by Jarret Liotta

WESTPORT — Like a Long-Playing record fan, I’m summarily attached to my DVD collection.

Film, Film, Film

Along with my own film-making passions, I’m an avid fan of all flavors of film — fun fluff, foreign, hifalutin, fast-paced, feeling-generators … fuggedaboudit! … I’ve watched more movies than most people ever will, and — given my creative interests — have probably watched them many more times than most people would ever care to.

Yet my attachment to collecting DVDs in particular is many-faceted. Aside from the obvious reasons — like having a viewing option that doesn’t fail with every random mood swing of my precarious internet connection — I really like owning my art, as opposed to renting it from one of the shadowy conglomerates.

Every time I turn around, something that used to belong to me is being taken away and then rented back to me at the discretion of the Empire.

Why Rent When You Can Buy?

I used to own my video editing software, for instance, but now I’m only allowed to rent it. Consequently, I often wonder whether the various things I may be working on will suddenly cease to exist, be lost in a “cloud,” or even suddenly appear on someone else website with their name on it.

When my kids were in Westport Public Schools I found it disturbing that all of their written work was held in captivity through this thing called Google Docs. Kids have been conditioned, in fact, to let their documents — their own writing, their own thoughts, etc. — remain in a sort of quasi-public ownership … This means not only is the school system’s “security” module monitoring so-called red flag words & phrases that may show up in a poem or piece of prose — didn’t know about that, huh! — but when it comes time to even save a file for private use it can be near impossible to do that.

Aw, don’t get me started! I’m STILL trying to get my phone to work & my money back from AT&T! I can’t tackle it all, folks — a little help, maybe!

Speaking of my phone, in the past I’ve had the experience with Apple’s iTunes, wherein I purchased music — I supposedly bought it, implying my ownership — only to have it lost when it couldn’t be transferred to a newer computer device. People are encouraged to get around that problem now, however, by renting their music monthly. Sure, if affords you lots of selections and playlists, but ultimately it’s all — in essence — at the discretion of the company whether you keep it, where you can keep it, etc.

Doesn’t that kind of suck?!

Tangible Pleasures

That’s part of why I love the tangibility of my DVDs. They’re here when I want to them, day or night (like my records). Unlike so much in this new world, I can — at the risk of sounding strangely naughty — have a tangible, tactile relationship with these lovely works of art at my discretion.

As I do also dabble in the streaming services, it’s been nice and affirming to see some of the films I own and adore are not always necessarily available to the common person. Some of my beloved rarities include “Little Murders,” “Fright Night 2,” and “Someone’s Watching Me!” (the rarely seen John Carpenter made-for-TV classic starring the lovely Lauren Hutton).

I’d like to share some of my many favorite titles — including some of great TV — but time is growing short … Perhaps I’ll do a follow-up and include the joys of Special Features, box art, and the sheer fun of just having a collection to alphabetize when you’re a Virgo!

Suffice it to say — Discretionary conglomerate merchandise leasing = Bad; Lovely personal DVD collection = Good.

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