Unlikely Stuff I've Found In The Local Charity Shops #1: Cool DVDs and Decent Music.

With little chance of getting to the car boot this weekend, I thought I'd hit the local charity shops instead, and was over the moon to find some real treasures going for a song...

First up, the DVDs:

Hong Kong Legends Collector's Edition of Battle Creek Brawl—not seen this for a long time and remember very little about it but it's Jackie Chan in his prime and is directed by Robert 'Enter The Dragon' Clouse (who also helmed one of my favourite post-apocalyptic films ever, The Ultimate Warrior). A bargain at £1.50.

Monster Brawl—OK, I fully realise that this film will most likely be a massive pile of toss, but the concept (real monsters competing in a wrestling match) was simply too silly to resist (as was the price—just 99p!).

Confessions—complete blind buy, but it sounds like it might be right up my street and has mostly positive reviews on IMDb. £1.50.

Illusion of Blood—My knowledge of classical 60s Japanese horror is virtually non-existent, so finding this DVD was a nice surprise. £1.50.

Bad Guy—I've been meaning to check out the work of Kim Ki-duk for a long time, and have heard a lot of good things about this film in particular. This DVD was still in its cellophane wrapper with an HMV price sticker for £19.99, but I paid—yes, you guessed correctly—just £1.50.

The Victim—I've been a fan of HK martial arts star Sammo Hung for years now, but have never seen this film which is regarded as one of his best classic kung fu films. For this Widescreen DVD, I shelled out the princely sum of two quid, but I am sure it will be worth every penny.

Wonderland—I love films like Summer of Sam, Boogie Nights, and Goodfellas—movies that delve into the seedier side of the 70s/early 80s; hopefully this look at the legendary John Holmes (played by Val Kilmer) will be worth the £1.50 I shelled out for it.

Bangkok Haunted—Another DVD still sealed in its cellophane (also from HMV with a £19.99 sticker on it)—Oxide Pang's horror anthology Bangkok Haunted. £1.50.


Now for the music:

Spawn soundtrack—a great 14 track compilation featuring cool collaborations from some excellent heavy rock and electronic/dance acts. 99p.

Devildriver/The Last Kind Words—never heard of them, but I liked the look of the cover. 99p.

Arch Enemy/Rise of the Tyrant—another total blind buy; once again, it was the packaging that tempted me. 99p.

Metallica/Death Magnetic—they've not produced a really great album for years now, but I'd heard that this was a slight return to form, so for 99p it was worth a shot.

Black Stone Cherry/Folklore and Superstition—I love me a bit of Southern heavy rock. Another 99p purchase.

Atreyu/Lead Sails Paper Anchor—I've heard of them and liked the cover design—and it was only 99p. Sold!


All in all, a marvellous haul of audio-visual entertainment for not that much cash, and I've donated to charity into the bargain. Result!