| Asia Video Publishing has done a good job on this 1.85:1 transfer. It's spotless and relatively sharp overall. The redness present I do believe is intentional. Anamorphic enhancement would be preferable but for the price, this transfer I have no problem with.
I would think the Cantonese track was original mixed in Dolby Digital 5.1 but we only get a 2.0 option on the dvd. Nevertheless, the track in particular has great ambiance and clear dialogue. Purists will moan about the lack of 5.1 but as far as 2.0 tracks go, this is splendid.
The English subtitles feature a few sloppy errors and it can't sometimes decide what it wants to call the town the movie is set in. Other than that, high quality translation which is good since Hollywood Hong Kong did tour international festivals. Traditional Chinese subtitles are also included.
A few video extras appear, starting with the making of (12 minutes 36 seconds). A video diary would be the correct description of this since we see much raw footage of location scouting, pre-production casting meetings, Fruit Chan going out to find the right pig etc. Some of these scenes are also narrated by Chan but since we get no subtitles, this program is moderately enjoyable at best.
Interview (7 minutes 15 seconds) features small sessions with director Fruit Chan, actors Zhou Xun, Wong You Nam and Ho Sai Man. The question cards within the program are in English but again, no subtitles for the answers.
Movie Scenes (7 minutes and 40 seconds) is a compilation of various scenes in the film presented in full frame and with burned in subtitles. A highlight reel if you will and not really worth watching once even. Finally, the excellent theatrical trailer for Hollywood Hong Kong appear. One funny note about that, the Chu family is referred to as Big, medium and small fatty in the trailer instead of the actors playing them respectively. |