Hong Kong Laserdisc : Return To A Better Tomorrow

After a long wait, Hong Kong laserdiscs mark a glorious return to A Hero Never Dies with Wong Jing's Return To A Better Tomorrow. However you feel about Wong Jing, what's not to love here? If ever a film warranted spreading over two discs it's this one, two amazing covers for the price of err... two! Just look at them though, with Lau Ching Wan, Ekin Cheng and a smooth as a baby's bum chested Michael Wong rockin' those white linen suits. Waxed Wong aside, look at the hair, of course Ekin's is legendary, but dare I say he's given a run for his money here? All this and Chingmy Yau too!

Hard Boiled 14, 15 And Oh Yeah 16

Three more editions of John Woo's Hard Boiled along with some kind of vague justification for the purchase. Of course there can be no justification of buying the same film for the 14th, 15th and 16th time, but once you've hit thirteen, I guess that horse has already bolted and it's best not to worry about it.

What could have tempted me beyond number 13 in the collection? Namely the German Hardbox VHS edition from Pacific Video Plus, for no more reason than I liked the box. The original Mei Ah VCD which considering my side project I felt I had to have, and the pick of the bunch, the HK Video French dvd.

 

German VHS Front

German VHS back

Mai Ah VCD cover

HK Video French DVD cover

HK Video French DVD back

HK Video French DVD Inside

I found the HK Video dvd (amongst many French discs) in Hong Kong. At first I found it quite surprising how many French discs can be found there. When you think about it though it becomes less so, it's yet another sign of how much respect many of the French labels show HK cinema, and how often they have the best available version of a title. The lack of English option that is the stumbling block for many UK and US fans isn't an issue for Hong Kongers as the discs almost always have the original Cantonese soundtrack alongside any French dub that maybe on there.

I'd like to think that I'm done with Hard boiled, but then I guess you never know what else may turn up! Keep an eye out for more HK Video coverage in the forthcoming weeks.