Info: Restoring 'Enter the Dragon' original mono track

I know there is already a dead discussion on a similar topic, but I watched Enter the Dragon on Blu ray last week and noticed to my horror that the audio is absolutely butchered! Not in the sense of quality, but many of the music cues/sounds that were in the original version were not only omitted, but new cues were put in that were not originally there.

Initially I thought it was just the bluray, but the same changed audio track is on the previous dvd releases too. Here was what I noticed.

1. The scene where Williams fights the cops at night has background music, this was not originally there, and for me takes away the suspense of the scene.
2. The scene where Roper is talking to Han near the Guillotine had music running in the background, now in the newer versions this has been taken out, again ruining the ambience of the scene.
3. The fight between Roper and Bolo has a hit sound missing straight after the kick to the groin area, so it looks as if Bolo died from the kick to the groin, but in the original cut, there was another hit sound which was heard when the camera panned over to Han and this is actual blow that won him the fight.

I believe there are more edits, now on the bluray they have included the mono tracks in various foreign languages but not in English, why only God knows! But anyway I have taken it upon myself to create a fan edit restoring the sound as it was originally intended and not this remastered rubbish!

I am going to watch the film again listening to both the mono and remastered tracks to pick up more changes and then start my project, but if anyone in the meantime knows of anymore audio changes then by all means let me know and I will listen out for it. I have in my possession a VHS copy of Enter the Dragon that I bought from ebay which has the untouched audio, so my aim is to somehow extract the sounds off this and apply them to the video.

Wish me goodluck!

Yeah and when in the Cave when Bruce get’s locked in that part with the sliding doors there is a bit of the music missing and the audio levels are wrong.

And also there is some deleted footage and music from the mirror maze.

And there is also an alternative cue for the ending before the helicopters arrive.

There is a dodgy music fade when Roper in the banqueting hall goes over and speaks to Bruce

I have done a remixed audio and sorted most / all of this out.

It’s got a lot of audio problems I have spent over a year working on it on and off footage and audio. I am basically finished with it almost now. Just some audio to finish up. Just taking a break from it.

There are sounds in the foreign versions i.e. the Hong Kong versions that are missing from the American or international versions. There was also sound that I distinctly remember from the UK TV cut that are missing but this was based off the mandarin sound mix I think.

Basically I have tried to reconstruct everything together to make the most complete version with deleted scenes and also alternate takes.

The amount of differences between the audio are huge between different versions. in terms of hits and moans and groans and sound fx foley work. missing sounds and some are cut short by accident.

I think the music for Williams vs the cops was just forgotten by accident as it was always in the Hong Kong versions of the films. And the music cues you described as missing from the mono mix are also missing in the Hong Kong versions.

There is questionable edits and missing footage from both the Hong Kong and International version which can be also put down to mistake in a few cases too.

If you say you created this version, is there a link I can download it and see it?

not yet… This year though.

Ronster your a legend. For the video what source are you using? I was going to use the 20th anniversary edition Bluray picture for the highest quality print. The audio can come from here and there it wouldn’t matter. Now that you mention the music in the Williams night scene, I am not sure if I want it in there or not now. I think because I am so attached to the version I recorded on tape when it aired on British TV, I want it as close to that as possible. In retrospect, I probably prefer that scene without background music. As for the roper/han guillotine scene, I cannot understand why for the love of God they left that music out, it just doesn’t come across right and the same with that hit sound missing at the end of Roper and Bolo fight.

I’m pretty sure the 1080p theatrical restoration w/ LaserDisc audio already has all this covered. Did the theatrical LD use a different mix?

Here in the UK, we never got the laserdisc, so I will never know the answer to that question. I know Ronster said he is making his ultimate cut which I sure look forward to seeing, but I am going to make mine anyway as well. I guess it helps to have two fan cuts. I am going to use the 20th anniversary bluray as the picture source and the audio I will extract from various sources such as vhs, youtube clips and parts of the foreign mono track.

Hits said:

Ronster your a legend. For the video what source are you using?

I used a DVD that came free with the Hong Kong Legends Magazine Diagostini release. It was kind of around the time of the first UK special edition release. before they did the 20th anniversary. It was kind of Part color corrected like the special edition. Looking back now I really need not have bothered using that release as it was like a half done version from Hong Kong before they released the 20th Anniversary version but I wanted something raw and grindhouse although I wanted to sort the Color and contrast out. I learnt a lot whilst doing it I think that was really the pay off for myself.

I think it looks good with a bit of dirt grime and scratches it suits the film in a way, as It’s like an old pair of comfortable shoes. It always had dirt on it when it was on TV too.

I re-arranged the middle part of the film also as it’s in the wrong order as per the script. It works a bit better in the middle part.

It’s not just a hit sound missing for Bolo and Roper fight.

https://vimeo.com/189354932

Yeah bad removing the music needs to be put back.

The old UK TV cut I seem to remember Bruce going out the Patio doors and then it was straight on to the guard Dog barking.

I also distinctly remember when Bruce leaves the mirror maze there was a sound for him pushing the revolving door.

I understand where you are coming from when you talk about the scratches on film maybe giving it a sense of grit. I think in this day and age we are obsessed with everything looking as perfect as possible, everybody wants the best possible picture and sound scratched off from the oldest material.

I am a purist when it comes to film, and I certainly do not disrespect films that have scratches and dirt, but as a personal preference I would rather watch the movie cleaned up.

I checked the mono track on the bluray for that sound of the revolving mirror you talked about, but I didn’t hear anything. I did notice a very subtle difference in the sound but all it was that on the bluray they increased the impact sound of Han knocking into that spear.

Hits said:

I checked the mono track on the bluray for that sound of the revolving mirror you talked about, but I didn’t hear anything. I did notice a very subtle difference in the sound but all it was that on the bluray they increased the impact sound of Han knocking into that spear.

There are 3 different sounds of Han being impaled on the Spear

Us Version, Cantonese Version and Mandarin version. The Mandarin version sounds the most juicy If I remember correctly so I used that one. And it’s probably the same sound from the UK TV cut as I believe the UK TV cut was sourced using the mandarin mix in a lot of instances.

But the sound of Bruce pushing the revolving mirror door is not in any of the newer releases but I am pretty sure I remember it from my old VHS taped of the TV.