Announced John Woo DVD releases

Following John Woo films are coming (hopefully) soon in DVD format. For sure these DVDs will be playable in US DVD players (region 1), but some Simitar and Tai Seng releases come without region code. If the same goes with these titles, they *could* be playable in any DVD players. I don't have any idea if Voyager uses region codes or not.

[Hard Boiled] [The Killer] [Once a Thief '96 (tv)] [Once a Thief '96 (reg. 2, Germany)]

HARD BOILED Criterian
Retail Price: 39.98
Voyager will release Criterian edition of Hard Boiled in DVD format. This DVD version will include everything, what was in Criterian LD. All the extras, and probably both original Chinese (Cantonese) and English dubbed sound. Also interview with John Woo, Terence Chang and others should be in. They also might add some extra material not in LD version, but they have not decided yet.

KILLER, THE Criterian
Retail Price: 39.98
Voyager will release Criterian edition of The Killer in DVD format. This DVD version will include everything, what was in Criterian LD. It includes Woo filmography, several movie trailers and more. All the extras, and probably both original Chinese (Cantonese) and English dubbed sound. They also might add some extra material not in LD version, but they have not decided yet.

ONCE A THIEF (tv pilot,1996)
Retail Price: 19.98
John Woo's tv-pilot for the tv-serie with the same title. Simitar will release it on DVD. Simitar is also released many older Jackie Chan movies, English dubbed fullscreen versions. And some of the latest releases and all announced titles include original Chinese sound too. Once a Thief DVD will be fullscreen version too. Maybe this disc won't use all DVDs benefits, like interactive menus, removable subtiles etc, but the price seems to be OK. Studio: Simitar
Once a Thief 'Director's cut' is available on LD, I don't know if this is it or tv-version.

PEACE HOTEL
Retail Price: 49.98
Tai Seng will release this Asian Western on DVD. John Woo was working as producer in this, and according to some rumours maybe he also was directing some action scenes. I wonder if this the same version as Tai Seng & Hong Kong LD release, or if they have a new master.

The Thief
Once a Thief 1996 [Germany release]
Region code: reg. 2
I saw this Germany DVD in one online shop, it is one of the very few Germany DVDs currently available. Not much information available about this one. But just like most of the films on video and DVD, most propably these DVDs are also dubbed in Germany. Price was DM 50.

Face/Off video rental

According to Video Weekly

Face/Off was fifth in video rentals Top 10 Rentals Week ending 1/11
1. Conspiracy Theory
2. Contact
3. My Best Friend's Wedding
4. Con Air
5. Face/Off
6. Fire Down Below
7. Spawn
8. Out to Sea
9. Speed 2
10. Men in Black

(Courtesy of VSDA)

Face off in Internet Movie DataBase

Once a Thief TV-show on Canal+

I just realized that Once a Thief TV-show is screened in European Satellite Channel Canal+, former FilmNet. It is screened on Wednesdays 6.30 PM (GTM+2). First part was on the air January 21st. Unfortenately I can't see this payable Satellite TV-channel.

Heroes Shed No Tears versions

Heroes Shed No Tears US LD release, released by Tai Seng is the same as the HK theatrical version and HK LD version. It is widescreen and English subtitled.

Heroes is also released in UK. British LD version is said to be cut. Also the british widescreen version on VHS is the same cut version. Both widescreen versions, on LD and VHS are original Cantonese spoken English subtitled versions but fullscreen release is English dubbed. But fullscreen version on VHS is full lenght HK cinema version.

Differences between Hong Kong version (and similar releases) and cut UK release.

1. The Steak scene, when these two fellows gamble about the steak, in subtitled version the loser says it is human flesh, but in dubbed version he says he's been carring it three weeks with him.
2. After collecting watches and other golden stuff, this man is killed by sticking many 'arrows' to him. Most of this scene is cut in UK widescreen version. ca. 4-5 bloody seconds.

Also I've heard that British video releases (both widescreen/subtitled) of Just Heroes and Once a Thief were cut, few seconds only, but they were cut anyway.
[Just Heroes: certification: 18, cut 1 scene, few seconds]
[Once a Thief: certification: 15, cut 3 seconds.]

John Woo books

Matteo Petrucci and co. are writing a book on John Woo for italian issue Sentieri Selvaggi. The book will be in Italian, but it will come with exlucive photo collection. It is part of a series of monographies about the most important world's directors. Until now, we have published Abel Ferrara, John Carpenter, Kathryn Bigelow, Spike Lee, Luc Besson and few others. I think it will be a must for any serious John Woo fan, it does not matter if you speak italian or not! However this book could be a reason to begin learn some Italian. The book will be out at the end of february. I just got mail that the book now finished. The book will be printed in the next few weeks. But I will tell more about it when I get a copy.

And the second John Woo book will be made in English. It will be written by by Ken Hall of The University of North Dakota. Publisher will be McFarland & Co. The hardcover is currently in the writing, but I don't have any information about publishing dates.

King's Ransom

Woo will re-unite with Chow Yun-fat. King's Ransom will be filmed after Woo has finished hil tv-pilot Black Jack. I heard they would start shooting in March. 

Phantom in the Opera

More info . Rumors around the remake of Phantom in the Opera, new forthcoming version for Warner Bros. A Andrew Lloyd Webber musical. Travolta is very strong canditate for this one and he has met Webber already. Travolta would have the leading role as faceless composer.
Many directors has been named, John Woo is one of them alongside Joel Schumacher, Franco Zeffirelli and Bruce Beresford. If John Woo gets this film, it could be a dream come true since he has been dreaming to direct a classical musical some day.

Original version was filmed 1925 starring Lon Chaney. Chaney is the vengeful, faceless composer who lives under catacombs under the Paris Opera House, and kidnaps young Mary Philbin as his singing protegee. Famous unmasking scene still packs a jolt, and the Bal Masque is especially impressive in two-color Technicolor. Dir. Rubert Julian

Claude Rains starred with Susanna Foster in the 1943 first talkie film version of the popular tale The Phantom of the Opera, directed by Arthur Lubin. This version is more focussed on Opera, less Phantom. After that several different film versions were made, and it was also turned into Broadway musical.

Buy the book from Amazon.com The Phantom of the Opera the Original Novel
written by Gaston Leroux.
From the Publisher : The novel that inspired the Lon Chaney film and the hit musical. "The wildest and most fantastic of tales."--New York Times Book Review.

The Phantom of the Opera the Original Novel Buy the book from Amazon.com
by Gaston Leroux
Paperback, 368 pages
Published by HarperCollins (paper)
Publication date: January 1, 1988
Dimensions (in inches): 7.01 x 4.18 x .99
ISBN: 0060809248

Big Hit

More info . John Woo and Terence Chang will be producers amonside many others for Kirk Wong's American debut Big Hit

Director Kirk Wong: 'It's an action film with a lot of dark comedy. It's not what I have been doing in Hong Kong for all these years, it's more stylized -- not like the real world. The film is about the world that this hitman lives in, and the domestic problems that he has. It's not supposed to be realistic, but then again, in my all films I use a certain realism. It's a very fine line between the two, and I try to push it to the limit. I don't cross that line because if I do it will be ludicrous. Walking the line makes it interesting.' Kirk Wong interviewed in Hong Kong Film Connection Vol.V Issue 2

Devil's Soldier

More info . This historical about China's history is more like a dream today. Maybe it will be done some day, but nothing is sure yet. Tom Cruise has been said starring it. Of course it would be great if Woo could film it in China, in original locations.

Synopsis:
A courageous leader who became the first American mandarin, Frederick Townsend Ward won crucial victories for the Emperor of China during the Taiping Rebellion, history's bloodiest civil war. Carr's skills as historian and storyteller come to the fore in this thrilling account of the kind of adventurer the world no longer sees.

Buy the book from Amazom.com The Devil Soldier by Caleb Carr

The Devil Soldier : The American Soldier of Fortune Who Became a God in China
by Caleb Carr
Availability: This title usually ships within 24 hours.
Reissue Edition
Paperback, 366 pages
Published by Random House (Paper)
Publication date: April 1, 1995
Dimensions (in inches): 8.04 x 5.22 x .86
ISBN: 0679761284

Official The Replacement Killers Site

Official The Replacement Killers Site is here. It will be launched at Feb. 6th! Make sure you'll check it!

Replacement Killers Poster

The John Woo Website is online - again

One of the earliest and the best John Woo sites was gone for some time, but now it is back. Bullet in the Web has really great URL this time:http://www.johnwoo.com/! From Jeff Koga's Bullet in the Web I got my first pictures to my website.

Download John Woo movie files

I found some new movie files to download

Movies [from Mr.Showbitz]:
Woo Interview: The action in Face/Off
. woo.mov (Quicktime; 605k) . woo.avi (AVI)
Film scene from Face/Off: Dueling speedboats
. woo.mov (Quicktime; 1143k) . woo.avi (AVI)
John Woo Section in Celebsite.

More moviefiles. Jeff Koga has digitized a lot ot theatrical and tv trailers and commercials for many John Woo films. Great work but very big files to download. You cand choose from three different quality and file size. [From Bullet in the Head]

Buy John Woo films

I don't sell John Woo movies or any other movies but because so many people has been asking where to get John Woo films I list here some shops out there. From these you can buy John Woo films but some other films too. Especially some older Woo films are really hard to find. List of online shops

Face/Off Gross

US Gross 112 Million $,
Foreign Gross 62 Million $

Face/Off made $23.4 million in its opening weekend.
Second weekend $
Third weekend $12.3 million (3 weeks 71.9)
Fouth weekend $9 million (4 weeks 86,4)

[Broken Arrow made $15.4 million in its opening weekend, setting a new, non-holiday February record.]

Bullet in the Head VCD With Alternate ending!

Finally I was lucky enough to get this. I viewed it and it luuked very similar to the normal Hongkong release. It is longer than US release and carries all that material what is in British and Singaporean version. But the end is different. After Waise Lee says that the battlefields are covered with corses and that skull could be anybody's (not translated on VCD), Tony Leung does not leave the office. He takes the gun and hits Waise Lee to the table and shoots him in the head. most of the time we see how Waise Lee is pointing Jackie Cheung's head with his gun or that skull in the table. And end credits start running before Tony shoots Waise. Nobody else moves during that time, we hardly see them. I must tell you I prefer the car chase version. The idea to mix two scenes, three friends cycling near harbour and later two of them driving the same route with cars is great. The running time of the VCD version is ca. 113 minutes. it is shorter than US release because the final scene in the office is short. But it has about 12 minutes (including end credits) other material not in US release.

Look some screenshots from the different end scene, 'bullet in the head in office scene'. 5 screenshots. Shot 1 Shot 2 Shot 3 Shot 4 Shot 5

Hongkong VCD can be found from Amae Enterprises http://www.moviesales.com
(21 Canadian $)

To Hell With The Devil Update

Shu Kei, director of The Hu Du Man (Cantonese opera film), wrote the script for To Hell With The Devil. In Hong Kong Film Connection Vol.3 Issue 3 he explains the idea of the film:

Shuo Ke: "Actually, I wrote two scripts for John when I was at Golden Harvest - the most interesting was unproduced. Golden Harvest felt To Hell.. was more commercial. We got the idea for the Stanley Donen film Bedazzled (1967) with Raquel Welch and Dudley Moore. We stole the idea from that film. We mixed that with a lot of other elements from the time and that how the film came out"

Once a Thief 1996- movies online.

A site dedicated for Once a Thief TV-serie has two Quicktime movies of the serie. And a music sample in wav. These are quite big files so it can take for some time to load them.

Once A Thief Promo (2.6MB) Quicktime Movie
Once A Thief Theme (2.8MB) Quicktime Movie
Once A Thief Theme (330k) Wav

Red on White - What is New! January '98