It's the Christopher James Site Takeover Day!!!
Hello Film Experience readers!
Nathaniel is on his way back from Venice to New York right now, so the site belongs to me for the next 24 hours (or until he gets wifi and tells me to stop)!
The past year of writing for The Film Experience has been a dream come true. I've been reading the site for over a decade (hence the bags under my eyes) and have enjoyed all your comments so much. Thus, I'm mining for more...
Here's a special question from me, my partner, my parents and my home decorator... How do you organize your DVDs and Blu-Rays?
I can remember the first movie I bought. It was The Emperor's New Groove. My Dad had just won a DVD player at a golf tournament (the only way we would've upgraded from a VCR) and I was obsessed. I built my collection through saving up chore money and babysitting paychecks. Now, my small Los Angeles apartment is bursting through the seams.
Of course, no one can just go alphabetically. You have to make it interesting. Here are some of my favorite shelves.
The Big Little Lies Shelf
Yes, this was made in a certain time and certain place. Still, I love having the works of Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Shailene Woodley, Zoe Kravitz and Meryl Streep displayed, in chronological order my actress. To complete it all, a Meryl Streep candle. God bless. Yes, "The Princess Diaries" by Carrie Fisher seems random, but she's connected to Meryl and I ran out of room elsewhere. My house my rules.
The Best Picture Shelf
Okay, Oscar obsessives. I know we all have this one. The collection is spotty at best. My parents bought Crash back in 2005 and unfortunately I care more about filling up the shelf with as many Best Pictures as possible. Get a look at the "I Love the 80s" wrap for Terms of Endearment. This is one of two copies of All About Eve, because yes, I am both very gay and very forgetful.
Criterion Closet Cabinet
Who doesn't love a good Criterion set? I will say, I've opted for a Criterion Channel membership, but can't help but schill out for their sales to fill with movies that have gone off the service. Who else loves Criterion?
High School Memory Lane
Does anyone else keep their yearbooks? I won't scare you with photos from the late 00s. Instead, I thought it would be fun house them with some of my favorite high school movies from over the years. From Rebel Without a Cause to Easy A, the genre sure has gone through a transformation.
There are other shelves filled with other themes (Female Directors, LGBTQ+ Movies, Foreign Language Films, The Extended Nancy Meyers Universe, TV Seasons + Real Housewives Memoirs). One's home should be a reflection of one's self - the good, the bad, the ridiculous.
So let's hear it readers, what are your favorite pop culture displays in your house? How do you organize your physical media?