Stephen Mosher On The DVD Collection
You should see the look on peoples’ faces when, first, they see the collection. Shock. Admiration. Envy. Amazement. It’s everywhere. It has always been there. It takes up the entire living room. First it was vhs tapes. Now it’s dvds. It is unlikely we will make the switch to blue ray, I don’t care how good the quality. I’m fine with the collection as it is. I will not spend the money to replace it all on blue ray the way I did when vhs was replaced by dvd. It would cost thousands.
Because the collection is extensive.
I was an unpopular kid. So was Pat. We had a couple of friends but, for the most part, we were alone. There was a great deal of time spent in the library for me, I imagine the same was true for Pat. But, as we aged, there was even more time spent at the movies and sitting in front of the TV – we have both confirmed this with one another. The cinematic artform became our comfort and our company. We loved the artform and the storytelling. We still do. It is very important to tell stories and to make art. And, as people involved in the entertainment industry (Pat as actor, me as observer), it is important to see what people are doing, what’s good and what goes.
The truth of the matter is, though, that these films on screens big and small became our friends over the years. As our comfort and our company, they became ingrained in our system, they were in our blood, they were and are like old friends. It was important to have them at our fingertips. Any time either of us has needed cheering up, these three plus decades, we have any one of these systems to brighten the day:
- Stand and look at the collection until a random surprise name jumps out at us, saying “watch me”
- Meditate for a moment on what will lift the mood. When the answer bubbles to the surface, get down the disc and go to town.
- Reflect on what movie has been the topic of conversation recently and acknowledge that it’s a sign you need to watch it again.
- Ask each other for a name.
Pat and I can carry on entire conversations in movie quotes. Sometimes, out of the blue, one of us will say a line from a movie and the other will reply with another. Ten or so quotes in we know that a screening of the film is in order. Well. Not all movies are on Netflix. Or amazon. Or on demand. And why pay for it when you can reach up and get it. What could be better than doing housework while watching Jumpin’ Jack Flash? What happens when your husband is rehearsing for the new movie of Hamlet and you have a hankering to hear the Words, Words, Words monologue? What if Carrie Fisher dies and you have a hankering to do a double feature of Star Wars and When Harry Met Sally? How about the time you have to get over having your heart stomped by someone you love who, clearly, doesn’t reciprocate the way you would like – and the only way to do it is to watch all the musical numbers from Gypsy, Victor/Victoria, A Star Is Born, Cabaret and Hello Dolly? How about when you had to cut and serve the dragon shaped red velvet cake and it gave you a hankering to watch Steel Magnolias? How about the time your husband was in bed sick and needed some TLC and the only thing that would work was a double feature of The Love Bug and The Happiest Millionaire?
This DVD collection has been the best money we have spent over the years. And it isn’t limited to the dvds people see on the bookcase. There are caselogics full of dvds of movies recorded off of tv –movies never released on dvd, movies never even released on vhs, rare hard to find TV movies, specials and all the shows that made us happy growing up. We have box sets of TV shows and we have flop tv shows never released commercially. These make great Christmas presents by the way. One day we will be old and tired and want to just spend our time sitting on the sofa, laughing at Lucy, crying with Carrie, dying over The Doctor.
Oh, wait. That’s what it’s like for us now.
And what would we do without The DVD Collection?
Pout, probably.
