Preserve Physical Media

Who needs film school?

   We are fast approaching a new decade that will surely spell the end of DVD and Blu-Rays for many streaming-happy Americans. As the proud owner of about 700 digital video discs, I can't help but mourn the inevitable demise of physical media. I dived into the DVD revolution head-first in the early 2000s(after mourning the death of my VHS tapes), feverishly collecting all my favorite titles, certain that this was the final word in home entertainment. Then something wholly unexpected happened- Blockbuster Video died, and Netflix's online streaming business exploded in 2010. The writing was on the wall. With many movies and shows just a click or two away, today's kids will never know the quiet joy of being able to actually HOLD a great film in your hands. It's tangible, it required some effort to obtain, it's real. Call me a dinosaur if you will, but I don't think we should give up on physical media.

   I can't be the only person that spends as much time scrolling through the menus of Netflix and Hulu as I do watching their content. With dozens of options, we can rarely decide, and then boredom sets in. Our subconscious realizes how impersonal this set-up is. The part of our brain that doesn't appreciate anything, kicks in. We know it's not special. When I go to the store to buy or rent a DVD, I've made a commitment. I did some work, and now I'm invested. That feeling is non-existent when you never have to leave the couch. Netflix is inadequate if you're a film buff. I'm the type of guy that randomly craves an obscure movie from the '70s. I don't give a shit what's trending or popular. I'm not watching some crappy show just to make conversation at the watercooler. No corporate tyrant is going to decide what I watch, based on what his company's budget can afford to carry that month.



   I don't know about you, but I'm not paying for six streaming services. Disney+ is launching in late November, so congratulations are in order if you already own "Snow White" and "Incredibles 2" and everything in between(expect the Mouse House to gradually raise their subscription fee). I'd like to thank Netflix for funding "The Irishman", but I won't forget that Reed Hastings also funded a fifty-year old Adam Sandler's output as well. Hulu can't hold a candle to my DVD rack. What are you going to do the next time you're in the mood for a bad-ass flick from the '90s, and nobody has it? You're going to watch something wildly inferior instead. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go listen to my Roger Ebert "Citizen Kane" commentary track. You can't hear it anywhere else.






Updated Jan 2020
Disney+ has reportedly removed "Home Alone 1 and 2", "The Sandlot" and "Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides", continuing their common practice of "vaulting". "Home Alone 3" still remains.