DVD Launch: Gone Shopping and The Tan Pin Pin Collection

August... the month where patriotism probably is at a sky high here, which probably explains the slew of local movies lined up to be screened this month, with Jack Neo kicking things off with a follow up movie to the 1998 original in Money No Enough 2, documentaries with Tony Kern's Month of Hungry Ghosts and Pek Lian's Mad About English, Foo Fung Koon's The Spirit Compendium, Royston Tan's 12 Lotus, and Cheng Ding An's Kallang Roar the Movie.

But let's not forget the DVD releases, with both Wee Li Lin's Gone Shopping and Tan Pin Pin's collection of movies hitting the retail shelves in August as well.

Those who have seen Gone Shopping in the cinemas last year (and frankly, there aren't too many of us), might still want to grab this DVD for the director's cut which was the version that toured a number of film festivals, such as Udine Far East, Shanghai, Hawaii, New York's Asian American International Film Festival, Rome Asian Film Festival and the Puchon Fantastic Film Festival. The DVD comes with a load of extras too, such as trailers, photo galleries, and the usual deleted scenes, but what is always sorely lacking in local DVD editions, is the commentary track, which to date if I recall correctly, only Perth's DVD came with one by director Djinn and another by lead actor Lim Kay Tong. Now what I couldn't fathom of course, is why the cover art looks so awful, compared to those in the theatrical posters. But I guess what matters most is the contents right, despite the packaging making the movie seem awfully fluffy and frivolous, when in fact it is not.

Anyway, not to be outdone, Tan Pin Pin's boxset collection is really something. I'm glad I held out from purchasing my own copy of Singapore GaGa in the hopes of something better coming in the pipeline, and this is it. Contained within the collected set are 3 of Pin Pin's wonderful movies - Singapore GaGa, Invisible City, and Moving House, which (horrors!) I have not watched, but available in DVD already under the Singapore Shorts Collection as published by the Asian Film Archive. But the idiosyncrasy in me says I prefer the films of one director in the same boxset, thankyouverymuch. So now's a dream come true!

What's the extras in the boxset you say? For Singapore GaGa, it has an interview with Pin Pin, deleted scenes, trailers, and one of her short films titled Rogers Park. In Invisible city, you have the trailer, linear notes by Alfian Sa'at, Ivan Polunin's Sound Archive, and (yay) an audio commentary by Tan Pin Pin and script consultant Tan Siok Siok.

How can I get my hands on the DVDs? Here are the details:

Gone Shopping
It's set to hit the stores today, but the official launch is on
Date: 2nd August 2008 (Sat)
Time: 6.15pm
Location: IMM Jurong Level 3 Garden Plaza

As detailed in movieXclusive.com newsbites section, there will be 50 Gone Shopping tote bags filled with goodies available for redemption which can be redeemed for a minimum of $3 going to the “Make-A-Wish Foundation”. Kym Ng and Wee Li Lin will also auction 2 sets of autographed items which include a Gone Shopping poster, a DVD and a tote bag.

The Tan Pin Pin Collection
This 3-DVD set is being launched on 2 separate dates and locations:
Date: 16th August 2008 (Sat)
Time: 3pm
Venue: Kinokuniya at Ngee Ann City
and
Date: 29th August 2008 (Fri)
Time: 730pm
Venue: Books Actually @ No 5 Ann Siang Road

See you there!