Tsui Hark's Shanghai Blues (1984) Blu-ray (Film Movement Classics)

[MifuneFan]

Film Movement Classics have just added Tsui Hark's Shanghai Blues (1984) to their website, with a Blu-ray to be expected through OCN down the line. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival this year for its 40th anniversary, sourced from a new 4K restoration.

https://filmmovement.com/shanghai-blues

One fateful night in 1937, amidst the bombings of Shanghai, Tung (Kenny Bee), a young soldier, and Shu (Sylvia Chang) find solace under the bridge. In the semi-darkness, though unable to see each other clearly, the young couple experience an immediate attraction towards each other and plan to meet again when the war is over, under the same bridge.

Ten years have passed. Tung awaits his breakthrough as a promising songwriter, while Shu fends for herself as a showgirl in a nightclub. Enter Stool (Sally Yeh), a young girl in search of her relatives. Her efforts prove fruitless until she crosses paths with Shu, who takes Stool into her home. Soon, they form a close, sisterly relationship.

By a twist of fate, Tung moves into the same building as the two women. Stool finds herself falling for Tung. Meanwhile, Shu and Tung are drawn to each other, unaware that they have met under that bridge many years before. Presented in a new 4K restoration.

Tsui Hark's Shanghai Blues (1984) 4K Restoration Trailer - YouTube

[dwk]

Hope they don't screw this up like they did with Stanley Kwan's Center Stage

[CelestialAgent]

Originally Posted by dwk

Hope they don't screw this up like they did with Stanley Kwan's Center Stage

what was wrong with Center Stage?

[DukeTogo84]

Never seen this one, but I like Tsui Hark, so probably will check it out.

[dwk]

Originally Posted by CelestialAgent

what was wrong with Center Stage?

There are two small but noticeable cuts that are not present in the 4K restoration, only in the Film Movement release

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Never seen this one, but I like Tsui Hark, so probably will check it out.

Likewise.

It seems like Film Movement keeps pumping out amazing releases of titles I am highly interested in this past year and moving into next year, too. I am quite pleased with their recent output. Film Movement keeps delivering the goods, DukeTogo.

[Gerby]

I haven't seen Shanghai Blues for about 20 years so i don't remember much about it. I do remember i liked it a lot, i saw it the same time i saw Peking Opera Blues (which was also really great) while i was working my way through Tsui Hark's early films.

[nicwood]

In case anyone is interested, a 4K UHD of the new restoration (credited to Ritrovata) will be released by Spectrum Films in France later this year, most likely without English subtitles!

[r32]

https://www.facebook.com/spectrumfil...M2sTgwk6bYY7vl

[MovieBuff647]

Originally Posted by dwk

Hope they don't screw this up like they did with Stanley Kwan's Center Stage

This is why I am waiting for a UK label (most likely Radiance, Eureka, or 88) to pick this up because Film Movement's encoding usually blows.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by MovieBuff647

This is why I am waiting for a UK label (most likely Radiance, Eureka, or 88) to pick this up because Film Movement's encoding usually blows.

Film Movement won't be encoding this though. All of their releases are being handled by OCN now. I can't recall the last Blu-ray release that came from FM themselves.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Film Movement won't be encoding this though. All of their releases are being handled by OCN now. I can't recall the last Blu-ray release that came from FM themselves.

I don't think OCN encodes for them though. I don't remember the exact post, but I mentioned something to Jlabs about the encoding and he got upset at me (haha) and said they just distribute and have no involvement when it comes to partner label disc encoding. Unless that's changed.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

I don't think OCN encodes for them though. I don't remember the exact post, but I mentioned something to Jlabs about the encoding and he got upset at me (haha) and said they just distribute and have no involvement when it comes to partner label disc encoding. Unless that's changed.

Was this in relation to FM, or another partner? I wonder if Justin was referring to older FM stock that got added to VS's site rather than new titles being announced as OCN Partner Label release? I'd honestly be surprised if every Partner Label release was encoded by the individual labels and then sent to OCN, but maybe that's how they do things.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Was this in relation to FM, or another partner? I wonder if Justin was referring to older FM stock that got added to VS's site rather than new titles being announced as OCN Partner Label release? I'd honestly be surprised if every Partner Label release was encoded by the individual labels and then sent to OCN, but maybe that's how they do things.

I'm pretty sure it was a new Film Movement release. All I remember is him snapping at me and saying something like "Do people not listen? No matter how many times I mention it, someone still brings it up. We do not encode our partner label releases."

Something along those lines. Going to try and find the post, but can't remember where it was. I think it was the Partner label thread, or the Poetry of thread, or the VS thread, but it was within the last year.

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

I'm pretty sure it was a new Film Movement release. All I remember is him snapping at me and saying something like "Do people not listen? No matter how many times I mention it, someone still brings it up. We do not encode our partner label releases."

Something along those lines. Going to try and find the post, but can't remember where it was. I think it was the Partner label thread, or the Poetry of thread, or the VS thread, but it was within the last year.

Ah, I see, thanks. I didn't realize that's how they operated for the partner labels.

I found a post of his that backs up what you're saying:

Originally Posted by JLaLibs

I'm not sure I would quantify QC issues as complaints, necessarily. Those are just issues that need to be worked out and are as much, and as quickly, as they can be. I'd say that the audience here is more vocal and likely to notice issues than those maybe not as plugged into the forums/collector ecosystem.

The problem is that I can't speak for every label, or really any label, that we distribute for. They're their own people, own their companies, do their work, etc. It would certainly behoove us, and them, to not have to do replacement discs etc but I can't, in my role, force anyone to do anything different. Ultimately, the work is done and it's either done well or isn't. Or, in some cases, there can just be a legitimate manufacturing error that goes beyond the scope of authoring and QC issues where neither party is to blame and we just need to figure out a fix. Nobody wants that, but that's the nature of the format(s) and sometimes things happen.

I'm here to help everyone as much as possible, get things manufactured, sold, etc. And on top of that, I do produce a fair share of the partner label releases myself. As a collector, I hate a faulty disc as much as anyone else, but I'm also on both sides here so I get why it happens and how hard it can be to avoid it happening some times. For me, what matters most is that there is communication following an issue and that it is fixed appropriately and, hopefully, quickly. Which I do think we handle well, at the very least.

With that all said, Disembodied replacement discs will be coming rather soon

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Was this in relation to FM, or another partner? I wonder if Justin was referring to older FM stock that got added to VS's site rather than new titles being announced as OCN Partner Label release? I'd honestly be surprised if every Partner Label release was encoded by the individual labels and then sent to OCN, but maybe that's how they do things.

Ok, I found it. It actually wasn't about encoding, but licensing. It sounds like they only distribute? I could have swore I read that they don't encode the releases, but maybe I was wrong. Either way, this is what he had said to me:

As I’ve said over and over here and elsewhere, VS has nothing to do with the partner labels. Any deal for Adult Swim was made via Dekanalog who is not affiliated with VS. OCN handles distribution for them, a separate company from VS, but has nothing to do with their license deals.

[KamomeShokudo]

Let's hope the AI upscaling has been isolated to the official poster...

[MifuneFan]

Did you mean to post this poster by the way? It's the official one from Film Movement, which was just posted. Also, I forget if this was there before, but the watch at home date is February 27th, 2026.

[KamomeShokudo]

Nope. It's the featured poster per this news page from yesterday on the site: https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=36548

[MifuneFan]

Originally Posted by KamomeShokudo

Nope. It's the featured poster per this news page from yesterday on the site: https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=36548

Oh, that's a mistake then, as that one was just a placeholder Film Movement used when the film was first listed. The one I posted above is the new one specifically made by Film Movement for their theatrical run, and possibly for their Blu-ray release