Highlander 3 from Japan

[Jim Pez]

On eBay I found a Blu ray version of Highlander 3 from japan. Have you watched it ? is it worth high price ?

[DR Herbert West]

It's the best release of the film.

[PrestigeWorldwide]

You can get it a little cheaper on Amazon's Japan website if you're willing to import. I bought recently for $37 shipped. https://www.amazon.co.jp/In-English/...8&node=1094656

[jmspls72]

Originally Posted by DR Herbert West

It's the best release of the film.

How is it a better release?

Is it better PQ, better AQ, More extras etc..

[DR Herbert West]

Originally Posted by jmspls72

How is it a better release?

It looks better than the German disc, and it's the only Blu-ray release with extras.

[DMRI2006]

Is this the same cut that's on the German release? (The "non U.S." one?)

[TheOneWithThePrize]

Originally Posted by DMRI2006

Is this the same cut that's on the German release? (The "non U.S." one?)

Essentially the Sorcerer cut, just that you get the "God Took a Picture" in the end credits instead of "Bonny Portmore". Really odd variation that I haven't come across elsewhere. I don't own the old Japanese DVD so not sure if this was present on that one as well.

In the Japanese BD you get the "400 years" line from Kane, when he later appears on the New York docks there is no portal and when he hustles the street hustlers the CGI on the glasses is that of the Sorcerer cut and not the US DC.

The Japanese BD is from an older transfer with no clean-up but compared to the German and Australian BD it is the best we got at the moment, plus it has some cool extras to offer as well.

The film could use a new scan though as it definitely needs one but as with most things Highlander, apart for the first, there's really no telling when that might happen.

[Luke Dodge748]

Man I'd totally buy this. Lot of Highlander stuff on the forums this week...

[e_d]

Anyone have a comparison of the BDs?

[Buckster666]

Anyone got the Japanese release of Highlander 2? And if so what is the quality like?

[Uptight]

Originally Posted by TheOneWithThePrize

Essentially the Sorcerer cut, just that you get the "God Took a Picture" in the end credits instead of "Bonny Portmore". Really odd variation that I haven't come across elsewhere. I don't own the old Japanese DVD so not sure if this was present on that one as well.

In the Japanese BD you get the "400 years" line from Kane, when he later appears on the New York docks there is no portal and when he hustles the street hustlers the CGI on the glasses is that of the Sorcerer cut and not the US DC.

The Japanese BD is from an older transfer with no clean-up but compared to the German and Australian BD it is the best we got at the moment, plus it has some cool extras to offer as well.

The film could use a new scan though as it definitely needs one but as with most things Highlander, apart for the first, there's really no telling when that might happen.

There is a comparison here, from the theatrical and DC releases:

https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=1298

About the DVD releases:
http://dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=2591

Blu-rays:
http://dvdcompare.net/comparisons/film.php?fid=19884

This is what DVDCompare says:

+++++++++++++++++++
The following versions of the film are known:

- The Director's Cut

- The European Theatrical Version

- The Hybrid Cut of the European Theatrical and US Director's Cuts, which was available for streaming and cable showings in the US (and released on Blu-ray in Japan) that combines the audio of US Director's Cut with the picture of the European Theatrical Version (with the US opening and end titles spliced in). This version misses the enhanced visual effects from the US Version while the sound effects corresponding to them are still there. Also, Kane's line when he emerges from the cave is "He owes me 400 years" instead of "for all those years," and the song "God Took a Picture" plays over the end credits instead of "Bonny Portmore."
+++++++++++++++++++

But there's something I noticed, even though I don't have the JAPANESE Blu-ray, only checked the streaming version (by Starz, which is in 16:9 open-matte, instead of 2.35:1), and have the German Blu (also an old DVD, which I'll explain later):

1) The theatrical cut released in Germany (for Blu-ray) indeed has the line at 19m48s by Kane, "And he owes me for all those years" (which make more sense).

DVDCompare also explains:

++++++++++++++++++
English subtitles appear for the non-English dialogue if the English audio option is selected. There are a couple of instances of burnt-in German subtitles (note: it's JAPANESE, and only a few seconds of 2 specific scenes). This is a soft transfer, and there has been rumours it may be an upscale. There is some ghosting on all titles and burnt in subs. This BD has no menu option the film just plays automatically and restarts if left playing.
++++++++++++++++++

The streaming version changed the burnt-in subtitles to ENGLISH. The DC DVD (don't know which edition, probably from Region 1) doesn't show them - the right decision.

2) DVDCompare says there's a "HYBRID CUT" of both the US Director's Cut audio, and the picture of the THEATRICAL CUT. Well, indeed the streaming version has those differences:

- At 20 minutes, Kane says "and he owes me 400 years", instead.
- At the end credits, the song "God Took a Picture" plays over them, instead of "Bonny Portmore."

Also:

- "Starz" picture may lack the special effects from the DC, but it's clearly better than whatever they used for that German Blu-ray.

A few screenshots:


German Blu-ray


Streaming


DVD

++++++++

German Blu-ray


Streaming
++++++++

However, when I played the Director's Cut DVD (again: can't say what edition it was), I noticed the song at the ending is the same from HYBRID, but the line "And he owes me for all those years" is there, so no "400 years".

Which tells me this is another version, and that DVDCompare statement is not entirely accurate. As I see, the Director's Cut has only been released for DVD:

- R1 US DC/R1 Canada Widescreen/R2 Holland have identical specifications.

++++++
There is a 1998 release, by distributor "DIMENSION", and it's 2.35:1 letterbox (or "non-anamorphic"), with an english DD 2.0 surround track.

The 2005 re-release by them incorrectly states "Special Director's Cut" and the aspect ratio as 1.85:1. It's in fact 2.35:1 anamorphic and now the theatrical cut.

In Canada, the distributor Seville released in 4:3 open-matte, with a VHS-picture quality, the theatrical cut.

Then, they put the DIRECTOR's CUT in the 2003 DVD, which is 2.35:1 letterbox, probably a copy from the 1998 disc.

Whatever we have from Europe is in PAL and with the 4% speedup, so it doesn't count:

+++++++++
R2 Holland- Dutch FilmWorks
+++++++++

Oh, I almost forgot:

- The German Blu-ray from CONCORDE (2012) has DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio;

- The Japanese Blu-ray (2015?), DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo only.

- The streaming version, DD Plus 2.0 (DD+ is what is always used for those).

++++++++
Bonus contents:

- The German edition: No (only trailers from 3 random films).

- Japanese Blu:

-- 1995 Interview with Christopher Lambert (12:50)
-- "Making of" 1995 featurette (06:17)
-- "The Highlander Saga" featurette (22:21)
-- Theatrical Trailer (1:31)
-- Japanese Trailer (1:31)

[TheOneWithThePrize]

Originally Posted by Uptight

There is a 1998 release, by distributor "DIMENSION", and it's 2.35:1 letterbox (or "non-anamorphic"), with an english DD 2.0 surround track.

The 2005 re-release by them incorrectly states "Special Director's Cut" and the aspect ratio as 1.85:1. It's in fact 2.35:1 anamorphic and now the theatrical cut.

The 2005 release is the theatrical cut as seen in Europe and probably most other territories that wasn't the US, more commonly referred to as Highlander The Sorcerer or Highlander III The Sorcerer. The US theatrical hasn't seen a physical home video release as far as I am aware. Whichever is the true "Director's Cut" between them, if any of them really are, is unknown to me. I'm not sure if Highlander Heart really adressed it on their podcast with the director, I haven't revisited it since it originally dropped. In the end, don't take the Director's Cut tag too seriously. Both the 1998 and 2005 DVD use it but only the non-anamorphic matches the previously US-issued VHS and Laserdisc of *that* cut.

There were a number of dialogue and music alterations between the 1998 US DVD and The Sorcerer cut as heard on the 2005 US DVD, hence the difference with the "all those years" and "400 years". Add to that, additional music differences on the French dub track on the Canadian and French DVDs.


Top row: US 1998; US 2005; UK 4:3
2nd row: Can 4:3; Can Anamorphic WS (port of US 2005); French Anamorphic WS
3rd row: Swedish; Finnish; Danish (All 4:3)
4th row: German BD, Australian BD; Japanese BD

Not pictured but owned: US Laserdisc; French trilogy-set; Dutch trilogy-set
From the above you could probably surmise who supplied DVDCompare with a number of their Highlander specs.