excuse my language, but I use "fuck" a lot in this blog

Fuck Fuck Fuckity Fuck. Here I was thinking buying a DVD player would solve all our Japanese movie watching problems. Oh, how wrong I was.

So I go to our local Geo to discover that all the DVDs have a strategically placed label over where you can see at a glance whether the DVD has English subtitles or not. So with every Japanese language DVD I had to ask the attendant whether it did, who responded everytime with a resounding, "No". First fuckity fuck.

I remember being told (an unconfirmed rumour) that Japanese language DVDs with English subtitles were not available for rent, only purchase. I don't know anything about Japanese copyright laws, but if its a law, then its a fuckity fucked up one. If its not, then its simply fucked.

And of course, not all films are available with English subtitles, only those with an international release. Luckily, as far as I'm aware, the films I am desperate to see - Juon, The Eye (Chinese), Ringu and Ringu 2 all had international releases. Don't know about Jisatsu Circle (Suicide Circle). Now, I don't mind buying a few DVDs, but I don't want to have to buy every Japanese movie I want to see.

I'm resigned to the fact that any DVD I buy here (Zone 2) will be incompatible with Australian DVD players in Australia (Zone 4). But, I just want to see a few paltry Japanese movies. Why is it so fucking hard???

The kicker was when I asked the Geo attendant whether the film "The Karma" (aka "Inner Senses") had English subitles. She politely explained that it had no English subtitles or soundtrack, but, wait for it, it had an English menu. WHAT THE FUCK'S THE POINT OF THAT??? If the Japanese movie industry is determined to keep itself in a little insular box, then fine, its their industry, but for fuck's sake don't tease us!