Folk Horror, Tick Bites & Burt Reynolds

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We asked, you answered. According to readers of this newsletter, the preferred way to watch movies is 1) Physical Media, 2) On the Big Screen, and 3) Streaming.

Can’t say we’re surprised. But it’s always nice to confirm these things. 

The big screen is the ideal way to watch. But what used to be the common man’s cheap entertainment has become an absurdly expensive experience, and the selection is severely limited. Streaming is convenient, with an almost too-wide selection that’s subject to unavailability. And everything about it feels disposable. 

But physical media…it still has so much going for it. 

I hardly need to mention its benefits; you already know why you love it–it’s always available, has bonus features (if you watch them), it’s tangible, not disposable, to name a few. One reader commented that it’s absolutely necessary if you’re watching 3D movies. And, of course, there is the pleasure and thrill of collecting.

Even better, each day brings drool-worthy deluxe editions of movies you’d never expect to get the royal treatment. I suspect there are instances where a movie’s deluxe 4k release received more time, love, and care than the actual making of the film. 

The biggest downside to physical media? The format updates, of course. But no law that says you must update your collection. I still have plenty of VHS and DVDs on the shelf (that I watch). My preferred format is blu-ray. For now. And no matter what format you have, at least it’s THERE. And, often, each disc has a memory attached to it.

Do you still get a small thrill when you see that dusty DVD on the shelf with the Anchor Bay logo on it?  

I do. 

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