GENERAL DISCLAIMER

All the pics displayed in this blogs are from the author's private collection or just snapshots from his private movie collection. Whenever I use another web's or person's pics, it will be always mentioned.

Feel free to use the information or pics showed but please ask for permission or just remember to add the source wherever you use them. THANKS

Todas las fotos mostradas en este blog pertenecen a la colección privada del autor o son capturas de las películas de la misma colección. En caso de usar material de otra persona o web, siempre será mencionada su procedencia.
La información y/o fotos de este blog están a disposición de cualquiera, pero por favor pidan permiso para usarlas o al menos indiquen su procedencia. GRACIAS

viernes, 15 de octubre de 2010

IFD Copyright misteries

The copyright dates shown on IFD productions always amazed me. IFD used to add a copyright date in Roman numbers at the finale of opening credits. Sometimes the date info said we were ready to watch a 1985 movie production but when the movie started the screen was full of people wearing fashionable clothes from the 70's as well as haircuts from the same time.

When I met Mike Abbott in Hong Kong he told me most of the movies he did for IFD along Richard Harrison were shot during October 1986 ( Hitman the Cobra & Ninja operation 7: Royal Warriors) & the remaining ones in 1987. In 1989 he did his last job for IFD (Thunder ninja kids Golden Adventure) when he had already opened his own company Abbott Leisure.

All this information provided by Mike Abbott would not be interested at all if the Copyright dates shown on screen were the same but when we play, for example, Ninja Operation 7: Royal Warriors or any chapter from Ninja Knight saga we see all of them are copyrighted in 1988. Two years later for movies that were usually shot in two weeks!!!!

BUT, But, But...what could be Joseph Lai's purpose to copyright a movie shot in 1987/88 in 1995???? That's a real mistery I really can't understand at all...or not????

Last weekend I watched WAR CITY 5: LAW OF HONOR, the last chapter from War City saga whose first chapter War City: Win to Die has a 1988 copyright date on screen like the others from the same saga. So, why this last one was copyrighted in 1995?

War City 5: Law of honor copyright date is from 1995. Almost 10 years later since it was shot.


The answer to this question might be found in a deal between IFD & other companies like Yip Sing Co. & the Austria based film company Lisa Film that "co-produced" another IFD movie in 1998 entitled ROYAL DESTINY.
Of course, Royal Destiny was not shot in 1998, after I saw the trailer ( I don't own the movie...siiight) I saw Jonathan Isgar & other gweiloh actors wearing the same clothes they used in the movies they shot in the middle 80's & you can easily notice they are younger. It seems these two companies gave some money to IFD to produce a movie & IFD just offered some material that had been shot but unseen several years ago. I really can't imagine another reason.

IFD dealed with Lisa Film GMBH co-producing War City 5: Law of Honor & the lost "gem" ( I don't know anyone who owns it) Royal Destiny

Another hint that could prove 1995 is a fake copyright date for War City 5: Law of Honor is the cast who star in the movie. Brent Gilbert & Bryan Baker.
Gilbert after working for IFD & Filmark moved to the Philippines where he shot a Vietnam war movie titled BATTLE RATS copyrighted in 1989, he was credited as Jack Gilbert, then he dissapeared from the film industry.
Bryan Baker, credited as Nick Masters, starred in 1988 Tiger on the Beat as the villain who holds a rifle with a knife against Chow Yun Fat who holds a big machete tied to his weapon.
Baker, also starred another IFD movie along Mike Abbott titled Advent Commando 7: Guns to Heaven in 1987/88 where the cast had many of the supporting actors seen in War City 5: Law of honor.

9 comentarios:

  1. Interesting read - I guess that's the reason why so many of IFD's films(if not all of them) are in the public domain nowadays.

    ResponderEliminar
  2. Hey Jesus -
    Nice article - Where are you, man? Don't see you on KFC anymore -

    ThunderScore

    ResponderEliminar
  3. Hi higentertainment: Thanks for your comment.
    I think IFD movies are all copyrighted. IFD is still offering its catalog in many international films markets around the world.
    In the other hand, many of Filmark movies are on public domain, but not all of them. I know some Filmark movies are on the catalog of Godfrey Ho's film company.

    Filmark disappeared & it seems there is no one to claim the copyright of those movies, something similar happens to the movies Jackie Chan did for Lo Wei. Many ( if not all of them) are on the public domain.

    Best from Spain.

    ResponderEliminar
  4. Did post a comment and it vanished...

    IFD Films are still copyrighted, unfortunately a lot of people dont respect the copyright and sadly its very hard for companies to enforce the copyright at times..

    Ref ROYAL DESTINY, it started shooting I guess in about 95 as a German/Austrian production with IFD as line producers, then it stopped, i dont think it was officially completed and then it was decided to finish the movie by using footage from the IFD vaults with Kenn Goodman, Jonathan Isadore, Byron Mann etc that had been shot in early 90's when Kenn, Jonathan etc were doing a lot of IFD projects

    As for Bryan Baker, he is Tiger on the Beat and does fight Chow Yun-fatt, but so is Nick Masters who gets to play his bootwork against Conan Lee in the film

    ResponderEliminar
  5. You are right, BigMike :). I have been talking to a Spanish film distributor company that dealed with IFD during the 80's & they were thinking to re-released IFD movies again in Spain. they were excelent news because they told me IFD has re-new their masters & it was a very nice chance to get those movies on Widescreen. Sadly the piracy & illegal downloads have almost finished the dvd industry in Spain ( not to mention the economic crisis) so the project was cancelled. A real pity because IFD fans are growing & growing.

    I know ROYAL DESTINY was on tape in Russia but my effords to get it have been in vain till now.

    Bryan Baker & Nick masters are not the same guy? Nick Masters is for sure a nickname & I was convinced it was an "artistic name" for Bryan Baker!!! Nick Masters is credited as GRIP in Toby Russell's documentary Vengeance Cinema. We can see his name in the end titles.

    ResponderEliminar
  6. Bryan is the guy who fights Chow Yun-fatt in 'Tiger on the Beat', and also pops up in "Operation Condor/Armour of God 2' as one of the drivers along with Mark King

    Nick Masters is the guy in sweats who gets to kick off against Conan Lee...he also appears in 'Dragon Family' battling Alan Tam..he's also in Toby's 'Mr-X' movie and in the most confusing situation...he pops up as a baddie in Toby's 'Dadadh Connection' movie where he battles Steve Tartalia who is playing Nick Masters!

    ResponderEliminar
  7. hi great infos as always!
    please give us a list of movies distributed by IFD or Filmark which later often turn up in these cut and paste Ninja/etc. movies...

    ResponderEliminar
  8. Nick Masters is the mainl gwailo in vampire Raiders ninja Queen

    ResponderEliminar
    Respuestas
    1. he is also in
      Bruce lee the Legend
      Tiger on the Beat
      Dragon Fmaily
      Dadah connection
      Ops Balantara
      This man is dangerous
      Armour of God

      Eliminar