Fists of Fury (1971) / The Chinese Connection (1972) (Collector's Edition)

[OldPangYau]

Yeah, the subtitles are confusing... The menu makes it look like there's only one track, but there's technically an HOH track for the dub, and then subs synched up to the Mandarin and Cantonese tracks. I wish they just had options for each one on the menu rather than having to scan through.

[reason108]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

Yeah, the subtitles are confusing... The menu makes it look like there's only one track, but there's technically an HOH track for the dub, and then subs synched up to the Mandarin and Cantonese tracks. I wish they just had options for each one on the menu rather than having to scan through.

Man, I totally screwed up that information. Sorry to everyone. That is so weird that there are 3 sub tracks and no mention of them from the main menu. All it says is "on or off". I didn't even think to check the subtitle button on my remote. Honestly, I know of no other release that has done it this way. So, I would guess then that subtitle track #2 is the synched sub track for the Mandarin audio? I think that both sub track #1 and #3 are for the hearing impaired.
I know how much everyone hates those hearing impaired subs and dub titles but thought, well, almost a perfect release I can live with hearing impaired subs or just watch the English track (the one that I grew up with). Now, it is a win-win for everyone, pretty much. No reason that I know of for people not to pick these up.

[reason108]

Look what came in the mail today:

Shout Factory`s Fist of Fury (aka The Chinese Connection) -

OH MY GOODNESS!!!!

PLEASE REMAIN SEATED!



Shall we compare?


Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R FOF opening.jpg




Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF opening.jpg





Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R FOF 1.jpg




Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF 1.jpg

[reason108]

Now, this is where things get exciting. So, please remain seated until the end of the flight!


Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R FOF 2.jpg




Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF 2.jpg





Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R rain.jpg




Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF rain.jpg

[reason108]

Alright, folks!


Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R FOF 5.jpg



Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF 5.jpg





Shout also fixed an odd color timing issue that was on the K&R release.

Kam & Ronson color timing issue -
K&R FOF messed up shot.jpg



Shout fixes the mistake. Now, the color timing matches the rest of the scene.
SF FOF present.jpg

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by OldPangYau

Yeah, the subtitles are confusing... The menu makes it look like there's only one track, but there's technically an HOH track for the dub, and then subs synched up to the Mandarin and Cantonese tracks. I wish they just had options for each one on the menu rather than having to scan through.

A niggle.... but at least they're present and correct.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by reason108

Now, this is where things get exciting. So, please remain seated until the end of the flight!

Finally.........

[reason108]

Now, the moment that you all have been waiting for. Well, most of you anyways.

Turbulence ahead! The Gi`s have turned back to white again!



Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R FOF Bruce fight 1.jpg



Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF Bruce fight 1.jpg




Kam & Ronson 4k mastered blu-ray:
K&R FOF Bruce fight 2.jpg



Shout Factory 4k mastered blu-ray:
SF FOF Bruce vs.jpg

[ThisKid]

Praise the lord! The colour palette is correct! The whites are white! Happiness now flies through the world! Everyone will now live in eternal peace!

[reason108]

Well, there you go! Fist of Fury aka The Chinese Connection. The extras are pretty much the same ones from the BL Legacy Collection (if not exactly the same ones ).
Again, there are 3 subtitle tracks hidden (not accessible from the main menu). I think subtitle track 2 is the regular subtitle track, not the hearing impaired one. It synced to the Mandarin audio.
Oh, did I forget to mention that it has the MONO Mandarin, Cantonese and English track? Just in case people are wondering, yes, there is a Cantonese and Mandarin mono audio track here, not the Cantonese track encoded twice.


Here is a pick of the reversible cover:

BB.jpg



FOF.jpg






Now, Shout just needs to get Way of the Dragon (Return of the Dragon) and Game of Death out.

[reason108]

Originally Posted by ThisKid

Praise the lord! The colour palette is correct! The whites are white! Happiness now flies through the world! Everyone will now live in eternal peace!

Well, it seems that everyone has been hoping that Shout would color correct the 4k masters and they did. Cover art, reversible too. Mono. Some decent extras. This is pretty much the perfect release of these two movies. At least now we finally have a respectable version of these films.

[Geoff D]

Holy crap, there's like proper contrast there and everything! Nice one Shout. And **** you very much Ritrovita.

[Mr. Thomsen]

Looks excellent, white gis and all! Thanks for the comparisons, reason108!

[Markgway]

I now know what I'm getting for Xmas...

[drees5761]

Originally Posted by Markgway

I now know what I'm getting for Xmas...

Same here...:-)....time to sell my legacy collection....

[jackinbox]

These look really great.

Question on the audio....I remember a big debate on one of the Asian DVD sites about 10+ years ago regarding the language for The Big Boss. If I remember correctly, the general consensus was that Mandarin was the original as Cantonese dubs weren't common at the time. It seems like there was some controversy because HKL only included the Cantonese. I can't remember if FOF was the same or not.

Anyone have an opinion on which audio track they prefer?

[The Dragon]

Originally Posted by reason108

Well, there you go! Fist of Fury aka The Chinese Connection. The extras are pretty much the same ones from the BL Legacy Collection (if not exactly the same ones ).
Again, there are 3 subtitle tracks hidden (not accessible from the main menu). I think subtitle track 2 is the regular subtitle track, not the hearing impaired one. It synced to the Mandarin audio.
Oh, did I forget to mention that it has the MONO Mandarin, Cantonese and English track? Just in case people are wondering, yes, there is a Cantonese and Mandarin mono audio track here, not the Cantonese track encoded twice.


Here is a pick of the reversible cover:

Attachment 154929



Attachment 154930






Now, Shout just needs to get Way of the Dragon (Return of the Dragon) and Game of Death out.

Originally Posted by reason108

Well, it seems that everyone has been hoping that Shout would color correct the 4k masters and they did. Cover art, reversible too. Mono. Some decent extras. This is pretty much the perfect release of these two movies. At least now we finally have a respectable version of these films.

[atamo]

Is there any chance that the appropriate subtitles appear when you select the audio from the menu? Maybe I'm hoping too much, but US releases of films not in English usually have the subtitles on automatically, and you have to turn them off if you don't want them. It's not a major issue, and the caps look great, but it will be annoying having to remember which of the three subtitle tracks is the right one every time I watch these.

[Geoff D]

Man, these are like £12 each at wowhd. Ordered.

[Killer Meteor]

Originally Posted by jackinbox

These look really great.

Question on the audio....I remember a big debate on one of the Asian DVD sites about 10+ years ago regarding the language for The Big Boss. If I remember correctly, the general consensus was that Mandarin was the original as Cantonese dubs weren't common at the time. It seems like there was some controversy because HKL only included the Cantonese. I can't remember if FOF was the same or not.

Anyone have an opinion on which audio track they prefer?

Mandarin all the way. The Cantonese tracks were done ten years later, and in the case of BIG BOSS completely re-scored.