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
About the film
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: Paul Verhoeven
Video format: UHD Blu-ray
Director: John Woo
Arrow has a different grade and a better encode than the Shout! Factory, though the difference in either is not major. Imprint release, which leaves Shout! Factory's master and subtitles as is, is encoded by FiM. https://forum.blu-ray.com/showpost.php?p=24473097&postcount=56
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Original mix: Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (similar to Criterion LaserDisc, but less distorted)
Alternate mix: Scanbox Nordic PAL DVD
Surround remix: HK Video France 4K Blu-ray (5.0)
Arrow used the alternate mix, but with extra filtering and lowered dynamic range. The alternate mix has much better fidelity.
Imprint presumably used the Shout! Factory original mix and left it as is, though no official confirmation.
Director: Sam Peckinpah
Director: Alexandre Aja
Director: David Lynch
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
Plaion German 4K Blu-ray > 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
Italy Plaion 4K Blu-ray > Paramount 4K Blu-ray (marginally)
More Action on Blu-ray
Director: Richard Rush
> Shout! Factory 4K Blu-ray (FiM encode on Radiance compared to Duplitech encode on Shout! Factory)
Directors: Joe Russo & Anthony Russo
Director: John G. Avildsen
Sony boxset or 2024 VHS packaging 4K Blu-ray
Sony boxsets or 2024 VHS packaging has Dolby Vision, 2019 Sony 4K Blu-ray is HDR10 only.
Original Stereo mix: Columbia Pictures LaserDisc, Sony 4K Blu-ray (any)
5.1 remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray, Sony Blu-ray
Dolby Atmos remix: Sony 4K Blu-ray (any)
Different gradings; Arrow looks better in some frames (particularly the restored day-for-night blue filters), while Shout! Factory looks better in others https://slow.pics/c/aQmQXCrc
Director: Robert Aldrich
Only the Arrow has the 6-track mix.
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Video format: 1080p Blu-ray
2010 US Kino Lorber or 2012 UK Artificial Eye
2017 JP Kadokawa Blu-ray has the best encoding out of all the older discs.
Kino Lorber and Artificial Eye Blu-ray use the same master, between the two the PQ on Kino's release is slightly better, but the difference is negligible. However, Artificial Eye also includes the 2.0 stereo mix in addition to the 5.1 mix, while Kino only includes 5.1 mix.
The 4K restoration (Criterion, 4K etc) are cropped to 2.35:1, have revisionistic colour grading and other changes.
Caps: old master, old master vs 4K restoration
Wong Kar-Wai on the framing:
With Fallen Angels, I have changed the format to cinemascope, because it was originally what I had intended to release the film in. When we were cutting the film, we accidentally turned the Steenbeck on anamorphic instead of standard. I felt that the film looked much more interesting because it enhanced the distance of the characters on top of the extreme wide angle that we shot on. Back then, it was impossible to shoot a film in standard and release it in anamorphic. With this restoration, we have successfully fulfilled this wish.
Director: Buster Keaton
Kino Lorber new Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. Blu-ray?
MoC 4K Blu-ray late 2027
Lobster Films (Kino Lorber?) > Cohen/Eureka https://slow.pics/c/3KWXoMyR The new Kino Lorber's Seven Chances / Sherlock Jr. might be using the same restoration as Lobster Films
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Every recommendation follows the same method — how these calls are made.