Sidewalks of Bangkok (1984) US & UK DVDs UPDATED

[Darrel_Griffin]

Sidewalks of Bangkok (1984) DVD, R1 America - Redemption Films :

more details:

1. seems to be region code 1 and 6 - when I put it into my PC's region 2 DVD drive and run Power Media Player, it offers regions 1 or 6 as being compatible with the disc. I also have VLC software, but I don't know if/how it reports region coding.

2. Extras are:

Stills Gallery (45 images) (2:15)
Filmography for director Jean Rollin (6 pages of text) (Note: does NOT include a biography)
Theatrical Trailer (1:23)

3. English subtitles are optional

4. Progressive transfer (24p playback available)

5. Includes 4 page booklet in the case

6. runtime is 84:47


All other details appear to be correct.

Source: I own a copy.



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Sidewalks of Bangkok (1984) DVD, R0 UK - Redemption Films/Salvation :

more details:

1. English subtitles are optional

2. I would recommend re-writing the galleries as follows:

Stills gallery (36 images)
Publicity gallery (2 images)
Video Art gallery (6 images)

3. "Filmography for director Jean Rollin" is scrolling text (1:20)

4. Start-up trailer "Highlander: The Source" runtime is 2:01

5. music video is "Country" by Synthetic (4:52)

6. Transfer is not a regular NTSC -> PAL conversion, but instead converts from 24fps to 25fps by repeating certain frames (about 1 in 24 on average, but no obvious pattern). This means that there are (almost) no interlacing artefacts.


All other details appear to be correct. Confirmed as Region 0.

Source: I own a copy.

[Eric_Cotenas]

VLC bypasses region checking. Download Media Player Home Classic. If a disc is not region 0 or a region other than your drive, it won't play it and will state the reason.

[Darrel_Griffin]

I tried the US disc with Media Player Home Classic, and it refuses to play it, stating "invalid region". But it does not seem to show what regions are valid, so unless you know of a way to do this, all I can deduce from this is that the disc is NOT region 2 compatible. I also tried a region 2 disc for a different movie, and it played this ok.

As I mentioned previously, Power Media Player also refuses to play the disc, but offers options to switch the player to region 1 (USA & Canada) or region 6 (China) which it says are both compatible with the disc. I don't want to do this, as it only allows the user to switch region a very limited number of times, but it does strongly suggest that the disc is regions 1 & 6.

Also, please note that the UK release linked to on Amazon is NOT the release I have, although it may well have the same content. But that one does not state it is widescreen on the front cover (I don't know about the back cover). The one I own has a banner across the top of the front and back covers, incorrectly stating "Widescreen Edition", and the picture on the front is similar to the US release, but in blue tinted monochrome and with different writing. So far I have been unable to find a picture of it online. The code underneath the 18 rating on the case is VFC63128, and this is also on the disc along with REDDVD013. Also, bizarrely, even though it appears to be an official release, and is not a DVD-R, it does not have a barcode anywhere.

Anyway, I can't confirm that the product linked to on Amazon is the same, but if you keep the link like that then you should probably remove the bit in the 'Notes' section that states: "Case incorrectly states the transfer as widescreen." as it appears not to apply to that release.

I don't know anything about the Dutch release, but if it is this one: ASIN: B006T1JIR0 then it does NOT appear to state that it is widescreen.

[Eric_Cotenas]

Deleted the widescreen bit from the Dutch release. I could not find another listing for SIDEWALKS at Amazon UK. It may have been deleted from their database or not coming up for some reason. Can you list the UPC/EAN number under the barcode on the back? That might bring up a listing at Amazon.

[Darrel_Griffin]

As I said, strangely it does not have a barcode anywhere on the packaging.

I bought it a while ago. but if I recall correctly, I ordered the US release on Amazon from a UK based charity, but the item they sent was this UK release. As it was 2nd hand and quite cheap I couldn't be bothered to return it, so I kept it and ordered the US one again from another seller, hence why I have ended up with both. But this also means that I never actually saw this particular UK version listed on Amazon.

I have found what seems to be another Redemption UK release of this movie, but this doesn't have the same cover as mine either! It is on ebay here:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-SIDEWALK ... 7675.l2557

and seems to have this barcode:

5060080530182

I expect this has the same content too, but I can't be sure. The plot thickens!

[Eric_Cotenas]

Probalby is the same content. I have a disc of THE NUDE VAMPIRE with similar re"vamped" artwork that is apparently the same as the first edition.