BLACKJACK (John Woo, 1998, TV pilot)

[lhz]

Hey fellas, do you have some insights regarding this German blu ray release of BLACKJACK ? Is it just a basic upscale, does it worth the cost ? Do we have minor extras ? Cause I am summarizing the missing Dolph's blu ray editions I should get in the near future.

[JuV]

I'm guessing this is just an amaray release of the previously released digibooks from DigiDreams/Pretz? If so, it's unfortunately just a (fullscreen) SD upscale. I think the label gave the reason that although it was filmed on 35mm it was edited on NTSC (I'm sure Jox knows more about this). Here's the caps-a-holic page where you can see some data/screenshots of the digibook release. As for the only 'worthy' bonus feature, it includes a (German) tv cut of the film.

[lhz]

I'm guessing this is just an amaray release of the previously released digibooks from DigiDreams/Pretz?

Yes it does.

If so, it's unfortunately just a (fullscreen) SD upscale. I think the label gave the reason that although it was filmed on 35mm it was edited on NTSC (I'm sure Jox knows more about this). Here's the caps-a-holic page where you can see some data/screenshots of the digibook release. As for the only 'worthy' bonus feature, it includes a (German) tv cut of the film.

Yes I am pretty sure it was intended in this aspect ratio.
Do we know what are the difference between regular and German TV cut, additional scenes ?

Shame it is just a basic upscale. Anyway thank you kindly for your response.

[Jox]

Wow, I didn't realise the German TV version looks so much better (must have come from a recent airing?)!
Sadly it's a much shorter cut that runs about 95 mins instead or 112...

This release also includes the 10 mins making of (EPK) that was only released on the Japanese DVD, but instead of asking me for the proper source material Digidreams took it off youtube so it's very badly altered and compressed...

[JuV]

Yes I am pretty sure it was intended in this aspect ratio.
Do we know what are the difference between regular and German TV cut, additional scenes ?

I probably should've added this to my original comment, but it's the differences between the 2 cuts. Although the full-screen ratio is probably intended (considering it was for TV) a widescreen transfer should be possible if the print still exists.

Wow, I didn't realise the German TV version looks so much better (must have come from a recent airing?)! 
Sadly it's a much shorter cut that runs about 95 mins instead or 112...

Yeah, noticed on caps-a-holic that it looks way better than the main 'transfer'. The schnittberichte page I linked above was written late 2002, but there's no way to know if that's the same airing as on these releases.

This release also includes the 10 mins making of (EPK) that was only released on the Japanese DVD, but instead of asking me for the proper source material Digidreams took it off youtube so it's very badly altered and compressed...

I've had suspicion about some bonus features on DigiDreams releases before, where everything looked compressed and felt like poor rips... Haven't you worked on a few releases with DigiDreams? If so, it's really baffling they didn't reach out to you for this.

[Jox]

Although the full-screen ratio is probably intended (considering it was for TV) a widescreen transfer should be possible if the print still exists.

Even if they found and dug out the dailies original negatives (if they're still around),I guess it would be too much work and costs in restoring and negative conforming in order to release a proper HD transfer for a small TV movie like BLACKJACK. For instance, Warner bragged about spending a lot of time and money into restoring "Friends" in HD and 16/9 but that was "Friends"...

This release also includes the 10 mins making of (EPK) that was only released on the Japanese DVD, but instead of asking me for the proper source material Digidreams took it off youtube so it's very badly altered and compressed...

I've had suspicion about some bonus features on DigiDreams releases before, where everything looked compressed and felt like poor rips... Haven't you worked on a few releases with DigiDreams? If so, it's really baffling they didn't reach out to you for this.

I did do a making of interview for their MEN OF WAR release, but again I found out later that they took my already shady TV interview recordings off Youtube as well as everything they could find online here and there...

[JuV]

Even if they found and dug out the dailies original negatives (if they're still around),I guess it would be too much work and costs in restoring and negative conforming in order to release a proper HD transfer for a small TV movie like BLACKJACK. For instance, Warner bragged about spending a lot of time and money into restoring "Friends" in HD and 16/9 but that was "Friends"...

Yeah, a full restoration will probably never happen

I did do a making of interview for their MEN OF WAR release, but again I found out later that they took my already shady TV interview recordings off Youtube as well as everything they could find online here and there...

Wow... Feels like a matter of time before they'll get sued, lol. Often bonus features are created, purchased or already delivered when buying the rights, but ripping everything off YouTube is low and feels a bit unethical/shady to me...

[Jox]

Yeah, and I'm surprised it hasn't happened already, although given some of the titles they release, probably not many check them... What's puzzling with O.K. / Digidreams is that it seems it doesn't even matter to him to get some of this stuff in the best quality possible (his moto is certainly quantity over quality)...

[Jox]

Greek VHS

[Jox]

[savagesketch]

Interesting and fond look back at 1998’s BLACKJACK…

https://www.slashfilm.com/867542/john-w ... ckbusters/

[Jox]

The Essential Films of John Woo by Tom Jolliffe
https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2022/06/ ... -lundgren/

Blackjack



Okay, so this is probably one of Woo’s worst films of last century. This TV movie-cum-failed pilot sees Dolph Lundgren as a bodyguard who whilst protecting the child of a client, finds himself stunned with a flash grenade and temporarily blinded. His vision returns but with a side effect; a phobia of the colour white. The cure? Just wear sunglasses. It’s ridiculous, but at least there’s an attempt to delve into deeper child hood trauma to recognise just why Devlin (Lundgren) has developed this irrational problem. He can’t look at a white card and he even finds himself in a dairy factory as milk erupts from containers and he must fight his arch nemesis whilst blinded (because you know, milk is white…). It’s kind of equal parts brilliantly bad, but also compelling because it’s John Woo. Prior to the days of the internet I’d walk in a video shop and often discover new releases. I’d long been a Dolph fan and by ’98 was well versed in Woo. He was the director to watch, so happening on a Lundgren/Woo collaboration was like Christmas coming early. I then spent countless weeks asking when the VHS was going to go on sale as ex-rental. Enjoy the daft plot, some imaginative action (of course), odd characters and the overwrought but entertaining villain, played by Phillip Mackenzie.

[Jox]

25 years ago today, filming began on the ill-fated TV pilot directed by John Woo...

[alex.sp89]

Finally I watched the 95 minutes TV Cut of Blackjack. Well as I said before eliminating some scenes it made it a little better movie, faster paced. Villain was a joke in my opinion and eliminating some of his scenes was better in my opinion. Solid 95 minutes that could get a limited theatrical release. Re-editing vanished this tv format somehow. Script was bad in my opinion, bad development, no logic. BUT ACTION is good as always in John Woo movies...
What do u guys think about this 95 minutes version of Blackjack ?

[Jox]

Are you talking about the German TV cut?