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I just had dinner with Tony just now, who in turn just had a long meeting with Wong earlier today.

So here's the brief lowdown:

1. Ashes of Time Director's Cut is being worked on - don't expect ANY DVD releases of the film until the new, longer and remastered cut is finished. This new version will also get a theatrical premiere and release in several territories. When is it coming? Well, that's TBD. So just be patient.

2. There will be new remasters of all the films Jet Tone owns of Wong's. Wong has a warehouse full of unused footage and material that he'd like to add as a 2nd disc - from outtakes to newly done interviews with stars, including rare ones with prominent actors.

3. There is a longer, 60-min cut of THE HAND (one of the pieces in EROS), which has just been finished. How this will be released is still up to discussion.

4. There will be a book on Wong Kar-Wai, which is written by Tony himself. Should be the most comprehensive book on the director yet. ETA- end of this year/early next year.

I just had dinner with Tony just now

Grimfarrow, I envy you to such a degree...

Ashes of Time Director's Cut

This is great news. I've been patient for so long what is another year or two.

Oh, and check out Tony's excellent article on Cafe Lumiere in Cinemascope. Great issue about some of the best films around - Lisandro Alonso's LOS MUERTOS, and a good one on Beijing scene by Shelly Kraiser (including Jia Zhangke's terrific THE WORLD), along with usual suspects like Jason Sanders and Chtistoph Huber (the mag reads like a rolecall of people I know from VIFF!).

Tony Danza?
What awesome news all this is.

I don't mind waiting now that I know they are coming! I've held off the Kino boxset and will stick with my VHS until new versions come out. I wonder if Criterion will handle them for the US DVD? (hint, hint!)

Extra note: a certain retired actress will make a special appearance on the DVD of her last film, which was directed by WKW. It's certainly the first public interview with her in over a decade. A release of her first-ever starring role (back when she was 15!) is also due from Jet Tone, so it will be a very interesting double-bill. I'm sure you can guess who this is...

I am new to WKW, and even though he is becoming one of my favorite directors, I don't know who this retired actress is...?

ALSO, since these will be released by Jet Tone (an HK company), will the extras have English subs?

Grimfarrow wrote:Ah, so you've heard of it! Well, it's been in the works for 8 years, so it's now or never in regards to finishing the book

Extra note: a certain retired actress will make a special appearance on the DVD of her last film, which was directed by WKW. It's certainly the first public interview with her in over a decade. A release of her first-ever starring role (back when she was 15!) is also due from Jet Tone, so it will be a very interesting double-bill. I'm sure you can guess who this is...

I am guessing Bridgete Lin but I am not sure if "Ashes of Time" is her last film.

Speaking of double feature, I also wish Jet Tone will re-release "The Eagle Shooting Hero." It is the perfect double feature with "Ashes of Time."

Stephen Teo's book WONG KAR-WAI is due out from the BFI this month. It was delayed to include a further chapter on 2046 (which I'm looking forward to seeing over the W/E)...

ftsoh wrote:I am guessing Bridgete Lin but I am not sure if "Ashes of Time" is her last film.

"Chungking Express" was her "official" last film, IIRC.

JHunter wrote:"Chungking Express" was her "official" last film, IIRC.

Ding ding!

Some kind of definitive edition of WKW's films is desperately needed...

For instance, on the back of 2046's theatrical release, Tartan have released DAYS OF BEING WILD on DVD in UK R2... I already have the Media Asia/Mega Star version - Visuals with a greenish hue (right I understand), Dolby 5.1 Cantonese soundtrack, and ropey but passable subtitles....

Hmmm, say I... Surely the Tartan version will be an improvement... Pictures is higher quality apparently, but maybe less greenish hue (contrary to intentions of Christopher Doyle & WKW), obviously better English subtitles.. It seems like a winner. UNTIL - I note the soundtrack is the Mandarin dub in Dolby 1.0... So, unfortunately, not going to put my hand in my pocket for the Tartan version...

Roll on the definitive editions!

The Sony Pictures Classics R1 disc of 2046 has a release date: December 27, 2005.

Here are the specs according to DavisDVD:

Sony Pictures has announced the acclaimed 2046 for release on December 27th. The film, starring the beautiful Zhang Ziyi, arrives with a 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 audio and English subtitles. Extras will include an audio commentary with director Wong Kar-wai, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette, cast interviews and photo galleries. Retail is going to be $24.96.

A review of the Sony R1 can be found at DVD Talk.

It's supposed to look great, BUT of course they had to slap those effing yellow subs on there to ruin it. God, I almost cried when I read that.

Best version of FALLEN ANGELS is R4 (Australia) version by Accent which DVDbeaver says is the best version in the world. I own it and there is s short extra feature detailing the restoration done by Accent on the film. It looks superb!

WKW just announced as heading up the 2006 Cannes competition jury...

ellipsis7 wrote:WKW just announced as heading up the 2006 Cannes competition jury...

So do you think we can expect the definitive list of prize winners in time for Venice?

And there's the strong rumour (somewhere around here) of definitive WKW-supervised special editions of all of the films in the pipeline. We haven't heard any news about these for some time, though, so that pipeline may well be taking a detour via 2046!

I'm pretty sure it was GrimFarrow who told us about the upcoming restorations -- he appears to be close with WKW and Tony Rayns (did his book on WKW ever come out yet?).

Here's the lastest WKW remastered disc, released on Dec 28th.

As Tears Go By Digitally Remastered.

I watched the Kino disc of this and Days of Being Wild,
and I must say the picture is quite crap.
Anamorphic they are, and with good subtitles, but it was hard to watch
with all the dirt, spots, and ghosting and combing.....

dmkb wrote:I'm pretty sure it was GrimFarrow who told us about the upcoming restorations -- he appears to be close with WKW and Tony Rayns (did his book on WKW ever come out yet?).

Tony Rayns? Do you mean Stephen Teo's book from the BFI (which is a good 'un)? But Peter Brunette's book from the University of Illinois is also good reading; its major weakness is an appalling lack of Chinese-language knowledge (the filmography's a mess), but it's a thoughtful and intelligent commentary on WKW's work - particularly for those of us who have some reservations about him.

According to Grimfarrow in a post on the previous page of this thread (about #12 or so) Rayns is writing a book on WKW. I think it was due out sometime soon.

Rayns is editing a collection of interviews for Faber & Faber's long-running director interviews series. Wong Kar-wai on Wong Kar-wai will be out next month.

Thanks David Re: R4 Fallen Angels DVD by Accent. I am aware that there was a recent renovation and remastering done of the film. However, as stated by Accent on the DVD and several others including DVDbeaver that Accent did a further video and audio restoration as they do all their own authoring in-house and not outsourced to another video distributor like Madman. I am also aware that the international sales agent, Fortissimo, and in turn Wong Kar-Wai (I imagine) are very impressed by Accent's work. Too bad Hopscotch/Roadshow and Madman could not grace their versions with the same amount of work and respect. Madman's HAPPY TOGETHER and Hopscotch/Roadshows, AS TEARS GO BY and DAYS OF BEING WILD are complete abominations and should be withdrawn from the market and done again properly.

uh? davidharee?