2008: The Digital Rummage

[Masterofoneinchpunch]

Here is some much need films:

Seeding of a Ghost (Shaw Brothers) (still haven't received this from Deep Discount though)
Balzac and the Chinese Seamstress
Ju-Dou
July Rhapsody
My Left Eye Sees Ghosts (HK)
The Tiger Blade (2005, Thailand, BCI Eclipse buy before it is OOP )
Raise The Red Lantern (1991, China)
The Emperor and the Assassin (1999, China)

Mr. Bean: The Ultimate Collection

Brand Upon The Brain! (Criterion)
La Strada (Criterion)
Mala Noche (Criterion)
Night on Earth (Criterion)

[Brian Thibodeau]

Odds & Ends through the holidays:

Blu-Ray Upgrades (post holiday bargain prices)
TRANSPORTER
MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3
SPEED

Blu Rays the Amazon Buy 2 Get 1 Free Deal:
LETHAL WEAPON 2
APPLESEED EX MACHINA
HOW THE WEST WAS WON

And a couple of ex-rental DVDs ($4 ea. in a Buy 1 Get 1 at local chain stores; missed 'em when they first came out)
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN
THERE WILL BE BLOOD

I suspect 2009 will see fewer releases all around, so hopefully that will mean even more time to watch the stuff I've already got! And jump back into Hong Kong cinema on a more dedicated basis. I really am going through withdrawal these past few months while I prune my western cinema collection!

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On an unrelated note, my Criterion Blu-Ray of THE THIRD MAN arrived over the holidays and I have to say I'm not fond of Criterion's slipsleeve-over-cardboard-gatefold case. Anyone know if their other Blu-Rays are being packaged the same way, such as CHUNGKING EXPRESS? I'd much rather have a proper Blu-Ray case for that added level of safety.

[Brian Thibodeau]

Thought it would be interesting to cut together a list of all the titles from this year's Scrounge that I've since sold off! Most of these were cheap-o blind buys of films I'd long wanted to see (for better or for worse), but I figured it would be best to watch them promptly and sell them/trade them while they still had some intrinsic value, which most of them have. None of the Hong Kong titles I've picked up are on this list, though that's mainly because I've placed those on the backburner to get the stuff below out of the way. As there isn't much of a resale market for HK VCDs and DVDs, those won't likely get sold or traded anyways, they'll likely be donated to the library across the street.

So, to wrap up my personal 2008 scrounge, here's the items I've watched and let go:

SCHOOL DAZED 8 MOVIE COLLECTION
AFTER DARK THRILLERS 8 MOVIE COLLECTION
DRIVE-IN CULT CLASSICS 8 MOVIE COLLECTION
TROY: DIRECTOR'S CUT 2 DISC
CONVOY (bad transfer, cut film, but I knew that going in)
DEAD END DRIVE-IN/CUT & RUN
WINTER KILLS
LEWIS BLACK: BLACK ON BROADWAY
ANACONDAS: HUNT FOR THE BLOOD ORCHID
BILL MAHER: VICTORY BEGINS AT HOME
THE HOAX
THE DEANNA DURBIN SWEETHEART PACK (ripped LADY ON A TRAIN, though)
HOUSE OF GAMES (liked it a lot, but not as clever as I'd been led to believe)
SWEET MOVIE (worth a revisit, but not worth keeping)
SPECIAL EFFECTS
PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES SE
CURSE OF THE PINK PANTHER (shamefully bad)
CODE 46
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD (90)
RIDE THE WILD SURF
CALIGULA
DOG DAY AFTERNOON
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)
The Beautiful, the Bloody, and the Bare / Behind Locked Doors (Something Weird)
The Ghastly Ones / Seeds of Sin (Something Weird)
Blood Suckers / Blood Thirst (Special Edition)
The Amazing Transplant
Death Curse of Tartu / Sting of Death
Scare Their Pants Off / Satan's Bed
SS HELL PACK TRIPLE FEATURE (traded all 3 discs for more than I paid for the box)
EXPLOITATION CINEMA DOUBLE FEATURE: SATAN'S SLAVE/TERROR
MIDNIGHT MOVIE COLLECTION II
THE DEADLY BEES

Still got a few non-Asian Scounge items I've yet to watch, so I'm sure I'll unload a few more before long. Nice to finally see all of this stuff, but in the case of these titles, once will suffice, and it's even nicer to know that they won't be laying around unwatched a decade from now.