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I sometimes hear library-goers questioning why they should bother issuing DVDs from our collection, “everything is on Netflix these days!” they say.
I work on the second floor of the City Library, where the DVDs are housed, so it's not an uncommon occurrence. With the rise and expansion of streaming services, I doubt it will cease anytime soon.
Library DVD collections are the last stronghold of a lost pastime. For millennials and Gen Z alike, strolling through the aisles of the video store was a coming-of-age ritual. Negotiating with siblings over the New Releases, and buying questionable popcorn and chocolate with a distinct waxy coating - these were shared experiences that shaped our youth.
With the closure of the last DVD rental store in the South Island last year, and only one Blockbuster Video left in the entirety of the United States, it’s easy to fall prey to the notion that DVDs and physical film media are nearing extinction, if not already gone. The library proves otherwise.
Legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese warns that "the art of cinema is being systematically devalued, sidelined, demeaned, and reduced to its lowest common denominator, 'content'." This 'contentification' of film and TV allows streaming services to easily remove media without consideration, threatening film preservation. Libraries act as guardians of films, TV shows, and documentaries that don’t necessarily check all the algorithms' boxes.
Constant price increases, Big-Brother-like policies that mean you can't share Netflix with your grandma, libraries of films you’ve paid for disappearing with little notice, and the inability to find anything worth watching on Disney, Neon, or Netflix can make streaming more than a little frustrating.
When you have a hankering for something specific, when a friend has recommended something obscure, or when you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of John Travolta’s entire filmography (it’s a real thing that happens to people, stop laughing), streaming services can become something of a bane.
Not to mention, many films are running the risk of 'extinction' by not being available on streaming services. One such film facing potential 'extinction' is the obscure 1995 title A Kid in King Arthur's Court.
The film follows 14-year-old Calvin, who falls through a chasm and lands in King Arthur’s Court in 6th-century Camelot. Calvin trains as a knight, and having brought his backpack with him introduces the people of Camelot to his futuristic 'magic', including rock and roll music via a CD Walkman, and a Swiss Army Knife. The film is a loose adaptation of Mark Twain’s 1889 novel A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, rumoured to have been inspired by a humorous dream Twain had of being a knight weighed down by his armour in Camelot.
I did find a DVD copy of A Kid in King Arthur’s Court available in a library. Unfortunately, that library is in Arizona, but here’s the good news: our library boasts just as diverse a collection. From award-winning foreign language films like Anatomy of a Fall and Skies of Lebanon to classic Hollywood masterpieces such as Casablanca and Roman Holiday, our shelves span the breadth of cinematic history.
Next time you visit the library, take a moment to browse our DVD section. You might just find that long-lost classic from your youth or your next favourite film, free from the whims of algorithms and licensing agreements. After all, in a world of fleeting digital content, there's something comforting about holding a piece of cinema history in your hands.
