My interest in Asian entertainment began at an early age…”Speed Racer” and “Battle of the Planets” were cooler to me than “Star Wars” (although I once loved that too). Even as a child I preferred late-night British comedy to Saturday morning cartoons. I raised myself on the unusual…midnight movies in Chicago, late-night cable, and foreign art-house flicks—out-of-bounds entertainment. The Asian movie love affair burst to life in the late nineties, when DVDs exploded and more and more exotic stuff was becoming readily available.

I love Asian cinema. This is not an understatement. My personal Asian DVD collection is quite vast. I can watch a different HK, Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Anime disc every night for more than two years and never watch the same film twice. Does it make me an expert? By all means, no. But the knowledge I’ve absorbed and the appreciation I’ve developed can, perhaps, be passed on to others in hopes of spreading the gospel. And that’s all I’m here to do…urge others to see things that, perhaps, they might’ve missed by standing in the mainstream. I like it when others return the favor!

Asking me to pick my favorite films is like asking me which heartbeat is most useful to me. This one? Or that one? I need them all to live. But if you’re truly interested, the first DVD I hunted for by name was Tsui Hark’s “A Chinese Ghost Story.” It was… hard to find! Having failed to pin down a copy of that, I opted to purchase “The Heroic Trio.” That was my first-ever buy and holds a warm place in my heart.

Oh, Maggie, Michelle and Anita!

Sigh! That was quickly followed by titles such as “The Bride with White Hair,” “God of Cookery,” “Black Mask,” then… everything starts to get blurry! Oh, I spent waaay too much money! I have no regrets!

When it comes to film I appreciate the deep currents, the surface qualities, the mood, the music, the style. I like to be inspired and see the work of those who have been inspired. I look for the big things and the small things. I love to be surprised, and I love seeing things I’ve never seen before. I dislike plagiarism in films, but can appreciate homage. I expect bold inventiveness but admire calm restraint. I admire both the campy and the classic.

But most of all, I love the personal experience of film. It’s out there for everybody, but a good film can change YOU in ways you never could have imagined…and form bonds with others who have shared the experience.

Your thoughts, questions, comments? Write me at bloggers@dvdplanet.com.