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.
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