Always On My Mind: Technical Notes

Hui's Film Production Co. Ltd began supplying masters of the back catalogue of Michael Hui films to distributor Y2K but the releases of Chicken And Duck Talk and Front Page were weak to say the least (the Japanese dvd release of the former is not of the best quality either so it still seems the material at Hui's disposal is uneven). Things improve greatly for this title at least as Asia Video Publishing becomes the next player. Always On My Mind benefits from a fine remaster, presented in 1.78:1 framed anamorphic widescreen. Some grain, darkness and wear is evident throughout but aspects such as colours, blacks and sharpness rank well above average for a slightly older production.

The synch sound Cantonese Dolby Digital 2.0 tracks features no obvious problems. A Mandarin 2.0 dub is also included.

The optional English subtitles got some minor spelling errors but are of high standard otherwise. Traditional and simplified Chinese subtitles are also available. No extras are however but it's a fine release where the basics are presented as they should.

Picture: This Michael Hui re-release is far better than the below average 'Mr. Coconut' print. Colours are realistic and lack the smearing of the aforementioned re-release and black levels are very impressive.

Sound: Mono Cantonese or Mandarin soundtracks with English, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese subtitles (removable). The sound mix is more than adequate for the job with the dialogue clear and soundtrack resonant.