Long Live the Physical Media!!

 

Last year, right at the start of the first Lockdown I had the idea to start making zines. Not the film ones I make from time to time but real pen and paper and photocopy zines. I managed to put together a few pages but, in all honesty, it wasn't my best work. I salvaged the best pages and will be adding them to something I'm putting together for my 10-year anniversary of this blog. One page that I kept was a rant, a train of thought, relevant for the time, about owning DVDs and Blu rays. Apologies for the scattered handwriting. This reveals how crazy my handwriting is.

Despite streaming services being the go-to for most people, including myself, to watch films, TV, music and the odd audiobook, physical media is being kept alive by the collectors. The ‘old’ media that entertained us when we were young is always looked upon fondly now and resurrected for a nostalgia trip. As we’ve all been kept inside away from everything, these nostalgia trips are happening quite frequently. I’d love to go through the boxes still at my parents that I know contain cassette tapes, videos and there’s even a shoe box with the last of my CD collection I couldn’t get rid of. I used to be the proud owner of a large audiobook collection, mostly children’s and young adult books, quite a few Jaqueline Wilson tapes and a few Jane Austen tapes, as well as a few odd ones that I never heard of anywhere else, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen anyone? With only a few videos surviving, half of which are recorded, I had tried to convert this collection to DVDs but some I couldn’t find. Without these boxes of nostalgia to pour over, I’ve looked to collection that I moved with.

 

It’s been said that the Millennials are the ones keeping physical media alive, having grown up in an age without everything at our fingertips or having the ease of streaming services for anything you could dream of. But I also think there has been a resurgence of the ‘special/limited edition’ that has caught the eye of those who collect. Distributors like Arrow and the Criterion collection are going strong with these releases, bringing cult classics into the new era and those long-forgotten gems out of the dark for new audiences to discover. Other labels such as Indicator, Vintage Classics and 101 Films focusing different genres, also offering extra features and physical extras too. Bringing out new releases to celebrate an anniversary or even just a ‘first time’ release is an opportunity. These are all for the collectors, of which I thought there were few but after a search on Instagram with the right hashtags, I find that I am most definitely not alone or at least it’s not just film writers and Film Twitter out there. The appeal of physical media is not a niche thing as I had thought.

 

My scribbles from last year were in frustrated response to digital copies being deleted as and when companies wish rendering bought digital copies useless. For anyone who loves to own the real thing, there will always be DVD/Blu ray and now 4K releases. Vinyl made its way back from being 50p in a charity shop to back on the shelves, cassette tapes are also having a mini comeback. CDs might not have the same appeal, but, you never know.

 

Let's Play!

Park Circus are doing what they do best, celebrating classic films. This month their attention has been on films that embody the theme of 'play'.

When we think of ‘playful’ cinematic films, what could be more playful than two desperate out of work musicians, Joe and Gerald, who witness a mob killing and got on the run disguised as women. Of course, Billy Wilder’s classic comedy is much more than the premise. With fun, fast laughs and jazz, real hot, the fact that Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are dressed as their counterparts Josephine and Daphne is only the surface.

 Men dressing up as women has been a comedic play in many a film, but what sets this film apart is the details ranging from the stereotypes such as the perverted old millionaire who sets his sights on Daphne or the mobsters who hide their weapons in interesting places to the ridiculous, involving ice being dropped, causing an emergency stop of the train. In fact, one the most playful elements of the film is when Joe dresses up as a man again, but this time, he’s an emotionally stunted millionaire, in an attempt to seduce Sugar (Marilyn Monroe), singer of the all-girl jazz band. It’s strange to think a man dressed up as a woman but dresses up as a man is the oddest delight in the film’s narrative.

Celebrating its 60^th anniversary, the film stands the test of time through its comedic timing, performances (especially Lemmon) and heart, whether its broken, beating or bruised. Despite being a film ‘of its time’ it can still be watched through a modern lens with appreciation, because, well, ‘nobody’s perfect’. 

For a more in depth look at 'Some Like it Hot' have a read of what I wrote HERE.

Thursday Movie Picks: Movies You Walked Out Of

I don't walk out of films, mostly because I've paid to be there and want my money's worth. I also stay because I need to see it all to have a valid opinion at the end, whether I love it or hate it. This the same for press screenings BUT there have been films where I've either very much wanted to leave or had to turn off. This week's theme was chosen by Brittani from Rambling Film.

Dog Eat Dog

This is a terrible film. I hate it with all of my being. Nicolas Cage, Willem Dafoe and Christopher Matthew Cook are three former prisoners who are hired to kidnap a baby and share the ransom money. It is a horrible film and I hated it from the very violent opening scene with Dafoe. Hated it so much I didn't finish it.

Ladyworld

I would have actually left this film but because of where I was sitting I would have disturbed a lot of other people and has no other choice but to walk  in front of the screen to get out. My thoughts on the mess of this film can be read here.

Scorch Trials

The second film/book in the Maze Runner series, which I had read and was interested to see how they would let this story play out. Its over complicated in the book BUT eventually made sense. However, as the first film changed things from the book (made sense to to be honest) I knew it was going to be different. Its in this post for a reason, so, I hated it. I got through a third of the film, where it is NOTHING like the book. The book is ok so I had hoped it would be better but nope its just bad. It's so bad, I stopped, then skipped ahead, then just left it. I didn't care what happened to Thomas and his merry band of maze buddies. I didn't care how or if they made it across the desert or what was WICKED. As I said, its an over complicated story and there are many plot points that don't make sense. I didn't even know the third film came out, The Death Cure, at some point. I didn't bother with the last book either.

Don't forget to check out where it all started over at
Wandering Through the Shelves