"I'm really, really, really, really trying to cut back on buying DVDs..."
Why would you even want to attempt this? It's masochistic. You might leave a perfectly good movie unwatched with that kind of attitude. I'll have to try a couple of your suggestions. If I could recommend one to you, it would be "Let The Right One In". Unless you're sqeamish that is.
Welcome, A-Train.
I saw Let The right One In and found it alright. It's obscenely overrated by the internet film community, namely one Devin Faraci, but I've had my fill of vampire films. Not trash. I've just seen so many films that treaded into similar territory that I was not impressed by it. The hyperbole from critics only puts it up on a pedestal that inevitably works against it, I believe.
I think of it as Lasse Hallstrom's Martin. Take some basic concepts George Romero did with Martin, and a tiny piece of the Near Dark concept, splice in the artistic competence and the aesthetic characterizations from My Life As A Dog, and throw in a pinch of difference, turn on the mixer and pour it out. Not the worst thing a person could come up with, thankfully.
I'm jaded. It's good to know that you enjoyed it.
Stil makes a good point, in that it's easy to end up with an insanely large collection over an incredibly short time. It's not unheard of, for some expat to walk into a market with a dozen shops and leave an hour later with 100 DVDs. It's also easy for a film fan to burn through money stocking up on quality, pirated versions of really cool imports from England, America, Australia, Japan and Hong Kong at a single shop.
A small part of my decision to cut back is space. I'm very likely in the position where I will move again. It's a pain to haul everything. I want to liberate myself from the burden. DVDs are a start. When I went home for the holiday I brought back several terrabytes of movies and television programs from back home, to watch. While I love my current city's variety of DVDs on offer, I stockpiled a lot of entertainment back home. Finally, with all of the fen I pinch in limiting my DVD purchases I can put that money to other things I enjoy, such as getting several tattoos inked that I've waited a few years to get. A few 100 here and a few 100 yuan notes there and it adds up. some movies are easy to track down online, and I'm pretty sure the tongs, Beijing party boys, or Hollywood oligarchy aren't getting a red fen from it
Speaking for myself: welcome to China and bring on all the film talk you've got, A-Train! We don't get a lot of it, but it's a welcomed addition.
The irony of this post is that a student wants me to join them on a DVD shopping trip this afternoon. They want me to recommend some films to them. I knew I'd fall off the wagaon again, but this is too soon.
