House of Flying Daggers (2004)
十面埋伏
Adventure, Drama, Action • 1h 59m
Director: Zhang Yimou
Cast: Takeshi Kaneshiro, Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi, Song Dandan, Zhao Hongfei, Guo Jun, Zhang Shu, Wang Jiusheng, Zhang Zhengyong, Yongxin Wang, Dong Liu, Qi Zi, Xuedong Qu, Liping Tian, Hongwei Zhao, Huang Weina, Ge Dan, Yang Xiadong, Shang Yisha, Liu Ying, Huang Jingwen, Zhang Kejia, Luo Tianyou, Zhu Lin, Hu Jiwei, Hong Yu, Hao Bojie, Zhu Jiajun, Xu Ge, Chou Jingxiu, Guo Cuifang, Chengyuan Li, Zhang Shuo, Zhang Jidong, Li Qiang, Fu Yang, Wen Yang, Chen Liang, Lin Xiuqiang, Wang Kun, Li Meng, Dong Ming, Zheng Xiao-Dong, Song Chacha, Wang Xuanyi, Huang Xueying, Dong Jingchuan, Yanxi Li, Liu Tengyuan, Zhu Wenxi, Yang Guang
Best audio release
About the film
In 9th century China, a corrupt government wages war against a rebel army called the Flying Daggers. A romantic warrior breaks a beautiful rebel out of prison to help her rejoin her fellows, but things are not what they seem.
- Alternative Titles
- The House of Flying Daggers, Shi mian mai fu
Director: Zhang Yimou
Director: Zhang Yimou
Korea Nova Media Blu-ray, or Imprint Boxset Blu-ray
Sources: caps-a-holic (opens in a new tab) · DVDBeaver (opens in a new tab)
Film Movement Blu-ray release soon
Director: Zhang Yimou
Well Go US 4K Blu-ray
Any of the 4K Blu-ray
Engilsh dub: Well Go 4K Blu-ray
5.1: 2019 Hong Kong 4K Blu-ray (upsampled to 24/96)
Director: Zhang Yimou
Sources: fareastfilm.com (opens in a new tab)
Or potential new resto https://www.fareastfilm.com/eng/news/far-east-film-festival-26/?IDLYT=13308
2D version: Universal 4K Blu-ray
3D version: Turbine Germany 3D Blu-ray
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Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Director: Peter Jackson
Arrow 4K Blu-ray teased for many years, will come out once Turbine's exclusivity rights expire
Director: Jonathan Mostow
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Turbine 4K Blu-ray has the better encode. Paramount 4K Blu-ray is disappointing review. But both have DNR?
Director: Tony Scott
2D version: Paramount 4K Blu-ray (OOP Steelbook Edition for included Blu-ray)
3D version: Turbine Germany 3D Blu-ray
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Director: Rob Cohen
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab) · YouTube (opens in a new tab)
comparison between the Turbine and Kino grades. The former is director-supervised.
(The Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray DTS HD5.1 seems to have stronger bass, but it's yet unclear which one has the original 5.1) Also see thread.
The Kino Lorber 4K Blu-ray was recalled shortly after inital releases for unknown reasons.
Director: David Twohy
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Original 5.1 is included on the Arrow 4K Blu-ray and the Old Universal Blu-ray
Director: Brandon Cronenberg
> Decal US 4K Blu-ray (Dolby Vision on the Germany 4K Blu-ray)
Director: David Hogan
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Turbine Germany 4K Blu-ray is disappointing review
More Adventure on Blu-ray
Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray
Paramount 4K Blu-ray Purist choice: Blu-ray
Sources: YouTube (opens in a new tab)
Paramount 4K Blu-ray new improved master with color grading and slight issues. Blu-ray is old master with original color grading
Blu-ray 5.1
The Paramount 4K Blu-ray has a much better new scan that removes the original extremely dated color grading. This is an improvement on one hand but a definite revisionist change on the other. There is the expected grain management and slight HDR issues in addition to encoding quirks from Paramount. It is a giant improvement over the original Blu-ray but the color change and other issues means that the Blu-ray is one to keep for purists to have the as-is original iteration of the film's presentation. Audio wise the film has been remixed into Atmos but it merely seems like a slightly tweaked and frankly tamed version of the original 5.1. Of the two I prefer the Blu-ray 5.1. The original Blu-ray was Dolby TrueHD and the reissue Blu-ray in the four film Blu-ray collection boxset was DTS-HDMA.
DFIC extensive review: https://youtu.be/evsrJOTIjdA?si=wtdWGxZBfhPYTIeW
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab) · slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
StudioCanal's 4K release is similar in encode quality, but has significant glitches in multiple frames. See comparisons 9-16 here: https://slow.pics/c/YkSVb3Ey
The pitch of the StudioCanal 4K's English audio is too high
Criterion has more extras than StudioCanal.
Director: Lam Nai-choi
88 Films UK or Vinegar Syndrome US Blu-ray (preference)
Different color gradings, 88 Films disc is encoded by FiM but Vinegar Syndrome encode (by Marcus Johnson) is more than robust
Vinegar Syndrome potentially has better audio than 88 Films, due to VinSyn possibly having EQ'd the audio mix after Fortune Star scanned the track in a way that makes it sound too hot, whereas 88 left it alone without addressing that issue. However, no direct comparisons exist
Director: John Boorman
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Sources: Criterion Forum (opens in a new tab)
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the Universal release without the filtering.
DTS:X mix on Universal 4K Blu-ray most closely approximates original surround mix
Criterion DVD and Universal 4K Blu-ray has additional features not found on the Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: Paul King
StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray minimal picture upgrade (2K upscale)
StudioCanal UK 4K Blu-ray has good new Atmos mix
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
Included in the Complete Kubrick box set with FiM encode of the same master from the WB release without the filtering; WB 4K early pressing has errors of a shot, later pressings fixed. Comparison between Criterion and WB.
6-Track 70mm mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray (restored for the box set), 1997 MGM LaserDisc, 1998 MGM DVD
35mm Mono Mix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Matrixed Stereo Remix: MGM Japan LaserDisc (1985) [G158F5509]
5.1 Remix: Criterion 4K Blu-ray
Director: John Boorman
Sources: highdefdiscnews.com (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
(Arrow 4K Blu-ray's mono seems to be out of sync, suggested by comparisons. Issue is TBC officially)
Arrow 4K Blu-ray is FiM encoded, see caps
Arrow LE will have an exclusive 3rd disc which will not be on the standard edition
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