Several years ago I was deep in the research phase of a book,* a process that entailed watching a large number of movies that were not readily available on DVD or even, in some cases, VHS. I was able to find most of what I needed through tape traders, eBay and dealers in the rare and exotic, but this was an expensive, time-consuming process. Mere months after finishing the manuscript, the golden age of YouTube, Google Video and bit torrents had begun, causing me to gnash my teeth every time I stumbled upon a free-for-the-viewing version of, say, If Footmen Tire You, What Will Horses Do?
Still, my investigative techniques were a mere drop in the bucket compared to the archeological efforts documented in this Guardian piece on the "raiders of the lost archives" — rare film collectors like Jack Stevenson who have done their bit for film preservation from deep in the trenches. Stevenson began his collection in San Francisco in the 1980s, when adult theaters began to shut down. He would dig through piles of porn in search of those needles in the haystack — treasures like Frankenstein Meets the Space Monster — which he screens at bars and festivals.
"There is nothing definitive or encyclopedic about my collection," he says. "It's chaos. I run the original prints at shows and I don't store the prints in a temperature-controlled vault. One thing I hate about proper archives is that they preserve the films, often putting them in a deep freeze, but never show them. Films should be shown."
Stevenson refuses to transfer his finds to DVD, but other collectors are willing to delve into the murky world of copyright issues and legal loopholes, making formerly lost classics like Skidoo and the Beatles-based "musical documentary" All This and World War II available for download or free online viewing. So next time you’re enjoying your own personal copy of Death May Be Your Santa Claus, please spare a thought for the daring adventurers who made it possible.
*Hick Flicks: The Rise and Fall of Redneck Cinema – makes a great Valentine’s Day gift!