'Election 2' Available for Pre-Order On HK DVD. E.T.A July 14th 2006.

good shit gotta order this bad boy

Can't wait to get this one.

Thanks. I just spent 128 dollars because of this ad. Damn DVDs, always so fucking tempting.

hey, dont blame me :) ... what d'you buy?

Why buy Hong Kong version DVD?

Since Tartan has acquired US rights, we should not buy Hong Kong version DVD; we should go to US theaters to see the movie.

why buy the hong kong DVD? a whole heap of reasons, many more than would stop me buying it (infact, there are no reasons i wouldnt buy it)...

Many people, who has seen the movie's overseas version DVD, won't see it again in US theaters. It is the main reason why many Asian movies bombs in the US. I have seen a article; acording to article, many US distributors agree that it is a big pain for Asnan films distribution in US.

HERO success because it can attract many audience who don't always see arthouse films. But I doubt many Asian films has big crossover potential like HERO.

If I'm work for Tartan and know this news, I would dump ELECTION and ELECTION 2 straight-to-DVD before I forget it.

we dont all want to go to cinemas to watch films, the screenings of the films wont necessarily be local to us, the DVD will be as cheap as paying for a ticket to see it at a cinema, the DVD is many months before the cinema release. companies like tartan are well aware that films appear on DVD in other countries before they can release to the cinema in america - but thats something which they should fight to beat positively by releasing earlier, not by trying to stop DVD releases elsewhere (which is anti-competative practive - potentially illegal). besides HK films have english subtitles because HK was under British rule for many years, infact its why many english audiences are aware of HK films, and its why were able to review films before a larger / wider audience is able to see the film at the cinema.

Hopefully it'll encourage US distributors to speed up their releases. Plus, the unfortunate fact is that a lot of these releases oftentimes don't reach the smaller markets outside major cities like NY or LA, so the DVD is the only way most fans can see them.

If the films doesn't reach the smaller markets outside major cities like NY or LA, those audience in the smaller markets can wait for US distributor to release DVD.

Btw, as you guys know, the Hong Kong version DVD of JET LI'S FEARLESS has no english subtitles. In fact, there is the rumor that Focus/Rogur requested Edko to not put english subtitles in the Hong Kong version DVD of JET LI'S FEARLESS, and Edko accepted it. I think it is a good example, and many Hong Kong DVD distributor should follow what Edko did.

i disagree, strongly. no company should try to impose the non-inclusion of subtitles on foreign dvds. no out of my selfish or selfless desire to see the film or have it seen by others via DVDs from other countries, but because it is anti-competative and heavy-handed. companies are always requesting english subtitles to be left off DVDs in other countries, in the end unless the policy is across the board (which it never can be, with any policy, because theres too many bodies involved) then attention simply shifts away from one film to another and resentment grows towards companies who act negatively to combat a situation they are partly responsible for having created. the market for buying HK DVDs from people in other countries is minimal, but without that opportunity for those informed and inclined to see films that way the companies releasing films domestically dont have a source of knowledge to tap for ideas for domestic licenses : besides, companies are aiming more directly (and wrightly so, wether it actually exists to the same levels of interest as they might hope for) for the much larger audience that may not have the inclination or knowledge, and were part of the promotion machine selling the films to those people too...

There's an older thread in the forum that's on the above topic. You can find it here:

http://twitchfilm.net/forum/index.php?topic=590.0

I think it's a mistake to impose limits on subs because an ever-increasing case can be made to show "grass-roots"-style support for films from fans who adopt titles before they platform into their respective necks of the woods actually helps build buzz. Sites like Twitch help to show that studios do listen to fans. Five years ago, a US release of the RING films was a pipe-dream. Now practically every other J- and K- and HK- and Thai- and Indian horror film pops up on US shelves eventually. It's due in part to studios witnessing the demands and online activities of people who buy DVDs from overseas and frequent sites like Twitch. I for one would hate to see the opportunity to see these films on our own terms go away, for a myriad of reasons.

Beyond that, I'll be pre-ording ELECTION 2 pronto.

exactly - were the test audience, the focus group, the so-called 'cutting edge' and without those willing to spend time / effort / money on films with subs then companies wont know what to license. i mean, even now with reactions to more obscure stuff online, companies are still not very pro-active in dealing with the time lag between countries and they dont promote product they license very well anyway, or do as good a job, and so on and so forth. an example like 'fearless', a film with subtitles intentionally not included, is an example of a film thats already got a proven potential (hey, jet li !!) but that doesnt excuse whats probably the single most offensive practice attempted to be emposed by companies these days - the inclusion of subtitles has opened the door to major revenue bonuses even when already available in other countries with subs because america has 199.9 million people living in relatively little knowledge of these films in relation too 100k who know whats out there... and getting to see it too..

I ALWAYS go and watch asian films that get wide releases even if I own the DVD for them. That is if they get released any where in or near the state of Arkansas where I live (unfortunately, not that often).

I'm in Indiana, Joshua, and tend to have the same problem with these types of releases as you! It's a whole lot of no fun.

Logboy. I got Election 1 and 2, Typhoon, The King and the Clown SE and My sassy girl (which I got for free).

And "No". You are only thinking from US perspective. The outside world rarely gets these films in any form, unless you live in France and some of the bigger European cities with large number of immigrants from asia. I live in Iceland and only two asian films have been shown at the cinem over the last two years, Ong Bak and Old boy, and that's only because they did so well overseas. I would never be able to see Election, Breaking News, Infernal Affairs, Kamikazi Girls or any other asian film at the cinema because they aren't that popular with the general public. So DVD is the only answer for me, be it straight from Asia or America.

If the American distributors don't like people importing titles, then they should release them in a timely fashion, stop half-assing the DVDs, and they should once and for all stop screwing around with re-editing them.

How many tears am I supposed to shed for the sales of CASSHERN that Dreamworks has surely lost to imports by now? How sorry should I feel for the Weinstein Company if/when their release of SPL or anything else they're sleeping on doesn't perform to expectations? Am I actually supposed to feel the slightest trace of pity for Fox and Magnolia because I didn't buy their closed-captioned-only, re-scored, re-edited Luc Besson version of ONG BAK? I'd have bought their release in a second, if it was only worth buying. Any of Dimension's releases of anything? I wouldn't take 'em for free - well I would, but only to destroy them so there's fewer copies in circulation. Fox's captioned-only, no-surround-sound original version of VOLCANO HIGH relegated to the B-side of the craptacular MTV edit - what, are you joking? Sony's cut versions of KUNG FU HUSTLE, GORGEOUS, HOUSE OF FLYING DAGGERS, WHO AM I - please, can someone give me a good reason why I am continually expected to spend more money for inferior product when I could get a superior quality import sooner, and for less money? Until the US distributors stop treating their customers with outright contempt, I won't stop extending the same treatment to them.

Rhythm-X, you have your point.

However, many people agree that Tartan is a company that respect their customers...... Maybe we can do some things favors for Tartan.

Tartan are crap, always have been always will be.

its true tartan are a mixed bag, both through issues out of their control and because of issues related to those involved in the company over time that arent necessarily there. some of their discs have been great, some terrible - generally, as a rule, theyre better than most at choosing stuff but not necessarily any quicker off the mark either. what they suffer from more than anything else is the public perception which doesnt necessarily match their performance. anyway, they can concentrate on the domestic market in a traditional fashion, i am more focused on the newer global view of importing.

Well it seems to me that "no" is in the payroll. check's in the mail buddy. I couldn't agree more with Rhythm-X is the lack of respect for the films and the customer but they don't. they spend their time in these feeding frenzies to get what's hot out there and the buzz and then they sit on it for the longest time because they don't know what to do. Then step aside and let someone who knows or care do their thing.

As for Tartan they are as shit as all the others. No consistency. some of their stuff is great (not enough) and the other is below par. I'm not doing any company out there any favors unless they deserve them. Tartan is not there just yet and they are going downhill pretty fast. I'd rather do a favor to the film makers and see their movie when they still remember they made it. It does seem like "no" has a job at Tartan so best of luck.

I AM NOT WORKING FOR ANY MOVIE COMPANY.

I said those thing because I hope Tartan would give this movie a limited theatrical release in US. If any arthouse films/Asian films fans have already seen this movie on DVD, I don't think it will be a incentive for Tartan to release the movie theatrically. (In US, Tartan releases most of their Asian movies straight-to-DVD. )

Even a limited theatrical release in US can help this movie to do much better in worldwide distribution. I am not working for Tartan, I just hope Election 2 to do well....

Hoping Tartan will give this movie a limited theatrical release in US.

they will release it, theyve licensed it. wether thats DVD or cinema, well its not necessarily going to be both whatever the circumstances.

to be quite honest, you views on waiting for an american domestic release are so far away from general opinion youll find no sympathy and youll get nowhere. people tend to be aware were living on a planet these days, and that companies dont have anyones interests in mind other than their own, so we just keep pulling them in the direction theyll eventually realise they have to go in...

I'm just afraid that the "direction" they'll eventually realize they have to go in is that they won't buy Asian films anymore.

PS: When will Tartan release Breaking News in UK ? Tartan had acquired the UK rights of the movie in 2004.

That very question should answer many of your other questions as to why people buy the dvds from other countries. I've had Breaking News in my collection for a while and enjoyed it very much.

Breaking News is just a rare example (Unlike the Weinsteins, which has too many "examples') Normally, Tartan release Asian movies as quick as they can. (Tartan releases most of their Asian movies straight-to-DVD, though)

'blood and bones' was license in 04 wasnt it? comes out on DVD in the UK from tartan in september i think...

"no" we don't owe Tartan support they are business, not a charity if they have yet to work out a way to get their product on the market fast enough that’s their problem. You can't stand in the way of progress, if you start removing English subtitles from official DVD's in Asia, you just open up the doors for the bootleg guy's and the bittorent fan sub peeps. Protectionism is one of the fatal mistakes you can make in business. Instead of working on a better business model you really think it's a good idea to try and force the market to comply with an out dated one.

I don't think Election 2 would do well at the US box office anyway, even on the back of a lot of hype Lady Vengeance did not do well. Election played at UK cinemas but many mainstream critics did not appreciate it, it’s not really the kind of film wider audiences look for from Asia. If you’re realistic about it, while it is nice to be able to catch some of these films on the big screen, for the moment the real market for them is DVD.

"no" we don't owe Tartan support they are business, not a charity if they have yet to work out a way to get their product on the market fast enough that’s their problem. You can't stand in the way of progress, if you start removing English subtitles from official DVD's in Asia, you just open up the doors for the bootleg guy's and the bittorent fan sub peeps. Protectionism is one of the fatal mistakes you can make in business. Instead of working on a better business model you really think it's a good idea to try and force the market to comply with an out dated one.

I don't think Election 2 would do well at the US box office anyway, even on the back of a lot of hype Lady Vengeance did not do well. Election played at UK cinemas but many mainstream critics did not appreciate it, it’s not really the kind of film wider audiences look for from Asia. If you’re realistic about it, while it is nice to be able to catch some of these films on the big screen, for the moment the real market for them is DVD.

In 2006 Cannes Film Festival, "Election 2" did get better reviews than what "Election" got in 2005 Cannes Film Festival.

To be quite honest, I fully expect "Election" and "Election 2" will be straight-to-DVD in US. (For that kind of foreign-language movies like "Election" and "Election 2", straight-to-DVD means that they will only make very small profit in US market, if not make no profit, though.)