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July 05, 2006
STRAIGHT TO DVD NEWS
A sharp-eyed reader sends in this double whammy for SHA PO LANG. Not only does it look like it's going straight to DVD in the US via the Weinstein's Dragon Dynasty label (street date, Sept 12) but it also looks like it's going straight-to-DVD in France as well, courtesy of Pathe's Angel Star Asian DVD line. I think the street date is October. France is probably one of the most important territories for foreign films and since it's going straight-to-DVD there it will probably go straight-to-DVD everywhere.
So, the SHA PO LANG story? Goes to Toronto, everyone gets excited, gets picked up by Weinsteins, gets invited to about a million film festivals, turns down every invitation, and goes straight-to-DVD. That's showbiz!
Also, it looks like Image has picked up the rights to the Pang Brothers' RE-CYCLE, DIARY and FOREST OF DEATH, which means that despite their good box office back in Hong Kong (RE-CYCLE looks to have taken in about HK$4 million over its opening weekend), these flicks will go straight-to-DVD in the US.
July 5, 2006 at 12:20 PM in News | Permalink
Comments
Wish I could say I was surprised. I count myself extremely fortunate that I was able to see it (twice) in a cinema at AFI Fest. If they didn't want to give it a theatrical release, they could at least have allowed other festivals to show it.
Posted by: Peter Martin | Jul 5, 2006 2:22:41 PM
well still better than gathering dust in the Weinstein vaults a la Legend of Zu or something for 4 years! 4 years!
Posted by: glenn | Jul 5, 2006 2:50:12 PM
It's currently doing a theatrical run in Australia with a DVD release October 11.
Posted by: Chris | Jul 6, 2006 1:16:03 AM
spotted SPL listed at dvdasian.com a couple of weeks back or so, said R1. anyway, cant always be quite so sure, even with it getting listed at amazon.com - which is way ahead of the pack for getting preorders listed on R1 releases - that it wont get some kind of limited or even broad screening in America before then, and yes I know its suicide to have a date revealed for a DVD if the cinemas are due to have it, but this (i think) wouldnt be the first example of such a bizarre happening. you sometimes see amazon.com listings within a week or so of the cinema release having happened, especially as cinema to DVD now takes as little as a couple of months or so.
Posted by: logboy | Jul 6, 2006 5:10:00 AM
While SPL is on the DVD release schedule of Genius Products, SPL isn't on theatrical release schedule of The Weinstein Company (while THE PROTECTOR is on the schedule)
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout=chart_film_studio&dept;=Film&studio;=THE+WEINSTEIN+COMPANY&x;=7&y;=6
Unless there will be a last-minute change of heart over at The Weinstein Company (like what Tartan did to THE HIDDEN BLADE), SPL will be straight-to-DVD.
Posted by: no name | Jul 6, 2006 5:48:49 AM
It's a pity. Perhaps Hollywood only want big productions for theatre release from Asia and nothing less. So I suppose The Curse of the Golden Flower and The Banquet will make the cut but not skimpy action movies from HK no matter how good the action is. They don't know what they are depriving the American public of.
Posted by: gakinme | Jul 6, 2006 6:01:38 PM
Recycle has passed the HK$10 million mark in 9 days
Posted by: David Harris | Jul 11, 2006 4:36:34 AM
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