This week's A.V. Club inventory focuses on twenty-three films that have yet to appear on Region 1 DVD. Reading through it, I'm reminded that not everything is on DVD, and there is still a hunt for hard-to-find gems. I knew there was a good reason to still have a region-free DVD player and a VCR.
Thanks to Trailers From Hell and almost any interview with Quentin Tarantino, there is no shortage of lost films that I might like to see. Part of the enjoyment in these movies is the scarcity of finding a copy. As nice as it is to have old films restored and readily available on DVD, there seems to be something special with the hunt.
Case in point, a few months ago, I watched Freebie and the Bean for the first time. I enjoyed the film even though what I watched was a DVD-R rip from an old VHS tape. Since the aspect ratio of the film (2.35:1 I believe) was shrunk to fit the pan-and-scan 4:3, plenty got left out of the picture. Still, I found the film to be enjoyable and I hope someday it's released on DVD in widescreen.
But I can't forget something Tarantino once said on a commentary track. Saying something along the lines of seeing an old print of El Topo versus seeing a pristine copy of the film on DVD, it just wasn't the same. In other words, there's a personal sense of liking something that a lot of people have forgotten about or don't even know of its existence. The film is not going to look good and the chances of it appearing in a pristine transfer are small, thus making the gem seem more appealing.
That said, I can't forget seeing Kentucky Fried Movie in widescreen and on DVD. I got so much more out of seeing the film that way, and I have not pined to see it on VHS in pan-and-scan. So, there's always a hunt going on, and that's part of the fandom of films in general.
Thanks to Trailers From Hell and almost any interview with Quentin Tarantino, there is no shortage of lost films that I might like to see. Part of the enjoyment in these movies is the scarcity of finding a copy. As nice as it is to have old films restored and readily available on DVD, there seems to be something special with the hunt.
Case in point, a few months ago, I watched Freebie and the Bean for the first time. I enjoyed the film even though what I watched was a DVD-R rip from an old VHS tape. Since the aspect ratio of the film (2.35:1 I believe) was shrunk to fit the pan-and-scan 4:3, plenty got left out of the picture. Still, I found the film to be enjoyable and I hope someday it's released on DVD in widescreen.
But I can't forget something Tarantino once said on a commentary track. Saying something along the lines of seeing an old print of El Topo versus seeing a pristine copy of the film on DVD, it just wasn't the same. In other words, there's a personal sense of liking something that a lot of people have forgotten about or don't even know of its existence. The film is not going to look good and the chances of it appearing in a pristine transfer are small, thus making the gem seem more appealing.
That said, I can't forget seeing Kentucky Fried Movie in widescreen and on DVD. I got so much more out of seeing the film that way, and I have not pined to see it on VHS in pan-and-scan. So, there's always a hunt going on, and that's part of the fandom of films in general.
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