Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon - Sonny Chiba (1977) - View over Wanchai, Hong Kong

Golgo 13: Assignment Kowloon is a 1977 Sonny Chiba film based on a popular Japanese cartoon series that was created in 1969 for Big Comic magazine. Golgo is a skilled hitman and whenever he kills his targets it's always with a bullet right between the eyes!

Despite the large local HK cast, the film was a Japanese production filmed largely here in HK but with some additional sequences set in Tokyo and Macau. The version I obtained was part of a 3 disc set by Crash Cinema (a US distributor) and it's another one of those VHS transfers that has a an interlace problem I just can't see to shift with the usual software.

However, my good friend AP has noticed my quality dilemma and has been able to send me some screengrabs from the Optimum Asia UK release and you can see the difference below.

The first shot in the film is a view looking out across Wanchai towards the harbour and Kowloon beyond. We know it's Wanchai because you can see the AIA Building on Stubbs Road at the bottom right. The building to its right (at an angle) is Guardian House along Oi Kwan Road.

Crash Cinema version

Optimum Asia version

Which version would you buy? The difference in quality is quite significant, so I will try and update my posts as and when AP is able to supply me with better version. Anyway, a big thanks to him for helping out once again.