The Asian DVD Guide  

  Saturday, 5/31/2003

This Week's Universe Releases
Here are this week's Universe releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Universe for sending the pictures.

Hong KongJapan
High Risk (1995) (DTS)Seoul (2002) (DTS)
  • Letterboxed
  • Cantonese (DTS), Cantonese (DD 5.1), Mandarin (DD 2.0)
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Letterboxed
  • Korean/Japanese (Stereo), Cantonese (DTS), Cantonese (DD 5.1)
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
U.S.
Light In The Forest, A (2002)Hatred Of A Minute (2001)
  • Full Screen
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles


Mei Ah DVD Covers
Here are the DVD covers for this week's Mei Ah releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Mei Ah for sending the pictures.

Why Me, Sweetie ?! (2003)

Swordsman 2 and The East Is Red (1965) have been delayed until next week.


Next Week's Panorama Releases
Here are next week's Panorama releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Panorama for sending the pictures.

Pianist, The (2002)
(Limited Edition)		About Schmidt (2002)
No Picture
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • English (DTS), English (DD 5.1)
  • Chinese and English subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
  • English
  • Chinese and English subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
Hong Kong
The New Option - Gold Rush
  • Cantonese, Mandarin
  • Chinese and English subtitles
  • Synopsis (from Panorama)


Next Week's Deltamac Releases
Here are next week's Deltamac releases. These are new DVD releases, not to be confused with the old DVDs from Mega Star and WA.
They should all have the following specs: Also Available: Past Deltamac/Fortune Star DVD Releases


  Saturday, 5/24/2003

Next Week's Deltamac Releases
Here are next week's Deltamac releases. These are new DVD releases, not to be confused with the old DVDs from Mega Star and WA.
They should all have the following specs: Also Available: Past Deltamac/Fortune Star DVD Releases


  Friday, 5/23/2003

This Week's Panorama Releases
Here are this week's Panorama releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Panorama for sending the pictures.

Pianist, The (2002) (DTS)
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • English (DTS), English (DD 5.1)
  • Chinese and English subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Wladyslaw Szpilman, a Polish Jew, a celebrated composer and pianist, he played the last live music heard over Polish radio airwaves before Nazi artillery hit. During the brutal occupation, he eluded deportation and remained in the devastated Warsaw Ghetto. There, he struggled to stay alive even when cast away from those he loved. He would eventually reclaim his artistic gifts, and confront his fears, with aid from the unlikeliest source - a German officer who helped him hide in the final days of the war.


This Week's Universe Releases
Here are this week's Universe releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Universe for sending the pictures.

U.S.
Rules Of Attraction, The (2002)Serving Sara (2002)
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
Soulkeeper (2001)Smokers, The (2000)
  • Letterboxed
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Letterboxed
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles


  Wednesday, 5/21/2003 (Second Update)

This Week's IVL Releases
Here are this week's IVL releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to IVL for sending the pictures.

Korea
Phone, The (2002)
  • Letterboxed (1.85:1)
  • Languages: Korean (DTS ES),  Korean (Dolby Digital 5.1 EX)
  • Subtitles: Chinese, English, and Korean
  • Coded for region 3
Synopsis (from IVL):
Ji-won (Hi Ji-wan) a magazine journalist is threatened for taking part in an investigation into a scandal and forced to change to a new phone number. Yet even more terrible things happen. Her phone rings with mysterious messages. Young-joo (Eun Su-woo), the young daughter of her friend Ho-Jeong, acts strangely and tries to kill her mum after she accidentally answers a dreadful call. When Ji-won tracks down the previous users of this phone number, she discovers that all of them have died a horrible death…Who makes all these phone calls? Who's the targeted receiver? The chase is on and the clock is ticking when the deadly curse is wildly spreading...


Mei Ah DVD Covers
Here are the DVD covers for this week's Mei Ah releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Mei Ah for sending the pictures.

Looking For Mr. Perfect (2003)Full Contact (1992) (Remastered)


  Wednesday, 5/21/2003 (First Update)

Next Week's Panorama Releases
Here are next week's Panorama releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Panorama for sending the pictures.

Hong Kong
Beauty Parade (1961)
(Cathay)
  • Mandarin
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Extras: Director's & Lead Actress's Biography/Filmography and Interactive Menus.
Synopsis (from Panorama):
A typical star vehicle for the charming and agile Kitty Ting Hao (Ding Hao), Beauty Parade tells the story of country girl Sue being sent to the city to study in a westernized middle school. At first a target of bully by other students, Sue later gains respectability and popularity by her outstanding performance in an inter-school basketball match. Written by Wang Liuzhao and directed by Tang Huang, both excelling in the genre of urban comedy, the film is a delight as sweet as its star. It also earned Ting the nickname of “the Little Darling”.
Japan
Harakiri (1962)
  • Japanese
  • Chinese and English subtitles
Synopsis (from Panorama):
In this grim yet exquisitely composed film, Kobayashi Masaki delves into the world of the 17th-century samurai, examining "the honor in death--and the death of honor" (Time). After an unemployed samurai is forced to commit harakiri before a feudal lord, his father-in-law returns to the scene, seemingly to play out the same agonizing suicide ritual. Kobayashi begins at the story's end, then recounts the narrative as told by the father-in-law. The effect is almost unbearably suspenseful, leading to an explosive climax of supreme defiance and samurai swordplay, erupting from a battle of wills, called bluffs, and hotly defended honour. For connoisseurs of samurai action, Harakiri is not to be missed.
Raffles Hotel (1989)
  • Japanese
  • Chinese and English subtitles
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Moeko Honma comes to Singapore to find her loving man, Toshimichi Kariya, who is a former war-cameraman. He left for Singapore to work as a durian labour or a fishman. As he expected, Moeko becomes a full-fledged actress but Kariya has already gone to Singapore.

Moeko checks in Raffles Hotel and starts looking for Kariya. She finds out that he has succeeded in several businesses, lives in a big house with his wife and children, drives a Mercedes and takes pictures as a hobby. While Kariya's wife and children are away, Moeko and he go to a cottage in the jungle. In the darkness, Moeko suddenly stands in front of Kariya with a camera in her hands. "Please take my pictures," she says and smiles so purely.

The shutter's sound resounds through the room. When it fades away, Moeko has vanished. Has she left for the jungle? Has she been swallowed up in the camera's finder? Or has Moeko her existence, originally been a phantasm…


This Week's Mega Star Releases
Here are this week's Mega Star releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Mega Star for sending the pictures.

Music
F4
F4 Fantasy Live Concert World Tour At Hong Kong Coliseum		Jordan Chan
2003 Jordan 36 Live Road + Rhythm
  • Audio
    • DTS (Vocal)
    • DD 5.1 (Vocal)
    • Stereo (Vocal)
    • Stereo (Karaoke)
  • Chinese Song Lyrics
    • Karaoke Subtitle
    • Music Video Subtitle
  • Audio
    • DTS (Vocal)
    • DD 5.1 (Vocal)
    • Stereo (Vocal)
    • Stereo (Karaoke)
  • Subtitles
    • Chinese (Traditional) [Karaoke]
    • Chinese (Traditional)
    • Chinese (Simplified)


Next Week's Mei Ah Releases
Here are next week's Mei Ah releases. DVD covers will be posted at the end of next week.
  Saturday, 5/17/2003

Next Week's Edko Releases
Here are next week's Edko releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Edko for sending the pictures.

ThailandKorea
Bangkok Dangerous (1999)Sorum (2001)
  • Thai (DTS), Thai (DD 5.1)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and English subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras: A "making of" documentary, theatrical trailer, TV spot, photo gallery, and cast/crew filmographies.
  • Edko's Press Release [MS Word format]
  • Korean (DD 2.0)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and English subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras: Theatrical trailer, photo gallery, and cast/crew filmographies.
  • Edko's Press Release [MS Word format]


This Week's Universe Releases
Here are this week's Universe releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Universe for sending the pictures.

Hong KongU.S.
Golden Lotus - Love and Desire (1991)Pinata: Survival Island (2002)
  • Letterboxed
  • Cantonese (Mono), Mandarin (Mono)
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Full Screen
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles


  Friday, 5/16/2003

This Week's IVL Shaw Brothers Releases
Here are this week's IVL Shaw Brothers releases. Click on the pictures below for a larger image. Thanks to IVL for sending the pictures.

36th Chamber Of Shaolin, The (1978)
  • Letterboxed (2.35:1)
  • Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese
  • Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), English, Bahasa (Malaysia), Bahasa (Indonesia)
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras:
    • Interviews: Shaolin - A Hero Birth Place
    • Trailers, picture gallery, poster art, behind the scenes pictures, biographies/filmographies, and production notes.
Synopsis (from IVL):
The legendary martial arts director wanted to do the impossible: create a kung-fu filled epic about the making of a Shaolin Temple master - a "love story of the spirit," as he called it. The result (a.k.a. Master Killer) was Shaws' number one hit of 1978, the 24th Asian Film Festival's Best Martial Arts Award winner, and is considered a trendsetting, innovative masterpiece throughout the world. Liang's adoptive brother stars as a reluctant rebel who arduously masters one training "chamber" after another.

Also Available: The 36th Chamber Of Shaolin Picture Gallery (courtesy of IVL)
Dancing Millionairess, The (1964)
  • Letterboxed (2.35:1)
  • Languages: Mandarin
  • Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), English, Bahasa (Malaysia), Bahasa (Indonesia)
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras:
    • Trailers, picture gallery, poster art, biographies/filmographies, and production notes.
Synopsis (from IVL):
One of the most joyous musicals to ever grace the Hong Kong screen, it is also one of the few films to co-star the husband-wife team of Peter Chen Ho and Betty Loh Ti. The story is convoluted in the best Hollywood tradition, but it hardly matters when they perform some of the most sumptuous Eastmancolor Shawscope production numbers in Hong Kong movie history. And watch for future super director King Hu in a comic part!

Also Available: The Dancing Millionairess Picture Gallery (courtesy of IVL)
Grand Substitution, The (1965)
  • Letterboxed (2.35:1)
  • Languages: Mandarin
  • Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), English, Bahasa (Malaysia), Bahasa (Indonesia)
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras:
    • Trailers, picture gallery, poster art, behind the scenes pictures, biographies/filmographies, and production notes.
Synopsis (from IVL):
Winner of Best Picture in the 12th Asian Film Festival, this grand "Huangmei opera" is considered one of the best of the genre. Lavishly shot in Eastmancolor and Shawscope, with an unparalleled cast, the sublime story included royal princesses, a decades-long romance, palace betrayals, battles, intrigues, and, of course, a little gender-bending just to spice up the plot. So expressive was the film's libretto that it actually vied with rock and roll for popularity amongst Asian audiences.

Also Available: The Grand Substitution Picture Gallery (courtesy of IVL)
Passing Flickers (1982)
  • Letterboxed (2.35:1)
  • Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese
  • Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), English, Bahasa (Malaysia), Bahasa (Indonesia)
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras:
    • Trailers, picture gallery, poster art, biographies/filmographies, and production notes.
Synopsis (from IVL):
A true cinema connoisseur's treasure, this is Li Han-hsiang's version of Truffaut's Day for Night and Fellini's 8 1/2 - being the veteran Hong Kong director's homage to his thirty years in the business. Based on the reminiscences in Li's popular newspaper column, these amusing, fictionalized (but truthful) episodes encompass an insider's look at Hong Kong movies in all their guts and glory. This unique effort by one of the industry's workhorses is a must-see for any Hong Kong cinema watcher.

Also Available: Passing Flickers Picture Gallery (courtesy of IVL)
Venus' Tear Diamond, The (1971)
  • Letterboxed (2.35:1)
  • Languages: Mandarin
  • Subtitles: Chinese (Traditional), English, Bahasa (Malaysia), Bahasa (Indonesia)
  • Coded for region 3
  • Extras:
    • Trailers, picture gallery, poster art, biographies/filmographies, and production notes.
Synopsis (from IVL):
Following the success of The Singing Thief and its hit musical number "Diamonds", here's another delightful musical extravaganza revolving around diamonds, thieves, and romance. The larcenous lady bandit known as "Fragrant Night" vies with the handsome "Nocturnal Earl" for the title gem. It's a battle of wits, interspersed with lavish production numbers staged by Shaw Brothers' Japanese import, director Inoue Umetsugu, the man who set a new standard for Hong Kong's Hollywood-style musicals.

Also Available: The Venus' Tear Diamond Picture Gallery (courtesy of IVL)

The galleries will be deleted after one week.


Next Week's Mei Ah Releases
Here are next week's Mei Ah releases. DVD covers will be posted at the end of next week.
Next Week's Deltamac Releases
There are no Fortune Star DVD releases next week, only VCD releases.

  Saturday, 5/11/2003

Next Week's Panorama Releases
Here are next week's Panorama releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Panorama for sending the pictures.

Hong Kong
Fu Bo (2003)
  • Cantonese
  • Chinese and English subtitles
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Fubo lifts the veil of a seldom heard of, much less spoken about profession - that of mortuary assistants, (euphemistically referred to as "Uncle Fu") whose job is to undertake handling, dissection and cleaning up of corpses on behalf of forensic scientists. It has three narrative strands, about three agents of death, who never meet, yet affect each other's lives: a mortuary assistant, a triad assassin and a Portugese chef who cooks for death row convicts. For a film that takes place chiefly in a morgue, it confounds genre expectations gleaned from horror-thrillers like Nightwatch. While offering a voyeuristic keyhole to peer into the most repulsive and morbid details of death, it contemplates the philosophical significance of life and destiny.
Japan
Castle Of Sand, The (1974)
  • Japanese
  • Chinese and English subtitles
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Two detectives are assigned to investigate the murder of a 60-year-old policeman at the Tokyo Railway Station. The victim is well-liked and benevolent and there does not seem to be any motivation to the murder. A further investigation finally leads to the discovery of the hidden past of a young rising composer. The original novel by Matsumoto Seicho on which the film is based has been a bestseller in Japan. The adaptation by Yamada Yoji (of the Tora-san series fame) and director Nomura Toshitaro skillfully incorporate the elements of melodrama, suspense and thriller to form a tightly structured human drama about someone who attempts to escape from his past but fails.
Korea
Take Care Of My Cat (2001)
No Picture
  • Korean
  • Chinese and English subtitles
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Hae-joo works for a brokerage firm and dreams of becoming a successful career woman, Ji-young, who is talented in art, dreams of studying abroad. On the other hand, Tae-hee likes a poet with cerebral paralysis, whom she met while doing volunteer work. One day, Ji-young encounters a lost cat, Titi, who then enters the lives of these twenty-year-olds. The women are like the cat, a mysterious and withdrawn animal that enjoys solitude. During the time spent with Titi, their lives take unexpected twists and turns but they eventually come up with their own solutions to their problems. From the lovable dreamer Tae-hee, to the beautiful and ambitious Hae-joo and to the mysterious outsider Ji-young-who will become the last one to take care of the cat?


This Week's and Last Week's Universe Releases
Here are this week's and last week's Universe releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Universe for sending the pictures.

U.S.
Spy Kids 2: Island Of Lost Dreams (2002)You're Killing Me... (2001)
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • Cantonese (Stereo), English (DTS), English (DD 5.1)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Coded for region 3
  • Letterboxed
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
Novocaine (2001)Trigon: The Legend Of Pelgidium (2002)
  • Letterboxed
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Letterboxed
  • English (Stereo)
  • Chinese (Traditional) and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles


Next Week's Deltamac Releases
There are no Fortune Star DVD releases next week, only VCD releases.

  Saturday, 5/3/2003

This Week's Mei Ah Releases
Here are this week's Mei Ah releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Mei Ah for sending the pictures.

Diva Ah Hey (2003)Treasure Hunt (1994) (DTS)
  • Aspect Ratio
    • Side A: Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
    • Side B: Letterboxed
  • Cantonese (DD 5.1), Mandarin (DD 5.1)
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • Cantonese, Mandarin (DTS + DD 5.1)
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese subtitles
Peace Hotel (1995) (DTS)
  • Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
  • Cantonese, Mandarin (DTS + DD 5.1)
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, Chinese (Simplified) and Japanese subtitles


Next Week's Deltamac Releases
Here are next week's Deltamac releases. These are new DVD releases, not to be confused with the old DVDs from Mega Star and WA.
They should all have the following specs: Also Available: Past Deltamac/Fortune Star DVD Releases


Coming Soon From ERA
ERA will release Double Vision on DVD on May 21st. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to ERA for sending the picture.

Double Vision (2002)
  • Mandarin/English
  • Chinese, English, Korean and Thai subtitles
  • Coded for region 3


  Thursday, 5/1/2003

Next Week's Panorama Releases
Here are next week's Panorama releases. Click on the picture below for a larger image. Thanks to Panorama for sending the pictures.

Hong Kong
Story Of Three Loves (Part 1), A (1964)
(Cathay)
  • Mandarin
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Extras: Director's & Lead Actress's Biography/Filmography and Interactive Menus.
Synopsis (from Panorama):
In the 1960s, MP & GI (Motion Picture & General Investment), the production company behind The Story of Three Loves, and Shaw Brothers were fierce competitors in the Hong Kong motion picture industry. On more than one occasion, both studios would embark on the same story and compete to bring it to the screen. The Story of Three Loves was one of such examples. Based upon a hugely popular romance novel by Shanghai writer Zhang Henshui, the film tells the intriguing relationship between a rich Beijing college boy and three young women, a street artist, an upper class lady and a teahouse songstress. Widely considered to be the better film, this MP & GI version features a saucy performance by Roy Chiao, who plays an evil warlord lusting after the beauty of one of the women.
Story Of Three Loves (Part 2), A (1964)
(Cathay)
  • Mandarin
  • Chinese (Traditional), English, and Chinese (Simplified) subtitles
  • Extras: Director's & Lead Actress's Biography/Filmography and Interactive Menus.
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Continuing the story of Part I, the plots follows the tragic fate of teahouse songstress Shen (played by Grace Chang), who is forced to become the mistress of the evil warlord Liu (Roy Chiao). When the latter discovers that she has had a secret rendezvous with her lover Fan (Chao Lei), he tortures her to insanity. A fine melodrama, indeed the best a studio can offer in its time, The Story of Three Loves is also the last film of screen diva Grace Chang who plays two roles, the tender and affectionate Shen, and the arrogant and spoiled He.
Japan
Rikyu (1989)
(Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara)
  • Japanese
  • Chinese and English subtitles
Synopsis (from Panorama):
Breaking a self-imposed silence in the cinema for seventeen years, Teshigahara Hiroshi (of The Woman in the Dunes fame) made this brilliant comeback as a cineaste with this striking film. Late in the 16th century, an aging Buddhist priest teaches the way of tea to a headstrong Shogun. Through force of will and courageous fighting, Hideyoshi becomes Japan's most powerful warlord. Rikyu, on the contrary, through the tea ceremony and floral arrangements, tempers his lord, helping Hideyoshi focus on a single flower or the shape of a cup. But when the Portuguese bring guns to Japan, Hideyoshi believes that he can conquer the world. When Rikyu raises doubts about invading China, Hideyoshi demands Rikyu to commit hara-kiri.