By now readers should be familiar with the annual AMF.  Most years I head down (since 2006) to Boston by bus.  Concord Trailways goes from Concord to South Station.  Half an hour and free parking to Concord.  Free coffee and an hour and a half later I am at South Sation ($24 round trip-same day). AND I am few short blocks to Chinatown.

This year the tourists were more in evidence as were the desperate and homeless.  Despite a dissapointing lunch, the trip was a success.  The weekend happened to co-incide with a tax holiday in Mass.  I added to my chopstick collection—including a pair of stainless steel sticks.  I also my usual haunt, China Arts on Tyler Street.  This cramped trinket shop specializes in DVDs and other music/movie permutations.  For almost $160 I got 30 plus movies, including two free for being such a whoop ass spender.

Future write ups will concentrate on the movies themselves.  But a few observations.

There is  a shift to the bargain range.  No doubt a result of world economic stumble.  Packaging has gone from plastic to paper.  There should be no shortage of material—-amateur, old stock not yet in DVD format, and commercial production should allow a steady flow to the Couch Potatoes and Couch Noodles here and abroad.

Beyond operas, porn, ans soaps, the Chinese are catching up on the “What we did in WW2 and against the Nationalist” movie genre.  With war going from 1931 to 1945/49 and then the Korean war, there are plenty of themes, events, and tales to tell.  Almost all unknown the self absorbed West.

Slick, the Chinese are getting very sophisticated and edgy in their movie production.  With money to burn, China has begun to challenge India as top movie producer.  Look out for more, and we are not talking about Chinese Popeye either.

Last year you heard about my brother and his girlfriend (recently promoted to fiance) who works at Seattle Public Library.  The Library has an annual sale of “surplus” property–books, DVDs, and such.  They also have a Friends of…program for $10 a year.  The two merge when the Friends of get dibs before the sale goes public.  The price? Last year DVDs were a buck a piece.  This year (held in April versus September) the price went up to $1.50.  Yeah they be used.  But what a bargain!!!

Now my brother has seen my collection.  But he (and Amy) had to go on guts and instinct.  And they scored.  Only 2, maybe 3 were “dupes” (duplicates).

Below is the rundown on the DVDs, with commentary.

Ken Burn’s Civil War:  A classic documentary that Thomas was shocked had not been nabbed when he spotted it.  Going for $69.00 new, this pick alone was more than worth the resources expended in this year’s DVD rodeo.

Lidsville-The Complete Series:  A note first on “Series”, I get funky about having partial series.  There is a feeling of unfulfillment and I don’t need more of that.  That being said the shorter the “Series” the better likelihood the “Series” will be obtainable.  Lidsville is the type of series I like—a short run, but memorable.  Admittedly Lidsville is dated and not exactly Family Guy sophisticated.   It is 1970’s Sid & Marty Croft silliness with echos of The Munsters (Butch Patrick in the “kid” role).  Still the series is complete.

Now a word on what’s ahead.  Thomas and Amy managed to grab a plethora of diverse and wide ranging DVDs—Mongol, French, Telugu, Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, Armenian, and English.

Them!: Classic 50’s horror about giant ants. Always good for a giggle.  Giant ants—right.

The Harder They Come:  In English, but essentially a Jamaican movie about a musician turned working class hero. 

Chi-hwa-seon:  Korean story of  “artist goes introspective”.

Khadak:  One of TWO Mongolian movies in the batch.  Mongolian movies don’t come cheap. (Note:  Amazon has raised significantly their DVD prices and wiped out their bargain section).

Mongol: Aptly named given its Mongolian language content.  Even more, a historical epic about those Mongols–1oth century movers and shakers.

Nenunnaanu:  This is a Telugu movie which is soooo cool given I studied the language in India.  What makes this real awesome is the movie is set in Vizag—the very city I lived and studied in.  Ok the story is standard fare.  But the references were right out of Jagadamba Junction.  Considering Tom and Amy knew not of what they were selecting—hot diggity damn!

The Last Voyage of the Lusitania/Sugihara/The Great War 1918:  Three awesome documentaries.  Not quite “The Civil War”, but important in their own right.

The Color of Pomegranates:  One of those once seen, often wished for…a truly deep and intense movie of Armenian kultur.  Made in 1969, when the rest of the world was in a purple haze, Pomegranates is the Soviet answer to Yellow Submarine and Me and My Arrow.  Watchable, yes. Understandable, depends on how you eat your pomegranate.

Battle of the Rails:  French, postwar look at the railroads and those who suffered keeping them from the Nazis.

Monsters, Marriage, and Murder in Manchvegas:   Considering Manchvegas (Manchester) is 40 miles from here and clear across the country from Seattle, I can see why few at the sale would even give it a first glance.  Once again, Tom and Amy, went by gut and scored a keeper.  There is a reason NH is not called Granitewood.

The above is a sampling.  Yes there were more.  Suffice it to say that this year’s haul was even more impressive than last year’s (and last year was a winner).  The Civil War alone made it worthwhile.

Concord NH, the holiday frenzy frantic.  The Dollar Tree, the carnage was to be expected: boxes in the aisles, people at every turn, and the ringer’s ring ringing through from outside.  Stumbled upon what I thought was a mistake…three movies, fairly recent, decently maintstream, and comple with wrapping and “secority device enclosed”.  Were they a dollar a pop? Did someone leave them there in haste?  I went to the checkout to see.

To those that know me, and yet don’t really know me, know that I live in the backwoods of New Hampshire.  Therefore getting movies from Seattle Public Library seems like a stretch…except that my brother Tom and his shining new fiancee Amy (great cheering and applause backlit by fireworks) live in Seattle.  Amongst the gifts Amy brings to the clan is her affiliation with SPL where she has been serving the public nobly (more cheering).

Apparently (cause I have the DVDs to prove it) SPL has an annual fund raiser where they sell off “discarded” media—books, videos, that sort of thing.

Enter Tom and Amy and a wish list for me.  Enter the “early bird” option by joining Friends of SPL.

Later they emerged with a bundle of DVDs in hand.  The other day the shipment arrived–a mix of Chinese kung fu and B line horror, with some neat Chinese documentaries including The Silk Road series.  Used, who minds? They have Seattle Public stickers and no late fees.  At a buck a pop, a true steal.  Even with collateral costs a veritable true steal.

I urge the multitude of readers (at least those in the first five rows) to support their local (or distant) libraries anyway possible.  Not only do you have an opportunity to pick up some neat stuff cheap, but you help to keep the lights on so Johnny and Susie can learn, grow, and become model citizens.

Boston, Sweet Boston. I rarely travel far these days. But twice a year Boston’s Chinatown celebrates. Given August versus February for their New Year, I go for the heat. I headed down for the culture, but also because I can get Asian videos at “holiday prices”. I don’t go every year and may not go again. I added to my Chinese movie collection. Many have funky packaging and play only on the PC, but foronly $5 average–still a bargain.  The store of choice for selection and price, but not space (way cramped and I am small) is China Arts (China Art Gallery) on Tyler Street.

Happened to be going by Big Lots in Goffstown on the way back from Nashua. I was not feeling particularly lucky, but decided to swing in for old times sake.  Hit the mark.  Not only did a fresh shipment of DVDs arrive that very morning, but there was quality and quantity (and at $3 each about as good as it gets).  Loaded up on Bonds (James) from Dr. No to Living Daylights.  All were new, all with extensive extras, and enough to say I am in decent shape with the series. I also picked up non-Bonds in the same buy-up.  Earlier that day I picked up new from Wal-mart a 20 movie set for $5. I was looking to buy one movie from the set (The Battle of Eagles) but for the price I got lots of back-up movies and a few new movies.  They span from 1942 to 1989 a real good spread of World War 2 interpretations. The Battle of Eagles is of the “partisan”movie genre and a fine example of Yugoslavia patriot/propaganda movie.  The other plus (of the day) was knowing I did my little bit for the economy.

Borders has meant books.  Then they put in lots of DVDs.  For many a year they were a source of decent mainstream movies.  But the recession cometh and the glass fell out of the window.  Slowly the supply dwindled.  And my last trip there resulted in a purchase, a single BOOK purchase. I saw the DVD section in great flux. Welcome to the Age of Uncertainty,

There is a strange world of used DVDs:  DVDs not new, but not old either. Pitchfork Records is in the center of that universe (and in Concord NH–the epicenter of NH).  Located at 2 North Main (Tel: 603-224-6700).  They sell used, pure and simple—CDs, DVDs, records, stereos. They do good enough.  They are taking over the old Foodees restaurant across the Pleasant Street/Main Street junction.  Selection is mainstream, foreign flics are hard to find.  They sold me my first ABBA DVD and for that I am forever grateful.  The prices are decent enough.  Half-off sales are frequent, if not permanent. Stay tuned for the move–to be soon I’m told.

Hometown Hillsborough NH seldom hits this blog.  But a little store, recently opened, just became an exception.  The Final Stage is at 3 Depot Street where 149 meets Main Street.  The store is tucked away in a cramped little place where many a store have existed.  All the merchandise is second hand–basically the owner’s worldly goods (there is a sad story behind this).  The prices are pretty good $1-6 for mainstream DVDs.  They also sell games, action figures, and such. You can reach them at 603-464-3683 or FinalStageVideoGames@gmail.com  This business model may be more common as the economy tanks.

Back before moving to Hillsborough NH, I lived on Pleasant Street in Concord NH.  My apartment was across from Concord Hospital where family members have been frequent customers.  The street had memories all the way down–down to where Cinema 93 resides.  Cinema 93 was a rental place with a serious movie fetish.  They were honest with hand written receipts.  Once in a while they would sell some overstock.  Then trouble—Netflix, recession, those damned DVD buyers.  So it was announced that Cinema 93 would close and sell stock.  I skipped the hype and crowds of the first days. I arrived on the day before the next scheduled price drop (and at first light).  The prices were $6.99 and all DVDs were clearly used. Well it was a good haul.  And though I struggle with past/present tense about a store about to close, I present a quick run on what I picked-up:

Peking Opera Blues:  The crown jewel of the haul.  I could not rent it from Netflix and Amazon had it for $85.  This is an action-adventure musical that is pure fun.

The Black Rose: Tyrone Power and Orson Welles, a movie I ever heard of. Yet Mongolia and caravans hits right at heart.

A Real Young Girl: A very controversial French film from the 1970’s. Very pricey elsewhere, a steal from Cinema 93.

El Topo: Another not yet seen western, very strange western from reviews. Again not cheap on the open market.

Red Zone Cuba (MST3K): Not one to pass an MST3K, this baby missed me the first time around (or vice-versa).

Geburtig: Another never before watched Holocaust movie–of course  one can never enough of this genre.

The Gathering Storm:  An HBO biopic about Winston Churchill with Albert Finney and Venessa Redgrave.

Midnight Run:  Never to be outdone, this comedy keeps running as bullets and jokes fly.

So all in all a nice collection of movies. But unfortunately at a heavy cost.  Thank you Cinema 93 and all the good you brought to Pleasant Street and the Greater Concord area. (Fade to Black)