2009: The Digital Chivvy

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

Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby dleedlee » Sun Mar 01, 2009 8:02 pm

cal42 wrote:Seriously, Brian, how much money do I need to bring with me if and when I come to Toronto? :shock: This could be really expensive!

I'm interested in Beast Stalker - let me know what it's like when you see it as there aren't any reviews in the DB yet.


Nick Cheung won best actor award from Hong Kong Film Critics Society last month. And, it's got Zhang Jingchu, in it!
There's a review here:
http://www.bcmagazine.net/hk.bcmagazine ... beast.html
Sanney blogs about it here:
http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjo ... t-stalker/

Brian, let me know if you ever come across Underground Banker with Anthony Wong in it.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:49 am

cal42 wrote:Seriously, Brian, how much money do I need to bring with me if and when I come to Toronto? :shock: This could be really expensive!


You'll be surprised how far the money will go! These $5 DVDs work out to about £2.75, the VCDs about £2.20. That's more or less on par with what DDD House charges, only minus the shipping, which helps.

Keep in mind the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has at least SIX Chinatowns (10-12% of the population here is Chinese): the oldest and most famous one in the downtown core; another one called "Chinatown East" that is generally a waste of time if you're looking for movies; another due west of me (I'm north of the downtown core) called Agincourt that's also a bit barren these days, and then two sprawling, Chinese-centric wonder-suburbs north of that, with countless malls and plazas including the famed Pacific Mall; and finally a so-so Chinatown in a west-end borough called Mississauga that probably won't be worth the drive since everything there is available at the others. You won't lack for options, though, that's for sure. :lol:

I think the biggest reason so much of this stuff seems to be available so cheaply is Toronto's most popular scourge: the bootleggers. They proliferated so strongly over the past decade that the honest retailers couldn't compete and either closed up shop or got out of retail media altogether, but the latest crackdown, which fortunately is still ongoing after several months now (and hasn't been advertised by local media the way previous ones have) has given the surviving legit shops a small respite.

But since the damage has largely been done, and illegal streaming and downloading of Asian cinema is all the rage with the kiddies today, some shops, such as the Wa Yi Trading that I've mentioned above, are just closing their doors at a more relaxed pace. A couple of other places have become legit/boot hybrids, where you can get killer prices on DVDs because they've already opened them and made copies that sit on the shelves in little paper envelopes right beside them. I suppose this way, they look more respectable because the store is still filled with honest-to-goodness DVDs and TV series box sets. It sucks to see this, but it at least means folks like us can still get our hands on the real deals, and they'll restock them because they need to for appearance's sake. At least for now.

At present, and aside from the occasional goodie box stored at the back of an off-piste housewares or knick-knack store in Chinatown, there are six shops I visit routinely to get this stuff: the aforementioned Wa Yi, which was one of my first regular haunts from 1997 onwards and deserves a god damned award for never having gone the boot route; three Broadcast Book & Gift shops, all in different Chinese malls, and all with varying degrees of stock, fully legit and surviving (and expanding) rather well; and the two "hybrids" mentioned above, one of which has massive amounts of original and "uncopied" DVDs that I suspect will drop in price before long (they're currently $10 for nearly everything, but not much sells at that price point anymore), including many Shaw titles still priced over $20. These last two are where I also found many of the $1 VCDs in last year's scrounge thread, though their remaining stock seems to have vanished in recent months (perhaps the Laroque boys paid a visit? :lol:). All in all, there's still some untapped oil out there. ;)

So yeah, if you're planning on visiting, you might wanna bring some extra cash. Who knows, the stuff might be even cheaper by then, though hopefully not too picked over. Might be best to bring a list, or email one to me in advance and I can at least give you an idea of what you're likely to find (and maybe some maps! :lol:). Not sure how one goes about getting such materials back to England, or the costs involved in the endeavor, but perhaps that might influence the final tally?


cal42 wrote:I'm interested in Beast Stalker - let me know what it's like when you see it as there aren't any reviews in the DB yet.


At the rate I get around to watching these things, you might see plenty of other reviews here before mine, though it was the Variety review, posted via one of Dennis' news digests, that made me spring for it so soon after it's release (normally I wait for the prices to come down), so perhaps that's a sign that I'll get to it sooner than later!
http://www.variety.com/index.asp?layout ... 39587&cs=1
Discovering that the commentary really was subbed was just a nice tease for when I finally settle in for this one.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Mon Mar 02, 2009 7:10 am

dleedlee wrote:Brian, let me know if you ever come across Underground Banker with Anthony Wong in it.


Will do. I actually have that in my "library" from way back so I know what to look for next time I'm downtown at the Wa Yi, which is probably the most likely place of any to have it at this point (and assuming it hasn't been re-issued with different sleeve art, which I don't believe it has). Failing that, my VCD might provide some options . . . ;)
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby dleedlee » Mon Mar 02, 2009 3:08 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:
dleedlee wrote:Brian, let me know if you ever come across Underground Banker with Anthony Wong in it.


Will do. I actually have that in my "library" from way back so I know what to look for next time I'm downtown at the Wa Yi, which is probably the most likely place of any to have it at this point (and assuming it hasn't been re-issued with different sleeve art, which I don't believe it has). Failing that, my VCD might provide some options . . . ;)


Thanks! i remember seeing the trailer a long time ago on a Mei Ah(?) DVD and thought it looked pretty good. When I got around to looking for to it, it went OOP.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby cal42 » Mon Mar 02, 2009 8:56 pm

Thanks Dennis and Brian for the Beast Stalker advice and the Toronto tips! :)
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:54 pm

Since I posted last:

Opium and Kung Fu Master (1984)
Life Gamble (1979)
Sword Masters: The Battle Wizard **Shaw Brothers** (1977)
Miike Collection, Vol. 2: Family
Make 'Em Laugh: The Funny Business Of America (2009)
Peter Pan and Tinker Bell 3-DVD Gift Set
TCM Archives - The Lon Chaney Collection (The Ace of Hearts / Laugh, Clown, Laugh / The Unknown)
Coffee and Cigarettes (2003)
The Magnificent Seven Collection
Hancock (Two-Disc Unrated Edition) (2008)
Be Kind Rewind (2008)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
All The Kings Men (1949)
Kung Fu Hustle (Axe-Kickin' Edition) (2005)
Protégé (2007)
The Enforcer (1995)
Bangkok Dangerous (Two-Disc Special Edition + Digital Copy) (2008)
The Mission (Two-Disc Special Edition) (1986)
Tropical Malady (2004)
The English Patient (Miramax Collector's Edition) (1996)
The Verdict (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Horton Hears a Who (Widescreen and Full-Screen Single-Disc Edition) (2008)
Rhapsody in August (1991)
The Inspector Wears Skirts (1988)
My Amazon Reviews

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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:37 am

The Enforcer (1995)


Shame about this one, but from Dragon Dynasty, I've come to expect nothing less than compromise! :lol:
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:43 am

Brian Thibodeau wrote:
The Enforcer (1995)


Shame about this one, but from Dragon Dynasty, I've come to expect nothing less than compromise! :lol:


Yea not having the Cantonese soundtrack and having the cut version sucks. Only got it to keep my collection complete. The Protege release looks good (have not seen either two of those yet though; I've been concentrating on other watches).
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Mike Thomason » Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:45 pm

March Purchases

5ive Girls (US) (DVD)
Almost Famous (US) (DVD)
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy SE (US) (3-DVD)
Bewitched (remake) (US) (DVD)
The Blue Planet SE (UK) (4-DVD)
Broken (UK) (DVD)
Clerks 2 SE (US) (2-DVD)
The Cottage (UK) (DVD)
Crank (US) (DVD)
Dead Birds (US) (DVD)
Deep Blue SE (UK) (2-DVD)
Dodgeball (unrated) (US) (DVD)
The Doors SE (US) (2-DVD)
Feast of Love (US) (DVD)
Fragile (Spain) (DVD)
Ginger Snaps (Canada) (DVD)
Look for a Star (Hong Kong) (DVD)
Love Actually (UK) (DVD)
Lords of Dogtown (US) (DVD)
Man on Fire SE (US) (2-DVD)
Men of Honour (US) (DVD)
Michael Clayton (US) (DVD)
Miller's Crossing (US) (DVD)
Mission: Impossible SE (US) (2-DVD)
Muriel's Wedding SE (Australia) (DVD)
Pervert! (US) (DVD)
Quantum of Solace SE (UK) (2-DVD)
Rambo SE (US) (2-DVD)
Saw V (unrated) (US) (DVD)
Shrooms (Ireland) (DVD)
Simon Says (US) (DVD)
Solstice (US) (DVD)
Spirit Trap (UK) (DVD)
Stealth (US) (DVD)
Timber Falls (US) (DVD)
Tropic Thunder DC (US) (2-DVD)
Unearthed (US) (DVD)
Wah-Wah (UK) (DVD)
We Own the Night (US) (DVD)

NB: I'm toying with the idea of closing down Eyes Wide Screen and re-opening a largely horror-centric review blog. I just don't watch as many Asian films as I used to anymore and I watch enough of the aforementioned genre films to make it (kind of) worthwhile if I can find the time to knock out some infrequent reviews... :?
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Mon Mar 09, 2009 5:51 pm

Read a news item over at The Digital Bits that Image will be releasing another Shaw Brothers 4-pack on June 2, repackaging the following titles into a single handy case, in case any folks don't have 'em yet (as usual with American releases like these, it pays to hold off):

Shaw Brothers: Legendary Heroes Box Set:
Legendary Weapons of China
The Shadow Whip
Shaolin Intruders
The Deadly Breaking Sword

More chivvy stuff later . . . :)
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Mon Mar 16, 2009 2:16 am

More 2-for-1 ($2.50CDN) VCDs from the Wa Yi downtown*:

THE WEDDING DAYS (Mei Ah; 1997)
CLASSMATE PARTY (Taiwan; Mei Ah; 1988)
CANDLE LIGHT'S WOMAN (China Star; 1995)
THANKS FOR YOUR LOVE (Mei Ah; 1996)
KILLING KISSES (Deltamac; 2000) DB entry needs a massive upgrade!
THREE SUMMERS (Universe; 1992) Our DB pegs this as a Taiwan production, which seems fishy, considering pretty much all of director Lawrence Ah Mon's other work is Hong Kong-based, and the plot description on the package suggests it is set in, and around, Hong Kong. Taiwan-funded, perhaps?

*P.S. By the way Cal, this place still has plenty of gold to mine!
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Sun Mar 22, 2009 6:37 am

Just noticed a great Image DVD sale (one of many apparently) over at Oldies.com. Most of the Image Shaw DVDs are on for $6.98. Wandering Swordsman, Water Margin, Shadow Whip, Have Sword Will Travel, Vengeance is a Golden Blade, Heaven & Hell, Black Magic, Boxer's Omen, probably others:

http://www.oldies.com/collection-view/I ... rance.html
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Mon Mar 23, 2009 9:42 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:Just noticed a great Image DVD sale (one of many apparently) over at Oldies.com. Most of the Image Shaw DVDs are on for $6.98. Wandering Swordsman, Water Margin, Shadow Whip, Have Sword Will Travel, Vengeance is a Golden Blade, Heaven & Hell, Black Magic, Boxer's Omen, probably others:

http://www.oldies.com/collection-view/I ... rance.html


Of course I own all of these already :D. Might get some for my brother. Picked up a whole bunch of Dragon Dynasty 3 for 10 at FYE (all for my bro's upcoming bday) so those won't count here.

My latest purchases:
Limelight (2 Disc Special Edition) (1952)
Witness For the Prosecution (1957)
Walking Tall (2004)
Pinocchio
Get Smart (2008)
Ashes of Time
Daddy Long Legs (1955)
Breaking News (2004: HK)
This is Spinal Tap (Criterion 12)
Hard Gun (1996: Thailand)
Changeling (2008)
Eagle Eye (2008: 2-disc SE)
Burn After Reading (2008)
My Amazon Reviews

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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Chungking_Cash » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:47 pm

Yea not having the Cantonese soundtrack and having the cut version sucks. Only got it to keep my collection complete. The Protege release looks good (have not seen either two of those yet though; I've been concentrating on other watches).


Were they unable to strip the Cantonese audio track from the mouse?
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:04 am

Odds and ends from recent travels around the city (including a jaunt today)

2-for-1 Legendary Collections
WONDER WOMEN (1987)
CARRY ON PICKPOCKET (1982)
HAPPY GHOST 3 (1986)
IMMORTAL STORY (1986)

2-for-1 new releases
LADY COP AND PAPA CROOK (Megastar)
LEGENDARY ASSASSIN (Gold Label) from a quick scan, I think I'll trust Cal's raves about this one ;)
CHAMPIONS (Sundream; 2 disc SE)

2-for-1 Korean releases, some old, some new
(these are all HK editions, mainly to save a few bucks!)
CHASER (Panorama)
DARK FOREST (Winson)
ATTACK ON THE PIN-UP BOYS (Winson)
ANONYMOUS BLOOD (Joy Sales) on-screen title for this is CADAVER; most listings for the Korean DVD call the film THE CUT. Kinda confusing.
SAY YES (Edko) an old one that slipped through the cracks for years

And one from Japan
(again via Hong Kong DVD to save $$$ :lol:)
20th CENTURY BOYS (Panasia)

Got these cheapie gems at one of those ubiquitous "book liquidation" stores downtown that has suddenly started carrying liquidation DVDS at 4/$20. Used to watch these on late night TV back in the way, and if it weren't for these including the original hosting segments, even $5 might have been too steep:
ELVIRA'S MOVIE MACABRE: DOOMSDAY MACHINE / WEREWOLF OF WASHINGTON
ELVIRA'S MOVIE MACABRE: GAMERA, SUPER MONSTER / THEY CAME FROM BEYOND SPACE
ELVIRA'S MOVIE MACABRE: BLUE SUNSHINE / MONSTROID
ELVIRA'S MOVIE MACABRE: MANEATER OF HYDRA / THE HOUSE THAT SCREAMED


And finally, a couple of guilty pleasure upgrades.
THE MUMMY (Blu-Ray)
THE MUMMY RETURNS (Blu-Ray)
(Both pre-viewed copies from Blockbuster bought with an ancient gift card)
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby PAUL MARTINEZ » Mon Mar 30, 2009 8:46 am

Brian Thibodeau wrote:
Mike Thomason wrote:Chocolate (Thailand) (DVD)


Wondering where you might have picked this one up? I ordered in a "Malaysian" DVD from HKFlix a while back but the poor English subs have kept me from wanting to show it to a couple of people I've told about it. :evil: Wondering if I got somebody's fansub version, which probably shouldn't surprise me from HKFlix. Any chance you've found something better? Saw this with good subs in a theater here late last year and have started wishing I'd smuggled in a video camera for posterity! :lol:




Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:lot time:


Impressive lot! :shock: Criterion even! Good price?


.


Yeah i have a fansub version dont know if the later releases were any better with the subs or not but the one i have is good. Excellent movie by the way. If anyone needs it I'm always up for a trade.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby cal42 » Wed Apr 01, 2009 8:18 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:LEGENDARY ASSASSIN (Gold Label) from a quick scan, I think I'll trust Cal's raves about this one ;)


Actually, that would be Wblaik - I haven't seen the film yet. But I have ordered my copy now 8) .
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Thu Apr 02, 2009 2:18 am

cal42 wrote:Actually, that would be Wblaik - I haven't seen the film yet. But I have ordered my copy now 8) .


I blame that bad s**t you picked up for me in Paris. Screws up my eyes, man . . .

Regardless, if you do rave about it, it'll probably be before I do! :lol:
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby cal42 » Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:43 am

Brian Thibodeau wrote:
I blame that bad s**t you picked up for me in Paris. Screws up my eyes, man . . .

Regardless, if you do rave about it, it'll probably be before I do! :lol:


I must have had some bad s**t too. I placed my order at DDD House for Beast Stalker and Legendary Assassin and it looks like I forgot to order Red Cliff - which was the purpose of my order :roll: . I picked up a couple of their bargain bin films too - the HK edition of Ichi the Killer (which I assume is uncut in HK - although I strongly suspect Miike films are f*cking me up for life) and Pom Pom - they were about £2.50 each or something ridiculous like that.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Thu Apr 02, 2009 4:53 pm

cal42 wrote:I must have had some bad s**t too. I placed my order at DDD House for Beast Stalker and Legendary Assassin and it looks like I forgot to order Red Cliff - which was the purpose of my order :roll: . I picked up a couple of their bargain bin films too - the HK edition of Ichi the Killer (which I assume is uncut in HK - although I strongly suspect Miike films are f*cking me up for life) and Pom Pom - they were about £2.50 each or something ridiculous like that.


DDD's "weekly" ( ;) ) cheap sale has some good stuff in it, but I do wish they'd add more titles to it on a regular basis as I long ago picked it clean. There are likely dozens of titles that probably aren't big sellers anymore that would do well in that section. I'm pretty sure that the HK ICHI is cut, and rather severely. I saw it at the TIFF premiere many moons ago and it was a much different beastie than what I got on the HK disc. Mind you, I'm not sure why I picked it up at all, as I found the movie rather repulsive. Still, I can understand it's appeal to those who like it.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby cal42 » Fri Apr 03, 2009 7:26 am

*sigh* I'm not doing very well with this order. I've checked it out and you're right - it's cut quite heavily. Probably just as well - I don't know how I kept my Sunday lunch down when I saw Audition.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Fri Apr 03, 2009 9:41 pm

cal42 wrote:*sigh* I'm not doing very well with this order. I've checked it out and you're right - it's cut quite heavily. Probably just as well - I don't know how I kept my Sunday lunch down when I saw Audition.


WIth AUDITION (which I liked) I found it quite a cohesive work (most of Takashi's films I've seen have been a mixed bag aka sometimes brilliant sometimes a mess, sometimes too misogynistic etc...) and I didn't really find it scary or upsetting. But I did watch it soon after Ichi The Killer (the uncut version) which I still hate the stupid ending (yeah yeah ignoring the amount of misanthropic footage :D) and has made me numb to human feelings ever since.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Chungking_Cash » Sun Apr 05, 2009 3:55 am

Coincidentally I've been looking further into director Takashi Miike's extensive body of work in the last couple months after being briefly introduced to the contraversial auteur in college 6 or 7 years back.

Thus far I've enjoyed "Dead or Alive," "The Bird People in China," "Shinjuku Triad Society," "Young Thugs: Innocent Blood," "Ley Lines," "Fudoh The New Generation," "Ichi the Killer," and "Rainy Dog."

After screening "Audition" twice, it is in my opinion that the film lacks a soul (in the scholarly use of the word) and as such is the most over-hyped of Miike's work that I have viewed to date.

The only thrill I received while sitting through "Andromedia" was pausing the film at one point and thinking: Isn't that Christopher Doyle?

I plan to take one more look at "Dead or Alive 2: Birds," "Dead or Alive: Final," "The City of Lost Souls," and "Visitor Q" before forming my final opinion.

Still up before the month's end: "Young Thugs: Nostalgia," "White Collar Worker Kintaro," "Family," "The Happiness of the Katakuris," "Graveyard of Honor," and "Deadly Outlaw: Rekka."
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Sun Apr 05, 2009 6:05 am

CITY OF LOST SOULS was my first exposure to Miike and as such, it shook me a bit dizzy as the work of a potential auteur. In hindsight, I realize that the uninitiated could be shown virtually any Miike movie and have a similar reaction. That doesn't mean said movie is necessarily good, or even good Miike, but most of his stuff is capable of some form of provocation. But I think the novelty (for the viewer) wears off as the filmography is explored, and you're left waiting for the spazz moments more than anything else. I still like CITY, though. Gonzo without kicking me in the nuts to get my attention, which is how I've felt about some (though not all) of his subsequent efforts.





EDIT: Picked up some bargains in the Oldies.com sale mentioned a few posts back. Mostly Something Weird stuff:

Boris Karloff - Icons of Horror Collection (The Black Room / The Man They Could Not Hang / Before I Hang / The Boogie Man Will Get You) (Full Screen) (2-DVD) (DVD)

99¢ specials :lol:
Ape (DVD)
Horror Classics Triple Feature (Bloody Pit of Horror / Horrors of Spider Island / Nightmare Castle) (DVD)
Dementia 13 (DVD)
White Zombie (DVD)
Carnival of Souls (DVD) totally unnecessary as I have the Criterion, but this Alpha version uses the same print!

Herschell Gordon Lewis Double Feature: This Stuff'll Kill Ya! / The Year of the Yahoo! (DVD)
A Revved-Up Double Feature: Speed Lovers (1968) / Thunder in Dixie (1964) (DVD)
Savage Double Feature: Ecco (1965) / The Forbidden (1966) (DVD)
Sex-Ed Double Feature: The Wrong Rut (1962) / Birthright (1951) (DVD)
Black & White Double Feature: My Baby Is Black! (1961) / Checkerboard (1959) (DVD)
Delinquent Double Feature: Hooked!(1957) / The Flaming Teen-Age (1956) (DVD)
Hippie Double Feature: Ghetto Freaks (1970) / Way Out (1966) (DVD)
Shell Shock (1964) / Battle of Blood Island (1960) (DVD)
Bettie Page - Teaserama (DVD)
Bettie Page - Varietease (DVD)
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:20 pm

Brian Thibodeau wrote:...Boris Karloff - Icons of Horror Collection (The Black Room / The Man They Could Not Hang / Before I Hang / The Boogie Man Will Get You) (Full Screen) (2-DVD) (DVD)...


Have you read my Amazon review of this set? http://www.amazon.com/review/R3QJRMH5MR ... old_cmt_rd

I wish White Zombie would have a better release :D.

Latest purchases:

Chaplin's Essanay Comedies, Vol. 03
Men Suddenly in Black (2003: HK)
My Dream Girl (2003: HK)
Son of the Pink Panther
Curse of the Pink Panther
The Apple Dumpling Gang / The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again
The Major and the Minor
Hot Lead & Cold Feet (1978)
Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
Let The Right One In (2008)
Strange Wilderness (2008)
Double Tap (2000: HK)
Inner Senses (2001: HK)
Diner
Jackie Chan: Triple Punch Collection
Little Miss Sunshine
Jumper (2008)
The Happening (2008)
Walt Disney Treasures - The Complete Davy Crockett Televised Series (1956) OOP
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Sat Apr 11, 2009 6:09 am

Masterofoneinchpunch wrote:Have you read my Amazon review of this set? http://www.amazon.com/review/R3QJRMH5MR ... old_cmt_rd


I have, actually. I think this set came up in a previous scrounge thread where I clicked through to your review, which was one of the things that kept the set in the back of my mind. I also owned two of the titles (the "HANG" pictures) on Beta tapes way way back, so I knew I'd upgrade sooner or later! :lol:

Speaking of older threads:

Curse of the Pink Panther


I think someone here asked me to post thoughts on this whenever I got around to watching it, and then I completely forgot! :oops: This is bar none the absolute worst movie in the original Panther canon. I haven't seen the newer Steve Martin movies, and have never felt particularly compelled to, but surely they must be better than this. Ted Wass is no Peter Sellars. He's no Alan Arkin either. I'm sure Blake Edwards must have saw something in Wass' performance in the TV series SOAP that the rest of the world might have missed. He tries his best here, but it's obvious rather quickly that he's just not a comic actor despite playing in a TV sitcom. There's a scene where Wass, as Inspector Sleigh, interviews David Niven and Robert Wagner while uncomfortably dealing with an inflatable pool toy that looks like a duck and sticks up between his legs (oh, ha ha HAH!), but the whole sequence is so painfully unfunny that you actually feel sorry for Wass. Shooting this at the same time as TRAIL must have forced Blake Edwards to shoot fewer takes than he was accustomed to on the 70's pictures, which means many of the comic sequences (not to mention the movie in general) feel like they didn't use the right take of the scene, but in all likelihood they only had one or two to choose from at all. There's also a car chase scene with villains shooting at Sleigh's vehicle, and in the close-ups of the bullet hits, it's obvious that the car isn't moving as you can see the still background reflected in the paint job. Cheap cheap cheap. It's just sad to see a franchise bled like this, but perhaps many of the people involved simply needed the money. Or something. I'll give Edwards credit for at least attempting to parachute an actual comic actor into the franchise with SON OF in 1993, even if that one wasn't entirely successful, either. That said, CURSE really IS worth seeing just to observe how low this fantastic series had sunk by the early 80's. One wonders if the surprise guest star might not have been a better choice for the lead had he not had larger commitments at the time. Also, see if you can spot Bill Nighy's brief appearance.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Masterofoneinchpunch » Mon Apr 13, 2009 6:37 pm

I probably asked; I was curious. I found it for a couple of dollars and was curious (plus there are some sets with that included and since I have all the Peter Seller's Pink Panther movies; just wanted to add those). I have not seen the Steve Martin ones. Not sure when I'll get to it. Thanks for the response. I'll probably get to the Benini one first then in the far future :D (though it has been years since I've seen the Arkin acted one).
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby ewaffle » Tue Apr 14, 2009 3:16 am

Picked up a Cynthia Khan that I had missed: "Murders Made to Order" plus five with Teresa Mak: "Erotic Ghost Story: Perfect Match", "House of the Damned", "Troublesome Night 11", "Romance of the West Chamber" and "Love is a Many Stupid Thing". She barely appears in some of these but my quest for movies in the database which she appeared, if only briefly, continues.
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby Brian Thibodeau » Tue Apr 14, 2009 5:58 am

ewaffle wrote:Picked up a Cynthia Khan that I had missed: "Murders Made to Order"


This is a sequel to STING OF THE SCORPION (1992), so if you haven't already, you might want to track that down for context. I have both but haven't watched them, and as far as I know, Cynthia Khan is also in STING, though our DB listing doesn't include her name! :shock: The lone reviewer even makes note of her appearance.


ewaffle wrote:plus five with Teresa Mak: "Erotic Ghost Story: Perfect Match", "House of the Damned", "Troublesome Night 11", "Romance of the West Chamber" and "Love is a Many Stupid Thing". She barely appears in some of these but my quest for movies in the database which she appeared, if only briefly, continues.


A noble quest indeed! 8)
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Re: 2009: The Digital Chivvy

Postby cal42 » Wed Apr 15, 2009 7:26 am

Re: Curse of the Pink Panther

It's perhaps the most damning indication of the film's quality that that scene you're refering to, Brian, with the inflatable toy was used quite heavily to promote the film over here - I distinctly remember seeing it a few times on TV at the time. I prefer to think of the franchise ending with Sellers' death.

That said, I do definitely remember enjoying the Arkin film when I was a little kid. But then, my tastes weren't as discerning as they are now.

No, I can't belive I said that either :P .
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