Where are the Gong Li blu-rays?

[toddly6666]

It just wouldn't make sense if Gong Li's famous HK films wouldn't be put on blu-ray. Her films just seem like they were made to be blu-ray demos.

Is there any news of blu-ray releases of:

Raise the Red Lantern
To Live
Farewell My Concubine
Red Sorghum
The Story of Qiu Ju
Flirting Scholar (Come on K&R, there's even Stephen Chow in there too!)
The Emperor and the Assassin
Terra Cotta Warrior
The Great Conqueror's Concubine
Temptress Moon
Zhou Yu's Train
A Soul Haunted by Painting

Current Gong Li blu-rays:
Shanghai Triad: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Shang...Blu-ray/18566/
Memoirs of a Geisha: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Memoi...a-Blu-ray/500/
Miami Vice: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Miami-Vice-Blu-ray/832/
Curse of the Golden Flower: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Curse...r-Blu-ray/372/
Hannibal Rising: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Hanni...-Blu-ray/6323/
Shanghai: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Shanghai-Blu-ray/16858/#
What Women Want: https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/What-...Blu-ray/23152/

[Zen_Amako]

I'd love to see some of her films with Zhang Yimou on Blu-ray (aside from Curse of the Golden Flower), especially Raise the Red Lantern. However, it took ages to get even a decent DVD. One you didn't mention is Ju Dou -- you have your choice of an OOP full screen edition on DVD or the even worse edition that came later. I'd like to see Criterion license some of these, but they don't seem to really go after Chinese films.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by Zen_Amako

I'd love to see some of her films with Zhang Yimou on Blu-ray (aside from Curse of the Golden Flower), especially Raise the Red Lantern. However, it took ages to get even a decent DVD. One you didn't mention is Ju Dou -- you have your choice of an OOP full screen edition on DVD or the even worse edition that came later. I'd like to see Criterion license some of these, but they don't seem to really go after Chinese films.

Which of those movies have excellent DVD versions at least (with English subtitles and anamorphic video) ?

[pro-bassoonist]

They will come. But just like with SDVD, they will likely come late to Blu-ray.

Pro-B

[Zen_Amako]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Which of those movies have excellent DVD versions at least (with English subtitles and anamorphic video) ?

Raise the Red Lantern

From what I understand, the MGM region 1 release is solid. Avoid the one from a studio called "Razor". My copy is the HK "remastered" DVD, and it isn't bad for a DVD.

To Live
The Story of Qiu Ju

These two also have good DVDs available from MGM and Sony.

I'm not sure about some of the other ones, but I believe Miramax's release of Farewell My Concubine is not anamorphic.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

Raise the Red Lantern
To Live
Farewell My Concubine
The Story of Qiu Ju
The Emperor and the Assassin
Shanghai Triad
Temptress Moon
Zhou Yu's Train

These are the ones I have in my library. Frankly, with the exception of Zhou Yu's Train, every other release has various serious issues. They are certainly watchable, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

Pro-B

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

These are the ones I have in my library. Frankly, with the exception of Zhou Yu's Train, every other release has various serious issues. They are certainly watchable, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

Pro-B

For the ones that were released on remastered HK DVD, they had issues as well?

[nitin]

The R1 and R3 discs of Raise the Red Lantern are above average (anamorphic and english subs though). The film however is brilliant.

The MGM disc of To Live is average but definitely watchable (also anamorphic and english subs). Like RTRL though, the film is brillliant.

Columbia Tristar's dvd of The Story of Qiu Ju has a fair bit of EE and comrpession artifacting but is defintiely watchable (again, english subs and EE though). The film is excellent.

The Emperor and the Assassin also has a reasonable anamorphic/subtitled dvd from Columbia Tristar. I foudn the film to be only average.

Columbia Tristar's dvd for Shanghai Triad ruins the cinemtography with the colours and EE but is anamorphic/subtitled. I found the film to be the worst Yimou/Li collabaration.

As for Farewell my Concubine, I have the r3 korean dvd which is anamoprhic but the colour timing just looks wrong. I havent seen it yet, just skipped through it, so cant give a more considered opinion on the disc or the movie.

[The Dragon]

Love this actress. A beautiful woman!

[bdrun]

If there are Gong Li blu-rays, most of them should be produced by Hualu, the biggest Chinese blu-ray publisher.

[Harvey Dent]

Shanghai Triad is definitely available from yesasia.com

[bdrun]

Originally Posted by Harvey Dent

Shanghai Triad is definitely available from yesasia.com

Here is the link:
http://www.yesasia.com/global/shangh...0-en/info.html

[toddly6666]

I just watched To Live for the first time - a truly amazing masterpiece of a film, but there is no way I could watch it again, especially being a parent. The DVD is excellent quality by the way, much better than any K&R blu-ray for sure.

And once again I have to remind myself - it's always best to stick to any USA/UK/Australian DVD/blu-ray of a Hong Kong film because the English subtitles are perfectly translated. I really have to stop buying these K&R blu-rays because of the awful English subtitles that ruin the movie.

And Gong Li is probably my favorite Chinese actress ever!

I'm happy that most of her movies are on DVD - I'm just going to stick to renting them if I can, because I have a feeling that the majority of her great films are too emotional to be watched again! To Live just killed me emotionally...

[nitin]

toddly,

Raise the Red Lantern is probably in the same boat, although IMHO its even better.

The Story of Qiu Ju is not as hard to watch because there are some nice humorous undertones.

btw, what did you think of Ge You in To Live, for mine that is one of the all time great male performances.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by nitin

toddly,


btw, what did you think of Ge You in To Live, for mine that is one of the all time great male performances.

In the beginning of the movie I wasnt sure about his performance, but I was wrong and his whole gradual transformation from cocky gambler to modest old man is one of the best male performances ive seen in a hong kong film. The acting in this movie was just perfect. And the aging makeup for Ge You and Gong Li was amazing as well!

Zhang Yimou is by far the best director in China - he seems to be the only one that makes perfect movies. It's such a shame that there are such few excellent Chinese directors because there are a lot of good Chinese actors that dont get enough good roles. There are too many Chinese directora that just specialize in making "nice cinematography" movies and forget to use a real gripping, interesting story.

And everytime I see a Zhang Yimou film, it reminds me of what an awful, amateurish director Wong Kar Wai is. They are like total opposites.

What is Gong Li's most rewatchable film? As an amazing and beautiful actress as she is, I wish she didnt have so many heavy films in her resume. I wish she had an Amelie-type film that one can just watch her over and over.

[nitin]

heh, probably Miami Vice

I dont think any of her chinese stuff that is actually good is light.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by nitin

heh, probably Miami Vice

I dont think any of her chinese stuff that is actually good is light.

That's what I was thinking, but I really have no desire to watch Miami Vice again eventhough she was so hot in it.

[jkcheng122]

Originally Posted by toddly6666

What is Gong Li's most rewatchable film? As an amazing and beautiful actress as she is, I wish she didnt have so many heavy films in her resume. I wish she had an Amelie-type film that one can just watch her over and over.

Can add "What Women Want" to this list and it is on Blu-ray.

Would really like to see the OP of this thread update the first post with links to Blu-ray.com pages for the movies on the list that are out (or announced) on Blu-ray.

[toddly6666]

Originally Posted by jkcheng122

Can add "What Women Want" to this list and it is on Blu-ray.

Would really like to see the OP of this thread update the first post with links to Blu-ray.com pages for the movies on the list that are out (or announced) on Blu-ray.

Booya! Let me know if any are missing!

[jkcheng122]

Would like to see more movies of her like What Women Want with modern settings and not too heavy.