Shoutout To The NYPL

Physical media is back. Libraries never left.

There are few things more infuriating than paying for a half-dozen streaming services and still not being able to find a particular movie on any of the platforms. I had to buy fucking Jaws two years ago. One of the most important and popular movies in cinema history and it’s not streamable! Anywhere!

I’ve got Hulu, Netflix, Prime, Max, Peacock and a few other random ones and yet, whenever I’m trying to watch something, I have to end up buying it à la carte.

We’ve created a garbage system and now we’re stuck in it. I miss Blockbuster and strolling through aisles finding new stuff, but that’s gone. Best Buy doesn’t even have DVDs and Blu-rays anymore. Well, at least we have the New York Public Library, and whatever library is closest to you.

I rediscovered the joy of libraries after Jake mentioned that he was taking out DVDs from there. He’s a year older (to the day) than me, so perhaps he's learned more as a wiser, grizzled old man. He’s a genius. Oh, and Erica’s a genius for telling me to renew my card, but she’s not that old.

Also, Eric Adams is an idiot.

It’s been a month or so of taking out movies from the library and it’s a perfect little hobby. You get to do some real-life scrolling, go out for a walk and even book stuff in advance through their (actually pretty decent) app. I know this sounds like I just learned what libraries are, but to be honest, it’s been some time since using them religiously.

Let’s walk through a few of my favorites so far:

Blade Runner 2049

My favorite Denis Villeneuve outside of Arrival. I missed this initially in theaters and now have seen it twice; it somehow improved on the subsequent viewing. Ryan Gosling is heartbreaking as a young blade runner, as is Ana de Armas as his A.I. girlfriend. It’s this noir sci-fi that balances realism and the fantastical. I need to see this on a big screen as soon as possible.

Y Tu Mamá También

I wrote about this one during my Oscars coverage for some reason, so I don’t have much more to say, but this road trip romance has been on my mind ever since I saw it. Really beautiful movie with one of the more stinging endings I’ve seen in some time.

Suspiria (1977)

Just tremendous vibes. This classic, which was remade by Luca Guadagnino in 2019, is a horror tale about a dancer who enrolls in a ballet school that just so happens to be run by witches. It’s funny, nasty and gorgeous featuring a color palette that makes most movies today look even worse than they normally would.

Incendies

As you can see, I’ve been on a bit of a Denis Villeneuve kick after seeing both of the Dune films in theaters recently. Incendies centers on Canadian twins who have to go back to their mother’s native country after her passing. They realize that they knew very little about her as they unravel more and more of her life. It’s haunting and screwed up. Strong recommend.

Anyway, that’s all I really have for this week. It’s March Madness season, so much of my free time has been spent staring at (and regretting) my bracket. I hope all of your teams lose, but more importantly, I hope you start going back to the library. It’s worth it.