I've grown quite weary of late. Weary of finding myself in the perfect mood to watch that one specific movie, only to find it's no longer available on the abundance of streaming services I have access to on my TV. My current subscriptions cost about $35 a month, and that's going for the cheapest ad-supported tier wherever it's available. So when I grew tired enough of paying for the chance to watch my favorite movies, the allure of physical media had no trouble turning my head.
I'm starting my Blu-Ray collection with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It's just been snatched off Netflix in the UK (the final straw on this camel's back on Sunday afternoon), and with its sequel's release date coming up fast, I have a hankering for some Illumination bros.
There's just something about an animated film based on childhood video games that gets me all warm and snuggly inside. These are the movies I want to be able to watch whenever I need to, without having to search which provider will do me the honor of charging me.
I'm in no way a film buff (as you can probably tell by this being my first pick). In fact, I rarely enjoy movies at all. The internet has addled my brain to the point where two hours of thinking about the same story often has me running for the hills. There are some I can't get away from, though, and these comfort movies feel all the more gratifying when I don't have to worry about them leaving my collection at a moment's notice. That, and a shelf of cases feels strangely reassuring for this 90s-born technophile.
Then there's the price. A full 4K collection is probably going to cost me about $20 a go, nothing mad but not pennies. That's why it doesn't exactly make financial sense to completely abandon streamers in favor of physical discs. Not only do I have to find somewhere to keep all those movies in real life, but I've already watched far more than a Blu-Ray's worth of content for $35 so far this year.
My Blu-Ray collection is going to be pretty strict, then. I already have a few discs I use for testing the best projectors for gaming. If I stick to it, though, I'll only be picking up the movies I know I'll always be down to watch - I'll leave the discovery queue to Netflix.
It's also worth noting that Mario fans in the US can watch the Super Mario Bros. Movie on Amazon Prime Video. That's only for the next seven days though...
If you're travelling and won't make it back in time, you can always use NordVPN to watch from anywhere in the world. Setting your location to back home will unlock the full catalog wherever you find yourself missing our favorite plumber.
If you're sticking with digital, check out the latest Disney Plus bundles or the latest Peacock TV prices and Hulu free trials for more.
Disclaimer: We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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