DDDHouse Weekly Cheap Sale (HK movies) - Part III
03-23-01, 05:36 PM
#26
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Well, I'm back from HK. Had a nice get-together with Johnny Chan the owner of Haus Ltd. (DDDHouse is the online arm of his company). One of the nicest guys I've ever met. Concerning the in-stock versus out of stock, he said that anything out of stock usually comes back in stock within a week to 10 days. Anything longer he always notifies the customer.
Johnny has been in the international import-export business for almost 20 years now, so he knows a lot of these customs issues. So ipkevin is right, he can definitely help out with the merchandise classifying and valuation. Wow, $60 CDN sure is a damn low threshold point. In the U.S. the amount is $400 before merchandise is taxed.
Johnny has been in the international import-export business for almost 20 years now, so he knows a lot of these customs issues. So ipkevin is right, he can definitely help out with the merchandise classifying and valuation. Wow, $60 CDN sure is a damn low threshold point. In the U.S. the amount is $400 before merchandise is taxed.
03-23-01, 07:25 PM
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03-24-01, 12:48 AM
#29
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I would like to add....after the CTHD buying spree has died down..DDDhouse is back to its quick turn-around. I made an order of in stock items, it shipped the next day...
03-26-01, 01:52 PM
#31
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Originally posted by Thunderkiss
I ordered about 80 items and got hit by a US duties fee. It was $15. Not too bad, but I didn't expect it. It is reasonable though.
I ordered about 80 items and got hit by a US duties fee. It was $15. Not too bad, but I didn't expect it. It is reasonable though.
03-26-01, 07:34 PM
#32
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New sale titles:
My Father Is A Hero - HK$ 50.00, w/ Jet Lee
Adventurers, The (HK$ 30.00)
[Edited by Peep on 03-26-01 at 05:39 PM]
My Father Is A Hero - HK$ 50.00, w/ Jet Lee
Adventurers, The (HK$ 30.00)
[Edited by Peep on 03-26-01 at 05:39 PM]
03-26-01, 07:41 PM
#33
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New titles:
My Father Is A Hero (HK$ 50.00, w/ Jet Lee)
Adventurers, The (HK$ 30.00)
Tri-Star (HK$ 30.00)
Laughter of the Water Margins (HK$ 30.00)
Deep in Night (HK$ 30.00)
My Father Is A Hero (HK$ 50.00, w/ Jet Lee)
Adventurers, The (HK$ 30.00)
Tri-Star (HK$ 30.00)
Laughter of the Water Margins (HK$ 30.00)
Deep in Night (HK$ 30.00)
03-26-01, 08:12 PM
#34
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One of the many things that Johnny and I talked about was the Weekly Cheap Sale stuff. He did promise to put some more attractive titles on the list, which it looks like he did. However, he didn't promise that he would update the list more often, he is a very busy man.
My Father is a Hero is of course the Jet Li film with Anita Mui and the little fighting kid. Re-released as The Enforcer in the U.S. The Adventurers is a Vietnam War/revenge movie with Andy Lau. Tri-Star is a Lunar Day Film about a priest (Leslie Cheung) trying to save 4 hostess girls (including Anita Yuen) into being productive citizens in society - a pretty funny movie. I recommend the first 3 movies (and not necessarily the DVD).
My Father is a Hero is of course the Jet Li film with Anita Mui and the little fighting kid. Re-released as The Enforcer in the U.S. The Adventurers is a Vietnam War/revenge movie with Andy Lau. Tri-Star is a Lunar Day Film about a priest (Leslie Cheung) trying to save 4 hostess girls (including Anita Yuen) into being productive citizens in society - a pretty funny movie. I recommend the first 3 movies (and not necessarily the DVD).
03-27-01, 01:05 PM
#35
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How does he find the time to answer all the emails personally? It seems like his business is thriving, but has a very "mom and pop" feel to the way he handles things. It's amazing.
03-30-01, 05:10 PM
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I don't get this. On DDDHouse's site, two very brand new movies that were still playing in the theatres when I was in HK last week (circa March 21 2001) are now out on DVD. Hit Team and Gangs 2001. Talk about a short theatre-to-DVD time window. Presumably neither movie is all that good...
03-30-01, 05:37 PM
#38
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I read an article about the HK film industry a little while ago. Everything is much faster paced than in North America. There's no window for PPV & cable releases to worry about, no waiting for overseas releases, etc. and they make so many movies that to not release them would create a big backlog.
It was compared to the early days of Hollywood when there were dozens of movies being put out every week. A lot of HK movies I've seen always seem to put some kind of a reference to the film industry there.
It was compared to the early days of Hollywood when there were dozens of movies being put out every week. A lot of HK movies I've seen always seem to put some kind of a reference to the film industry there.
03-30-01, 05:55 PM
#39
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Woohoo!!! Hit Team is out already?? Can't wait.
And Hit Team came out on Feb.22, 2001. 1.5 months isn't that unusual for a smaller picture. Heck, even hit movies like Andy Lau's A Fighter's Blue came out rather quickly. Only major films (like Jackie Chan) or those with American rights issues come out later.
Weird, I always thought you were super-knowledgeable about HK movies/DVDs.
(That's not meant to be a slam in any way. I guess I shouldn't have made an assumption.. because we all know when we do that we make an a$$ out of u and umption.)
And Hit Team came out on Feb.22, 2001. 1.5 months isn't that unusual for a smaller picture. Heck, even hit movies like Andy Lau's A Fighter's Blue came out rather quickly. Only major films (like Jackie Chan) or those with American rights issues come out later.
Weird, I always thought you were super-knowledgeable about HK movies/DVDs.
(That's not meant to be a slam in any way. I guess I shouldn't have made an assumption.. because we all know when we do that we make an a$$ out of u and umption.)
03-30-01, 08:25 PM
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Originally posted by ipkevin
Woohoo!!! Hit Team is out already?? Can't wait.
And Hit Team came out on Feb.22, 2001. 1.5 months isn't that unusual for a smaller picture. Heck, even hit movies like Andy Lau's A Fighter's Blue came out rather quickly. Only major films (like Jackie Chan) or those with American rights issues come out later.
Woohoo!!! Hit Team is out already?? Can't wait.
And Hit Team came out on Feb.22, 2001. 1.5 months isn't that unusual for a smaller picture. Heck, even hit movies like Andy Lau's A Fighter's Blue came out rather quickly. Only major films (like Jackie Chan) or those with American rights issues come out later.
I tend to know the older pre-1995 HK movies a lot better than the movies nowadays. I guess I don't identify with the current crop of actors and actresses as much. Not much talent there IMHO...
04-05-01, 11:22 PM
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More kudos for Johnny. For my first order, the USPS for some reason kept bringing me delivery slips and then denying there was a package whenever I went to pick it up. Eventually they sent it back to Johnny -- he emailed me and re-shipped, and it arrived in less than a week.
04-10-01, 01:16 PM
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The new Weekly Sale items are out. Nothing much here this time, Sixty Million Dollar Man is a Stephen Chow movie, sort of like Jim Carrey's The Mask. Family Affair is a cute movie with Sam Hui and a little kid that I'd love to smack a few times..
04-25-01, 02:11 PM
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Looks like we lost a bunch of stuff over the past couple of days. Anyhow, there are new weekly sale items at DDDHouse now. Also, Wong Kar-Wai's Days of Being Wild and As Tears Go By, his first two and his best two movies IMO, are out on DVD, distributed by Megastar, selling for $130HK (16.80US).
04-30-01, 04:18 PM
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Gotta give it up for DDDHouse. Ordered a bunch of DVDs (30 of them) last Wednesday (04/25). The order was held up until Saturday so that the DVD As Tears Go By could come in the same package, and it arrived this morning (4/30) in California via UPS Global Express. (I chose the more expensive of the two shipping options to North America). Foam padding everywhere, looked to be UPS-packed.
Interesting - looking at the tracking it went from HK to Louisville, KY, then to Denver, then to California....
Interesting - looking at the tracking it went from HK to Louisville, KY, then to Denver, then to California....
05-01-01, 02:26 AM
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Originally posted by Yellow Hammer
Looks like we lost a bunch of stuff over the past couple of days. Anyhow, there are new weekly sale items at DDDHouse now. Also, Wong Kar-Wai's Days of Being Wild and As Tears Go By, his first two and his best two movies IMO, are out on DVD, distributed by Megastar, selling for $130HK (16.80US).
Looks like we lost a bunch of stuff over the past couple of days. Anyhow, there are new weekly sale items at DDDHouse now. Also, Wong Kar-Wai's Days of Being Wild and As Tears Go By, his first two and his best two movies IMO, are out on DVD, distributed by Megastar, selling for $130HK (16.80US).
My fave WKW films are Ashes of Time, Chungking Express & In the Mood for Love, while I think his worst is As Tears Go By....But I just ordered from DDDHouse the Days of Being Wild and As Tears Go By DVDs after reading your review of the DVD. Sounds like the quality is very good. I hope that Megastar will grab the rights to Chungking Express and Ashes of Time as well, as the DVDs for those have atrocious transfers. Heck, they may as well grab Fallen Angels & Happy Together as well. I was never happy with the print that Kino used to make the DVD for Happy Together (too dirty and very dark).
05-01-01, 12:50 PM
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Originally posted by Grimfarrow
I hope that Megastar will grab the rights to Chungking Express and Ashes of Time as well, as the DVDs for those have atrocious transfers. Heck, they may as well grab Fallen Angels & Happy Together as well. I was never happy with the print that Kino used to make the DVD for Happy Together (too dirty and very dark).
I hope that Megastar will grab the rights to Chungking Express and Ashes of Time as well, as the DVDs for those have atrocious transfers. Heck, they may as well grab Fallen Angels & Happy Together as well. I was never happy with the print that Kino used to make the DVD for Happy Together (too dirty and very dark).
05-01-01, 01:28 PM
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Originally posted by Yellow Hammer
Well it's my theory that the prints from WKW movies are intentionally bad to give it that arthouse feel. How else can you explain that In the Mood For Love has a somewhat crappy transfer when many the other current (post 1999) movies issued by Mei Ah (Needing You, From Beijing With Love, A Fighter's Blues, etc.) have very nice to gorgeous transfers?
Well it's my theory that the prints from WKW movies are intentionally bad to give it that arthouse feel. How else can you explain that In the Mood For Love has a somewhat crappy transfer when many the other current (post 1999) movies issued by Mei Ah (Needing You, From Beijing With Love, A Fighter's Blues, etc.) have very nice to gorgeous transfers?
The truth is that Mei Ah messed up the In the Mood for Love transfer, plain and simple.
05-01-01, 03:40 PM
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Is it a coincidence that until last week, every single one of WKW's movies were on the lowest tier in terms of DVD quality? Probably not. Perhaps there are other reasons, sure.
05-01-01, 03:51 PM
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Originally posted by Yellow Hammer
Is it a coincidence that until last week, every single one of WKW's movies were on the lowest tier in terms of DVD quality? Probably not. Perhaps there are other reasons, sure.
Is it a coincidence that until last week, every single one of WKW's movies were on the lowest tier in terms of DVD quality? Probably not. Perhaps there are other reasons, sure.
[Edited by Grimfarrow on 05-01-01 at 01:54 PM]