In praise of the Broadway Cinematheque

I've just spent another pleasant evening at the Broadway Cinematheque. I've seen three films here since I arrived. (Don't worry, mom, the student rate is about $5 USD.) Besides showing the best selection of independent films around, they have an amazing dvd store called Kubrick with the most incredible selection of films from around the world. The first time I walked in, I thought I had died and gone to heaven: here were all of my favorite movies, plus things I meant to see but never did, plus who knows what else!

I bought two movies, which I thought were on DVD. Oops. They were VCDs. Never heard of that, but now I know that they're basically lower quality than dvd, no extras, and fit on two cd-roms. That explains why they were only $3 each. Fine with me! I'm desperate to have a reserve of things to do at home when the internet goes down. What would happen if I had to feel bored?

Anyways, I came home with Volver and Me and You and Everyone We Know. Did you, whoever you are, have a discussion with me this year about Knocked Up and the lack of womens' perspectives in the movies? Almodovar makes all the American chick flicks, as well as all those popular novels that inevitably deal with incest, look just pathetic... I'm not saying there aren't a whole lot of other things going on in Volver besides a female POV, just that it was striking to see a whole world of women, with the men playing the bit parts for a change. I'd like to see him re-do P.S., I Love You. (Or is P.S., I Love You already some weirdly twisted - or untwisted - remake of an Almodovar film?)

I should mention here that I haven't seen P.S., I Love You. And I can't, yet, because it's not showing in Hong Kong: its taunting ads are plastered all over the MTR stations, but I can't figure out the opening date.

To return to my original theme: I went back tonight to see Sweeney Todd. While I was lingering in the bookshop, browsing sadly among the books on contemporary German dance in Chinese (drat!), I learned that they also have a nearly-free DVD lending library! I'm now a member, and I can get two dvds at a time for up to 7 days. I'm so psyched! I checked out Night and the City (Dassin) and Summer Interlude (Bergman). I'm feeling ambitious!