Weinstein Watch: Dragon Tiger Gate

weinsteins primary tactic no.745724 (section b) : make sure that people become so desperately tired of repeating themselves that none of these dramatically unhealthy policies get discussed.

note to kurt : youre to be congratulated in your determination to mention this DTG licensing to the weinsteins, when i spotted the story this morning i could barely lift my fingers the several millimetres off the desk to type anything on it. many hours later, i have the energy and the will have vaguely returned, though i remain sure that this is such a major issue that is discussed so frequently that it will be like being punched for the hundreth time : the pain has kind of gone but the scars increase.

Huzzah!

No.Really.

I hate what the Weinsteins have done to Asian film at least as much as anyone else here(probably even moreso!), but I'm a bit less concerned about it now. Bey Logan works for them now in their foreign acquisitions department and he told me that he was trying to get Donnie Yen to do a commentary with him for SPL, and assured me that the movie would not be butchered. He also mentioned that we'd be seeing HKL-style dvds of other Asian movies that Miramax owns, older releases. I asked specifically about Drunken Master II, you see...

I've no reason to distrust Bey so let's hope this happens!

frankly, I don't care as long as I can get the HK DVD w/o them strong-arming legit Asian sellers.

I give up on them otherwise.

frankly, I don't care as long as I can get the HK DVD w/o them strong-arming legit Asian sellers.

I give up on them otherwise.

Dear OB1:

According to Bey Logan, will SPL get North American Theatrical release?

(Weinsteins and Lionsgate just send NEW POLICE STORY straight-to-DVD.)

Right, this'd be the same Bey Logan who defended Miramax's butchering of Hong Kong films, then? (Wish I could find a link to that interview - all respect I had for Bey Logan went down the toilet when I read it.) He's a storehouse of HK film lore, but I don't trust his definition of "butchered", particularly when the people who wield the meat cleavers also sign his paychecks. And I don't doubt we may be seeing nice editions of some other HK films that Miramax owns - the Weinsteins left the Dimension and Miramax libraries at Disney, so people who actually might give a rat's ass are in charge of them now; unless Indiewire had their facts wrong (URL below), and the Scumbag Bros. kept the Dimension catalog as well as the name. That would be bad, bad like news of Weinstein Company picking up yet another Asian film.
http://www.indiewire.com/biz/biz_050330miramax.html

Apathy is understandable. "Who cares, as long as I got my uncut copy?" But we shouldn't have to do that. Nobody benefits from it, it creates the appearance of reduced demand for titles we'd otherwise be buying. The people who want to see this sort of film either want to see the WHOLE film, or don't care either way - they'll just rent it and chapter-skip to the fight scenes. Make noise, bitch and moan, complain - it might not accomplish anything, but apathy and "as long as I gots mine" mentalities are 100% sure to never improve the situation. It's an argument worth having. The customer is always right - and WE'RE THE CUSTOMERS - the target audience. If we don't make it loud and clear how irritating this is, then we have no right to get bent out of shape when it happens next time. Quiet apathy did nothing to get us a subtitled PRINCESS MONONOKE DVD release. Kicking and screaming, on the other hand, worked a charm.

I think the Weinsteins have an actual business relationship with Donnie Yen, since he was called in by them to work on Blade 2. Somehow, I think anything with Mr. Yen in it will probably turn out fine. It's just a feeling, though. I could be dead wrong.

Chris, BLADE 2 was made by New Line and neither Miramax nor the Weinstein Pigs had anything to do with it. It was Guillermo del Toro who contacted and hired Donnie Yen because he's a fan of his.

ChrisP, might you be thinking of the Action directing gig he did for them for Stormbreaker? Because he was asked by good ol Harv to do that..even have a sizeable role, which he turned down..I think it was because of promotion for Seven Swords if I'm not mistaken.

When I first read this article last night, I had a revelation: If it were up to Harvey and Bob, I would die a virgin!!!

Understandably, the Weinstein Company is in the business of making money, just as any business is. But I still don't understand why THEY have to be the ones to tell me WHAT movies I can buy, WHEN I can buy them and from WHOM I will be allowed to buy them.

I DO NOT want to have to wait another 5 years before I can buy Dragon Tiger Gate (and any other future Asian productions that catch my eye), just as they did with "The Legend Of Zu".

Seriously, I saw the trailer for "The Legend Of Zu" when it first came out. I was left wondering what the hell happened to the movie, only to find out all this after doing my homework and learning of the Weinsteins and what they're doing to fans like myself who enjoy these films and have to suffer because these corporate meatheads want to put their stamp on these products so they can make a buck!

Life is too short for these people to keep me waiting around. I'm still waiting on those jackasses at Buena Vista to release Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars and Dragons Forever to U.S. audiences.

Could SOMEONE with SOME KIND OF AUTHORITY talk to those people??!?
I mean, there's only so much I can do by putting this blog up.

I just seen this movie and was completly blown away. I don't understand cantonese so I was looking to see if there was a release with english subtitles or overdubs. This movie is absolutely incredible. I hope it get released in north America soon.