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Post by kino on Jul 2, 2007 23:54:09 GMT
Edward Yang (1947-2007)
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Jul 3, 2007 0:04:42 GMT
I've wanted to see Yi Yi for a while now.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 5, 2008 20:31:54 GMT
That Day, on the Beach A Brighter Summer Day Yi Yi ABSD is my current choice for greatest contemporary narrative film. (Here, contemporary = since 1980.)
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 5, 2008 20:33:48 GMT
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Post by bobbyreed on Mar 6, 2008 4:19:19 GMT
Yeah, I saw that. I'm looking forward to it (and to rewatching Yi yi).
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 21, 2008 22:58:51 GMT
Bobby, did you catch it? If so, what did you think?
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Post by bobbyreed on Mar 22, 2008 0:47:18 GMT
I couldn't attend A Brighter Summer Day because one of my midterms was scheduled for the same time. I'll probably purchase a bootleg of it soon.
I did see The Terrorizer, which I liked very much.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 23, 2008 21:46:41 GMT
They schedule midterms in the evening? That's too bad.
I've heard about The Terrorizer being Antonioniesque. Did you find it so?
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Post by svsg on Mar 24, 2008 0:28:32 GMT
I've downloaded YiYi and ABSD is getting downloaded. I am eager to check these out.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 24, 2008 3:15:25 GMT
I've downloaded YiYi and ABSD is getting downloaded. I am eager to check these out. I'm guessing the Yi Yi you downloaded would most likely come from the horrible Fox Lorber DVD. As with In the Mood For Love, I suggest you rent the Yi Yi Criterion Collection DVD or don't watch Yi Yi at all. No hyperbole. As for ABSD, it'll most likely be from a bootleg source. So it's best to suspend judgement on ABSD's audiovisual qualities for now. I'd imagine the incredible chiaroscuro would still show through, though, as will Yang's incredible blocking and compositional eye, too. It's a dense narrative with many plot threads that rewards attentive viewers. Make sure it's the 230 to 237 minute cut of ABSD. If it's the 3 hour to 3 hour 20 minute cut, don't watch that shit.
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Post by svsg on Mar 24, 2008 3:44:35 GMT
Kino, thanks for the info. This is the place I downloaded them from: Yi YiABSDAs you can see from the pages, Yi Yi is criterion dvd rip at 173 min and ABSD is 235 min Whether they will turn out to be good quality, I will find out only when I watch them. With 1.37GB each movie, they better be good. Or at least I hope so.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 24, 2008 3:53:12 GMT
DVD rips still lose quality, though. Am I wrong, tech experts?
My friend backs up some of the DVDs he owns by copying the disc and there's a noticeable decline in image quality.
It could be that the person compressed the data even more - losing audiovisual quality.
Just rent the DVD.
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RNL
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Post by RNL on Mar 24, 2008 3:59:05 GMT
There's huge compression.
DVD video is already heavily compressed. But you're talking about further compression from 5Gb+ to 1.37Gb (in this case), or (in most cases) 700Mb, so the file can be burned as data to a CD for storage.
You can't project DVD video onto a cinema screen, and you likewise can't blow up a 700Mb AVI file on a TV screen. The resolution is way, way, way too low. Even when you go fullscreen on your monitor it can look blotchy.
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Post by svsg on Mar 24, 2008 4:00:48 GMT
DVD rips still lose quality, though. Am I wrong, tech experts? My friend backs up some of the DVDs he owns by copying the disc and there's a noticeable decline in image quality. It could be that the person compressed the data even more - losing audiovisual quality. Just rent the DVD. I am no tech expert, but compression does reduce the quality. DVD in itself is compressed. That is the reason Blue Ray is even more attractive. Anyway, I'll take your word on these and just put them on my Blockbuster queue. I don't want to watch a crappy version of a movie that is rich in audio-visual content. The reason I download is I have no control over the blockbuster queue. Even the movies that are shown as available are not shipped in the order of my preference. It pisses me off big time.
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Post by svsg on Mar 24, 2008 4:01:47 GMT
ok, wetdog already posted the same
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Post by svsg on Mar 24, 2008 15:31:40 GMT
Kino, where do you rent your movies from? Some of the movies you have suggested aren't on blockbuster (including ABSD) and you don't even like watching the movie with the download quality. Or do you buy them before even watching them?
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Omar
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Post by Omar on Mar 24, 2008 15:36:59 GMT
Use Netflix. Blockbuster is the end of cinema.
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Kino
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Post by Kino on Mar 24, 2008 19:21:33 GMT
I rent DVDs from Netlifx and local stores. The ones that I've mentioned that aren't on DVD I've seen on VHS and in theatres.
Yeah, Yang is criminally unavailable on DVD. Taiwan has a rather horrible film industry infrastructure; many critics say it's dead. Tsai Ming-liang and Hou Hsiao-hsien rely on international financing, distribution, and exhibition. Out of the acclaimed Taiwan directors "widely available" (Hou, Yang, Tsai), only Hou's A City of Sadness did well in the box office in Taiwan.
I don't think it's true, but I've read that there are only 2 or a handful prints of ABSD in the world. Ownership of his films is a grey area, I think. However, I do think he held rights to a few of them. Maybe that's why only ABSD, The Terrorizers, and Yi Yi have been showing at film festivals since Yang's sad passing and not The Terrorizers, Taipei Story, Mahjong, or Confucian Confusion. His wife has been integral in the screenings.
Yi Yi is the only Yang film to get a theatrical run in the U.S. and the only one to be widely screened on the festival circuit yet it never showed theatrically in Taiwan. I think prior to his death, there has only been 2 or 3 complete Yang retrospectives in the U.S.
There were out-of-print Asian DVDs of The Terrorizers, Mahjong and Confucian Confusion, but they have no english subtitles. On the other hand, 7 of Hou Hsiao-hsien's movies and 7 of Tsai's are on Region 1 DVDs. More if you count Asian DVDs.
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Post by bobbyreed on Mar 24, 2008 20:04:30 GMT
They schedule midterms in the evening? That's too bad. You never had any night classes? I've heard about The Terrorizer being Antonioniesque. Did you find it so? Aside from the narrative thread dealing with the photographer, I wasn't really reminded of Antonioni while watching the film. Thinking about it now, I do see more connections, especially with how the couple's disintegrating relationship is linked to capitalism.
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Boz
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Post by Boz on Mar 24, 2008 20:36:35 GMT
Use Netflix. Blockbuster is the end of cinema.
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