ADDITION - Kino - Region FREE - Blu-ray  March 2010:  Keeping things short and sweet - this Blu-ray is a big improvement - more than the screen captures will bear out. After suffering through so many lame editions, Fallen Angels finally looks like film instead of video - lost of grain and wonderfully supportive of the frequently askew camera techniques (distortions and black and white scenes). There is some depth here. This isn't 1.78 but closer to 1.85 (if not reaching it), more information in the frame, tighter, and better, color balance etc. etc.

Before I forget - I LOVE the menus too.

Audio, too, is notable with a lossless DTS-HD Master 5.1 at 2041 kbps. This can be an important part of the presentation in my opinion. I love the soundtrack interlude touches and subtle separations. Maybe not as a dramatic upgrade as the video - but not far off either. There are optional subtitles (better font) and my Momitsu has identified it as being a region FREE disc playable on Blu-ray machines worldwide.

Extras are the same as the Kino remastered DVD (they've added 16 sills in a gallery) but they are now in HD. It's about $6 cheaper than the Kino SE (that had combing!) and a great investment for fans of the director - this film is now 15 years old! I REALLY enjoyed my viewing (ala Days of Being Wild in 1080). This film seems made for such a strong visual and aural presentation. I hope Kino, or whoever, bring ALL of Wong Kar-wai's films to Blu-ray.

 - Gary Tooze

ADDITION - Kino (January 10') - We still need to verify if this Kino disc is progressive as there is infrequent combing - possibly utilizing the 'alchemist' transfer. It does appear to be running in the correct NTSC time. But it all seems a rather moot point as in a couple of months Kino are releasing a Blu-ray from the same restoration HERE - and it is cheaper than this DVD. Let's wait for that and hope it proves as competent as Kino first wave of Blu-rays (The General, Ballast etc.)

- Gregory Meshman

ADDITION - Kino (Dec -04) -There is no use in comparing the Kino with the Daum and Ocean Shores. The disc is inferior compared to the Áccent for having boosted contrast and beefed up colour. Even though these are minor changes, I do feel they change the overall feel of the film. My major gripe with the Kino disc, is the softness. It did reduce the grain, but also some of the detail as you will see in capture 5. More is lost due to the slight contrast boosting, which makes several faces and items disappear into the darkness. The b&w scenes also have this light brownish hue, instead of the pure grey shown on the Áccent. Therefore, I’m recommending the Áccent – which is the one that got to stay in my collection. Oh, and the Kino image also suffers from ghosting.

 - Gary Tooze

NOTE: The Accent DVD has replaced Takeshi Kaneshiro's Cantonese voiceover with what I can only assume is the Mandarin DUB used for mainland release....why accent was sent an audio track with everyone speaking Cantonese except his character is a mystery. (Thanks Edward)