Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin (88 Films) (UK)

[DK1979]

Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin 88 Films UK

Release Date: Feb 11, 2019

Purchase Link:

Amazon

Artwork:

BLACK FRIDAY ANNOUNCEMENT #2
Jackie Chan Collection #4
RELEASE DATE 11th February

PRE ORDER LIVE SHORTLY
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KLCVXWL#8230;

Released in 1978, the madcap mayhem of SNAKE & CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN was a surefire sign to audiences that its young star Jackie Chan was soon to be even more famous than the man who paved the way for the modern martial arts genre - Mr. Bruce Lee! An international box office success, this all-time classic is one of Chan's most beloved masterworks and it is easy to see why. The fights come thick and fast in this relentless tale of a young kung-fu student with a very unique style - which attracts a series of curious competitors! Helmed by the great Chen Chi Hwa, who also oversaw the Chan classic SHAOLIN WOODEN MEN (1976), 88 Films is proud to present SNAKE & CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN in glorious HD thanks to a brand new 2k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!

Extras Include
Limited Edition O-Card slipcase [First Print Run Only]
Limited Edition Collectors' Postcards Set (4) [First Print Run Only]
2018 2K Scan from the Original Camera Negative
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
DTS Original English Mono Audio
DTS-HD MA English 5.1 Re-Mixed Audio
DTS Original Mandarin Mono Audio
DTS-HD MA Mandarin 5.1 Re-Mixed Audio
DTS-HD MA Cantonese Stereo Audio
Interview with Hong Kong Expert Rick Baker
Reversible Sleeve with New Artwork by The Dude Designs and Original Hong Kong Poster Artwork

[reason108]

About damn time!

[Killer Meteor]

This is very important to me as it was my first old school kung fu movie after the Bruce lees and has enormous sentimental appeal to me.

[thebrid]

Hm

Facebook: thanks to a brand new 2k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!
Amazon: thanks to a brand new 4k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!

[Fnord Prefect]

Originally Posted by thebrid

Hm

Facebook: thanks to a brand new 2k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!
Amazon: thanks to a brand new 4k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!

88 Films or or some random Amazon data entry dude? I think I'd trust 88 Films.

[OldPangYau]

Wow, I am slacking these days, lol. If this and the other two Lo Wei era films do well enough, I'm predicting we'll see others... hopefully Fearless Hyena at the very least. Dragon Fist has been popular enough and many have been requesting for this one... To Kill With Intrigue may flatline, but us hardcore JC fans will get it

As for this film's restoration, there's something I've noticed on multiple releases of this film. To quote my review of the Japanese theatrical transfer, "...around the 23 min mark, the film seems to drop in quality. The colors seem a bit washed out, black levels look "off", textures get softer, etc. I soon realized this was an issue with this specific reel (#3, specifically), as the issues clear up once reel #4 kicks in." So all that being said, I'm wondering if this restoration will do anything to try to balance out the odd reel with the others.

Originally Posted by thebrid

Hm

Facebook: thanks to a brand new 2k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!
Amazon: thanks to a brand new 4k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!

Originally Posted by Fnord Prefect

88 Films or or some random Amazon data entry dude? I think I'd trust 88 Films.

Welllllll, don't forget the backtracking 88 did with Battle Creek Brawl. After multiple sources saying it was restored in 2K (the Fortune Star restoration reels, the Film Market "2K Restored" banner featuring the BCB poster), 88 seemed to realize the mistake, which now lists it as 2K instead of 4K. In regards to the Lo Wei era films, there was evidence years ago, when L'Immagine Ritrovata would only do 4K work at the time, that they were working on the Lo Wei series. On that note, why would a "random Amazon data entry dude" copy and paste a full press release, only to take the time to swap out the restoration resolution?

To be fair, either way, getting these restored in true HD, 2K or 4K, is an amazing feat.

Aside from that, there's so many issues with the line "overseen by Golden Harvest itself", I don't even know where to start, lol.

[Drunken+Master]

Nice, another pick up if its available for £9.99 like their first two JC releases.

[Yautja_Warrior]

Originally Posted by Drunken+Master

Nice, another pick up if its available for £9.99 like their first two JC releases.

The upcoming Battle Creek Brawl also dropped to £9.99 at Zavvi too, so fingers crossed this one will be priced the same.

[Magic Monkey]

Wow, these just keep on coming and coming...

I just looked at YesAsia for JC movies and there's recent Japan releases which include Snake & Crane, as well as Spiritual Kung Fu, Fearless Hyena and Shaolin Wooden Men. I'm hoping we see at least these too, hopefully even more.

Shame about the repeated design style for the new artwork.

[Magic Monkey]

Checked some 88 films facebook posts and somebody requested Wheels on Meals and 88 films responded "Already taken".. so that's very probably coming from Eureka. Happy days!

[Magic Monkey]

@DK1979: You might want to add the details of the release on the first post. This is from 88 films facebook announcement:

BLACK FRIDAY ANNOUNCEMENT #2
Jackie Chan Collection #4
RELEASE DATE 11th February

PRE ORDER LIVE SHORTLY
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07KLCVXWL?#8230;

Released in 1978, the madcap mayhem of SNAKE & CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN was a surefire sign to audiences that its young star Jackie Chan was soon to be even more famous than the man who paved the way for the modern martial arts genre - Mr. Bruce Lee! An international box office success, this all-time classic is one of Chan's most beloved masterworks and it is easy to see why. The fights come thick and fast in this relentless tale of a young kung-fu student with a very unique style - which attracts a series of curious competitors! Helmed by the great Chen Chi Hwa, who also oversaw the Chan classic SHAOLIN WOODEN MEN (1976), 88 Films is proud to present SNAKE & CRANE ARTS OF SHAOLIN in glorious HD thanks to a brand new 2k scan overseen by Golden Harvest itself!

Extras Include
Limited Edition O-Card slipcase [First Print Run Only]
Limited Edition Collectors' Postcards Set (4) [First Print Run Only]
2018 2K Scan from the Original Camera Negative
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
DTS Original English Mono Audio
DTS-HD MA English 5.1 Re-Mixed Audio
DTS Original Mandarin Mono Audio
DTS-HD MA Mandarin 5.1 Re-Mixed Audio
DTS-HD MA Cantonese Stereo Audio
Interview with Hong Kong Expert Rick Baker
Reversible Sleeve with New Artwork by The Dude Designs and Original Hong Kong Poster Artwork

I hope it has English subtitles.

[spannick]

so why is Cantonese "Stereo" when it should also be Mono originally?

[OldPangYau]

Originally Posted by spannick

so why is Cantonese "Stereo" when it should also be Mono originally?

I think "Intrigue" is labeled similarly... I'm wondering where they're sourcing the Cantonese for both of these. Dragon Fist thankfully has Cantonese mono, considering its HK theatrical release was in Cantonese (despite Lo Wei filming the actors speaking Mandarin... tried to cash in on the Cantonese Seasonal JC films). I'm hoping this doesn't mean that they're downmixes. However, if you listen to the Cantonese dub of "Shaolin" on YouTube (what remnants remain), it definitely sounds like it was dubbed later. Kinda similar to when the Bruce Lee films were dubbed in Cantonese for re-release in the early 80s. But even then, the Ocean Shores VCDs and laserdiscs had both dialects in mono.

[Killer Meteor]

Chop-Sucky: Bad Kung Fu Dubs - Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin - YouTube

[backslashio]

This seems like a better release (never seen it tho), I'm also interested in Spiritual Kung Fu but only because I recall seeing it multiple times as a kid & it was a very weird yet quirky movie. I like Shaolin Wooden Men for this reason too

Going to pass on Battle Creek & Kill with Intrigue, I want to get them but only in a diehard Jackie Chan kind of way and I'm not an avid collector for everything Jackie

[El_Fez]

Two more Jackie Chan films? Yes please!

[Owenjohnston]

It would be good to see 88 Films releasing all the early stuff. Fearless Hyena in March would boost sales and then maybe Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, Killer Meteors, New Fist of Fury, Shaolin Wooden Men and Magnificent Bodyguards

[saltysam]

Originally Posted by Owenjohnston

It would be good to see 88 Films releasing all the early stuff. Fearless Hyena in March would boost sales and then maybe Half a Loaf of Kung Fu, Killer Meteors, New Fist of Fury, Shaolin Wooden Men and Magnificent Bodyguards

it will depend on whether these have restored HD masters done. Can't see 88 releasing upscales.

[Owenjohnston]

Originally Posted by saltysam

it will depend on whether these have restored HD masters done. Can't see 88 releasing upscales.

Definately, not interested in upscales. I'd assumed they'd remastered all the early stuff as I think I remember reading somewhere that New FOF has been done.

[saltysam]

If NFOF is done, i hope they've restored the full version. While it's not a great movie, i like it and wouldn't want to see another Chinatown Kid situation.