2008: The Digital Rummage

Discussions on Asian cinemas: Japanese, Korean, Thai, ....

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:08 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote: ...
That's why I get suspicious when I see Criterion sleeve art on a Chinese disc. I just don't think that's kosher. If the content on Cal's disc turns out to be Criterion, then I'd say there's a zero chance it's legit. If it's a repackage of the old Mei-Ah disc, even that would seem suspicious, though less so. Still, a "Criterion" for 1p? I wouldn't necessarily complain.:lol:
...


Yea, Criterion reps have stated several times that if you see any Chinese characters that should not be there (especially on non-Asian Criterions :D), it is a boot. Of course, there are plenty of boots of OOPs like Hardboiled and The Killer (I have both a real and a boot with no asian characters of both Hardboiled and Dead Ringers so feel free to ask).

So don't buy the boots :D.

It will be interesting to see what you get for THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY.
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Postby dleedlee » Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:24 pm

I've always wondered about those Korean Criterions. Lately, they seem to be excluding the extras. Tempting, but I've resisted so far. I guess Criterion doesn't have the resources to go after the Chinese or South Korean companies.
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Thu Aug 28, 2008 11:51 pm

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Yea, Criterion reps have stated several times that if you see any Chinese characters that should not be there (especially on non-Asian Criterions :D), it is a boot. Of course, there are plenty of boots of OOPs like Hardboiled and The Killer (I have both a real and a boot with no asian characters of both Hardboiled and Dead Ringers so feel free to ask).


I often find that the boots without Chinese characters often have the little tell-tale signs of bootleggery on the packaging nonetheless: misspelled words, odd kerning (spacing) between letters, little graphic "touches" (lines, bars) that a familiar eye won't recall from the original, off-kilter dot screens from printing. I'm probably too aware of these things simply because of my profession. Hell, I'm starting to sound like an expert on the damned things! :lol: But they are everywhere here, so it's tough not to at least see them while I'm out and about.


I'm betting I could spot such flaws on a decent sized scan of those HARD BOILED or DEAD RINGERS sleeve. Or maybe not. Sometimes the work of the pirates is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing because they've actually acquired original elements to work with from . . . somewhere.


So don't buy the boots :D.


Or just play dumb when you do! :lol:



It will be interesting to see what you get for THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY.


Actually, New Town did give me about $49 for it (it cost me about $10 as it was on it's way OOP when I bought it), and I ripped a copy before I sent it off. Oh s**t, now I'm a pirate too! :shock:




dleedlee wrote:I've always wondered about those Korean Criterions. Lately, they seem to be excluding the extras. Tempting, but I've resisted so far. I guess Criterion doesn't have the resources to go after the Chinese or South Korean companies.


I don't even think the Hollywood studios have the resources to go after these companies, though they certainly have to try I guess. But it's probably even tougher to get at the pirates who wear business suits, licence legit titles to offset the bootlegged ones, establish distribution networks to major Asian retailers, etc. I suppose piracy's just too widespread and deeply entrenched now (even in the diaspora) for just about anyone to be bullied out of their cash cows. The fines and jail time for even the little guys on the street are probably peanuts compared to the profit they stand to make. At least until we're all downloading, and then they'll be getting a piece of that pie too. :(

Maybe the newer Korean "Criterions" are sourced from that extras-free 50 YEARS OF JANUS FILMS doorstopper that came out a couple years back? Or maybe some Korean companies are actually paying to licence their own prints now? Always tough to tell until you see an actual product. I've long since replaced my COLONEL BLIMP and NOTORIOUS with the legit versions, though frankly, I probably didn't need to, nor was I overly compelled to considering the quality of the Korean versions. I just happened to find them cheap in a used CD/DVD shop here.
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:12 am

Anybody know much about the 4 "ninja" movies included in this new Rarescope collection? The films sound like hilariously awful Godfrey Ho trash (and the IMDB reviews seem to confirm this), but I'm thinking if Best Buy has this as cheap as the Flicks With Kicks set, or preferably cheaper, I might just grab it next time I'm in the states. :lol:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017APPWA/
Image

The films are:
Bionic Ninja (1986)
Ninja In The Killing Field (1984)
Death Code Ninja (1987)
Ninja American Warrior (1987)

Bionic Ninja (Ninjers!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxpgahINLf0

Ninja: American Warrior
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFW84RcZU9U&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENxvo2d96vI&NR=1 (might be from Death Code Ninja)

Death Code Ninja (in scope!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UABCddXTI1Q
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Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Fri Aug 29, 2008 5:24 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote: ...
I'm betting I could spot such flaws on a decent sized scan of those HARD BOILED or DEAD RINGERS sleeve. Or maybe not. Sometimes the work of the pirates is nearly indistinguishable from the real thing because they've actually acquired original elements to work with from . . . somewhere.
...


THe HARD BOILED one is difficult to tell (or easy if you know which part you should look for). The main boot doesn't have any misspellings like the DEAD RINGERS second edition boot. THE HARD BOILED boots (one version that is) even came out with a security sticker (different than the norm) and wrapped up. Beautiful boot. The tell-tale (or the other ways, nevermind) sign is the beating of the heart (sorry wrong story) is the rounded corners if it is sealed (as well as the particular type of sticker). Open is a lot easier (fake nimbus, clear center, mine doesn't play all the way through, inside sheet is a lot cheaper than the real one) etc...

Dead Ringers has the Ampect Radio (instead of aspect ratio) spelling for one main boot on the back. That is a dead giveaway.

I might pick up THE NINJA COLLECTION soon. It has been in my shopping list for ages. I just haven't been watching as much Rarescope lately (with so many Shaw's coming out as well as Criterion and other catch-up in silent and other genres).
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Postby Mike Thomason » Mon Sep 01, 2008 12:40 am

Two pages ago, I clocked up a record monthly haul (thanks to numerous online sales, domestic store blowouts and drastic price drops on catalogue titles); today marks the start of a new month, and yet more sales...

September Purchases

Across the Universe (US) (2-DVD)
Aeon Flux (US) (DVD)
After the Sunset (US) (DVD)
Basic (US) (DVD)
Bride & Prejudice (UK) (DVD)
Catacombs (US) (DVD)
The Cosmos Rocks: Queen + Paul Rodgers (UK) (CD)
The Day After Tomorrow (US) (2-DVD)
A Dirty Shame (US) (DVD)
District 13 (France) (DVD)
Domino (US) (DVD)
Down in the Valley (US) (DVD)
Enemy at the Gates (UK/Ireland) (DVD)
The Forsaken (US) (DVD)
The Guardian (US) (DVD)
Hellboy (US) (2-DVD)
The Hole (UK) (DVD)
Hollywoodland (US) (DVD)
I, Robot (US) (2-DVD)
The Invasion (US) (DVD)
The Italian Job (US) (DVD)
Lonely Hearts (US) (DVD)
Marie Antoinette (US) (DVD)
Miss Potter (UK) (DVD)
The Other Side of the Bed (Spain) (DVD)
Perfect Stranger (US) (DVD)
The Quiet American (US) (DVD)
Reign Over Me (US) (DVD)
Rogue (Australia) (DVD)
Romanzo Criminale (Italy) (DVD)
Run, Fatboy, Run (UK) (DVD)
Silent Hill (Canada) (DVD)
Skinwalkers (US) (DVD)
Southland Tales (US) (DVD)
The Tailor of Panama (US) (DVD)
Taking Lives (Director's Cut) (US) (DVD)
Tears of the Sun (Director's Cut) (US) (DVD)
The Tesseract (UK/Thailand) (DVD)
The Thomas Crown Affair (US) (DVD)
Transporter 2 (Uncut) (France) (DVD)
A Very Long Engagement (France) (2-DVD)
Wind Chill (US) (DVD)
Y Tu Mama Tambien (Mexico) (DVD)

Then again...
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Postby cal42 » Mon Sep 01, 2008 7:23 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:Anybody know much about the 4 "ninja" movies included in this new Rarescope collection?


I'm 87% sure I used to own Ninja in the Killing Field on VHS. If I did, I saw it once and it make so little an impression on me that 13% of me thinks I've never heard of the film.

So there you go. If I can be of any further use, do let me know :lol: .
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Postby cal42 » Tue Sep 09, 2008 5:19 pm

Going back to Throne of Blood...it arrived yesterday and yes, it's a boot - cardboard cover and all.

Grrr :evil:
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Postby cal42 » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:52 pm

Following on from my New York Chinatown post, when I wasn't getting my picture taken outside the Friends building, I managed to do a bit of shopping. I returned with:

A Kid From Tibet - not seen this in ages. I fell asleep during it last time but I'll give it another go.
The Fate of Lee Khan - a boot for sure, but it promises Mandarin audio and English subs, neither of which is included on the DVD. Watching any HK film dubbed in English is horrible, but a King Hu film? Fuhgettaboudit! Bin-bound unless I get really desperate.
Mr Vampire II - not seen this one in ages either. I know it has a bad rep, but I quite enjoyed it last time I saw it.
Mr Vampire III - never seen this one and quite looking forward to it. I've never seen this on sale on DVD before, but I'm pretty sure it's legit.
Killer Meteors - looked quite respectable on the shelves but turns out to be a pile of crap. It claims to have both English and Cantonese tracks - which it does - but forgets to mention it doesn't have subs. Full screen too. *Whiiiiiinnnngg* - that's the sound it made as I tossed it in the bin.
The Twins Effect/ Twins Effect II - WTF indeed. I guess I'm buying films I know I'm going to hate now. Oh well, they were cheap.
Hot Potato - not HK related, but another Jim Kelly masterpiece that promises to be a quality production. This is another one that I've never seen on sale before (I wonder why?) and was quite excited to pick up. I have some concerns on its legitimacy...
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:51 pm

EYE ON HORROR 10-FILM COLLECTION
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014FK8FC/
http://www.dvdempire.com/Exec/v4_item.a ... #topoftabs

This is a single-case repackaging of the five recent TALES OF VOODOO double features put out by Video Asia. Mostly southeast Asian stuff if I recall, may be a couple of HK titles in there. I had one of the VOODOO releases and the print quality/transfers were pretty dire, if passable. Titles are HELL HOLE, JUNGLE VIRGIN FORCE, THE RAPIST, DEVIL'S EXPRESS, GHOST NINJA, PRIMITIVE, A DOG CALLED . . . VENGEANCE, SCORPION THUNDERBOLT, TEMPLE OF HELL and CANNIBAL CURSE. Doubt I'll keep this, but have been curious to see some of this junk for awhile.
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Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Tue Sep 16, 2008 9:00 pm

Ultimately I did not hate Twins Effect (haven't seen the sequel). I found it decent Europe style vampire action. Fox Horror Classics Collection, Vol. 2 (Dragonwyck / Chandu the Magician / Dr. Renault's Secret) (1946) is one collection I plan on getting soon.

Here is some of what I've got lately:

Journey of the Doomed (HK: Shaw Brothers) Well Go
The Heroic Ones (HK: Shaw Brothers) Well Go
CJ7 (2008: HK)
John Wayne John Ford Film Collection (got this cheap)
Garden of Allah (I don't know how many Marlene Dietrich fans there are here :D)
Fist of Legend (HK) Dragon Dynasty release
House of Traps (1982: HK: Shaw Brothers) Image release
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) 2-Disc release
In A Lonely Place (US)
Lost Horizon (Frank Capra: US)
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Wed Sep 17, 2008 2:42 am

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Garden of Allah (I don't know how many Marlene Dietrich fans there are here :D)


That one's been sitting in my Amazon cart for nearly a couple weeks now--along with over 20 other discs-- as part of their 3/$10 sale on MGM titles. Tough to hit the buy button because I've already got so many to watch and increasingly little time. If I had to pare it down to three or six titles, I'm sure this would still be on the list.

In case anyone's interested in the sale:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?i ... 1000270841
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Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Wed Sep 17, 2008 4:54 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:
Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Garden of Allah (I don't know how many Marlene Dietrich fans there are here :D)


That one's been sitting in my Amazon cart for nearly a couple weeks now--along with over 20 other discs-- as part of their 3/$10 sale on MGM titles. Tough to hit the buy button because I've already got so many to watch and increasingly little time. If I had to pare it down to three or six titles, I'm sure this would still be on the list.

In case anyone's interested in the sale:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?i ... 1000270841


Thanks again Brian for mentioning.

I know that feeling quite well :D. I like so many genres, directors, etc... it is hard to pick new ones (and sometimes very hard to pick what I'm going to watch next). I believe I'm going to take advantage of this sale.

Also, Deep Discount has a buy 1 get 1 free Warner Bros box set sale going on. This one I'm definitely going to do.

On a quick aside I saw an excellent Marlene Dietrich/Jimmy Stewart movie in Destry Rides Again (1939), quite a funny interesting comedy. Dietrich singing was quite bad :).
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:50 pm

One good thing about these sales (where the movies fall in the $3 - $3.50 range) is that there's a very good chance that DVD Planet will pay around $3 (sometimes more) in credit if you discover they're not quite worth keeping, and if you're inclined to thin out the stacks. I picked up six in a recent 3/$10 Sony sale at Amazon. Three were "keepers" I'd seen before and didn't mind owning at that price, three were untested titles that I'd read moderately good things about. Two of those three--RIDE THE WILD SURF and WASABI--will be traded off with a sizable batch I hope to unload this weekend. Both were definitely worth seeing, but just once in my case, so theoretically, each only cost me around 50 cents to watch. If only rental stores would charge that much (and carry broad selections), it'd be a much less involved process to see all these little stragglers I've missed over the years. :D
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Postby ewaffle » Thu Sep 18, 2008 7:18 am

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:

On a quick aside I saw an excellent Marlene Dietrich/Jimmy Stewart movie in Destry Rides Again (1939), quite a funny interesting comedy. Dietrich singing was quite bad :).


"Bad" is very charitable. :lol: :shock:

Her rhythm and timing are fine, phrasing is OK, diction in her second or third language more than acceptable but with essentially no range, an ugly sounding voice that was flat more often than not. She sounds like she is tone deaf--doesn't know if she is on the note or not.
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Sun Sep 21, 2008 4:38 am

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Also, Deep Discount has a buy 1 get 1 free Warner Bros box set sale going on. This one I'm definitely going to do.


Saw this same sale at DVD Planet (Deep Discount's sister site), where I have some credit thanks to all the trade-ins, and decided at last to upgrade a couple of previously-sold single-discers and acquire a new title with:

CONTROVERSIAL CLASSICS VOL. 2
(NETWORK, DOG DAY AFTERNOON and ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN)

and finally snag

FILM NOIR CLASSICS COLLECTION VOL. 4
(ACT OF VIOLENCE, MYSTERY STREET, CRIME WAVE, DECOY, ILLEGAL, THE BIG STEAL, THEY LIVE BY NIGHT, SIDE STREET, WHERE DANGER LIVES, and TENSION)

Just can't get enough noir. Watched Criterion's BLAST OF SILENCE this weekend during a trip home and loved the chilly, real street aesthetic that permeates nearly every frame but most importantly all those lengthy, gorgeously bleak, filmed-from-a-nearby-car tracking shots of hitman (and director) Allen Baron as he drifts through long-vanished New York cityscapes while prepping for his next hit. Perhaps he thought it was a great way to pad the film, but the sequences are so in visually in sync with the main character's state of mind that they just had to be by design. Probably a perfect B-movie if ever I've seen one. Definitely lingers . . .

More Hong Kong stuff on the way too. :D







EDIT: Just ripping this from DVDTalk, but the following Dragon Dynasty titles show up for the following prices (which is generally what they're worth--the discs, not the films, of course) at Amazon, for the time being anyways. Those who crave the scholarship of Brett Ratner should find some good deals here, too:

Last Hurrah for Chivalry $6.49
Above the Law $6.99
My Young Auntie $6.99
Crime Story $6.99
Police Story (Special Collector's Edition) $6.99
Police Story 2 (Special Collector's Edition) $6.99
Shanghai Express (Special Collector's Edition) $6.99
Infernal Affairs 2 (Special Collector's Edition) $6.99
Infernal Affairs 3 (Special Collector's Edition) $6.99

Also, the Police Story discs have started turning up in U.S. Wal-mart $5 dump bins apparently, in case anybody's near one.
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Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Mon Sep 22, 2008 3:27 am

Brian Thibodeau wrote:...
Just can't get enough noir. Watched Criterion's BLAST OF SILENCE this weekend during a trip home and loved the chilly, real street aesthetic that permeates nearly every frame but most importantly all those lengthy, gorgeously bleak, filmed-from-a-nearby-car tracking shots of hitman (and director) Allen Baron as he drifts through long-vanished New York cityscapes while prepping for his next hit. Perhaps he thought it was a great way to pad the film, but the sequences are so in visually in sync with the main character's state of mind that they just had to be by design. Probably a perfect B-movie if ever I've seen one. Definitely lingers . . .
...


As I wrote elsewhere for Blast of Silence: Lionel Stander's craggy, cantankerous narrative is the most elegantly jarring voice over I can remember. It is more like a "greek chorus" (this is mentioned in the extras) than a first or third person narrative. I loved that film (I love noir; though the film comes a bit late for that genre :D; actually feels like French New Wave mixed with noir)

I watched The Set-Up recently, one of the better boxing noir films :). Great performance by Ryan. Directed by Robert Wise (who directs one of my favorite Boris Kaloff films in The Body Snatcher -- my favorite of the Val Lewton films).
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:05 am

Thanks to clicking the wrong shipping address, and the usual rifling and fee gouging by Customs :twisted:, this order arrived a little later than expected, and naturally after some recent family concerns have robbed me of much of my time. (hopefully temporarily) :( But here they are nonetheless:

SHAMO (HK)
CHAOS (HK)
SEE YOU IN YOUTUBE (HK)
SPARROW (HK)
THE MOSS (HK)
HONG KONG BRONK (HK)
MISSING (HK)
LOVE IS EVERYWHERE (HK)
YES I CAN SEE DEAD PEOPLE (HK)

And from a local store:
KUNG FU POP (HK) This seems to be Kung Fu Hip-Hop everywhere except on the package. :?
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Thu Oct 02, 2008 6:26 pm

A few odds 'n ends:

THE GREAT ESCAPE 2-DISC SE (found this on a Canadian Wal-Mart rack for $4.88; first time seeing it since television in my childhood :shock:)
SAVAGE STREETS SE 2-DISC SE
DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS VOL. 2

(includes MADMAN OF MANDORAS and it's re-do THEY SAVED HITLER'S BRAIN, BLOODLUST, THE CREEPING TERROR, THE HEARSE, THE DEVIL'S HAND, TERRIFIED!, LAND OF THE MINOTAUR)
Looking forward to Vol. 3 in a couple of weeks.
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Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Thu Oct 02, 2008 7:01 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:A few odds 'n ends:

THE GREAT ESCAPE 2-DISC SE (found this on a Canadian Wal-Mart rack for $4.88; first time seeing it since television in my childhood :shock:)...


I Love that film (also have 2-Disc SE), but I'm a big Steve McQueen fan so I'm biased.

I've gotten quite a lot lately (I'll put down the Asian ones):
The Kid (1950: HK) -- already watched.
The Rebel (2007: Vietnam) Dragon Dynasty (have all DDs again)
Deadly Duo (1971: HK) -- already watched (have all MB Shaws -- all 4 :))
The Soong Sisters (1997: HK)
Juon 2 (Japan)

Non-Asian:
I'm still debating on getting one of the "exclusive" Ironman DVDs -- we will see.
Picked up Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart Signature Collections.
My Name is Earl Season 3
Man of the West
Flawless
Unforgiven 2-Disc
All the President's Men 2-Disc
Chariots of Fire 2-Disc
Street Kings (2008) 2-Disc
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Postby cal42 » Thu Oct 02, 2008 9:01 pm

I'm a big fan of My Name is Earl and I can't wait for the 3rd season to make its way to our shores (but there's no sign yet). It's genuinely funny and strangely poignant - the way season 2 ended was a real shocker.
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Fri Oct 03, 2008 5:58 am

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Flawless


Is this the Demi Moore/Michael Caine heist movie? I've heard surprisingly good things about it from a few different people 'round here. I'm likely going to be watching it this weekend during another visit home, along with a rental revisit of IRON MAN, which was one of the best comic book movies I've seen. The number of "exclusive" packages on this one is quite high I've heard (saw a "plastic mask" case in a store today :roll:). Frankly, I'd have though the buzz and the box office on the movie were strong enough that so much packaging gadgetry would have been unnecessary. But then again, that's the norm these days, really.

Also, finally picked up the Fox Film noir release of BOOMERANG with Dana Andrews here in town today for $12. This is one of my all time favourite noirs (this DVD allows me to retire my old taped-off-PBS copy from decades ago :lol:), and the one title in the Fox series that was pulled from distribution in the U.S. for whatever reason, but it's actually been OK'd for release in Canada, so if anyone's looking for it but doesn't live here, try Amazon.ca.
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Postby cal42 » Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:18 am

Due to my TV dying immediately after coming back from the States, I'm poorer than a church mouse at the moment. However, I saw Yojimbo on sale today for £10. As it's usually about £16, I bought it. It would have been uneconomical not buying it, right? Right?
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Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Fri Oct 03, 2008 4:16 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote: ...Is this the Demi Moore/Michael Caine heist movie? I've heard surprisingly good things about it from a few different people 'round here. I'm likely going to be watching it this weekend during another visit home, along with a rental revisit of IRON MAN, which was one of the best comic book movies I've seen. The number of "exclusive" packages on this one is quite high I've heard (saw a "plastic mask" case in a store today :roll:). Frankly, I'd have though the buzz and the box office on the movie were strong enough that so much packaging gadgetry would have been unnecessary. But then again, that's the norm these days, really.

Also, finally picked up the Fox Film noir release of BOOMERANG with Dana Andrews ..., but it's actually been OK'd for release in Canada, so if anyone's looking for it but doesn't live here, try Amazon.ca.


Good info on BOOMERANG (I have no idea why it was pulled here).

No, the Flawless is the 1999 Joel Schumacher directed Robert De Niro movie. It was three dollars at Big Lots (my bro bought it for me). I forgot all about the 2007 release.

I've seen three exclusives of Iron Man (I saw Iron Man in the theater and so far that and Tropic Thunder are amongst my top movies this year; yes even ahead of the Dark Night :D). The three: Best Buy (too big helmet like thing), Target (the mask) and FYE (steelbook).
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Fri Oct 10, 2008 11:10 pm

There's a nice pre-Halloween sale on at Amazon. A lot of good deals in this one. I think this runs to Oct. 16, possibly longer.
http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=726738011


For about $100, I scored a whole bunch of $4.99 Something Weird titles (at last, a fair price on these!). Previous scrounge threads have suggested I'm one of the few oddballs here who actually enjoys the kind of trash they release, but if nothing else, these kinds of film strangely help me put a lot of those 90's no-budget HK direct-to-video flicks in perspective! :lol:
Wizard Of Gore (Special Edition) [DVD]
Day of the Nightmare / Scream of the Butterfly [DVD]
Mantis in Lace [DVD]
Horrors Of Spider Island [DVD]
The Zodiac Killer / The Sex Killer / Zero In and Scream (Something Weird) [DVD]
Thirsty Dead / Swamp of the Ravens (Something Weird) [DVD]
Kiss Me Quick/House on Bare Mountain [DVD]
The Beautiful, the Bloody, and the Bare / Behind Locked Doors (Something Weird) [DVD]
The Ghastly Ones / Seeds of Sin (Something Weird) [DVD]
Blood Suckers / Blood Thirst (Special Edition) [DVD]
The Amazing Transplant [DVD]
Death Curse of Tartu / Sting of Death [DVD]
Axe [DVD]
Murder a La Mod/The Moving Finger [DVD]
The Black Cat / The Fat Black Pussycat [DVD]
A Scream in the Streets [DVD]
Scare Their Pants Off / Satan's Bed [DVD]
Carnival of Blood / Curse of the Headless Horseman [DVD]
The Naked Witch / Crypt of Dark Secrets [DVD]

and one non-SW title:

Afraid of the Dark [DVD] (James Fox, Fanny Ardant, and an ingenious twist)
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Postby Mike Thomason » Sun Oct 12, 2008 10:07 am

Well, because no-one demanded it (and I changed my mind) here is my list of...

October purchases

1408 (Director's Cut) (US) (DVD)
Anaconda (US) (DVD)
Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (US) (DVD)
Babel (US) (2-DVD)
Bandidas (France/Mexico) (DVD)
Blow (US) (DVD)
The Blue Jean Monster (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Boogeyman 2 (Unrated) (US) (DVD)
Chocolat (UK) (DVD)
Constantine (US) (2-DVD)
The Covenant (US) (DVD)
Dead End (France) (DVD)
Death Sentence (US) (DVD)
Devil Fetus (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Doctor Vampire (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Doom (unrated) (US) (DVD)
Down With Love (US) (DVD)
Dreamgirls (US) (2-DVD)
Eastern Promises (UK/US) (DVD)
The Eye (2007 remake) (US) (DVD)
Final Destination (US) (DVD)
Final Destination 2 (US) (DVD)
Final Destination 3 (US) (2-DVD)
The Forgotten (US) (DVD)
Ghost Game (Thailand) (DVD)
Ghost House Underground 8 Film Collection
- Brotherhood of Blood (US) (DVD)
- Dance of the Dead (US) (DVD)
- Dark Floors (Finland) (DVD)
- The Last House in the Woods (Italy) (DVD)
- No Man's Land: Rise of the Reeker (US) (DVD)
- Room 205 (Denmark) (DVD)
- The Substitute (Denmark) (DVD)
- Trackman (Russia) (DVD)
Girl with a Pearl Earring (UK) (DVD)
Her Vengeance (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Hope Springs (UK/US) (DVD)
The Horror of Frankenstein (UK) (DVD)
Into the Wild (US) (2-DVD)
Jail House Eros (Hong Kong) (DVD)
The Kite Runner (US) (DVD)
A Lot Like Love (US) (DVD)
The Missing (US) (DVD)
Mission Impossible 3 (US) (2-DVD)
The Mother of Tears (Italy) (DVD)
Mulholland Drive (US) (DVD)
Munich (US) (DVD)
The Nanny (UK) (DVD)
No Blood No Tears (South Korea) (DVD)
The Omen Pentology (Collector's edition 6-disc boxset)
- The Omen (US) (2-DVD)
- Damien: Omen II (US) (DVD)
- The Final Conflict (US) (DVD)
- Omen IV: The Awakening (US) (DVD)
- The Omen (2006) (US) (DVD)
One Million Years BC (UK) (DVD)
The Others (Spain) (2-DVD)
Primeval (US) (DVD)
Prom Night (2007 remake) (unrated) (US) (2-DVD)
Quatermass and the Pit (UK) (DVD)
Rasputin, the Mad Monk (UK) (DVD)
Reeker (US) (DVD)
Rendition (US) (DVD)
Rest Stop (Unrated) (US) (DVD)
Return to House on Haunted Hill (Unrated) (US) (DVD)
Rule # 1 (Hong Kong/Singapore) (DVD)
Sideways (US) (DVD)
Sleuth (2007 remake) (US) (DVD)
Smokin' Aces (US) (DVD)
Something New (US) (DVD)
Spanglish (US) (DVD)
Sublime (Unrated) (US) (DVD)
To the Devil a Daughter (UK) (DVD)
Veronica Guerin (UK) (DVD)
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Postby Mike Thomason » Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:04 am

November Purchases

Adrift (Germany) (DVD)
Alfie (2004 remake) (US) (DVD)
Apocalypto (US) (DVD)
Big Nothing (UK) (DVD)
The Bourne 3 Disc Set
- The Bourne Identity (US) (DVD)
- The Bourne Supremacy (US) (DVD)
- The Bourne Ultimatum (US) (DVD)
Brothers from the Walled City (Hong Kong) (DVD)
The City of Violence (South Korea) (2-DVD)
The Delinquent (Hong Kong) (DVD)
The Devil came from Akasava (Germany) (DVD)
Duelist (South Korea) (2-DVD)
Dust Devil (South Africa) (DVD)
Factory Girl (unrated) (US) (DVD)
The Ferryman (New Zealand) (DVD)
The Island (US) (DVD)
The Killing Floor (US) (DVD)
The Last Winter (US) (DVD)
Live & Let Die (UK) (2-DVD)
The Living Daylights (UK) (2-DVD)
Lost Souls (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Madam Slender Plum (Hong Kong) (DVD)
The Man with the Golden Gun (UK) (2-DVD)
Men from the Gutter (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Mobfix Patrol (Hong Kong) (DVD)
National Treasure (US) (2-DVD)
Ocean's Eleven (US) (DVD)
Octopussy (UK) (2-DVD)
Open Season (US) (DVD)
Portrait in Crystal (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Red Wolf (Hong Kong) (2-DVD)
The Ring (2002 remake) (US) (DVD)
The Ring 2 (remake sequel) (US) (DVD)
Roadkill (aka: Joyride) (US) (DVD)
The Scandalous Warlord (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Shark Tale (US) (DVD)
She Killed in Ecstacy (Germany) (DVD)
The Snake Prince (Hong Kong) (DVD)
The Stepford Wives (2004 remake) (US) (DVD)
The Stud and the Nympho (Hong Kong) (DVD)
The Taxi Driver (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Tiger on the Beat (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Torque (US) (DVD)
Training Day (US) (DVD)
The Vampire Lovers/Lust for a Vampire (UK) (2-DVD)
Vampyros Lesbos (Germany) (DVD)
Volcano High (South Korea) (2-DVD)
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (US) (DVD)
Last edited by Mike Thomason on Thu Nov 27, 2008 10:54 am, edited 7 times in total.
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Postby Brian Thibodeau » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:00 pm

Still reading for sure, but like others here I suspect, just doing more renting and/or watching of older purchases these days than outright buying, and ever-so-slowly finding precious time to soak in the pleasures of contemporary Hong Kong cinema. And marveling at your lists as usual! Outside of certain Euro and Asian titles, they remind me of so many good rentals from the past several years! I certainly admire your ability to buy enough movies in a month to watch at least two per day and still have time for a life!

Thus, only a couple of recent purchases:

DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS VOL. 3 (BCI, more crown stuff I may or may not keep :lol:)

and a few (rare) Blu-Ray upgrades from the recent Buy 2 Get 1 Free sale at Amazon:

HALLOWEEN (Anchor Bay)
THE GAUNTLET (Warner)
HOUSE OF WAX (remake; Warner)

While I certainly liked that last one, I can't say I loved it, so might end up trading it down the road. Treated it as the "freebie" in this deal, so that eases the burden . . . :lol:
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Postby Mike Thomason » Tue Nov 04, 2008 4:31 am

Brian Thibodeau wrote:Still reading for sure...And marveling at your lists as usual!...I certainly admire your ability to buy enough movies in a month to watch at least two per day and still have time for a life!


Well, life with the little guy outweighs all else, so there's not a lot of regular movie viewing going on. However, I've just pretty much taken advantage of store and online sales over the past few months -- I doubt if I would have paid anything much over $10AUD for the majority of titles on the lists! Domestic sales have meant that I've been able to snap up lots of titles I wanted to see (and didn't while I was distracted elsewhere) for between $7 and $12AUD, and I don't think I've paid over 5GBP for any British imports in months. Thus I am fully stocked with lots to watch.

Once Xmas has been and gone I'm sure that all of these continual rolling sales will taper off for a while...maybe...

:)
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Postby cal42 » Tue Nov 04, 2008 8:46 am

I recently joined the next-gen by buying a Blu-ray player. Got the following films in the sales:

Spiderman 1, 2 and 3
Enter the Dragon
Kung Fu Hustle
3:10 from Yuma
No Country for Old Men


I should have 2001 coming as well at some point.
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