Vietnam's Netflix

So recently I wanted to get some bootleg DVDs - normally not my thing because I enjoy going to the movies here.  It's reasonably priced enough, and I still am amused by being able to grab a beer from the theater's concessions stand.  Yes, higher-end movie houses in the States allow you to do this too, but here it is normally priced.

I wanted to see Red Cliff, the new John Woo flick, but they only subtitle it in Vietnamese locally.  Likewise, I saw Wanted here, but I had a distinct feeling that a scene or two was cut, so I wanted the DVD bootleg to check it out.

Went to a convenient DVD place, made my purchase and joked with them, asking if I can just bring this stuff back to them.  Normally, with the few boot DVDs I've had, after watching I try to pass it to someone who can use it.  It's not so easy to find such a person, and putting it into the trash seems so wasteful.  

I was trying to tell the DVD store's staff that I just wanted to give it back to them, so that they can recycle it, after I was done.  Thankfully, they misunderstood me, 'cause they said, yes, I can bring it back, to get 50% store credit.

Sweet - it's like the Vietnamese version of Netflix or Blockbuster.  A brick-and-mortar video rental service, at 5,000VND per disc.  Not bad at all.  Besides the copyright infringements, that is.  

The staff also told me that all the discs, the color photocopied liners, etc. come from China, thru Hanoi and down here.  They all get hand packed in the stores here, but the production is outsourced to China.  Just like the bootlegs back home.