Chameleon Films - Australia/NZ label for Asian Cinema

[Blu2u]

I wish this label the best, but why not debut with some heavy hitters? These 2 titles aren't going to set the world on fire. I'd like to see them do well, but this seems like a mediocre start.

Maybe the next batch will be must-haves.

[Alister_M]

Originally Posted by LMFAObros

Please release hard boiled.

Yes. I'd also be down for The Killer and Bullet In The Head. Black Mask would also be great, there's no decent release of that in region B (the German one only has lossy Cantonese stereo audio and a bunch of dubs).

[latehong]

Spine 03 revealed:

Spine 03 is - yes it's more Johnnie To with EXILED. Exclusive special features include a collector's booklet with new essays by Stephen Teo and Dylan Cheung, and a new audio commentary by Frank Djeng. Available to pre-order soon from https://shop.chameleonfilms.com.au/password

[echouphere]

Very happy with more Johnnie To getting local releases. Exiled and Breaking News are both fantastic films.

[dex14]

Title Announcement · Spine - 03
EXILED · 放‧逐
Johnnie To · 2006 · Hong Kong · 109 mins
Wo (Nick Cheung) unwisely returns to Macau where Boss Fay (Simon Yam) has put a price on his head. His childhood buddy Blaze (Anthony Wong) is given the contract, while another lifelong friend, Tai (Francis Ng) is sworn to defend him. The scene is set for the kind of simmering confrontations that fans of Johnnie To prize so much. As characters loom out of the darkness, the tension is so thick you could pick it up with a pair of chopsticks.
Exiled is undoubtedly the high point of To’s work in the gangster genre. It seizes on elements central to the Hong Kong action film, such as the conflict between loyalty and self-preservation, and the way that male bonding is certainly stronger than death, and maybe even stronger than automatic weapons. It succeeds brilliantly in making these genre elements fresh through Johnnie To’s enormous talent and passion for filmmaking. The film is full of memorable set-pieces where taut confrontation is savoured in the moments before it explodes, and where inventive wide-screen compositions and crisply edited action provide a feast for any cinephile.
EXCLUSIVE SPECIAL FEATURES:
• Limited first-pressing collector's booklet featuring new essays by film historian Stephen Teo and Dylan Cheung
• New audio commentary by Hong Kong cinema expert Frank Djeng
• "The Weight of Honour" - a new video essay on Exiled
• Newly translated and improved optional English subtitles
Archival Extras:
• The Making of Exiled
• Behind the scenes
• Photo gallery
• HK trailers x2
• US trailer
Technical Specifications:
• 2.35:1
• 1080p colour
• Cantonese DTS-HD MA 5.1 · LPCM 2.0
• English subtitles
• Region B
• BD-50
Packaged in a Scanavo full sleeved 14mm clear case with a reversible, numbered sleeve that is clean of classification markings and barcode on the alternative side.
Released June/July [TBC] and available to pre-order soon from the Chameleon Films web store: https://shop.chameleonfilms.com.au/password

[themp3000]

Dang, this label is 3-0 in titles I will absolutely be into purchasing.

My old disc for Exiled perished from bronzing and I just never bothered repurchasing.

[yoloswegmaster420]

I wish they would specify if they are using a new master or an older one.

[dex14]

It sounds like the Election films may also be getting a release.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by dex14

It sounds like the Election films may also be getting a release.

Where did you hear that?

[dex14]

Originally Posted by DukeTogo84

Where did you hear that?

Hinted at by someone in the know.

[DukeTogo84]

Originally Posted by dex14

Hinted at by someone in the know.

Hmm. Even if these says Region B, I do wonder if they will end up playing on Region A. I'd buy the Election films especially with the non rating logo covers.

[Mr_Orange]

I just discovered the label via CityonFire. This is very cool and it looks like they will be releasing some titles I am interested in. Not having to import releases from the UK is a good thing despite the excellent output of 88 Films and Eureka.

[dex14]

We've noticed you have a few questions! Rather than respond individually, hopefully the following will be useful.

* Will your Blu-ray releases be region coded?

We're usually restricted under our licensing agreements to code discs for Region B only. It will be clear in the product description when we're able to make specific releases Region Free. Region B discs will play in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. If you live outside one of these regions and wish to purchase our discs, we recommend obtaining a region-free Blu-ray player. (It's what we've done to watch all those lovely Criterions.)

* Will you ship internationally?

Yes, we will ship everywhere that our logistics provider and its carriers can reach. Shipping charges will vary. Australia is unfortunately an expensive place to ship from, but shipping rates will be less than the actual amount we're charged because we want you to be able to own and see our discs!

* Are you utilising new masters?

The announced films have not been remastered in 4K or recently restored. We are encoding from the best available existing 2K masters supplied by the rightsholders. All supplied elements will be carefully inspected for artefacts and print damage. Any issues that are discovered will be removed or fixed with professional Diamant-Film Restoration software. The feature films will be encoded at the highest possible bitrate, and all the content will be mastered for replication onto dual layer Blu-ray discs.

* Can you please release [insert title here] on Blu-ray in the future?

We'll pin a new post so you can submit the titles you would like to see released in a glorious premium Blu-ray edition. Some of the requests that have already been mentioned are high on our list.

* I have a different question!

Fire away in the comments. We'll do our best to respond stoically.

Some FAQS

[Mr_Orange]

Pre-orders are up:

https://shop.chameleonfilms.com.au/c...ions/pre-order

[Henge86]

Any idea of a way to get these shipped to the UK ?

[dr727]

International shipping is up. I’m seeing 13 USD for the 3-pack.

[dex14]

$13 shipped to the US isn't too bad. $67 for two discs shipped is too much for me though. I'll either wait for them to announce more titles and do a large shipment or see what Diabolik is charging.

[Zombie Kermit]

Are these exclusive to their site, or will they likely be stocked by JB on release?

Part of me wants to wait to grab them during a sale, another part of me wants to pre-order the set of three to lend support right off the bat to make sure that these three aren't all we get.

[Harlock415]

I ordered all three, came out to $73 plus the shipping. They don't have a deal yet with retailers like Diabolik from the last I heard.

[dr727]

Originally Posted by Harlock415

I ordered all three, came out to $73 plus the shipping. They don't have a deal yet with retailers like Diabolik from the last I heard.

Yes, I actually inquired with Chameleon about this yesterday—wanting to do whatever supports the label most. I received this friendly reply:

At the moment we do not have an arrangement in place with a US retailer, although it will probably happen at some point.

In any case we maximise our margin via direct orders rather than offering to retailers at a lower wholesale price. The advantage is they take more units and shipping is taken care of via a third party.