Hollywood filmmakers are coming up with various ingenious ways to beat piracy. "Forensic watermarks", invisible to a human eye but capable of being picked up by video cameras is the latest weapon in this on-going war.

It is common here in this region, especially in Jakarta to see VCDs and DVDs of the latest movies before they are even released by Hollywood! The Chow Yuen Fatt movie, Bulletproof Monk is an example. I've seen the VCD on the streets months ago when reports were saying that the movie was only in post-production!

I personally do not like pirated VCDs because of the poor picture quality. Not only are details blurred but the colour of the movie loses a lof of its original lustre. The colour palette of a movie chosen by the director and cinematographer is a very important aspect of movie-watching for me. If I cannot watch a movie in its original glory of sound and colour, I might as well not watch it at all.

I noticed that there are two categories of movie-watchers. The first category watches a movie for its story or plot. A movie is considered good if it is exciting, touching or funny. This is the category of film-watchers who would not hesitate to buy pirated movies as long as the quality of the picture is "clear". Their definition of "clear" means that the actors faces, dialogues and actions can be clearly discerned. A movie is like a fast-food meal: it is tasty enough and it fills the stomach. Forget its nutritional value.

The second category - the film-making connoisseurs - goes for a movie less for its plot or storyline, but for its emotional and intellectual experience. True, a strong plot is still important to hold together the movie but the other elements such as its metaphors, mood, camera angle, composition and editing makes it a more thorough experience. I belong to this category but It does not mean I'm the kind of snob who does not go for the latest low-brow action flicks or silly comedies; I still go for MacDonalds occassionally and enjoy its McChicken and sundaes, just that I wouldn't treat it as my daily staple. In actual fact, I rarely not enjoy a movie - because I always go with the right expectation. If it is a teen-slasher flick, I would still enjoy it because I know what is coming. I might even consider some of them good because they introduce interesting variations to the theme of scantily-clad damsels being slaughtered by masked men. This is also one of the reasons why I do not give to much weight to plot: most stories are variations of the same age-old archetypal themes. Every now and then, you encounter a very original screenplay and if it happens to fall under the hands of a good director, then you have a masterpiece.

Pirate VCD buyers treat movies as consumables. They are to be viewed and thrown away. The connoiseurs are those who are likely to buy originals because movies are treated as unique experiences, and once viewed they become indelible part of their lives. That is why,I always feel that the theatre with Dolby or THX sound system is still the best place to watch a movie for the first time. I'll only go for a first viewing on VCDs or DVDs if I missed the run at the local cinema. Always non-pirated ones, of course.