JOSHUA TREE / ARMY OF ONE (Vic Armstrong, 1993)

[leigh1975]

Right, can somebody ease my brain with this one. I love this film, and despite it only being 4:3, got it. Now, the reason i got this was because DVDcompare said it was 'open matte', which means it is the original print just with the black bars removed. Now, if i look at it, i'm undecided. the reasons i think it's ok is there's no telltale signs of pan and scan at all in the picture, and also other things such as various production flubs like squib charge cords at the bottom of the screen, and the 'goof' of the helicopter shadow in the chase scene. If i'm right, zooming this on TV gives roughly 1.78:1 , and accounting for black bars after this, makes 2.35:1, which hides gaffes. This would mean this contains the full screen width. Apparently, the german dvd is 2.35:1, so does anybody have it? If they do, is the copter shadow seen? Then maybe i can finally get some sleep... !

[Krom]

I have the us version (that i hate it) and the original theatrical release of Joshua Tree of the new german dvd. 5.1 widescreen, but with german audio only.
I prefer the vhs copy i've got in years;)

[TombRaider]

All the time a had a vhs copy of the film with the original ending. And three years ago i go the extended version. And i must say that i love the original much much better.

[Jox]

Not me, I guess we're influenced by what we saw first and remember as... I find the original ending too abrupt and even kinda goofy... I very much like the fight with Severance and Rudy in the dust, and the kiss while being cuffed...

[Krom]

I'm wonder what's Dolph opinion about this issue and whole movie..

[Jack Caine]

Sorry to resurrect an old topic but I just wanted to know how poor the US dvd's quality is. Is it all grainy and fuzzy-audio'd like the plain R1 dvd's of Extreme Prejudice and Black Rain? I really want to buy this movie, but I want to know if it's even worth it based on the quality?

[Nathan]

Is the R1 your only option? My R1 dvd is okay actually. I don't pay particular attention unless the picture is noticeably bad. I think it looks good.

[Jox]

It's not the best picture quality and it's bloody full screen/pan & scan instead of glorious 2.35 cinemascope, but it's basically the only viable option there is right now.

[Jack Caine]

just one more question: is the final shootout not as entertaining when it's in fullscreen? I want to know if it's very well worth it and if the grain is REALLY obvious.

[Jox]

Here's a story from HK-based journalist/filmmaker Bey Logan that confirms a story I had read years ago:
http://www.dragondynasty.com/blog/show/97

Armstrong tells a funny story, at his own expense, regarding his directorial debut, Joshua Tree. The film starred action idol Dolph Lundgren, with whom Vic had worked previously on Universal Soldier. It features a gunfight in a ‘chop shop’ where Dolph, with a gun in either hand, mows down a small army of white overall-wearing Asian heavies. Despite the absence of white doves, it’s a beat-for-beat retread of a John Woo gunplay sequence. At the premiere, Vic was horrified to encounter Woo himself. “Sorry, John,” he mumbled. “I’m kind of ripping you off in one scene in this movie…” Unperturbed, John Woo replied “Don’t worry about it, Vic. I’ve been stealing from you for years…”

[Jack Caine]

Here's a story from HK-based journalist/filmmaker Bey Logan that confirms a story I had read years ago:
http://www.dragondynasty.com/blog/show/97

Armstrong tells a funny story, at his own expense, regarding his directorial debut, Joshua Tree. The film starred action idol Dolph Lundgren, with whom Vic had worked previously on Universal Soldier. It features a gunfight in a ‘chop shop’ where Dolph, with a gun in either hand, mows down a small army of white overall-wearing Asian heavies. Despite the absence of white doves, it’s a beat-for-beat retread of a John Woo gunplay sequence. At the premiere, Vic was horrified to encounter Woo himself. “Sorry, John,” he mumbled. “I’m kind of ripping you off in one scene in this movie…” Unperturbed, John Woo replied “Don’t worry about it, Vic. I’ve been stealing from you for years…”

Ha! That's a great story there, jox! I had no idea that it was a direct rip from a Woo shootout. Maybe one from A Better Tomorrow 2 or something?

[Jox]

I had no idea that it was a direct rip from a Woo shootout.

That was obvious (especially for a film that was shot in 1992). It was probably one of the first American movies to have ripped off John Woo's gunfights. At this time he was only known in the west among hard-core film buffs, critics and filmmakers who were buying his movies notably on import laserdiscs...

[Jox]

Release Joshua Tree (1993) on DVD/Blu Ray
Facebook group
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=48081477809

[Jack Caine]

One final question:

Is the VHS in widescreen or at least better than the dvd by means of quality?

[Jox]

Only the Japanese VHS is presented in 2.35 widescreen (short version, Enlgish w/ Japanese subtitles), but of course the "quality" remains as of a VHS...