Shout Factory acquires Golden Princess library

[CSchmidlapp]

I have the JPN LD, to my eyes it is the same transfer as the Fox Lorber DVD but with the correct RGB levels. The Criterion LD is slightly different again but if memory serves it's in the same ballpark.

So the burnt in Japanese Subs on the LD are from a character generator and not scanned from a print that has them burnt in?
Does it have the 'RED' titles in English only at the beginning?
I don't remember the Fox Lorber DVD being anything particularly spectacular, but maybe that's because of the incorrect RGB levels.
The Criterion DVD was good for the time and somewhat well-balanced of an old 4:3 transfer which I assume was the same master as the LD, but it's not actually how HB looked in a theatre projected.

The UK LD from Tartan was the same transfer (but better quality) as the widescreen VHS and is from a release print, with burned-in subtitles. At the time it was famous for having one of the longest running times for a single side of an extended play CLV LD

I had all the Tartan releases, excluding the LD (never had a player) and the dubbed VHS was my first viewing and I wore it out
Although early releases were from a release print, I did find the French DVD a better representation of the Film Print I saw projected.
And I believe that print was a Tartan U.K one.

[dvdmike]

I will love to see how Hard Boiled compares to my LD

Which LD do you have?

https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/26229/PIL...ard-Boiled

I've never seen this one.
Any chance of some screenshots bud?
Photo's from your TV would do

https://i.postimg.cc/9Mrm4ghr/20250605-202724191.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/tggyfv72/20250605-202454587.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/pTwHm2C6/20250605-202409916.jpg

Can do better tomorrow

[CSchmidlapp]

Japanese LD


Criterion DVD


French DVD


Meh Ah HK DVD


Tartan UK First Release (35mm Release Print Source)


Tartan UK First Release English Dub Version


Tartan UK Extreme Edition


Dragon Dynasty BD


Japanese BD

[dvdmike]

https://mega.nz/file/crZHiIbQ#rsROa6OSUR..._wv_oD_63o

[zoidberg]

The JPN LD has different opening titles, with text in English and (I presume) Chinese. The Japanese subtitles are electronic and superimposed at the bottom of the frame.

[dvdmike]

The criterion is the same master then

[CSchmidlapp]

Back in the day I did my own grade using the Japanese Blu.
It was a cross between memory of the print I saw and research (mainly on OT and here) of both Hard Boiled and the film to home video process.



Since this grade I've seen another 35mm release print presentation in which this shot was almost completely blue!
Kind of like the Tartan first release DVD from the 35mm release print earlier in the thread.

My memory of the first print is of it looking most like the French DVD (projection factors aside), one of the purposes of going to the showing was to see which one of the many copies I had was correct as they all looked different.
But I was also seeing Hard Boiled for the first time on the big screen

Both I believe were Tartan U.K release prints from back in the 90's, with all the necessary titles and subs in English and the Red Background on the opening titles.

At this point I'm not sure what is correct Hahahahahahahaha

I'll make this my last post on Hard Boiled as it is derailing the thread alittle, to bring it back Im again looking forward to the restoration and seeing that detail from the OCN.