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Mahjong (1996)
Mahjong (1996) poster

Mahjong (1996)

麻將

Comedy, Drama, Crime • 2h 1m

Director: Edward Yang

Cast: Lawrence Ko Yu-Luen, Chang Chen, Tang Tsung Sheng, Virginie Ledoyen, Kaizo Hayashi, Elaine Jin Yan-Ling, Wang Chi-tsan, Nick Erickson, Ko I-chen, Wang Bosen, Chang Kuo-Chu, Carrie Ng Ka-Lai, Hsu Ming, Ivy Chen, Ku Pao-Ming, T.C. Lin, Wu Nien-jen, Andrew Tsao, Elsie Yeh, Diana Dupuis

Criterion Blu-ray

Best English-friendly release · updated 1 year ago

Overview

Winston Chen, a prominent businessman, goes missing after racking up $100 million in debts to the Taipei underworld. Two enforcers sent to find him, and they track down his son, Red Fish, the leader of a street gang.

Release details

Best Video Release

Criterion Blu-ray 4k restoration

Criterion Forum
Review

Picture: 9, Audio: 8, Extras: 6

Length
121 mins
Type
Movie
Alternative Titles
Couples

More from Edward Yang

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Director: Edward Yang

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

France Carlotta 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded and superior to Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps but the Carlotta release is not English friendly

Best Audio:

2011 Criterion Blu-ray

Additional Info:

A user writes: 'the 5.0 mix does not closely resemble the matrixed stereo track included on all prior releases (save for a 2003 French DVD which had 5.1). There is significant dialogue emphasis in the 5.0 mix while the older stereo mix has ambient sounds and dialogue mixed at nearly the same loudness. Additionally, the 5.0 mix has minor limiting in select loud sequences and a strange distorted quality on occasion (one notable example is the sound of a plane taking off which plays during a static shot of clouds in the sky). The stereo mix included on the FRA UHD/BD is a downmix of the 5.0 track.'

Director: Edward Yang

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion Blu-ray with 4K restoration. Japan Happinet Blu-ray is inferior, see caps. No review yet: Carlotta 2025 boxset.

Best Audio:

Happinet Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Criterion is a lossy transcode

Director: Edward Yang

Best English-Friendly & Video:

OOP France/Japan/Korea/Taiwan Blu-ray

Sources: filmlinc.org (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Directors: Jim Tao & Chang Yi & Edward Yang & Ko I-chen

Best English-Friendly:

OOP Taiwan and Korea Blu-ray

Best Video:

Director: Edward Yang

Best English-Friendly & Video:

OOP Taiwan and Korea Blu-ray

Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Taiwan has 2017 2K restoration but Taiwan and Korea Blu-ray are OOP

Director: Edward Yang

Best English-Friendly:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: siff.net (opens in a new tab)

Director: Edward Yang

Best English-Friendly:

Korea Nova Media Blu-ray

English-Friendly Notes:

Korea Nova Media Blu-ray probably > Criterion

Best Video:

2018 Carlotta France Blu-ray

Best Audio:

?

More from Criterion

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Director: Martin Scorsese

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Audio Notes:

(same as all tracks since the DVD)

Best Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray see caps

Video Notes:

Phenomenal disc, and perhaps the single greatest testament to NexSpec's positive 180 this year. Highlights are beautifully handled and grain structure is fully intact in areas where NexSpec's (and Pixelogic's) encodes would frequently fall apart in 2025 and before then. Criterion BD encode also looks to be robust from linked caps, save for this one frame: https://slow.pics/c/cMjMefmi

https://slow.pics/c/qQbJum0H

https://slow.pics/c/C3kJJZg0

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, work done to un-Nolan the 4K master, the first ever appearance of the 35mm mono track on physical media and a new restoration/remastering of the 70mm 6-track mix.

Video Notes:

(early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed)

Best Audio:

1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, new restoration/remastering of the mono mix which should be better than the 1999 WB DVD, revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1987 and for the first time ever on physical media, the film will be in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

Best Audio:

1999 WB R1 DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Universal 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming on October 20th with FiM encode

Audio Notes:

DTS:X mix most closely approximates original surround mix

Additional Info:

Criterion DVD has additional features not found on the 4K Blu-ray

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

WB 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, new restoration of mono mix which should be better than what was on the WB 4K Blu-ray and 1999 DVD and revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1971.

Best Audio:

WB 4K 5.1: a remix but has higher fidelity

Mono: 4K Blu-ray/1999 DVD

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

US Cut: WB 4K Blu-ray

International Cut: Old 2007 Europe Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode, both the US and the International Cut, new restoration/remastering of the mono mix which should be better than the 1999 WB DVD, revised colour timing to make the film look more like it did in 1980 and for the first time ever on physical media, the film will be in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

Best Audio:

1999 WB DVD

Additional Info:

No Blu-ray or DVD release has presented the movie in its original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.85:1 for the US cut or 1.66:1 for the International cut.

The packaging on the back of the 4K Blu-ray incorrectly states it as 1.85:1 when the movie is actually 1.78:1 as is the original Blu-ray. 

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode

Director: Stanley Kubrick

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Sony 4K Blu-ray

Upcoming Release:

Criterion Box Set coming October 20th with FiM encode

Best Audio:

1994 LaserDisc (marginally)

Director: Leos Carax

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Best Audio:

Kino BD has original stereo mix.

Director: Terry Jones

4K · Excellent
Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray; caps

Additional Info:

The Criterion BD, which is sold separately, has a clunky encode unlike the Criterion UHD, even if it plays better in motion than the caps would suggest. Still, provided you're equipped to play 4K discs, UHD or bust for this one. https://slow.pics/c/hmDYlKgE

More Comedy on Blu-ray

Director: Paul Leni

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Theatrical/Original A negative: MoC Blu-ray

European C/D negative but better picture quality: Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

From DVDBeaver: The MoC Blu-ray is scanned from the American A negative, as opposed to the European C or D negatives used by Photoplay and others (Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray), so it is identical with the film US audiences saw in 1927

See caps for comparison

In addition, the Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray has sepia tinting throughout while the MoC Blu-ray has yellow for normal scenes, blue for night scenes, and some even green tintings.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki

4K · Disappointing
Best English-Friendly & Video:

2025 Discotek US Blu-ray SteelBook

Video Notes:

4K Blu-ray is denoised

The 2025 SteelBook uses the same transfer as the 2014 Japan Studio Ghibli Blu-ray and 2015 Discotek US Blu-ray but with better white balance.

Best Audio:

Japan: 1995 Japan LaserDisc 

English: 2012 UK Blu-ray

Director: Peter Bogdanovich

4K · Solid
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion 4K Blu-ray

Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

Eureka UK is considering doing a 4K https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24363810&postcount=264

Video Notes:

Wonderful underlying remaster by Criterion and Resillion, but NexSpec encode has clipped highlights with the occasional blockiness. The Criterion Blu-Ray, sourced from their 4K remaster, ironically makes for a more consistent and overall pleasing experience.

Director: Ernst Lubitsch

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Criterion Blu-ray

Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab) · blah-ray.blogspot.com (opens in a new tab)

Upcoming Release:

StudioCanal 4K

Best Audio:

2005 WB DVD

Audio Notes:

> Criterion Blu-ray > StudioCanal Blu-ray. Maybe 1998 LaserDisc better? See Blah-Ray

Director: Preston Sturges

Best English-Friendly & Video:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Director: Preston Sturges

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

English-Friendly Notes:

Kino Lorber Blu-ray

Video Notes:

No information on French Elephant Films Blu-ray

Director: Preston Sturges

Best English-Friendly, Video & Audio:

Arrow Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Arrow Blu-ray slightly better than Criterion Blu-ray, not sure about France Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

(Arrow Blu-ray better than Criterion)

Director: Jamie Babbit

4K · Worse Than BD
Best English-Friendly & Video:

Lionsgate Blu-ray

Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)

Video Notes:

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray is a disaster. The compression on the base layer is horrid, and the oversized 18 Mbps FEL barely helps.

Best Audio:

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray

Audio Notes:

Lionsgate 4K Blu-ray includes original matrixed Dolby Stereo mix, albeit lossy, and a 5.1 surround upmix. The stereo track on previous BD and DVD releases is also lossy and sounds about the same.

Director: Renato Castellani

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Director: René Clair

Video format: 1080p Blu-ray

Video Notes:

Gaumont France Blu-ray has no EN subtitles

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· last reviewed 1 year ago

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