," anytime soon.

I payed only $37.50 (with tax) back in 1991 from a "leading retail store" in NYC. I hear that a mint copy of this LD is going for several hundred now on EBAY. WOW, what an investment and a terrific film to boot.

sparks

The Hong Kong laser has sold for over $1000 on eBay...TWICE!!!

Hendrik

"The Hong Kong laser has sold for over $1000 on eBay...TWICE!!!"

...which merely proves the old saw "A Fool And His Money Are Soon Parted"...

...using any 'standards' you care to apply, SotS is not a "great" movie - in fact, as movies go it's a pretty soppy one... the brilliant animated sections, however, are among the very best (traditional, cel) work ever to come out of the Disney studios ... IMNSHO, of course!

. . . . . .

Seabee

I have seen both the Hong Kong Laserdisc transfer and also the Japanese Laserdisc transfer. The menus and extras were the same on both DVDs. They were both DVD-R. I do not believe that there is a non DVD-R of this movie available. The Japanese DVD did have the a total of about eight minute of subtitles during the songs. The rest of the movie had no subtitles. Both had a different hidden extra cartoon. The one on the HK disk was "Coal Black and the Sebben Drafts." I don't know if that was on the original HK Laserdisc. If it was, then this would verify the transfer source. The interactive menus look professional and have music. There is a picture of the HK transfer DVD disk and case in another thread. The Japanese transfer DVD cover art is a copy of the UK Pal VHS video. They both included two trailers, 1972 and 1986 I believe. They also included an original radio spot aired for the movie, and five selectable songs. As far as quality, the Japanese transfer may have had a little more vivid colors, but I preferred viewing the movie with no subtitles at all. When I checked the HK disk title in the computer it was labeled HKSOTS. One problem I did have was the HK disk froze a couple of time near the end of the movie. I transferred that disk onto a high quality DVD-R and now it plays fine. I think the problem may have been the media used, but I am not sure.

Blade

Sorry gang, but we've changed our bootleg policy, so no more reviews.

Closing and moving to the Archive forum.