Owning a movie on DVD shouldn’t keep you from seeing it theatrically. After all, if you love it enough to buy it, you should love it enough to leave the house and see it under the best possible conditions. I’m seeing three such films this week–four if you count Lawrence of Arabia.
Lawrence is a special case. I’ve never purchased, or even rented, Lawrence because I don’t believe a DVD 
could do it justice. But I wondered if an HD version would do it justice. So when HDNet broadcast David Lean’s classic a few months ago, I recorded it on my DVR and let it sit there until I found time to watch it.
Last Sunday I watched Lawrence as it should be seen–in 70mm at the Castro. Despite some audio problems, it was a fantastic experience. Then I went home and watched a few scenes from the HDNet broadcast. Big disappointment. The colors looked muted by comparison, and neither the sense of bigness nor the feel of oppressive heat made the transition. I also missed the communal viewing experience, and the Castro’s sense of showmanship–in my home, no one slowly faded the houselights during the overture.
I don’t mind buying other classics. I have owned three copies of Stagecoach in the 26 or so years since I last saw it on the big screen: on LaserDisc, DVD, and a better DVD. Last night I watched this beloved western in 35mm at the Pacific Film Archive. Despite a less-than-pristine print from UCLA, I had a great time. Judging from the audience responses, so did everyone else. Details, like the rough walls of the 
stations, stood out like never before and added to the already-considerable atmosphere. Watching it at home, by myself or with a handful of friends or family, just doesn’t cut it.
(The condition of the print has me worried. Is this as good as this masterpiece can be as it nears its 70th birthday? Is there money for a major restoration? And do sources exist to make such a restoration possible?)
A silent film on DVD can never replace a theatrical screening, since a properly-screened silent is also a live concert. And this week’s San Francisco Silent Film Festival hosts my last two screenings-of-movies-I-already-own for the week. I’ve seen Harold Lloyd’s The Kid Brother many times, on my DVD, on VHS, in theaters, and at school (a screening at my high school launched my love of silent films). I have seen it with live organ accompaniment by both Gaylord Carter and Bob Vaughn, and with a recorded orchestra score by Carl Davis. But I’ve never seen it accompanied by the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, and I’m looking forward to that experience Friday night at the Castro.
I didn’t intentionally buy a copy of The Soul of Youth, but I own one–it came in the Treasures III boxed set of films preserved by American film archives. I like the movie, although I wouldn’t put it in the same class as Lawrence of Arabia, Stagecoach, or The Kid Brother. But the chance to see it for the first time on the big screen, accompanied on piano by Stephen Horne, is just too good to pass up.
A DVD lets you see a favorite movie when you feel like seeing it, but it’s no substitute for the real experience.
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