DrGerbil

May we all collectively hold our breaths... The Killer in the US is currently in limbo, it was supposed to be released (cut to pieces) by Buena Vista.

welb25

yeah, I heard Buena Vista was all set to release The Killer and Hard Boiled cut and dubbed but cancelled them at the last minute. I heard a rumor that Woo himself stopped them or asked them not to release them but I don't see how he could stop them if they have the rights. The fact that Woo worked with Criterion on the Le Cercle Rouge dvd gives me some hope (faint though it may be) that Criterion might get the rights back.

Krayzie

Does this mean i should stay away from the fox lorber versions and hope new versions are released?
Can't figure out which versions of hard boiled and the killer to actually purchase.. besides the CC versions of course..

welb25

both of the Fox Lorber dvds of the Killer and Hard Boiled are out of print but if you can find them I would get them. The Fox Lorber disc of the Killer is the same transfer as the Criterion but it has different subtitles. The Fox Lorber Hard Boiled is not cropped like the Criterion. Both have the original mono soundtracks and Commentaries from Woo that are different than on the Criterion discs.

mrwilson

I personally think the Fox Lorber commentaries are better than the Criterion's. Woo's English had improved dramatically since the time he had done the Criterion commentaries.

Yocke

There's a new version of Hard Boiled coming out in the UK in September.

welb25

yes Yocke, I see that Tartan is releasing Hard Boiled for the third time in September.

Krayzie

Anyone have any idea of which version of A Better Tomorrow is better? I was thinking of getting the US release but then I saw the DTS remaster from International Video and was wondering if that would be a better investment.

The "Codes of Bullets" extras seemed a lot more interesting than what was on the US release. Anyone know if the International Video version is a lot better?

Thanks

Yocke

I've got that version of the A Better Tomorrow trilogy, and it's allright. The video is pretty grainy, but I think this is the best it's ever gonna look. I haven't seen the Anchor Bay versions, but from what I've heard the International Video version is better. The "Code of Bullets" feature is crap though.

Krayzie

So how does the John Woo Collection version of The Killer compare to the Fox Lorber version? Is one better than the other?

Also does anyone happen to know anything about the Once Upon A Time In China sets? I was thinking of getting this but I wasn't sure if the US version would be better.

Sorry for all the questions. I wasn't able to find any answers via "search."

manicsounds

The Fortune Star disc completely blow away the transfers of the Fox Lorber or Criterion Killer disc.
Same with Once Upon A Time In China.
I had the original Columbia Tristar R1,
and the picture was horrible. anamorphic but horrible.
I've heard much better things about the Fortune Star trilogy.