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It's a rainy day outside in the middle of summer, and you decide to put the Blu-ray disc of one of your favorite comfort films in the DVD player. Or maybe it's a cold winter night, and you happen to have a VHS tape of a film you've cherished since childhood. There's something strangely magical about that sensation. Amidst all the everyday challenges of our lives, we can always find tranquility in the simplicity of popping a disc/tape in our film player. No matter how many times that DVD/VHS has been rewound, the joy of watching a film you physically own is nothing short of magical.
That's what many people would've said before 2020. Today, that deep, personal magic seems to have been almost completely replaced with the convenience of online platforms. For further exploration, YouTuber/filmmaker Chris Stuckmann provides a meaningful insight into this topic (Why Physical Media Matters to Me).
Before I continue, I must admit that streaming platforms have been immensely beneficial for me throughout the past few years. As a tremendous cinephile and aspiring actor and filmmaker, I do my best to watch and analyze as many films as possibleā€“ranging from American classics to influential international dramas. HBO Max and the Criterion Channel in particular have both undoubtedly helped me with regard to accessing more obscure works of cinema, and I will always be thankful for those platforms for doing so. Yet, in my eyes, "beneficial" does not necessarily equate to "fulfillment." I began to notice the effects of the decline of physical media shortly after COVID.
Ever since the pandemic, streaming platforms (Netflix, Hulu, AppleTV, etc.) have absolutely thrived; they have acted essentially as the "knight in shining armor" of entertainment during that time period. The convenience of finding any film on any platform slowly but surely began to outshine physical media, even with the occasional rental options. Granted, nobody on Earth has every single DVD/VHS ever created, which is why I believe streaming platforms should serve as an additional privilege rather than a primary dependency when it comes to film.
But there's more.
What about streaming elements like ad plans, subscriptions, and a limited amount of time to watch certain films? These aspects often hinder us from truly experiencing cinema to its greatest potential. The magic of owning a physical copy of a film carries a type of beauty that the streaming fails to fully offer ā€“ a sense of deep, personal attachment. While there has been a slight increase in domestic DVD and Blu-ray sales in the past few years in some cases (The Numbers), I genuinely believe that the film industry in the post-COVID era resulted in extreme tension between physical media and the disadvantages of streaming, and that continues today. Sales are nowhere near the levels that they used to be.
Supporting films in movie theaters is undeniably important, since it lets filmmakers know that we care about the overall film experience and that we want to see their careers flourish. That's absolutely fantastic, but then buy these films on DVD or Blu-ray to own. We communicate to the industry with our wallets, which is something that online streaming cannot replicate. The industry hears us when we purchase physical media. However, I also recognize the expenses that come from constant purchasing. Spending $20-30 per Blu-ray can be challenging, and so that's where streaming platforms shine in countless homes. Yet, I still stand by my argument that we should prioritize our love for film through physical ownership rather than through a screen; it will remind us of simpler times where wonder took control over our cinematic desires.
So what's my point with all this? It can be said in five simple words: bring back the old times. There was nothing quite like the feeling of walking through a Blockbuster, where different stories and worlds surrounded us like the ocean. Sorting our DVDs and VHS tapes into any order we wanted at home brought forth a nostalgic feeling of simplicity and creativity. While some people still do this even after COVID, the rapid decline of sales is like slowly saying goodbye to an old friend. I long for a reunion with that old friend, spending time together, just like the good old days.
The magic of film still exists, but the true magic of film lies beyond the streaming platforms.
