Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024)
九龍城寨之圍城
Action, Crime, Thriller • 2h 6m
Director: Soi Cheang
Cast: Raymond Lam Fung, Louis Koo, Sammo Hung Kam-Bo, Richie Jen, Terrance Lau Chun-Him, Kenny Wong Tak-Ban, Philip Ng Wan-Lung, Tony Wu Tsz-Tung, German Cheung Man-Kit, Aaron Kwok Fu-Shing, Fish Liew Chi-Yu, Tommy Chu Pak-Hong, Cecilia Choi, Deon Cheung Chung-Chi, Jozev Lau, Law Wing-Cheong, Kam Loi-Kwan, Liu Chun-Hung, Lee Tse-Hei, Wong Wan-Ching, Pang Hoi-Kwan, Cheung Chung-Hang, Lai Tsz-Chun, John Ho, Leung Sze-Ching, Alex Lee Yip-Kin, Derek Lam Ling-Yuen, Mak Lok-San, Yeung Yee-Yee, Jacqueline Zhu Zhi-Ying, Bernard Fung Bun-Yu, Li Ching-Sum, Sin Tsz-Ching, Leung Cheuk-Hin, Man Noi-Tik, Gallan So Chi-Chiu, Willy Yeung Wai, Lau Shet-Ming, So Wai-Nam, Chu Kwok-Tung, Vincent Tam Yu-Hong, Jonas Cheung Yik-Wo, Ivy Pang, Sean Wong Tsz-Lok, Ma Yuen-Ching, Raymond Li Man-Young, Lam Ting-Hin, Wilson Tam Wai-Keung, Caron Che Chun Hei, Kelvin Wong Ting-Kong, Samson Tsang Chung-Yuen, Law Chi-Sing, Tong Sik-Ming, Man Kwok-Hei, Rodney Wong Long-Yin, Albert Leung, Juliana Wong Pui-Chun, Lai Wai-Sum, Jason Yip Wan-Keung, Chan Fu-Shing, Toby Wong Chun-Lam, Suen Tsz-wai, Natalie Yu Ka-Nam, Jason Li, Chan Chi-Sing, Tsang Tsz-Kit, Mak Ka-Ho, Christian Chung Wai-Kit, Andrew Chan, Cheung Lok-Man, David Yu Tat-Chi, Cheuk Yan, Frank Liu Zong-Ji, Fung King-Chung, Chau Huat-Tian, Wong Chi-Fei, Lo Sau-Chun, Tang Siu-Cheung, Ma Yuk-Lam, Zhang Wanfen, Emil Chan Cheuk-Wah, Poon Hing-Yan, Fung Chi-Ngong, Stanly Ma, Jimmy Wong, Clifford Tsang Man-Wai, Lam Wai-Nin, Benjamin Wong Chi-Kong, Johnny Lam Ming-Yiu, Martin Wong, Zhang Da, Tommy Leung Pok-Yan, Chan Kwan-Fung, Shun Yamashita, Chung Shiu-Wah, Tang Lu, Wong Sze-Yan, Lai Chai-Ming, Benjamin Sze-Ma Shing-Hei, Giselle Lam, Yeung Ching-Man, Lam Chun-Kit, May Leong
US Well Go or Germany Plaion 4K Blu-ray?
Best English-friendly & video release · updated today
Overview
In 1980s Hong Kong, troubled youth Chan Lok-kwun, a mainland refugee, struggles to survive in the Kowloon Walled City by joining underground fights. Betrayed by crime boss Mr. Big while trying to buy a fake ID, he steals drugs from him and seeks refuge in the Walled City, where he encounters Cyclone, a compassionate yet authoritative crime lord.
Well Go Blu-ray
Director: David Lynch
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
UK Arrow 4K Blu-ray in December
Subtle difference in encoding to the Criterion in encoding, trading blows in different shots, with Plaion taking a slight edge with less highlight blocking
Criterion's 2.0 sounds muffled due to noise reduction and EQ.
Plaion's 2.0 lacks bass and has a very bright EQ, more resembling the 5.1 remix. Plaion’s 2.0 doesn't have any filtering unlike the Criterion, see https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=23831289&postcount=110
DE Koch Media is presented in the correct 25fps and is likely better compressed than UK Dogwoof (29 vs 14 Mbps), but it doesn’t have English subtitles.
US Drafthouse is in 24fps for Region A compatibility, and is encoded at around 30 Mbps.
(Although bitrate does not solely determine the quality of the encode, the difference is large enough here and there are no publicly available caps.)
No info on the JP VAP Blu-ray.
DE Koch Media and US Drafthouse feature a lossless 5.1 track. Dogwoof offers only AC-3.
Director: Ivan Reitman
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
> US Kino Lorber see comparison and caps
Kino Lorber has an exceedingly poor encode, only slightly improved by the DV layer.
Original matrixed Dolby Stereo: Universal US Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Plaion DE 4K Blu-ray
Universal's BD uses the same transfer as the old LaserDisc and sounds a bit better than Plaion's, which has worse dynamics.
Plaion's Atmos remix is tastefully done and preserves the original mix's characteristics, the 5.1 track on Kino's release is overly aggressive and unbalanced.
Director: William Wyler
> Paramount 4K Blu-ray (marginally)
Director: Adrian Lyne
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Better compression than other 4K Blu-rays
Director: Enzo G. Castellari
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
German Plaion 4K Blu-ray see caps but doesn't have EN subtitles
Sources: Blu-ray.com (opens in a new tab)
Maybe Umbrella Australia 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode), Plaion Germany 4K Blu-ray, or Pony Canyon Japan 4K Blu-ray. All other existing 4K Blu-rays have terrible compression: https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=21423337&postcount=173
The master is heavily DNR'd.
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab) · hd-dvd.over-blog.fr (opens in a new tab)
4K restoration: Koch Media DE 4K Blu-ray
Original digital master: Cannes 2006 Promo HD-DVD
4K remaster is cropped 2.35:1 from the original 2.55:1 presentation, and has significantly different color grading, as is the case with most WKW supervised restorations. Due to DNR the detail is sometimes lacklustre compared to the old master. CGI scenes appear to be rerendered. A sepia tinted scene was altered to be fully black and white.
Caps: Criterion US BD vs Cannes HD-DVD, HD-DVD vs KR BD vs DVDs vs US BD
Remixed 5.1: The Jokers FR 4K Blu-ray
Original 5.1: Cannes 2006 Promo HD-DVD
The remixed track has different front panning and little LFE use compared to the original.
HD-DVD is by far the best option for the original track, as DVDs and Korean BD suffer from noise gating, limiting and duplicated surrounds. Remixed tracks are all similar, but French disc has slightly better dynamics, particularly on the LFE channel.
The 2006 HD-DVD is a promotional release made in only 100 copies, handed out to VIPs at Cannes Film Festival. See this blog post for details. The same master can be found on KR BD, though it suffers from interlacing, blended frames and a gamma bug, as well as older DVD releases.
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
German release from Plaion has better grading and encode than the US Vinegar Syndrome releases.
Both UHDs come with Italian and English audio, as well as English subtitles.
Director: Peter Weir
More Action on Blu-ray
Director: Michael Mann
Director: Guillermo del Toro
WB 4K Blu-ray teased by Guillermo Del Toro
CA Alliance Blu-ray or dutch Blu-ray are the same masters but have additional sharpening.
The original DVD has an isolated score and a exclusive easter egg
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
UK Second Sight Trilogy Boxset 4K Blu-ray
US Magnolia Pictures 4K Blu-ray uses the same source but with worse encoding
Director: Terence Young
WB 4K Blu-ray despite frozen grain
Director: Mamoru Oshii
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Has English subtitles, better than 2015 Maiden Blu-ray which lacks the original mix
Bandai 4K Blu-ray? vs 2008 Japan Bandai Blu-ray (BCXA-0085): same video but includes Bandai English dub and original mix
2026 Bandai 4K Blu-ray
Director: James Cameron
Sources: movie-censorship.com (opens in a new tab)
Fox Blu-ray for original cuts without the extra scene added in the re-release and AI upscaling
Newer Blu-ray/4K has the extra scene, but is poor and has excessive AI upscaling
An additional scene was added to the ending of the movie in the 2022 re-release: https://www.movie-censorship.com/report.php?ID=493908
Sources: fanrestore.com (opens in a new tab) · originaltrilogy.com (opens in a new tab)
2017 StudioCanal 4K Blu-ray and subsequent 4K Blu-rays are notorius for being heavily denoised and smoothened. Alternatively, 35mm scans for the theatrical cut is also available.
For the Ultimate Edition with the T-1000 searching John's room and the happy future ending, the 2009 Skynet Blu-ray, which is the older pre-2017 transfer, but has DNR.
Director: Michael Arias
Sources: slow.pics (opens in a new tab)
GKIDS 4K Blu-ray is a sharpened upscale. Caps
GKIDS 4K Blu-ray has a true lossless English dub and correct volume levels for the Japanese audio
Director: Roger Christian
Theatrical Version: Mill Creek Blu-ray
Home Video Version: Concorde Blu-ray
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