The Poor Memorabilia Collector

For the longest of time movie props have been the ultimate memorabilia item for any self confessed geek. The thought of having a prop from one of the classics, showcased in a room in your house, for all those who visit to see, but not touch, probably gives you the same tingly feeling that I am getting writing about it. But, in this age of economic hardship that dream bubble takes only a few minutes to burst. And, if you have a spouse who is not a "geek", that's just extra work convincing him/her.

So, in a world where your geek-standards are measured by the volume of your collection, be it comics, movies, or memorabilia, it's not always necessary to go for the most exclusive and more expensive options. There are other cheaper memorabilia curios, which might not get you as much credit as say the official replica of the light saber, but nevertheless they help you have a more rounded and diverse collection.

Here’s my list of a few cheaper memorabilia options;

Postcards – They can mostly be found in movie theaters for free, but even if you have to buy them, they are rather cheap. Group them up together and frame them if you like, or just have a collection. Easy!

Posters – The bigger versions of a postcard, posters are once again easy to find. Spend some time on Twitter following movie production companies and you just might get lucky in getting one for free. A lot of independent cinemas give them out at the end of the year or have sales. Even if you have to buy a poster, they don't cost that much. Especially with the new trend of classic/retro/arty posters, they make for some great wall art and a topic of conversation.

Stamps – You’d be surprised by the number of stamps that are based on Film and TV. I believe most movie producing countries have cinema based stamps and they are a simple and easy way to get some movie memorabilia.

Bobble-heads – Who doesn’t like bobbleheads? They are small, cute, and bobbly (yeah I’m at the stage where I can start making words up). Normally I would have loved to have a huge collection of bobbleheads, but for the longest time I’ve just had the solitary Marvin the Martian one. Place it on the subwoofer when you are watching Transformers or Fast and the Furious and it’s fun to see them bobble every time there is an action scene. 

Fast Food Toys – Most big-budget movies now involve fast food joints as part of their extensive marketing campaigns. As a result, small toys become a part of their kids menu (usually). Now, in my case it helps, because my daughter is as excited as I am about the toys, and because she is just 4 she gets bored of them after a day, or they mysteriously disappear, only to be found much later in a corner of my home theater. Wonder who does that?

Novelty Items – Since films are such a popular medium of entertainment, everything that is even remotely linked to them (chocolates, popcorns, drinks) somehow get inspired and as a result novelty items like the two M&Ms watching a 3D film dispenser are made available in the market. They really make for a fun addition to your TV room/home theater etc.

Figurines/Models – Be it Tron or Phineus and Ferb, figurines are believe it or not big business. My advice is to wait a bit till after the whole buzz of the movie has died down before you go buy these figurines because most often than not by that time they are on sale.      

Mega Packs – It’s common knowledge that one of the reasons movies come out in Mega Packs (sets of 2 or more dvds) is because production companies can get rid of their stock that is not really popular by linking it with a blockbuster movie. What is really nice about these packs is that they generally include something else along with the DVDs. I’ve seen plush toys and in the case of the photo a special edition Monopoly.

Art and Film – Similar to the new trend of fan made posters it’s interesting to see how companies from different fields come together to cash in on the success of a film. I’ll be the first one to admit that I was jumping with joy when I came across the photographed Moleskine Star Wars Notebook. Simply brilliant, now if only I can get myself to actually use it.

Comic Books – Again it’s nothing very expensive, but collecting comic books or special editions is a good way of starting your memorabilia collection. I personally am not a comic book collector but when I came across the Batman Vs Ragman comic book I had to buy it simply because I was nicknamed “Ragman” by a few friends in school.

Film Magazines – Total Film and Empire, two of the most popular movie magazines, have special covers and special editions from time to time that make for a great collection. Add to that my present favourite Little White Lies which is in itself highly collectable due to limited printing and a rather unusual look and feel for a film magazine. Display them together or just collect them for reference later, they are an amazingly cheap way to connect with the movies you love.   

Do you have a collection? What is your most prized piece of memorabilia? Do tell… 

Movie Thoughts - Is there too much information out there?

The other day I was watching Predator while at the Gym and it made me think about the impact of the movie on a film watcher who would have viewed it for the very first time, in the theater, when it was originally released, without knowing much about it? How awesome would be that feeling?

We now live in a world where information is broadcasted to us from all directions. Not only is it hard to get away from all the NEWS, but the nature of the information available has such a wide range of quality that discriminating between it can often become tedious.

So, I wondered, as an avid film enthusiast, if the presence of internet, cable, and mobile technology has stripped us from the experience of enjoying a film in its purest form. Trailers, TV spots, special features, leaked images, spoilers, first day reviews, and plot lines are so abundantly available even before a movie is "officially" announced that I fear we miss out a whole lot more than what the people enjoyed when all this was not the norm.

I still remember watching Star Wars on VHS just knowing that it was hugely popular in the West. My experience of watching it for the very first time has stayed with me till now. I honestly cannot say the same about any of the movies I have seen in the last decade or so. There is always a degree of expectation involved with the recent movies thanks to the extensive marketing techniques used by the makers, and often that very expectation is also the resulting factor in the movie not being successful at the box office.       

Lately, Twitter has been quite active with the buzz surrounding The Dark Knight Rises. We have had too much information thrown at us and honestly speaking I simply skip a tweet that mentions TDKR with a link attached. I must confess, in this regards I almost favor Facebook because it lacks the same amount of intensity when it comes to spilling out details of movies.  

I often imagine going back to the basics. Now, a movie trailer has saved me a number of times from having to waste money on something I know I would detest, but isn't part of film watching also experiencing something new and unknown? I recently watched the Immortals without knowing much about it or without even having seen the trailer let alone any production stills. Although I disliked the movie, but I know I went into the theater with an open and clean mind, not expecting anything, with just a hint of a desire to be wowed. I don't regret my decision of not wanting to watch the trailer, but then again a few duds like this and I would be tempted to view every trailer ever made.

So, what do you think about the overflow of information? Should the producers limit themselves to simple theatrical trailers, or is there too much at stake for them that marketing budgets will keep on increasing? I for one would be more than happy to forego everything except for maybe an odd trailer and prefer to go watch a movie not knowing too much about it.