2 July 2008
First round of cuts
No time like the present to make some tough decisions. Here’s the first block of DVDs on the collection chopping block (VHS will have to wait for now as they are currently housed at an off-site location).
Sphere
I saw this when it released in theatres. I’m a sci-fi junkie so I was pleased with the subject matter. I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Michael Crichton. Although I’ve seen many of his movie adaptations I don’t think I’ve read any of his books. Also, I saw Sphere during the time I thought Barry Levinson was Barry Sonnennfeld. I was anticipating a certain visual style but got something a little different. However, the visuals are still quite impressive.
I don’t remember the price but I know I bought Sphere at a discounted price. It’s in one of the cardboard snap cases that Warner Bros. utilized for a time. Most people hate them, that’s probably why I like them.
I like the movie but it’s not one I’ll watch over and over again. The main reason to keep it is for Samuel L. Jackson. I have nine Sam Jackson movies in my collection but that’s mainly due to the fact that he’s in so many movies. I don’t have sections within my collection for Dustin Hoffman (4 movies), Sharon Stone (3), or Barry Levinson (just Sphere). I was also surprised to find this is the only Liev Schreiber movie I have. He’s a “that guy”. [FYI, I'm a huge fan of "that guy". To be explored further in another entry.]
Sphere is currently in the cut pile. I want to watch it again before parting with it. I’ll see if that changes my opinion.
Nosferatu: The First Vampire
This is the original vampire movie. It beat Dracula by more than a decade. I bought this DVD from Wal-Mart. It was one of the really cheap titles. I mean the really cheap titles. I was surprised to find something I’d actually heard of. This is the updated version hosted by David Carradine and with music by Type O Negative (who?). I don’t really know how all this updating comes in to play as I still haven’t watched this DVD. I believe I bought it when Shadow of the Vampire was out. Oddly I don’t own that movie.
Nosferatu is going to be cut. It might make a good companion piece to Shadow of the Vampire but in a higher quality version. Likely I’ll just add Shadow of the Vampire and bump Nosferatu. I’ll make time to watch this piece of film history.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
I may have seen this at the theatre, I don’t really recall. I do know that I watched it on home video a lot over the years. This was an amazing movie for animation fans. I picked up the DVD years later as an unclaimed lost and found item. It’s a slightly weathered 2-disc Vista Series version of the DVD.
I haven’t watched this movie in a long time. I’ll wait to decide on its fate until I’ve done so again. Roger Rabbit might simply be passé or I might rediscover an old favourite.
That’s a start. Three of the first three movies are ones I want to watch again. This process might be more daunting than I first thought. Fun though.
