I have a deep love of cult films and series and this admiration started a long time ago. When I got into the scene in the mid 90s, it was quite a cheap experience as people were getting rid of their old VHS tapes and so they could be picked up relatively inexpensively from charity shops, which were plentiful in my hometown of Barking. I also watched many films at my university as the University of East London *braap braap etc* had a media course. In between lectures and on my days off, I watched many of my most formative films and shows; it was here that I got into Twin Peaks and the ouvre of Krzysztof Kieślowski, Ingmar Bergman, Werner Herzog, Wong Kar Wai, Shunji Iwai and a multitude of others.
When there was a move to DVD, I found loads more variety in the types of VHS tapes in charity shops in Barking, as people migrated to the newer format with extras such as documentaries, behind the scenes, slideshow and the director and cast commentaries. As time moved on, and streaming became a thing, DVD sets were found for cheap in these shops as well as CEX...that is, until they weren't.
About 5 years ago, I noticed a huge spike in the cost of cult films and TV box sets sets. I used to be able to get old BBC sets for a few quid but now most are over £10. I think the reason is two fold- rarity and an ardent fan base. Let me explain.
Before, many of the series I watched or wanted were deemed niche but with the internet, short and long form video essays on YouTube and hate watching popularised by shows such as MST3K, the cult and niche has become more mainstream. Everything has been commodified, more so than ever before. I know I sound like a hipster, or an old man shouting into the clouds, but it's very annoying to see how much things are marked up from even just a couple of years ago. I noticed the same thing with retro gaming as games and console prices have going through the roof over the past few years; this has been further exacerbated by Covid where the comfort of ‘better times’ and nostalgia has made these products highly desirable. With cult films and series, things are not quite the same- the horror movies in CEX are the premium... especially Hammer and Amicus classics. As a friend said, YouTube is your friend but sometimes it's nice to support the creatives and have a copy of something physical so it isn't scrubbed from a digital service or an ephemeral file downloaded from arrrr friends online.
I have built up quite a good collection but, in this area, there is no way I am or could be a completist. Many companies do small limited edition runs and, unless I feel incredibly strongly about a film or show, I can't justify the outlay. I am glad that many more people are getting to enjoy under-appreciated or semi-forgotten shows but I hope things calm down a little and we don't have a bubble like the retro game scene has had over the past few years. I am an analogue millennial in that I like to have physical versions of some things. I'm not a luddite as I see the benefits of streaming, digital documents and downloadable content but I don’t want it to be ephemeral as streaming services do have a habit of scrubbing stuff.