Sigh. Why couldn’t they have just recognized that people wanted this in the first place rather than chopping a perfectly good film to bits? Apparently Miramax has taken out a full page ad in the current Video Business magazine announcing that their DVD release of Shaolin Soccer will include both the edited and dubbed Miramax hack job and the original 112 minute Cantonese version. The irony abounds in this ad … not only are they taking out a full page ad for a video release of a film that they completely refused to promote theatrically – if they believe in the film enough to take out a full page ad now why didn’t they believe in it back when they were quietly slipping it on and off all of a dozen screens theatrically? – but this ad actually references the massive online petition against the Miramax hack and slash job as a positive sign that “Fans demand Shaolin Soccer! Fans petitioned Miramax for theatrical release!” …
I’m of mixed mind about this release. On the one hand I’m generally so irritated with Miramax over the way they’ve handled this thing – and their other Asian properties – that I don’t much want to give them any of my money for it. On the other hand this is quite possibly the first time that Miramax has done a decent release of an Asian property – i.e. one that includes the original, unmolested film – and if there’s any hope of them making a habit of this it’s going to take this film being a financial success on DVD to convince them. Oh well … I’ve got until August 24th to make up my mind …
If anybody’s actually got a copy of this ad I’d appreciate a scan …
i’m looking for http://steelbuildings.angelcities.com
Ping Pong’s an amazing flick. I love it. Based on a manga by the same guy who wrote Blue Spring, which I really need to review now that I’ve got the domestic DVD sitting here. Battlefield Baseball is supremely weird and involves surprisingly little in the way of battles or baseball.
If you are into Shaolin Soccer, you gotta check out Ping Pong, 1 of my fave films of all time, feel good Japanese movie with some amazing effects, on sports related films, Louis, have you seen the waterboys?what about the Iron Ladies, battlefield baseball?
Hong Kong movie great – Anthony Wong, check out the untold story : )if you can stomach it
Westerner who appreciates GOOD MOVIES
I saw the dubbed version at a sneak preview a little over a year ago and it was really well done. I usually prefer subtitles in foreign films, but for Shaolin Soccer the English dub and edit was impressive. I’m glad they are offering both, in a late effort to please everyone.
It’s out August 24th. Says so in the original post.
Pronet – True, the english audio track will be helpful for the culturally ignorant, illiterate and impatient, but I gotta tell you I played the original Cantonese version at a wakeover for the student ministry I work with at my church and it went over like gangbusters. The kids loved it. Just goes to show that the quality of the movie can reach beyond linguistic and cultural boundries.
And it’s the same group that watched Volcano High in the original Korean last year. I’m thinking possibly going Japanese next year and upping the anti and showing Ju-on.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it Louis!!!
so, when is the DVD coming out? I have the non-english version (thank you e-bay) and can’t wait for the dubbed version so that the kids can understand what is going on
so, when is the DVD coming out? I have the non-english version (thank you e-bay) and can’t wait for the dubbed version so that the kids can understand what is going on
As far as I know it’s going to be a two disc set. And Louis … I watch an awful lot of eastern movies and though wordplay obviously gets lost in translation I very, very rarely feel that I’m missing out on cultural points. I may be a little more culturally literate than some, but to say that westerners cannot understand eastern films strikes me as a wild overstatement. Western culture gets exported everywhere with minimal problems, there’s no reason that trend can’t work in reverse.
Well, I still have to wonder how this will be. If they have both an edited and full version, did they put two complete versions of the movie on one DVD, or will it be a two-disc set? If the former, that could really affect the video quality…
To Louis, sure a person might not get every subtlety, but there’s certainly plenty in here that most anyone would enjoy…
l am a fans of Stephen Chow(Zhou Xingchi).l’ve saw all of his movies for many many times.l can even recite some of the dialogue from the movie.l don’t think western can understand eastern movies . In the movie there are a lot of hint and humor in the way we chinese do. Western can never unstand most of them,except the one who have been lived in China for a long time.
Considering they cut the dance scene back in to their version I’ve got to assume that the original version of that will be included. And honestly, that’s the only cut scene worth having.
Here’s the thing though. I have had a DVD ‘copy’ and copy [wink wink] of this film for what seems forever now. And I would assume that any fan of the movie would have a copy of it as well. Never mind the fact that Shaolin Soccer is still one of the MOST downloaded movies of all. I can try to appreciate what Miram-AXE is doing in wake of fan protests but can they recover their losses?
And I guess there isn’t word if the extra scenes are part of this release?