Palm Pictures (UMVD) - Region 1- NTSC vs. TF1 Vidéo (France) Box - Region 2 - PAL vs. Universe Laser - Region 3 - NTSC vs. Spectrum (Korea) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. Metrograph - Region 'A' Blu-ray

BONUS CAPTURES:

TF1 Vidéo

Region 2- PAL

Universe Laser and Video 

Region 3 - NTSC 

1.78:1.00 Letterboxed WideScreen 

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.1 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 9.1 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio

16X9 enhanced
Average Bitrate: 7.24
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Palm Pictures + TF1 Vidéo

Universe Laser +

Spectrum

Blu-ray

Mandarin (5.1 Surround)  

Mandarin (DTS)  

Mandarin (2.0)  

Mandarin (5.1 Surround)  

English, French and none

 (Extras NOT subtitled in English)

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen - 1.78:1

 
Edition Details:
• Extended Scene ('Vicky in Japan') - 13:00
• Hou Interview (optional English subs) - 4:3 - 8:50
• Trailers (4:05)
• Weblinks
• Filmographies
• Previews

DVD Release Date: August 17th, 2004
Keep Case

Chapters 18

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen - 1.78:1

 
Edition Details:
• DVD 1:
• The film (1h 40mn)

DVD 2 (NOT subtitled in English):
• The interview of Hou Hsiao Hsien (40 mn)
• New scenes (13 mn)
• Presentation of the characters (10 mn)
• The trailer (2 mn)
• The trailers taiwanaises (3 mn)
• The spots (2mn), the promotional clip (4 mn)
• Posters and projects
• Photographs of film
• Biographies
• The Rom section

DVD Release Date: August 22nd, 2002
Double Keep Case

Chapters 18

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen - 1.81:1
 
Edition Details:
• DVD5 - One side / one layer

Star's File : Hou statement in 13 static screen with autobiography in Eng or Chinese

Non anamorphic widescreen trailer with non-removable Eng and Chinese subs - 1:47

Three more Golden Scene trailers: 
Lan Yu Non anamorphic widescreen trailer with non-removable Eng and Chinese subs - 2:15
Barking Dogs Never Bite - Non anamorphic widescreen trailer with non-removable Chinese subs - 1:52
The Goddess of 1967 - Non anamorphic widescreen trailer with non-removable Chinese subs - 3:30

DVD Release Date: July 1, 2002
Keep Case

Chapters 8

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1

Edition Details:
• 2nd Disc: Interactive Menu, Scene Selections, Interview with Director, Deleted Scenes, Main Characters, Cast & Crews, Taiwanese Trailer, Posters, Photo Gallery, 12 Films Clips of Director 

DVD Release Date: July 17th, 2003
Keep Case

Chapters 18

On their Blu-ray, Metrograph offer both DTS-HD Master 5.1 surround and 2.0 channel stereo tracks (both 24-bit) in the original Mandarin Chinese, and some English, Japanese languages. There are a few separations - mostly dance and nightlife crowd partying in the neon club. The music is by Yoshihiro Hanno, Kai-yu Huang (as DJ Fish) - mostly rhythmic dance and techno remixes - intentionally fluctuating volume levels - and Giong Lim (A Pure Person) with very slow, haunting and trance-like in certain important scenes sounding encompassing via lossless transfers. Metrograph offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

There is a new audio commentary by Rolling Stone film critic K. Austin Collins who discusses the film historically - Hou Hsiao-hsien’s 14th film and the first to get distribution in the US. How many latched onto Millennium Mambo to be able to reflect on his previous work. He identifies themes - youth, identity, displacement, history and reconciling the massive changes that are happening in Taiwan including renewal, distance from traditional education etc. He talks about the narration from 10-years in the future, the camera; visually, spatially, psychologically, the rooms with no windows and much more including the unique editing. I thought it was fantastically observant commentary about the film's subtle style. I learned a lot. I really enjoyed the 10-minute video essay by Cristina Alvarez Lopez and Adrian Martin - read by Adrian. They dissect the camera positioning/movement and use of audio in the apartment scene where the police come to talk to Vicky (Shu Qi) about Hao-Hao (Chun-hao Tuan.) What can appear to be haphazard, even lazy, cinematography is anything but as Cristina and Adrian detail Hsiao-Hsien Hou deliberate and specific methodology. I found it a fascinating supplement. There is also a re-release trailer.

Hsiao-Hsien Hou's richly textured Millennium Mambo has rootless Vicky (Hong Kong's expressive nubile Shu Qi) - a drifter, becoming a mainstay at urban dance clubs with dimly lit flashes of neon lights. She is trying, indifferently, to exit the relationship with her abusive, criminal, ex-boyfriend. Vicky is trapped by her circumstance - reflecting on it in a disparate narration voiceover that contradicts her past reality. Millennium Mambo is unique in Hou’s oeuvre, although utilizing long, slow-cinema precision documenting Vicky's potential as she recognizes her confinement by examining the role she plays in her own destiny. Fascinating. A brilliant masterpiece that I am so happy to finally have on Blu-ray. Thank you Metrograph.

***

***

ADDITION: TF1 Vidéo edition (January 2004)

The TF1 Vidéo DVD has the best image quality and a whole second disc of Extras (not subtitled in English though). It is slightly sharper than the Spectrum DVD and since one is PAL and the other NTSC, yet they both have the same running times. The TF1 Vidéo has no signs of "ghosting". The TF1 Vidéo shows the other DVDs to be cropped slightly on both sides (the Universe Laser more than the Spectrum). On the TF1 Vidéo DVD are wonderful motion menus that are accompanied by music from the film. In fact, they took a unique approach in that when the menu first loads the lead-in part of the music plays, then a second (identical) menu loads that contains a part of the music that loops. The TF1 Vidéo is the one to get - even with the un-translated Extras - no question!

*****

As this film is so dark, it is pretty hard to make concrete determinations about the transfers. One DVD ratio is slightly skewed... I would suspect it is the Spectrum (using my eye) but I don't know for sure. I can say that the Universe Laser edition is brighter, but that could be enhanced. Neither version seems cropped. The Spectrum is sharper and anamorphic. The 2nd disc on the Spectrum is full of involved Extras. Obviously, if you have the opportunity and money I would buy the Spectrum, but you will still have a decent viewing experience with the Universe Laser edition.