If you're into alternative cinema (and I know you are), and you love them Asian movies (I know you do), you've probably thought to yourself, "Hmmm, where to get them Asian movies cheap?" Or maybe you haven't. But I have. Many, many times.

(We're not talking about "Asian movies (wink-wink, nudge-nudge)" here, by the way. We're talking about serious cinema - not porn. Okay, so maybe Shaolin Soccer isn't serious cinema, but it's certainly more serious than Beauty and the Breast.)

Most of the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (I got The Eye in the mail today - looking forward to seeing that one) movies I've purchased have been through sites like Amazon (.com, .co.uk, and even .co.jp), and Play.com - and thus I've been mostly limited to Region 1 and 2 releases (with the sole exception of the Japanese version of Spirited Away, which I ordered from...Japan. Go figure).

Last weekend, I desperately wanted to get a hold of Dark Water, but since the flick has yet to be released on DVD in "the West", I had to explore other options. Of course, I also needed a version with English subtitles, which excluded the Japanese release.

I found a site called HKFlix.com, which is supposed to be reliable, and found Dark Water for $15 (plus $2 shipping) - not bad at all. I ordered the DVD, paid via PayPal...and have yet to hear anything, even though PayPal transferred the funds immediately. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't get it. I'm sure they're professional and reliable. It's just that I would like to be able to see the status of my order, and they 'discourage' that. We'll see what happens.

So today I decided I wanted to get Shaolin Soccer - another movie that hasn't been released over here yet, but is available on DVD in Hong Kong. HKFlix didn't have it (and until I receive my original order, I won't use them again), so I looked around for another source - and found a store called DDDhouse.com. Again, they came highly recommended, and when I began going through their pricelists I also found that they were incredibly cheap. In fact, Dark Water was half the price of HKFlix...shipping included.

Not only that, but at DDDhouse they let you see your order history, and check on the status of your orders. Ignore their awful website - they are, after all, foreigners (he said ironically).

So I ordered both Shaolin Soccer (US$12) and Dark Water (again - at less than US$10 delivered, it's worth the risk that I'll receive two copies. I'll just give away one of 'em), and now we'll wait and see. If they arrive in a timely manner, and in good condition, I know where I'll satisfy my craving for Asian cinema in the future. If not - bold experiment gone sour. I'll keep y'all updated, and I suggest you wait for my final word on the issue before pulling out those credit cards.  ¶ 00:09