Latest news with #DVDs
CNA
7 days ago
- General
- CNA
Did not 'feel right': Yale-NUS students say they were asked to destroy DVDs
SINGAPORE: Yale-NUS students who worked as student associates at the college library said they were asked to render DVDs unusable by library staff in April - about a month before the final cohort graduated. Two of them who spoke to CNA on condition of anonymity said they had not known beforehand that they were to scratch DVDs until they were assigned to do so during their respective shifts. Both recalled using penknives to scratch the discs. One of them, Janet (not her real name), said a librarian had instructed her to make four cuts on the discs so they could no longer be read. The student, who is from the last cohort, estimated scratching about 80 to 100 discs or around two full shelves of DVDs. She said that most were films in various languages, including several notable titles from the Criterion Collection - an American home-video distribution company that gathers the "greatest films" from around the world and publishes them in various editions at the highest technical quality. While she said she simply did what she was told, she felt "really sad" and that it did not "feel right" to destroy DVDs that were still in good condition. She told CNA that she had not questioned why the DVDs had to be scratched but did ask the library staff if she could excuse herself from helping out. "I (didn't) feel comfortable doing so. But the library staff (member) told me to help her still as they were running short of time," Janet said. Yale-NUS College, which is scheduled to close this year, had been preparing for renovations ahead of the relocation of the National University of Singapore (NUS) law faculty and its library to its premises. Another student associate, Ben, who is also from the graduating batch, said that he was told the discs had to be scratched "for security reasons". He too made cuts on two rows of DVDs on a library trolley, though he could not give an exact number. The destroyed DVDs were later thrown into a big trash bag along with their cases, Ben added. Asked how he felt during the process, he said: "(I) thought it was odd but plausible given that the school library had some DVDs that were not intended for mass distribution or at least restricted in Singapore. "But (I) also wondered if we had that many DVDs that were restricted." Responding to CNA's queries, Associate Professor Natalie Pang, University Librarian of NUS, said the rehoming of audiovisual collections involves different considerations compared to books. "Audiovisual materials are governed by licensing and copyright regulations, which restrict redistribution. We have integrated the DVDs we need into our collection. The DVDs which we were unable to rehome were those which could not be redistributed," she said. The university did not say how many DVDs were destroyed. "PHYSICAL STILL MATTERS" This latest revelation comes shortly after it came to light that 500 library books were recycled due to what NUS described as an "operational lapse". About 9,000 books had initially been earmarked for disposal. Circulated images of books being packed into rubbish bags and loaded onto a recycling truck sparked an outcry from alumni and students. Around 8,500 books were eventually salvaged after library staff learnt of students' interest in them. The titles have since been put up for book giveaways. Associate Professor Andrew Hui, who had previously expressed to CNA his disappointment in the handling of the library books, said the destruction of DVDs left him "stunned and heartbroken". The literature professor, who is also a founding faculty member, first found out about the matter last Friday afternoon, after quotes and screengrabs of DVDs were circulated on a Yale-NUS Telegram group. "I've never encountered such a literal act of destruction carried out in peacetime, at a university no less. It was a quiet, almost mundane directive that resulted in a small but real loss to cultural memory," said Assoc Prof Hui. He added: "The manner of their disposal felt unnecessarily punitive - especially involving student labour. The act of scratching felt symbolic: not just deletion, but cultural desecration." He recalled curating a list of films during the early days of Yale-NUS College when the library was being built from scratch, and making an "impassioned case" together with a colleague to acquire the entire Criterion Collection. The head of literature studies added that streaming platforms were unstable, with titles frequently disappearing and algorithms favouring popular content over what is essential. On the other hand, physical DVDs represented curated, lasting access to works of global significance, he said. He described them as tactile and archival, adding that they often come with scholarly materials, commentaries and interviews. "For students, they offer a way to encounter the canon of world cinema as something preserved, not fleeting," said Assoc Prof Hui.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Experts reveal the retro DVDs that are now worth a FORTUNE - with Carry On films topping the list
Many of us have old DVDs gathering dust in the attic or hidden away in cabinets. And while clearing them out might seem a gargantuan task, it could land you with a tidy profit. Experts have revealed the top 15 DVDs that could make you the most money. Topping the list is the complete DVD box set of the Carry On collection, containing all 31 films that were made over their 34-year span - which could sell for £350. Meanwhile if you have the limited edition castle box set of Monty Python and the Holy Grail, you could be in line for a £300 payout. The Blade Runner Ultimate Collector's Edition Briefcase could also fetch you £300, as well as a limited edition box set of The Godfather. Collectables expert Tracy Martin, enlisted by online gambling site Bally Casino, shared her expertise. She said: 'Collectable value can be due to rarity, different variants to the norm, oddities - misspelling on DVD cases or books - nostalgia - people buying back their memories, limited edition and basic supply and demand. Topping the list is the complete DVD box set of the Carry On collection, containing all 31 films that were made over their 34-year span - which could sell for £350 Meanwhile if you have the limited edition castle box set of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (scene from the film pictured), you could be in line for a £300 payout Anyone who owns 'The Godfather: The Coppola Restoration Limited Edition Blu-ray Box Set' could sell it for around £300 'There are so many reasons things are collectable. 'People don't always recognise they have things of value which is why they turn to valuers like me or do their own research online. 'Always research to ensure you get the best price achievable for your collectable by looking to see what similar items have sold for in the past.' Next on the list is The Avengers '62-64 Emma Peel Mega Set, which is worth about £275, while the wooden box limited edition of 1973's The Wicker Man could fetch £225. Others that make the top 15 include the ultimate restored blu-ray edition of The World at War, The Beatles Anthology DVD box set and the 'Just the Shows' DVD box set of Red Dwarf. For those who do have any of the DVDs mentioned, Ms Martin provided advice on the best way to get the best price. 'Find the perfect selling platform, that could be an auction selling site or a retail site,' she said. 'I prefer an auction with collectables as there is the option for worldwide visibility and also is more likely to encourage people to bid before the item expires, people love a deadline. The Blade Runner Ultimate Collector's Edition Briefcase could fetch £300, according to a collectibles expert Meanwhile anyone who has the 'Twin Peaks: The Entire Mystery Blu-ray Box Set' hiding in a box in the attic could sell it for about £225 The 'The Avengers '62-64 - Emma Peel Mega Set' is also worth digging out if you think you have a copy at home, experts said 'Start at a reasonable price and have a reserve in place so the item won't sell for less than you want. End the listing at the right time and day - Sunday night between 8 and 9pm is perfect as people are home relaxing browsing the internet.' Previously, experts have revealed the retro gadgets that are now worth a fortune, including phones, cassette players, and gaming consoles. Topping the list is the Sony Walkman TPS-L2 (1979) which fetches an average of £728.76 on eBay. Meanwhile, if you have a Motorola Microtac 9800X knocking about, you could be in for a £669.14 payout. 'Nostalgia sells—and when it comes to retro tech, some devices are worth a small fortune,' Protect Your Bubble explained.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Building the perfect film collection – with help from Ben Affleck
From the look of the queue stretching down Eagle Rock Boulevard in Los Angeles on a recent Saturday, you might have guessed a Hollywood A-lister was hosting a meet-and-greet. Hundreds of film fans – some of whom had been in line since 5am – were huddled under umbrellas, the rain doing little to dampen their spirits. But the attraction wasn't Timothee Chalamet, Zendeya or Tom Holland. It was a small white van, 16-square-feet inside, packed wall-to-wall with, of all things, DVDs. The Criterion Closet might be small in size but holds a huge place in online movie fandom. Since 2010, it's been the backdrop to over 250 episodes of Closet Picks, a series of beloved YouTube videos in which actors, writers, directors and the occasional musician raid a utility cupboard containing the archive of art-house and world cinema home video distributors Criterion. Guests have a few minutes to pick out DVDs and Blu-Rays of often obscure movies they'd like to take home, waxing lyrical about their admiration for said films as they go. On paper, that might sound like Supermarket Sweep, with less Dale Winton and more Agnès Varda. In actuality, it's more like Desert Island Discs, with guests' film choices becoming jumping off points for short, wholesome insights into who they are and how film has helped shape them. In one episode, songwriter Ben Gibbard of Death Cab For Cutie finds himself on the brink of tears discussing 1984 homelessness documentary Streetwise, because of his sister's involvement in youth homelessness. In another episode, Before Sunrise star Ethan Hawke regales his daughter Maya (of songwriting and Stranger Things fame) with tales of taking her mother, Uma Thurman, to see the John Cassavetes film Husbands on one of their first dates. Whoever the guest is, there's a film in the company's archive – the prestigious Criterion Collection, as it's known – that speaks to their life, their loves, their inspirations as a film-maker and often their anxieties about the world. In a decade and a half, the series has attracted 3.3 billion views and the biggest names in Hollywood; in the last few weeks alone, Ben Affleck, Seth Rogen and Carrie Coon have been among its guests. Closet Picks is often memed and parodied in viral videos that poke affectionately at the reverence of its guests towards cinema. (My personal favourite? The guy who staged his own Closet Picks in the DVD section of a sex shop). And if you venture to one of the world's premier cinephile spaces, you're bound to see at least one person wearing Criterion merch (you know the urban myth about how on the London underground, you're never more than six feet from a rat? That may actually be true of London's Prince Charles Cinema and people clutching Criterion tote bags). Though the closet that hit Los Angeles last weekend wasn't the actual Criterion Closet – that's in the company's New York offices – the mobile version that fans queued for in Eagle Rock, created to celebrate their 40th anniversary, remains a huge draw. The lines in LA mirrored similar queues in Texas at SXSW festival last year, where fans also waited for hours for just a three-minute slot inside. 'How did it come to this,' you might be wondering? And understandably so. Calling Closet Picks' success 'unexpected' is like calling the films of Criterion fave David Lynch 'a little bit kooky.' Physical media is supposed to be dead, its obituary written a thousand times over since the advent of streaming (DVD and Blu-Ray sales slumped 23.4 per cent in 2024, generating under $1 billion in sales; a drastic fall compared to 20 years ago, when sales exceeded $16 billion). And YouTube, lest we forget, is a platform where loud, hyper-bright content is what tends to attract millions of views per video – not static shots of a grey utility cupboard. (Ironically, for a series in which cineastes discuss some of the most beautifully shot cinema of all time, Closet Picks is, for all its other strengths, unavoidably drab in aesthetic.) Unlike other hugely popular YouTube series frequently by Hollywood royalty, there's no grabby hook to the series, or entertaining challenge to watch a celebrity take on. No one is participating in a fake romantic date in a chicken shop in Closet Picks; legendary documentarian Ken Burns isn't forced to put his ability to handle extra spicy sriracha sauce to the test when he makes his appearance in Closet Picks. And yet, the series, as one top Hollywood publicist tells me, rivals those YouTube successes as an 'this genuine against-the-odds sensation. In an otherwise quite cynical time for online content, it's so earnest – literally just people dorking out about DVDs, talking about movies they love. It's that simple.' Part of its popularity is undoubtedly the guests that Closet Picks attracts. Everyone from Gen Z favourites like Ayo Edebiri to old guard icons of the industry like Francis Ford Coppola have recorded episodes, with the series now 'one of cornerstones of any campaign for a star on the awards trail or promoting a new movie,' the aforementioned Hollywood rep continues. 'It's incredibly legitimising to go into the Criterion Closet and talk about your love for Kurosawa or whoever. Even if you're promoting a big popcorny blockbuster with nothing Kurosawa about it, showing off your knowledge and appreciation of cinema can reframe you in the eyes of a particular type of movie fan.' This 'absolutely' would have been the case with Affleck's recent appearance on Closet Picks, they add. The Accountant 2 – the actor's new thriller – has little in common with the films the former Batman star picks out (Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game, Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle, David Lynch's The Elephant Man, Terrence Malik's Badlands and so on). Appearing on Closet Picks to promote that film, however, 'reminds people he's a serious film lover and generates a bit more warmth among dyed-in-the-wool movie buffs towards The Accountant 2 than might have otherwise been the case,' they explain, adding: 'it's probably no accident that he self-effacingly calls his [famously despairing] DVD commentary to Armageddon the best work of his career here. Ben – or a publicist who advised him, whichever – knows Closet Picks' audience.' The attraction for stars is obvious. The Criterion Closet is a vacuum where all that exists is film – 'I feel like I'm in one of those sensory deprivation pods where you're only surrounded by the greatest cinema ever made,' as Andrew Garfield put it during his appearance in 2024. There are no tricky questions to navigate about rumoured relationships, or whether or not they'd work again with their former co-star, recently arrested on domestic abuse charges. And as for Criterion, Closet Picks is a shop window for their library of over 1,000 titles that no doubt bumps their sales tenfold. The Criterion Collection today is regarded as a hall of fame-style exclusive club to which entry is one of the ultimate cineaste seals of approval. That's at the very least in part due to Closet Picks. But star power isn't what's made Closet Picks a phenomenon. The likelihood is its appeal runs deeper. Over the last few years, a new culture of film fandom has emerged online that Closet Picks' format seems to dovetail with, rooted in a simple idea: that the films you love are a paper trail for your personality, an expression of who you are. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Criterion Collection (@criterioncollection) Since the pandemic, Letterboxd – a social media app for cinephiles in which users log the films they've watched – has grown from two million active users to 17 million, all of whom are invited to share their four all-time favourite movies (a format since developed into a popular celebrity interview series akin to Closet Picks). The text accompanying these selections often reads more like diary entries – confessionals that link these movies to times in users' lives; sometimes sad, sometimes happy, always formative. Closet Picks sees film-makers light up in a wholesome way as they do the same. Is there a bit of pantomime to what films guests select? Probably. A frequent accusation against the series on Reddit and other social media platforms is that there's an element of performance to what some guests choose, opting for the obscure instead of what they actually like to mark themselves out as true cinephiles. But we're living in a time in which streaming services have harpooned access to cinema from more than a decade or two ago. The likes of Netflix have decimated the physical media market that historically made it possible for viewers to watch older films, while simultaneously declining to host classics on their service (as of March, 1973's The Sting was the oldest title on the American version of the platform). Between its physical media and their own streaming service, The Criterion Channel, offering hundreds of historical movies, Criterion as a company are vital to the current film ecosystem – one of the last bastions against that erasure of over 80 years of film history. Any grumbles or eye-rolling about selections, in that light, somewhat slide away. After the extensive crowds in LA, with many people reportedly turned away, Criterion haven't announced where their mobile closet will pop-up next. Wherever it is, expect queues to snake around the block once more. There's a lot of cinema history in those 16-square-feet. The stars who entered the closet – and the films they picked Andrew Garfield Terry Gilliam's Brazil Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger's The Red Shoes David Maysles, Albert Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin's Salesman Steve James's Hoop Dreams Mike Leigh's Naked Ken Loach's Kes David Fincher's The Game Todd Solondz's Happiness D. A. Pennebaker's Original Cast Album: Company Juzo Itami's Tampopo Barry Jenkins Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy Andrew Haigh's Weekend John Cassavetes: Five Films Krzysztof Kieślowski's Dekalog Mathieu Kassovitz's La Haine Joel Coen's Blood Simple Catherine Breillat's Fat Girl Mira Nair's Monsoon Wedding Lynne Ramsay's Ratcatcher David Gordon Green's George Washington Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon The Essential Jacques Demy The Complete Jacques Tati Minnie Driver Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve Jean-Jacques Beineix's Betty Blue Jane Campion's An Angel At My Table Josh and Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems Jim Jarmusch's Down By Law Edouard Molinaro's La Cage aux Folles Josh and Benny Safdie Mike Leigh's Life Is Sweet Kenji Mizoguchi's The Life of Ohuru Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project No. 2 Lino Brocka's Manila in the Claws of Light Harmony Korine's Gummo Gus Van Sant's To Die For John Mackenzie's The Long Good Friday Edward Yang's Yi Yi John Lithgow Preston Sturges's Sullivan's Travels Lindsay Anderson's This Sporting Life Martin Ritt's The Spy Who Came in From the Cold The Complete Jacques Tati Brian De Palma's Blow Out Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes John Waters
