Last Thursday I accidentally found myself in that part of town and discovered a new place selling pirated DVDs. Despite all efforts from the authorities to put a stop to this industry, it seems to be as productive -- and lucrative -- as ever.
I was amazed at the variety of selections the new place was selling. There were, of course, the new titles but what really caught my attention were the classics and anime series available.
One stall had entire series collections of popular anime like Card Captor Sakura, Love Hina, Slam Dunk, Fruits Basket, Dark Heaven (that cartoon shown on AXN before about a retired lead guitarist of a rock band) and other titles that I did not recognize but am curious to discover. The series are available on DVD, each disc contains about 8 episodes. I got the entire Card Captor set for P480 and Love Hina for about P185. Prices fluctuate (depending on the mood of the shopkeeper and your haggling skills) but generally prices range from about P50 to P65 each DVD, even cheaper than the pirated DVDs sold before.
I nearly passed out in longing when I saw a boxed collection of anime movies from Studio Ghibli.
This is the production company that came out with some of my favorite anime movies like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Other titles it produced include the cult classic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, aside from My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, The Cat Returns and others. One set had 14 discs (P770) while another had 17 discs (P1,070). I plan to save up for that and hope that it is still there when I do decide to get it.
Aside from anime, I was amazed at the boxed collections of TV series on sale. You can get ALL 9 seasons of the X-files aside from Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI, Seinfeld, Will and Grace, Friends, Roswell, Lovers in Paris, Endless Love, Queer as Folk, and Sex and the City. There is also a film buff's dream -- a collection (4 sets) of all Oscar Award winners, past and present.
My greatest shock came, however, when I entered another stall that sold classic films and found what I was looking for all this time -- Pride and Prejudice (1940) starring Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier.
Aside from being an amateur Regency period aficionado and Jane Austen fan, I simply fell in love with the movie from the first time I saw it on TNT (now Cartoon Network). I was devastated when TNT ended and despaired at never seeing that movie again. Now (sigh of pleasure) I can watch it any darn number of times I want! And it's good quality, too.
I definitely recommend this movie. What I especially love about it is the lovely Garson as Elizabeth Bennet whose witty repartee with Olivier playing Mr. Darcy is absolutely brilliant! Some of my favorite lines from Garson are:
I nearly passed out in longing when I saw a boxed collection of anime movies from Studio Ghibli.
This is the production company that came out with some of my favorite anime movies like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. Other titles it produced include the cult classic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, aside from My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Howl's Moving Castle, The Cat Returns and others. One set had 14 discs (P770) while another had 17 discs (P1,070). I plan to save up for that and hope that it is still there when I do decide to get it.
Aside from anime, I was amazed at the boxed collections of TV series on sale. You can get ALL 9 seasons of the X-files aside from Smallville, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, CSI, Seinfeld, Will and Grace, Friends, Roswell, Lovers in Paris, Endless Love, Queer as Folk, and Sex and the City. There is also a film buff's dream -- a collection (4 sets) of all Oscar Award winners, past and present.
My greatest shock came, however, when I entered another stall that sold classic films and found what I was looking for all this time -- Pride and Prejudice (1940) starring Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier.
Aside from being an amateur Regency period aficionado and Jane Austen fan, I simply fell in love with the movie from the first time I saw it on TNT (now Cartoon Network). I was devastated when TNT ended and despaired at never seeing that movie again. Now (sigh of pleasure) I can watch it any darn number of times I want! And it's good quality, too.
I definitely recommend this movie. What I especially love about it is the lovely Garson as Elizabeth Bennet whose witty repartee with Olivier playing Mr. Darcy is absolutely brilliant! Some of my favorite lines from Garson are:
"Oh, if you want to be really refined, you have to be dead. There's no one as dignified as a mummy."
"How clever of you, Miss Bingley, to know something of which you are ignorant."
Aside from Pride and Prejudice, other films I found in this stall include Akira Kurosawa classics (The Idiot, Red Beard, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress and Stray Dog), Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, a wide selection of Alfred Hitchcock films, and works of Charlie Chaplin, David Lean, among other well known directors.
Are we salivating yet? Thought so.
If you want to check the place out, it's just along Hidalgo St. in Quiapo, Manila. If you go there, just make sure you are either with someone who knows the place or you look as inconspicuous as possible. Happy hunting!
"How clever of you, Miss Bingley, to know something of which you are ignorant."
Aside from Pride and Prejudice, other films I found in this stall include Akira Kurosawa classics (The Idiot, Red Beard, Throne of Blood, The Hidden Fortress and Stray Dog), Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, a wide selection of Alfred Hitchcock films, and works of Charlie Chaplin, David Lean, among other well known directors.
Are we salivating yet? Thought so.
If you want to check the place out, it's just along Hidalgo St. in Quiapo, Manila. If you go there, just make sure you are either with someone who knows the place or you look as inconspicuous as possible. Happy hunting!
