Another disc of this well respected film from Korea. This time is the R1 disc, so this isn't really intended to say that this is the one to go for, or this is no good - it's simply a way of showing that this film finally made it out Stateside and it has artwork that looks like this (eyes left...). It's pretty nice, but by this time we are all probably familiar with the original designs.
I hope that pointing to USA appearances of films probably sitting in many people collections doesn't add to the confusion too much - still, there must be a reason these films get a domestic release in a time where people are buying across the globe rather than across the country or continent... The quote on the cover says, "A tense, old school crime pic with a dark edge that's not for the squemish".
Sigh... I got a screener copy the other day, which got me all excited since I have yet to see the film. I popped it in the player only to learn that it had no subtitles, just a really bad, Miramax-quality dub. I assume the "real" release will have subtitles, so I'll just wait until then... I just couldn't bring myself to watch the screener.
I think it's good to note these R1 releases, in part to show what's available to the majority of DVD shoppers in R1 -- the people who don't search out sites like Twitch, who don't trust ordering over the Internet, who don't even realize these flicks are available from other regions.
Eventually it's all going to change, but until then, it's a good reminder that Twitch and its readers are ahead of the pack.
logboy: yeah, I wish I could take shelter in bad jokedom, but I think I better just fess up: stupid mistake, thanks for pointing that out :D
Opus, you assume correctly. The initial JSA screener included the dub track only and the original language track is present on the final DVD. It'll be the same deal with this.
isnt that shameful? not only a relatively late release but one thats poor in such an obvious manner? anyhow : i hope that in years to come that, as with most peoples habit of tracking down the best or at least initial dvd appearance of a film, that companies from korea, japan etc will advertise their product in american, british (etc) magazines and give retail sites equivalent to amazon in their home territories...then we wont have all this licensing pressure and confusion. oh, and a centrally-controlled studio / director system to cut all the poor picture / sound (etc) quality issues out too... having said that, dvd has shifted things so much already - its just theres so far yet to go to open all the film industries across the world to the people of the world in a much more widespread manner.
US releases are really falling behing with some asian films.
We even got a JSA release here in Finland a good while ago - not to mention that it is better than the current US release, with 2-discs packaged in a good looking slipcase (a front shot: http://www.futurefilm.fi/uploadpics/696187919.jpg). Only the timing of the english subs were a bit botched at the middle of the movie, otherwise a good release - especially considering that it's a local release and they tend to be extremely poor here.
Films like Memories of Murder really deserve a quality treatment and not a quick and flawed release.
Actually, I wouldn't say that American releases of Asian films are "falling behind". In fact, I'd say we're catching up. We've never really been that good about releasing international films in America. I'd say, we're getting alot more foreign films now than, say, five years ago. Honestly, I'd have to say that films like Crouching Tiger, and Ringu really helped get people here to notice asian cinema.
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