In the sidebar is listing for sources which is a listing of the places where I find a good number of the films I see. These are a listing of some of the places outside of the mainstream (Amazon, DVD Empire, Warner Archive, You Tube, Netflix) where I’ll search for films. While I’ve been trying to keep the listing up to date some of my favorite places in the original article on sources are now long gone and off the list, I haven’t updated the piece where I say some words about the various sources. To keep things up to date I’m going to update my thoughts tonight.
Sinister Cinema is the granddaddy of all of the places on the list. I’ve been using them pretty much since they started and I can’t recommend them enough. Specializing in B genre movies (horror, science fiction, westerns, Forgotten Horror, Mystery..) they have the best films in the best prints. They are so good that several of their competitors have taken their prints and called them their own (bastards). They have been so instrumental in my film education (I own probably 70% of their output not including westerns) that if they were a college I’d have a doctorate. They are amazing and Gregg Luce who runs it is a fantastic guy. If you’re looking for films from the 30’s 40’s 50’s 60’s or 70’s this is the place to start looking. Big tip- they run several killer sales every year including their legendary $98 dollar special with 10 or so films for $98 bucks plus shipping. Do yourself a favor and get on their mailing lists and then gorge yourself on wondrous things.
Diabolik is a wonderful source for films from around the world. The films they carry run the gamut from old films to new films. Tending toward exploitation and genre films they are the place that I’ll go to first when I’m looking for a film from overseas that I want to track down. The fact that they carry films from around the world does mean that many of their films are region coded, so if your DVD or Blu-ray players aren’t region free you have to remember to pay extra attention to make sure that you get the right region disc. I have to add that I have had several occasions to have long email conversations with the guys at Diabolik and all I can say is I wish they lived closer so I could hang with them.
All Clues No Solutions is Michael Little’s wonderful collection of films from around the world. I discovered him sometime last year and I’ve blown a huge wad of cash on getting a large number of films, most of which I haven’t looked at yet. His selections run from silent horror and mystery to off the charts Japanese films to obscure TV shows to Russian art films to I don’t know what else. I love All Clues greatly and to be quite honest its now one of my most favorite places to get movies from. I suspect my love comes from Michael’s ability to pick out great films and his truly eclectic loves which mirrors my own. Do yourself a huge favor and go to the website and go through his catalog. I dare you not to find anything that doesn’t make you go I must own that.
Jpdorama- is a recent addition to the side bar. Specializing in films and TV series from Japan they are a wonderful source of inexpensive versions of films that would cost an arm and leg if you got them from Japan. While you will have to keep an eye out for what is in English, a large proportion of their DVDs do not have English subtitles, they still manage to give you access to a world of titles you might never otherwise encounter. Two pieces of advice, first their stock cycles through and what they may have today may change down the road so if you see something you want pick it up since they don’t always get restocks. Secondly get on their mailing list since they will send you frequent updates to their stock and coupons so you can get even more off.
Asian Cult Cinema is what’s left after Asian Cult Cinema the magazine folded. They are a good source for not only Asian films but also European exploitation films as well. Their films tend toward action, sex and horror
R&B is the company of a great guy named Brendon. Brendon is a great source of classic films that no one else has. I have no idea where he gets some of things he does, but he manages to get all sorts of things that have been hidden away in vaults. I’m going to be honest and tell you up front that what he lists on his website is only a small part of what he actually carries. He’s got tons of stuff not listed and I have on numerous occasions emailed him because I haven’t been able to find something somewhere. I should also point out that I tend not to use the website and instead I pick up films when I see him when I can get to the monthly nostalgia show that he runs in New York City.
Yes Asia is the reliable source for all sorts of goodies from Asia. This is the place to get official DVDs from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and everywhere else in Asia. It’s also a great place to get books, fashion, CDs and other goodies. This is the place that I use to feed my love of really cool DVD box sets having picked up some great editions of films that were dull releases here in the US (my Pan’s Labyrinth box in the shape of a book is way cool). The selections are endless, and the choices of editions are bountiful. My only complaint is that unless you pay extra for rapid shipping it can take a while to get your order.
Oldies.com/Alpha Video is a regular go to for me. Oldies itself is a great source of cheap DVD’s and Blu-rays, the Alpha video portion leaves me slightly conflicted. Oldies.com specializes in selling movies and music at a greatly reduced amount. They have tons of stuff that’s out print or just not available. When I’m looking for something I always check them to see if they have a cheaper copy.
Their Alpha Video subdivision specializes in public domain films at a very affordable price (They run a deal of 5 for 25). They have also shifted from DVDs to DVD-R’s. I love the selection of films and the affordable prices they charge. The one drawback to Alpha’s product is that some of their prints aren’t the best (and there had been some charges from other companies that they had been taking some public domain prints as their own). Still their prices frequently can't be beat-but you have to be aware of what you're getting.
No comments:
Post a Comment