Looking for something? Here are some ideas, in case friends want to check out my favorite reading, viewing and listening obsessions (er, selections) ...

This summer is chock full of comics-based and -influenced blockbusters, and I've seen most of them, but I gotta say that the most visually entertaining new movies so far this year have been two Spring releases: Sin City in glorious black&white&garish, and Stephen Chow's homage to an entire history of Hong Kong martial arts classics, Kung Fu Hustle. Both are about to get DVD releases in the US; check 'em out ....
Hmm.... what else is new on DVD? The Criterion edition of My Own Private Idaho is high on my will-buy-next-time-I-get-an-Amazon-gift-certificate list, as is the extras-filled release for The Aviator. Oh, and there are two new box sets of Steve McQueen films (titled, duh, The Steve McQueen Collection and The Essential Steve McQueen Collection), for anyone wanting a refresher course in being cool. I saw Bullitt a few months ago on the big screen in San Francisco; it still rocks!

When a mere two hours of spectacular aerial swordplay, melodramatic romantic tragedy, cross-dressing and architectural feats of hairstyling by stunning-looking actors of both sexes, and entangled plots full of intrigue and heroic derring-do are just not enough, there exist a seemingly endless number of Chinese television serial dramas, often based on martial arts novels by Gu Long or Jin Yong. And occasionally, miraculously, a DVD version with English subtitles appears, as with the 2003 production of Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre. This one is available from Sensasian (evidently enough Malaysian fans speak English to warrant production -- thank you!) and cheap considering how long these discs will keep you entertained.

Books

• Od Magic by Patricia A. McKillip (McKillip's latest novel!)
  
• The Last Star of the East: Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia and Her Films by Akiko Tetsuya
  
• The Secrets of Jin-Shei by Alma Alexander
  
• Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand
  

Film
Best of 2004 (all of which are now available on DVD...)

• Twilight Samurai
  
• Hero
  
• The Aviator
  
• Kill Bill, Volume 2
  
• Shaun of the Dead
  
• Tae Guk Gi (The Brotherhood of War)
  
• Finding Neverland
  
• Closer
  
• Bright Young Things
  
• Gloomy Sunday
  

Great Costume Flicks

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula
  
• The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
  
• Angels and Insects
  
• Desperate Remedies
  
• Titanic
  
• Moulin Rouge
  

Personal Favorites (alphabetically listed, always subject to change...)

• Ashes of Time (get the HK version, and steer clear of the World Region 1 DVD!)
  
• The Big Easy
  
• The Bride with White Hair
  
• Blade Runner (Director’s Cut, of course)
  
• Chinese Ghost Story
  
• Farewell My Concubine
  
• L.A. Confidential
  
• The Last of the Mohicans
  
• My Own Private Idaho (Whoa! A new Criterion release!)
  
• The Navigator
  
• The Road Warrior
  
• Romeo + Juliet (1996 Baz Luhrmann)
  
• Rouge (much better deal through HK online retailers, plus there's a new restored box set, with extras...)
  
• Stormy Monday
  
• The Secret of Roan Inish
  
• Throne of Blood (Criterion Collection)
  
• The Wizard of Oz
  
• The Year of Living Dangerously
  

Music

• Memories of Sound and Light: Unofficial Wong Kar Wai Songbook (music from several WKW films!!)
  
• Alec Su You Peng: Playing for Real (uh-huh, another one you'll never find at Amazon. I buy most of my Asian import CDs at YesAsia, or scour the Chinatown and Bay Area ethnic strip mall shops)
  
• The Red Elvises: Your Favorite Band Live
  
• Lee Press-on and the Nails: Swing Is Dead
  
• Leslie Cheung: Salute
  Red
• TOFOG: Other Ways of Speaking