Mr. Smith Goes to Best Buy

The YAB Exclusive Interview Series was last done when Mattias Caro went uber-politician on us when describing the Washington Nationals with so much waffling Eggo get jealous. Today, we unearth our microphones and talk with Chris Smith, a man with so much cinema he’s got MULTIPLEX written in Christmas lights outside his Medford, New Jersey home.

YAB: Chris Smith, thanks for taking the time to talk with us today. Before we get to the topic at hand, there’s a bigger issue at hand. How have you benefited in life from having such an excellent first name?

Chris Smith: Firstname?!?! My whole NAME is excellent. Do you know anyone else who’s name sounds like a major holiday when you say it too fast?

YAB: No, only those who sound like minor holidays. You win there, I suppose. Anyways, YAB has asked for this exclusive interview with Mr. Away in a Manger as he has recently achieved a feat that large movie fans and small venture capitalists can appreciate. Would you mind telling us what that is?

Smith: No I wouldn’t mind. On December 29, 2005, I officially added the 1,000th DVD to my collection.

YAB: Well, let be the FIRST to congratulate you on your momentous milestone (assuming you’ve seen no one since the 29th, live in a cave, your wife isn’t speaking to you, and I didn’t already congratulate you earlier this week.) All of those assumptions aside, it is indeed a remarkable feat. So tell me, why drives a man to collect DVDs?

Smith: I HAVE been living in a cave, how’d you know?? As for collecting DVDs, It’s just one of those things. You start by buying movies you really like. Then you start to fall in love with the convenience of having them to watch whenever you want instead of having to go to the store and rent them. Then your friends and family start noticing that it’s a big deal in your life and they begin to buy you more DVDs. But then you get too many for them to figure out what you don’t have so you start getting lots of Gift Cards to Best Buy, Amazon, etc. It’s also insanely addicting, so I don’t recommended to any of your readers to start. You begin rationalizing by looking at how much money you saved by not going to the movies this past year and buying it when it comes out on DVD so you don’t feel bad about buying this movie or that movie.

YAB: I suppose when you have reached the 1k mark, it would be hard to find a movie you don’t own. After all, this man owns 10 movies that begin with the word “American.” So tell me, what was DVD #1 in the Smith collection?

Smith: Well, the very first movie I ever owned was Stargate. But I no longer own that version of the movie, as it was a really crappy “flipper” style (Flippers had half of the movie on one side and half on the other and you would actually have to get up and flip the DVD over to finish it, this was a holdover from the old Laserdisc days. I got a better version later.) Current DVD #1 is Outbreak bought 7/10/98.

YAB: Ah, I see. I had no idea that you dabbled in the resale market (or the throw in the trash market). And what was 1,000th flick?

Smith: Well, I’ve only ever sold or given away movies that I’ve bought a newer/better version. I would say (not counting when Lace and my collection combined) less that 20 total. Actually, what’s really sad is that during the course of this interview I actually FOUND my original Stargate flipper movie which was on a shelf in my office. Never did get around to ebaying that one. Lucky number 1,000 was King Kong (1933) inside the King Kong Collection.

YAB: Ok, hold on. Movie #1 was Outbreak, the 1995 Duston Hoffman movie where a monkey comes to the U.S. via a freighter and causes widespread epidemic disease. Movie #1000 was King Kong, the original ’33 flick where a different monkey from Skull Island is brought stateside, and causes widespread epidemic skyscraper chaos. The logical question must be asked: Do all 1000 movies involve monkeys?

Smith: No, just a few others. Clerks – Uncensored has a monkey (but that’s a TV show). Project X has monkeys. There’s probably more, but I’m not sure.

YAB: I hate to admit it, but I’d be WAY more impressed with your collection had it been entirely primate-fare. Moving on, if you have to pick 5 DVDs as must-owns for a budding young collector, and I’m not talking your “Every-movie-Oliver-Stone-ever-made collection”, but rather single movies, what would be thy starting quintet?

Smith: That’s a great question, and very hard to answer. But I’ll try. Citizen Kane, Fight Club, Pulp Fiction Collector’s Edition and All the Lord of the Rings Extended Edition (yes, this is three movies, deal.) Also since that’s 6 movies but only 4 listings, I’ll throw out that you should buy at least one movie from The Criterion Collection. TCC is a studio that releases excellent DVD releases with a lot of extras. Mostly indie fare but some better known movies as well. My personal favorites of well known movies are The Royal Tennenbaums, Chasing Amy, The Rock and Armageddon. Buy one of these if you can and it isn’t out of print.

YAB: And I was expecting a five-some of Purple Rain, Men with Brooms, New Jack City, The Pacifier, and The Skulls 3.

Smith: You forgot Showgirls.

YAB: Yes, if only Elizabeth Berkley could have done the same. Anyways, we don’t want to hold you up any longer, since we’re probably impeding the e-commerce pipeline. Christmas, thanks for your time. Maybe YAB will come out with a DVD and you could buy it.

Smith: You know I would. Thanks!