Asian Movies in HD!

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saltysam
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Markgway wrote:I hate Twilight Time - an outfit based on greed who use Limited Edition status as an excuse to fleece consumers with £30 price tags.
Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:
I'm in the States and they annoy me. :D Look at the price of their BD of Breaking Away (unless this is an OOP price.) They have had several I've been interested in, but really just wanting them to be massed released.
I've got absolutely no problem with Twilight Time-they've created a business model that works for them so who's to say they are doing anything wrong. Not sure how they are "fleecing" consumers-they aren't forcing anyone to buy their discs,indeed the vast majority of their releases don't even sell out-the ones that do are probably making up for the ones they lose money on. If people are happy enough to make 5000 units of the re-released Fright Night sell out despite there being a region-free alternative available at a third of the price then it's hardly "fleecing", it's consumers with disposable income happy to pay their prices. I've got two Twilight Time discs, Body Double & Night Of The Living Dead-would i have bought them if they'd been out cheaper elsewhere at the time? no i wouldn't but clearly a lot of people would.Saying that paying daft prices for discs has never bothered me one bit tbh so i'm probably looking at it from a different perspective to yourselves.BTW have their prices gone up recently as the ones i've bought were always nearer the £25 mark than £30.And to quote that anyway is a bit misleading,they are a USA company,that's where their primary market is,their titles are around £22.50 delivered there.Same as we brits pay more from Amazon.com than the yanks do.simple economics :cool:
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Markgway »

No offence, Sam, but you seem to have deeper pockets than some of us here and buy many expensive titles as pre-orders (e.g. the 36th Chamber trilogy). Maybe if I could afford to do that I wouldn't care either. My opinion of Twilight Time stands.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Markgway wrote:No offence, Sam, but you seem to have deeper pockets than some of us here and buy many expensive titles as pre-orders (e.g. the 36th Chamber trilogy).
not particularly,my house is paid for but i still have bills the same as everyone else.i can afford stuff sure but lately i've been massively downsizing my collection and using those funds to buy stuff i really will keep.as someone who paid £40 for the VHS of ETD back in 1980'ish (imagine how much that is inflation wise today)£51 for the 36th Chamber trilogy isn't going to faze me :P
Markgway wrote:Maybe if I could afford to do that I wouldn't care either.
no offence Mark but whatever forum i see you on you seem to be complaining about the cost of discs.Here,KFC back when,Blu-ray.com...you give the impression you want something for virtually next to nothing. ;)
Markgway wrote:My opinion of Twilight Time stands.
that's fine,mine does too,good luck to them while it lasts (it won't,as physical media will die on it's arse in the next decade)and your assertion that they are "fleecing" consumers is ridiculous.are they conning people out of their cash?because that's what "fleecing" entails.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Markgway »

saltysam wrote: not particularly,my house is paid for but i still have bills the same as everyone else.i can afford stuff sure but lately i've been massively downsizing my collection and using those funds to buy stuff i really will keep.as someone who paid £40 for the VHS of ETD back in 1980'ish (imagine how much that is inflation wise today)£51 for the 36th Chamber trilogy isn't going to faze me :P
I don't want to give the impression that I don't think you or anyone is entitled to pay expensive prices - it's your money to with as you please - just that for many of us it's hard to justify doing so. If you can justify the cost to yourself then fair enough. Even so, I don't believe that justifies Twilight Time's prices. Just because they're consumers out there who can and will pay $35 a pop doesn't make it right. Other boutique labels such as Kino Classics (who have begun putting effort into their releases) and Olive can sell their titles for half TT's exclusive RRP. The value of items has changed dramatically. It's true that VHS used to cost a bomb - remember those rental boxes that cost £79.99? - but clearly I'm comparing to contemporary costs. No one now would pay £500 for a 14" TV and VHS recorder but they did in the 80s. I am gutted that the 36th Chamber set is $70. It just doesn't need to be that expensive. Celestial/IVL (working from existing materials) have done nothing to justify that cost. What would I have paid? $49 would have sufficed.
no offence Mark but whatever forum i see you on you seem to be complaining about the cost of discs.Here,KFC back when,Blu-ray.com...you give the impression you want something for virtually next to nothing. ;)
That's not exactly true. I mean, yes, I do make this complaint often, but not without justification, I feel. I know not everything can be under $10 (that's what I expect from major studios who mass produce) but there's a fine line between a bit extra and a rip-off. KLC are a bit extras... TT rip-off.
good luck to them while it lasts (it won't,as physical media will die on it's arse in the next decade)and your assertion that they are "fleecing" consumers is ridiculous.are they conning people out of their cash?because that's what "fleecing" entails.
I hope you're wrong about physical media. I'll never buy digital. Never. To "fleece" can mean to overcharge. In some cases there are no alternatives to TT, which forces fans to pay thru the nose. Luckily I don't buy as many films discs as some, and at present the only titles I want from TT are Salvador and Night of the Living Dead. I got the AU release of Body Double (same transfer, extras) for about £12. There's a German release of Salvador but it loses the burnt-in subs - one of my bugbears and TT's NOTLD apparently buggers up the colours making it less preferable than the DVD.
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saltysam
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

i'd wager Olive & Kino are paying a lot less than Twilight Time are in licencing costs. i'm not having it that people are being "forced" to pay $35 dollars for these titles.Most (if not all) either have perfectly serviceable DVD releases or are available on BD a lot cheaper elsewhere.people who are paying these prices can clearly afford it and are happy to do so.Anyway in cases like these if you are so set against them yet want some of their titles,, a BD Writer is your friend ;)
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Markgway »

A DVD is not the same as a BD otherwise no one would buy BDs.

Also, I prefer to own original BDs (BD-Rs are for unavailable customs).

As for the licensing costs that's pure speculation.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Shingster »

Couldn't care less how much money TT charge for their titles tbh, but the fact they take fan-favourites and hold said fans to ransom with ultra-limited runs is just about the most egregious thing ANY distributor can do imo.

As salty says they've certainly found a business model that works for them, but it's a business model that fucks over every fan other than the 3000 or 5000 of hardcore devotees who scrutinise their every post on facebook/twitter/bd.com so they can be on-the-button ready to purchase that title within the 24hr window that it's actually available for before it sells out. Salty mentions their recent re-release of Fright Night and European Region-Free alternative, but he conveniently forgot to mention that the film was unavailable anywhere on BD for 3yrs because of that oh-so-wonderful Twilight Time business model.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Shingster wrote:
As salty says they've certainly found a business model that works for them, but it's a business model that fucks over every fan other than the 3000 or 5000 of hardcore devotees who scrutinise their every post on facebook/twitter/bd.com so they can be on-the-button ready to purchase that title within the 24hr window that it's actually available for before it sells out..
for every Blob there's a Mindwarp,i'd say less than 20% of their titles have been sell outs,if these hardcore devotees were collecting the label not the film (like Criterion fanboys do)wouldn't the sellout ratio be a lot higher?
Shingster wrote:Salty mentions their recent re-release of Fright Night and European Region-Free alternative, but he conveniently forgot to mention that the film was unavailable anywhere on BD for 3yrs because of that oh-so-wonderful Twilight Time business model.
Conveniently? you do know the 3 year "exclusivity" was for that part of the world only,right?hardly TT's fault if Sony couldn't bother their arses releasing it elsewhere sooner.The German & Oz releases came out before the 3 years was up.it's why you can buy the likes of other sony releases Christine,Oliver!,Body Double,Sleepless In Seattle,As Good As It Gets and more for buttons elsewhere right now.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Markgway wrote:A DVD is not the same as a BD otherwise no one would buy BDs.
never said it was but they are suitable,serviceable substitutes as i imagine you'd appreciate given your stance on what you'll pay,audio remixes on BD,no mono etc :cool:

Markgway wrote:Also, I prefer to own original BDs
who doesn't :dontknow:
Markgway wrote:As for the licensing costs that's pure speculation.
of course,but if i was a betting man i'd wager TT are paying more for Sony titles than Mill Creek are.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Markgway »

saltysam wrote:never said it was but they are suitable,serviceable substitutes as i imagine you'd appreciate given your stance on what you'll pay,audio remixes on BD,no mono etc :cool:
Serviceable but not preferable. I only choose to keep the DVD when the BD is in some way inferior (e.g. missing mono). I don't expect to pay DVD prices for BDs (especially not from boutique labels, although TT do nothing to enhance what they're given by the studios) but nor do I expect to pay 90s import Laserdisc prices either.
who doesn't :dontknow:
You made it sound like BD-Rs were good enough for those who can't justified inflated prices.
of course,but if i was a betting man i'd wager TT are paying more for Sony titles than Mill Creek are.
It would be interesting to find out.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by grim_tales »

TT have got SITES as well, hopefully Sony themselves will release them in the UK/EU :)
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Shingster »

By hardcore devotees I'm referring to devotees of Blu-ray, not Twilight Time. The fact is that only the hardcore fans of the medium who keep up to date with what's coming out and when will ever get a chance to purchase certain Twilight Time releases because they sell out so fast.
saltysam wrote:for every Blob there's a Mindwarp
Yes, but that doesn't justify the limited run of The Blob! You can't say "Oh title X is available so you can't criticise the unavailability of title Y" that's just absurd logic.
Conveniently? you do know the 3 year "exclusivity" was for that part of the world only,right?
And you know there are other labels who sublicense horror films on Blu-ray right? This is the most frustrating thing about debating the merits of TT with their fans, the "oh if it wasn't for Twilight Time then these titles would be sitting on a shelf somewhere waiting to be released for years!" argument, which is complete bollocks! Shout!/Scream factory would have jumped on many of the titles TT have released in ultra-limited runs years ago. Even ignoring that you're completely overlooking the fact that as an american label TT are completely screwing over american film fans who can't import region-B/C titles.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Shingster wrote:By hardcore devotees I'm referring to devotees of Blu-ray, not Twilight Time
there's such a thing as hardcore blu-ray fans?
saltysam wrote:for every Blob there's a Mindwarp
Shingster wrote:Yes, but that doesn't justify the limited run of The Blob! You can't say "Oh title X is available so you can't criticise the unavailability of title Y" that's just absurd logic.
how is it absurd logic? clearly their contract doesn't allow them to have more than a 5000 run.if they could sell 3x as many if allowed why wouldn't they?
Shingster wrote:This is the most frustrating thing about debating the merits of TT with their fans,
So if i have no issue with the way they work i'm a fan am i :clap: fucking hell you love the over the top hyperbole Shing :cool:
Shingster wrote:Shout!/Scream factory
Sony chose to work with TT not Scream.blame Sony..
Shingster wrote:Even ignoring that you're completely overlooking the fact that as an american label TT are completely screwing over american film fans who can't import region-B/C titles.
i don't care about american film fans,why should i?if they don't want to import REGION-FREE releases of FF & Christine for a fraction of the cost for example then more fool them.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Shingster »

saltysam wrote:there's such a thing as hardcore blu-ray fans?
I don't know, you're a member over on Blu-ray.com and must have come across those seemingly endless threads debating the merits of HD transfers and whether or not X or Y title comes with a slipcase (not to mention the clamouring to order the big TT releases that enable them to sell out very quickly), so what do you think?
saltysam wrote:how is it absurd logic? clearly their contract doesn't allow them to have more than a 5000 run.
You mean the way that Shout Factory only released 5000 copies of Nightbreed LE? Oh wait no, they upped that to 10000 once it became clear the demand was greater. Where there's a will there is always a way when dealing with the studios.
saltysam wrote:So if i have no issue with the way they work i'm a fan am i :clap:
No I am saying you're using the textbook argument that fans of the label use whenever anyone dares to criticise them, but then again you're defending TT with just as much fervour as the ardent fans so whether I'm accusing you of being a fan or not is splitting hairs really.
saltysam wrote:i don't care about american film fans,why should i?if they don't want to import REGION-FREE releases of FF & Christine for a fraction of the cost for example then more fool them.
I'm alright Jack, everyone else can fuck off! Luckily not everyone shares that attitude towards cinema, or else you wouldn't have got hold of that fancy fan-made blu-ray of Hard Boiled now, would you? I suppose if you have that mercenary attitude then the TT model is perfectly fine, but for those who think art/entertanment should be available to the masses in the best possible form then it's an incredibly selfish business model that says only the people who are big enough fans with deep enough pockets and devote a large amount of time to a medium and knowing when a title is coming out and where it is being sold can sit at the table.

BTW not every TT release has a "REGION-FREE" alternative, so why you decided to make that argument I do not know (considering that was what I specifically referred to with my wording)!
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Shingster wrote:
saltysam wrote:So if i have no issue with the way they work i'm a fan am i :clap:
No I am saying you're using the textbook argument that fans of the label use whenever anyone dares to criticise them, but then again you're defending TT with just as much fervour as the ardent fans so whether I'm accusing you of being a fan or not is splitting hairs really.
i'm not defending them with fervour.i'm saying i have no issue with them.big difference.
saltysam wrote:i don't care about american film fans,why should i?if they don't want to import REGION-FREE releases of FF & Christine for a fraction of the cost for example then more fool them.
Shingster wrote:I'm alright Jack, everyone else can fuck off! Luckily not everyone shares that attitude towards cinema, or else you wouldn't have got hold of that fancy fan-made blu-ray of Hard Boiled now, would you? I suppose if you have that mercenary attitude
Mercenary attitude? you clearly know fuck all about me.Ask some of the members here who i've helped down the years for no gain.would those yanks care if i was region-locked and couldn't get hold of Criterions?

Shingster wrote:BTW not every TT release has a "REGION-FREE" alternative, so why you decided to make that argument I do not know (considering that was what I specifically referred to with my wording)!
So it's TT's fault there's no Region-free alternative? they aren't preventing releases in other parts of the world. Problem with you and it's been noted down the years and not just on here you resort to aggression to try and win a discussion.. the classical keyboard internet warrior.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Shingster »

Aggression? Good god man you must be a delicate little flower if you think anyone is being agressive in this thread! You're the one twisting my words to make it sound like I'm blaming TT for all the non RegionFree releases in the world. The only argument I have made in this thread is that their business model is extremely selfish that screws over fans who want to get hold of a US release of many of the titles in their limited-run catalogue. With that I'll say no more, my argument stands.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by luckystars »

IVL releasing 36 Chambers Trilogy on Blu
http://www.buyoyo.com/buyoyo/eng/Produc ... r=11562245
2010 - The return of the HK movie industry :)
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

Bruce Lee movies finally getting a uk release http://mediumraregroup.com/news
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by grim_tales »

"Restored in HD from original 35mm masters" - hmmm. Wouldnt they be the same transfers/masters Shout have? :)
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

yes they will be but so what? what would you like this small UK label to do? people whine about the lack of HK releases then whinge like a bitch about transfers,mono,price etc. 99% of the population with an interest will be overjoyed with these releases. Anal is not the word,sit back and watch the movies ffs
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by grim_tales »

Fair points of course, was just asking :)
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

asking who? wtf do i know? i've took my news from a press release. it's times like this i can see why distributors cannot be arsed releasing this stuff. it's always a whine about audio,transfer,price,subtitles blah blah...far cheaper and less grief to release the latest Seagal dtv. the sub minority genre of hk movie fans are the most anal i've ever come across.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Markgway »

saltysam wrote:the sub minority genre of hk movie fans are the most anal i've ever come across.
That's probably because that "sub minority genre of hk movie fans" (sic) have been getting the shaft for 15 years. Hundreds of disc releases and you can count the outstanding ones on your fingers and toes. Forgive Grim his well-earned cynicism.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by saltysam »

i've got plenty more "outstanding" releases of HK movies than i have fingers and toes.but if it's a mission in life to go looking for issues all the time then some people's lists will be shorter than others.As someone who grew up owning cut p&s warner vhs releases of shaw movies for example,to own these in their true widescreen ratio means they are "outstanding" to my eye and ears.
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Re: Asian Movies in HD!

Post by Markgway »

saltysam wrote:i've got plenty more "outstanding" releases of HK movies than i have fingers and toes.but if it's a mission in life to go looking for issues all the time then some people's lists will be shorter than others.As someone who grew up owning cut p&s warner vhs releases of shaw movies for example,to own these in their true widescreen ratio means they are "outstanding" to my eye and ears.
Hey, I was a video kid.
I had those P&S and censored Warner Shaw tapes, too.
Yes, of course things are much better now... BUT... that doesn't mean I will overlook unnecessary flaws.
Upscales, remixes, bad subs, ALL unnecessary.
Medium Rare may be a smallish company but some things are just basic common sense.
Fans aren't being unreasonable in their demands, IMHO.
On a side note: It's terrific that the 36th Chamber trilogy appears to be near perfect... but it did NOT need to be priced at $70+.
If it had been $20-30 less I would've been overjoyed.
The Shaw Bros catalogue runs into hundreds of titles.
Imagine ordering every good title at $25+ (the current selling price for Out of the Dark) and take out your calculator to see what it would cost to rebuy your DVD collection.
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