Curating vs. Archiving: How I Collect

This video is about Untitled Project

[@perryfan49]

I’m a huge fan of Jackie Chan! I am in the process of tracking down every movie he was ever involved with. I’m well over 100! I’m big into Martial Arts so 88 Films and Eureka are being very kind right now!

[@colinbradbury2334]

Very thought-provoking video. Got me thinking about my own habits. I think I'm more of a curator in that my collection is smaller (maybe 600 DVDs & Blu Rays) and I tend to own things because I like them or I have good reason to believe that I will (if I haven't watched them yet). I don't get the urge that some people have to hoover up dozens of titles because they're cheap and personally I cringe a bit when people talk about their latest 'haul' as that sounds like they're buying movies by the pound. Let's face it, there must be literally millions of DVD and Blu Ray titles out there and nobody can possibly own them all. Having a basement full of thousands of unwatched titles would just make me feel anxious (especially when a vast number of them are probably absolute crap!) I also don't get the desire to buy special editions. I see people's collections on You Tube with discs in presentation briefcases or in the base of a massive bust of a head of one of the characters. I don't get the excitement around interchangeable 'lenticular' covers or whatever. I also think the spine-numbering thing is basically clever marketing. Why you'd want to buy an expensive title that you know you won't like just to fill a gap is beyond me. BUT that's all just my personal opinion and however people decide to collect is 100% their decision and good for them for enjoying it. It makes the world a more interesting place. So here's my latest record of buying titles. After reading this, am I a curator or collector? 1. I watched a couple of Wes Anderson movies. Really liked them so bought a couple more, then a couple more until I have all nine of his films. So I do have a complete Anderson collection, but only because I love them all. 2. I had a hankering to watch John Carpenter's The Fog, having not seen it for years. At the same time I bought The Thing, which I saw years ago and wanted to re-watch, plus Prince of Darkness which had good reviews. I already had Christine. I will probably also buy Village of the Damned as I like the story and might pick up a couple of others. BUT I have seen Memoirs of an Invisible Man and Escape from LA. I think both are pretty crappy so I won't buy them just to have a complete Carpenter collection. 3. I saw the Arrow Sale. I bought the Andromeda Strain and Cinema Paradiso which I haven't seen for years but know I like them. I'm not interested in presentation boxes or whatever but I love special features, interviews etc. and don't mind paying a bit more for releases that have all that. 4. My first ever VHS tape was Wall Street which my wife bought for me for a huge amount of money in about 1988. Haven't watched it for a while so I bought it on DVD just now. I was in the mood for more of the same so I also ordered The Big Short, Inside Job and Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room at the same time. I used to work in finance so enjoy this genre of documentary/docu-drama. 5. Just picked up Parasite. Haven't seen it but the reviews are so good and friends who've seen it love it, so I'm pretty sure I will enjoy it. Does that all make me a 'curator' then? I'm certainly not a completist so probably not an archivist. Sorry for the long post, but it's a really interesting topic and I feel like I need some therapy to decide where I sit on the continuum!

[@otsmovies]

Colin Bradbury lol to me you are definitely a curator. Curators buy what they like. They also enjoy discovery through cold buys and trade them off if they don’t like them. There’s no right or wrong, but I think it’s important to understand why we collect before we end up drowning in a sea of bad movies. For it to be shelf worth y it needs to be something I like and it needs to be the video and audio available. If the one in the briefcase has atmos audio and 4k well that’s the one to buy. ....

[@colinbradbury2334]

Off the Shelf Movie Night 'Drowning in a sea of bad movies'! Hilarious - and exactly right. When I see people with say. 2,000 discs I want point out that at one film every single day, it would take them almost 6 years to watch their entire collection. Which of course they will never do. Very much enjoying the channel anyway.

[@otsmovies]

@@colinbradbury2334 Thanks so much! Yes with that many films you'd never get them watched in a year. If you like all 2,000 of them I still get it because when you're in the mood for a film, you have access to it. For me though, if I'm not a fan of a film it's just collecting dust in a spot where a movie I do like could be living. Movies are neant to be watched. To each his own though.

[@colinbradbury2334]

@@otsmovies "Movies are meant to be watched." Great summary! Keep up the good work my man!

[@BirdArvid]

Wholeheartedly agree with everything in your opening paragraphs!

[@willieg7895]

Whats up my friend, happy hunting! Its dollar tree time guys! I hit the mother lode friday night after work and Saturday! 80 titles! i went to all my DTs in the area, 2 goodwills, acts thrift store in pomona, california and the pawn shop. I have 2 goodwills that still havent reopened and probably won't anytime soon but that's another subject. Anywho, this was everything I found at every place I went. Fair warning, this isn't just DT, it's from all over. I found shock and awe, astronaut, alterscape which also includes hologram man and the silencers, visions, doe, Frank & Lola, kiltro, the pirates of somalia, american hangman, sexy beast, hotel, angel eyes, pretty persuasion, CQ, no mercy, mystery date, in the bedroom, chasing ghosts, code 46, control, death tunnel, the program, alex rider: operation stormbreaker, end of watch, bound, black cat run, hero, phenomenon, tomcats, the canyon, the recall, a 10 movie action pack that includes family of cops 2 and nine others, the church, whacked, flight of the navigator, bandits, ravenous, restitution, the bride, live wire, taffin, Jay and silent bob strike back, I'll follow you down, prom night 3 pack that comes with 1, 2, and 4 and didnt include #3, the take down, off the menu, kill Katie malone, distorted, una, prolonged exposure, dont knock twice, maximum impact, breakaway, look away, the humanity bureau, the girl in the photographs, he's out there, we belong together, what lies ahead, sleeping dogs lie 3 movie pack which includes taken in broad daylight and headhunter: the assessment weekend, high voltage, that awkward moment, wwe unforgiven 2002, wwe Daniel Bryan, the adventures of mark twain, the boat, magnificent seven 4 movie pack, Roman j Israel esq, the protectors complete collection, and supercon. Every title listed cost $3 or less! Doomsday prepping time guys! I also picked up 24 more titles last monday on my day off at 2 goodwills and the pawn shop. That day, I got cloned, the arrival 1 and 2, planet terror, the last legion, a scanner darkly, Jackie brown, duets, earthsea, project almanac, iron monkey 1 and 2, Cadillac records, red state, 1408, navy seals, the big white, Christina's house, the bodyguard, simone, mimic, deadly impact with Fred "the hammer" Williamson, redline, slipstream, and kalifornia. I figured I'd make the most of my hauls since we might be going back into lockdown again and other things that went on in the news and the sjw's and the PC cancel culture

[@otsmovies]

Movieman909 WOWWWW: 80 tiles! That’s incredible! How do you prioritize watching pickups? Do they just go on the shelf and you watch them whenever they grab you or do you push new purchases to the front of the line?

[@9latinumStudioz]

We are the same lol

[@actualnotanewbie]

8:46 The hunt is so fun. Now that I have a full time job I've started collecting discs in earnest; I began by getting the For Your Consideration versions of my favorite FX shows (some of which I own on iTunes, but I want the nicest physical copies of my media as well as digital), and now I'm onto rarer or out of print disc collections now. Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes Season 1 on Blu-Ray just arrived in the mail, and I'm currently trying to get a multi-season DVD of Summer Camp Island shipped here to America from Canada. It can be frustrating not being able to get what I want...I'm very mad at Warner Brothers for writing off Final Space, now I can't buy any of the Blu-Rays or DVDs at all because of how rare they are...but this also makes the wins so much more satisfying that if I got any old bargain bin Blu Ray copy.

[@actualnotanewbie]

9:27 what I hate most about those bargain bin copies is that they're very barebones; they very rarely even have slipcovers, which is something I always want on my Blu-Rays but usually aren't hard to come by.

[@HammersHomeVideo]

I think if you're into Magnet and Magnolia titles then for sure I'd check out Dollar Trees. Bad Milo, Frank, The Neon Demon, Big Bad Wolves etc on bluray. There could be better versions but I'm not aware of them.

[@otsmovies]

Oh wow yup those labels put out some solid films! Now that convinces me I may need to look...

[@808physicalmedia9]

Do you sell your free studio blu-ray Movies?

[@otsmovies]

When I get something for review? If I don't like it, and it's a full retail copy yes I'll sell it or trade it. If it's a screener, jyst a burned disc, I do not sell/trade those. Out of respect for the studio I don't let those circulate.

[@willieg7895]

I'm more of a collector as opposed to a curator or an archiver. I'm not real picky about formats. It depends on which format is cheaper or which format I come across first. When it comes to amazon it comes to which one is cheaper and when it comes to shopping out in the wild ar DT, big lots, goodwills, thrift stores or pawn shops, it depends on which format I come across first. And I have a lot of movies that dont have a bluray or 4k release.

[@otsmovies]

Movieman909 So how do you decide what to buy? Is it a purchase of opportunity or do you have a want list? Cost is generally more important than image and sound quality? I’m with you, I have several DVDs that never made it to a newer format

[@actualnotanewbie]

4:11 are they actually better though? Most 1080p Blu-Rays will have a far higher quality than a 4K iTunes file.

[@otsmovies]

It really depends on the title.

[@simonroberts7994]

I buy standard blurays only films think I would. I'd only buy a dvd if there was a movie or TV show isn't on bluray also if i did ever double I'd exchange the older copie for something else I know some people will get the same movie on say dvd, bluray, 3d bluray and 4k that's not me

[@otsmovies]

Agree. The only time I keep a movie on multiple firmats is if there are different bonus features.

[@jbwuzhere6819]

If my finances permitted it I would probably be an archivist but since I operate on a limited budget I've become more of a curator by necessity. I won't buy every sequel of a particular franchise just because they exist. If something is just too expensive I'm content to wait, possibly forever, before adding it to my collection (Shaw scopE Volume 2 for example) I often wait for seasonal sales like Criterion, Kino, etc. to save on wishlist titles. It don't see it as being cheap, it's being mindful of your priorities . I'd rather buy one title that I LOVE per month than to buy 3-5 that I l simply ike for the same price. It took years to get to a point where I'm comfortable with the things that I don't own but I'm totally there now. BTW, great video.

[@MyPourDecisions]

What would you classify me as? Im more nostalgic with my collection. My movies are something I grew up with, i can watch over and over, and even will sometimes watch an older movie I own over something I haven't watched yet. I'll buy the best quality that is available at the time. Whether that be 4k, or bluray. I don't currently buy anything that is only on dvd unless I find it cheap second hand. Eventually if it's a movie like I'll upgrade to blu-ray second hand. I just care about owning the movie and not about special features, cover art, etc. I don't even see the advantage of 4k if I already have the bluray

[@otsmovies]

I'd say you're still a curator. Doesn't sound like you try to own everything and just blind buy tons of random titkes abd thriw them.on the shelf for archival purposes. You are looking for films from your childhood. I also love getting nice editions of nostalgic movies too.

[@MyPourDecisions]

@@otsmovies yeah ive got about 600 titles between all the formats. 15 to 20 percent are dvd. The rest are bluray with maybe 20 to 30 4k titles. A new title I know I want I'll buy on 4k. I haven't upgraded a single bluray to 4k as to me it's just not worth it. Ive got a 4k tv and player but haven't upgraded beyond a soundbar to take advantage of the audio. Maybe once I do I will get more into the top end viewing I have embraced digital media but primarily I use that as my rental. I can go on facebook and find somebody selling a code for 5 bucks for a movie im interested in whether ive seen it or not. If I like it, cheap movie. If I really like it and will watch again I'll buy the disc. If I don't like it, oh well im out 5 bucks which is about a dollar more than our local rental store for blurays and it's unlimited nights.

[@otsmovies]

@@MyPourDecisions Absolutely. I haven't bought many jyst digital movies but I do keep all of my digital codes that come with physical purchases because I like them for travel. I have rented from amazon for $2 or $3 but it does make sense to give a movie a go via a $5 digital code uf you can find it. I've gotten really good at looking at trailers and reading some reviews to determine if I'm going to like something. I'm right more often than wrong by the time I actually make a purchase.

[@MentalDeviant]

I'm definitely a curator. And I've gone where I do less blind buys it's usually because I like the director if I like the actors or if I like the genre. but I kind of got were maybe it's a mistake to buy every movie by an actor that I like because usually they do a stinker. But some actors I do want to see all their movies. You have a few movies my collection that I don't care for but I'm starting to weed those out. only movies that I own that maybe I'm not in love with are some of the classics from the 80s that I just found because they're classics I really need to watch some of those and make sure they're really what I like and I'm just not collecting movies to just have my collection because I know they're popular. Especially now that I girl might taste so much that I have a lot of underground cult movies. And I'd rather own them then classic movies but some classics are classics but I really like Scarface. But you know I've done to follow directors an actor is a star to figure that out at one point that what kind of bond movies was certain directors are certain actors sometimes by accident. My vegan recently got into some new directors and hope they put out some new content.

[@otsmovies]

Mental Deviant I will consider a blind buy based on actor but I’m more likely to buy based on director. I don’t make as many blind buys as I used to. Since the value on DVD has dropped so much it’s hard to recoup money if I don’t end up liking the movie.

[@MentalDeviant]

@@otsmovies I know what you mean even if I buy one for a dollar I have to sell 20 at my local movie/game store to get $5 back. The only reason I like digital is to try before I buy it. it's really tempting though if one of my favorite actors get together with one of my favorite directors. You've probably never heard of it but re:born with Tak sakaguchi from the movie Versus is finally being released in the US tomorrow! He teamed up with the same director as death trance. I did get a chance to watch reborn on KZbin. So it's not a blind buy. Now that director and him are teaming up again for crazy samurai musashi in 2020. and honestly I would probably just buy it if I saw it for sale based on the director and the actor.

[@otsmovies]

@@MentalDeviant I've heard if it but have not seen it. It sounds crazy. An actir/director combo definitely inspires a blind buy for me if I didn't already see the film in theaters. If something I'm curious about is available for a few bucks to rent digitally yeah I'll do that to check it out before buying the blu.

[@roundcore]

To understand my collection it's both. I studied TV production at ACC College, Film at CFS (Colorado Film School) and worked at two TV stations. So I have a personal interest in collecting. It's not a hobby it's a career. Specifically I have 3,100 feature films on DVD, a few TV Shows, and a small collection of Blu-ray Discs. My process is, I buy it, Scan the cover, file the DVD, and add the art work to my collection. Put that on a flash card and put it in my phone. It took 3 years. I have movies I like and don't like. I constantly visit Wikipedia pages. A example is (1994 in film) and download PDF,s of every movie on the list both national and international. When I have the time I will look more at the production process on KZbin. How a scene was shot, what camera tricks did they use, and what took place on the set. I still have a production board, required for the film "Tiger Street" which we shot at class. I also have 2,500 covers on file I borrowed from the library. Most of my working life was at Master Control. I knew the tech as well so that position was perfect. I have done everything from Pre Production to authoring. I have a small basement theater when I want to watch something.

[@popey129]

Cool video.i am a little of both categories.

[@MrChristianDT]

I'm not sure if I would be a Curator, or a whole other thing entirely. I mostly buy movies I know I will like, & will get rid of a blind-buy if it's really that bad, but I've been known to keep something in my collection just because of a single good quality that stands out to me-- good script, good director, good actor, but everything else sucks. I don't care so much about "best" quality. As long as something is good enough & functional, I will keep it & not replace it. I do err on having some bonus features, but if I happen to get a copy that doesn't have any, I won't usually go out of my way to replace it, either-- unless it's a movie that I really, really want to see features for. I'm also not one for owning multiple copies of a movie. If I get a new copy, the old one is likely being pawned or thrown in the trash & I won't rebuy something just because of a nice case, but I consider nice cases to be a bonus in the first place. I don't go for downloads, unless I have no other choice for adding it to my collection. I will admit, though, it's hard to be a film collector where I live. Most of our pawn shops don't really have movie collections anymore. We have a couple people who sell DVDs & Blurays at a local flea market, but what they have is limited to who shows up to buy/trade with them. The guy with the best collection there has almost all blockbusters that I already mostly have & crap. Virtually nothing in between in that spectrum. We have two used media retailers by the mall-- FYE & Buybacks. Buybacks is decent, but I haven't been to either in years. The only saving grace is that, recently, Walmart seems to be trying to offer a pretty varied selection of stuff all across the board & the last few times I've been there have been the only times in a while that I was mad because there were too many things I wanted that I couldn't afford. Lol

[@otsmovies]

Yeah brick and mortar is getting tough everywhere. In 2021 so far 100% if my purchases have been online.

[@BirdArvid]

I fall into the curating-fold, for sure. I buy physical copies of movies I love and want to own, but I differ from many about packaging and extras; yeah, a nice box is cool, and so are hours of extras, but to me, the quality of the film is THE important issue. Case in point: I will buy the 4k studio release of Parasite, not the Criterion release which is A: Dearer, and B: lower quality, as it's a 1080p Blu-ray, vs a 4k release. I'm sure there are many more "goodies" on the Criterion release and the packaging will be much more premium, but that's not central to me. The highest quality of the film itself (which I can afford!) is my main, overriding goal. My collection is very small, and I buy first, the movies I want which are available, and secondarily, the new releases which may or may not be around and I don't want to take a chance on that. When Breathless on 4k is released in November, I will order VERY early!! Now I DO go to charity shops and there I will, for fun, buy movies I kinda wanna see but don't want to spend lods of money on; I bought three classic musicals on DVD for a dollar a piece, and that made me happy! I should add, that when I win the lottery, I will morph into a curating archivist, i.e., I will in the next Criterion sale buy my entire wish-list on their website, and all the movies on my Amazon wish-list. But I will NOT run out and buy Back To the Future or Flash Gordon on 4k, or any of the other things being released on 4k or fine Bluray's if I don't like/want them, just to own them! Sure, I might see them again one day.. on a streaming service, and that's enough.

[@otsmovies]

I agree with you. The Paradite example is a good one. It pained me not to get the Criterion release for the packaging and extras but I had to skip it and go.for the 4k due to Superior image quality