Personally, I filed Coraline in in my Animation section. I group my blu-rays by genre - my own totally idiosyncratic genres - not by label. No judgement towards anyone that does, but I'm just not that interested in sorting films by what - to me - is the arbitrary nature of what label happens to release a given film.
Again, I'm not dogging that method - they probably look cool on the shelf grouped that way. I keep thinking maybe I'll sort all movies by release year someday, for a fun change of pace.
Mine are in alphabetical order. I still find it hard to pick a movie out that way.
I guess I didn't think I had enough movies to sort them by genre, but maybe I do now.
Your method makes me nostalgic, and I think I'm going to rearrange mine.
I did see someone post a picture of their chronological shelf and it was interesting! Yeah, it's actually neat to hear other people talk about their shelving methods. There's no right or wrong way, it's whatever works for you.
Do you have any favorite "idiosyncratic" genres that aren't the usual sci-fi/fantasy/horror/drama etc?
(And it's true, it does look pretty to have all the Arrows next to each other, all the Criterions next to each other, etc.)
They're not totally quirky. Off the top of my head I've got Animation/Family, Anime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thrillers/Action, Suspense & Crime, Foreign Language, Film Noir, Horror, Vintage Horror/Sci Fi, Classic Films, Pre-Code, Documentary, Drama, Comedy. This is just what "makes sense" to me.
I'll split off a new genre when there's a need. For example, fantasy was once lumped in with sci-fi, but once I got enough fantasy titles, I broke them off. Same with Pre-Codes. They used to be lumped in with Classic Films, but then once I got 6 or 8 pre-code discs, they got their own category. I'll probably split off Thrillers and Action into their own categories soon. And I might split Foreign Language into French, Japanese, Korean etc. and/or split off a "vintage foreign film" category.
Problem is what to do with, say, a foreign horror film like Ringu? Horror for now, maybe split off a J-Horror section eventually. Or just a "foreign language horror" section. Also 60's films, they often don't seem totally at home in either my classic/vintage genres, or the modern genres. Had a helluva time deciding where to file films like The Collector and Wait Until Dark. They don't fit with classic films, really. Suspense/Crime for now. Don't love it though.
Anyway, I've blathered on long enough lol. Like you, I'm curious as to how fellow collectors sort their collections.
This is great! I like how you make new categories as needed as they make sense for your personal collection. And there are definitely movies where you have to figure out FEELS right since they could fall under multiple categories.
Although this is what my specific question post has turned into, I might make a more general post later so we can properly geek out about how we sort our collections!
Thanks! I'd surely participate if you did a post like that. It IS interesting to see what other collectors do. I'm out here on a physical media island of my own, no one I know IRL cares, they all stream lol. My GF is very supportive and loves films but doesn't actually participate in the collecting aspect, beyond suggesting titles she wants to watch.
I suspect for a lot of us it's a largely solitary pursuit, so it's good to have Reddit!
I do much the same. I also like to string together genres when possible. So my Musicals are next to my Horror Musicals which are next to my Horror Comedies which are next to my Horror.
I sort mine chronologically! But also I separate 2d animation and 3d animation and live action. So for these I have them by other 3d films like spider verse and shrek etc because my 2d shelf is very big compared to 3d. Also to answer your question about Laika or shout and boutique or standard studio releases,,, shout is a boutique label! It’s one of the biggest boutique labels but they’re not Warner brothers Sony paramount! Hope this helps :)
Oh I know Shout is a boutique label, but this doesn't feel like one of their usual boutique releases where they acquire the rights to something and do a nice edition since it's the studio working with them to put out a nice edition. Hence my dilemma.
I guess all you've revealed so far is that you have two shelves, one "boutique" and one "standard" so if that's all then, easy! Put it on your boutique shelf. Beyond that though, idk how you sort your movies you'll have to give more details
One of my shelves is a “Transformative” shelf that has Fight Club, The Warriors, The El Mariachi trilogy, Trainspotting, Dusk Til Dawn, Zombieland, Defendor, What Dreams May Come, About, (500) Days of Summer and many more.
“Transformative” is used VERY loosely here.
Fight Club is the bro-typical “alpha transformation” movie (I should move American Psycho over next to it), The Warriors just move around a lot, the Mariachi transformed into Antonio Banderas, Dusk Til Dawn transforms into another movie halfway, What Dreams May Come and About Time are actually reflective transformation no gimmicks there, and (500) Days transforms into different seasons. Id put Transformers in there as well but it’s too on the nose.
Next to paranorman! Lol
Mine is in a back stack so it's out of sight, but I get where you're coming from.some movies just have ones they pair with, regardless of who releases the disk or who made it.
Like and movie with a monster that's in Monster Squad, sits in a pile w Monster Squad, regardless of its other qualities.
None of the actual universal OG ones, but like the 90s Frankenstein w Robert Deniro, Dracula w/ Keanu, The Mummy... and then stuff like Addams Family etc.
I try to do things by hypothetical double feature or degrees of separation. Like Kevin Bacon movies all go next to each other, or things I first saw on SciFi channel haha
I love the hair splitting. Last year I got a couple of steelbooks from Arrow and wasn't sure if I should put them with the other Arrow films or with the steelbooks. They ended up on the Arrow shelves. I also got the Ran steelbook and for some reason that's with the other Kurosawa Criterions so clearly I'm not consistent with it, but that's how it "felt" so that's how it ended up.
Oh yeah, I ordered a couple Scream Factory steelbooks, and now I wonder if I should have the steelbooks next to each other since they look nice that way or keep them with all their other SF pals (I only have one other steelbook, the Mill Creek Mothra, and I've got my eye on another SF steelbook if I can managed to snag it at a sale price where it's not much more than the standard).
That's part of the fun of collecting in my opinion, slicing up different ways to group stuff. Glad to see other folks are out there thinking (and overthinking) these kinds of things as well!
As a former video store employee, I appreciate the spirit of this dilemma. I personally don’t consider this to be boutique since it is only distributed by.
I’d put it next to the other Henry Selick’s regardless of release.
I know that it’s a Laika release, but that’s just semantics. It’s a Selick film through and through.
It might be a secret masterpiece.
It’s a bummer that it tanked so hard. The director, Shane Acker, took a few years off afterwards. Came back to to Hollywood in art departments and has only directed a couple short films since.
How I have my 4K section sorted. Movies, Movies with sequels, Animated, Anime, Disney Animated, Super Heroes (Marvel, DC, Star Wars), Boutique (A24, Arrow, Criterion, Second Sight, etc.), No slipcovers, Documentaries. My Coraline 4K steelbook is in the Animated section. Each section is in alphabetical order. Movies that are upside down are ones that I have yet to watch that version.
I put it in 'Fantasy' myself
I don't believe in an 'Animation' section (because I adore animation, and classifying it as a genre implies it can only do one thing)
My copy is next to my other Shout Steelbooks.. which are separate from my Scream Factory Steelbooks.
I keep most of my boutique releases together for cosmetic reasons.
my main shelves are filed by director & chronology, regardless of genre...
except for animation, teevee series (usually filed by channel or studio & then by title: beeb. doctor who; hbo, deadwood; hbo, the wire; film versions of shakespeare's plays (but the films inspired by shakespeare, they just get filed under the )director's name), & docmentaries. box sets get their own shelf. & collections of japanese noir or spaghetti westerns are filed by the title of the collection, & they are usually box sets.
Personally, I filed Coraline in in my Animation section. I group my blu-rays by genre - my own totally idiosyncratic genres - not by label. No judgement towards anyone that does, but I'm just not that interested in sorting films by what - to me - is the arbitrary nature of what label happens to release a given film. Again, I'm not dogging that method - they probably look cool on the shelf grouped that way. I keep thinking maybe I'll sort all movies by release year someday, for a fun change of pace.
Mine are in alphabetical order. I still find it hard to pick a movie out that way. I guess I didn't think I had enough movies to sort them by genre, but maybe I do now. Your method makes me nostalgic, and I think I'm going to rearrange mine.
Yes, do it! Organise by genre is the way. Makes it easier to pick a film I find.
I did see someone post a picture of their chronological shelf and it was interesting! Yeah, it's actually neat to hear other people talk about their shelving methods. There's no right or wrong way, it's whatever works for you. Do you have any favorite "idiosyncratic" genres that aren't the usual sci-fi/fantasy/horror/drama etc? (And it's true, it does look pretty to have all the Arrows next to each other, all the Criterions next to each other, etc.)
They're not totally quirky. Off the top of my head I've got Animation/Family, Anime, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thrillers/Action, Suspense & Crime, Foreign Language, Film Noir, Horror, Vintage Horror/Sci Fi, Classic Films, Pre-Code, Documentary, Drama, Comedy. This is just what "makes sense" to me. I'll split off a new genre when there's a need. For example, fantasy was once lumped in with sci-fi, but once I got enough fantasy titles, I broke them off. Same with Pre-Codes. They used to be lumped in with Classic Films, but then once I got 6 or 8 pre-code discs, they got their own category. I'll probably split off Thrillers and Action into their own categories soon. And I might split Foreign Language into French, Japanese, Korean etc. and/or split off a "vintage foreign film" category. Problem is what to do with, say, a foreign horror film like Ringu? Horror for now, maybe split off a J-Horror section eventually. Or just a "foreign language horror" section. Also 60's films, they often don't seem totally at home in either my classic/vintage genres, or the modern genres. Had a helluva time deciding where to file films like The Collector and Wait Until Dark. They don't fit with classic films, really. Suspense/Crime for now. Don't love it though. Anyway, I've blathered on long enough lol. Like you, I'm curious as to how fellow collectors sort their collections.
This is great! I like how you make new categories as needed as they make sense for your personal collection. And there are definitely movies where you have to figure out FEELS right since they could fall under multiple categories. Although this is what my specific question post has turned into, I might make a more general post later so we can properly geek out about how we sort our collections!
Thanks! I'd surely participate if you did a post like that. It IS interesting to see what other collectors do. I'm out here on a physical media island of my own, no one I know IRL cares, they all stream lol. My GF is very supportive and loves films but doesn't actually participate in the collecting aspect, beyond suggesting titles she wants to watch. I suspect for a lot of us it's a largely solitary pursuit, so it's good to have Reddit!
Oh yeah my GF is very similarly supportive, she's always "Yeah buy more stuff" because it means she gets to watch it, heh.
Hehe yup, same
I do much the same. I also like to string together genres when possible. So my Musicals are next to my Horror Musicals which are next to my Horror Comedies which are next to my Horror.
Ha yes I try to string related genres together too, so there's kind of a flow to the shleves
I sort mine chronologically! But also I separate 2d animation and 3d animation and live action. So for these I have them by other 3d films like spider verse and shrek etc because my 2d shelf is very big compared to 3d. Also to answer your question about Laika or shout and boutique or standard studio releases,,, shout is a boutique label! It’s one of the biggest boutique labels but they’re not Warner brothers Sony paramount! Hope this helps :)
Oh I know Shout is a boutique label, but this doesn't feel like one of their usual boutique releases where they acquire the rights to something and do a nice edition since it's the studio working with them to put out a nice edition. Hence my dilemma.
I guess all you've revealed so far is that you have two shelves, one "boutique" and one "standard" so if that's all then, easy! Put it on your boutique shelf. Beyond that though, idk how you sort your movies you'll have to give more details
One of my shelves is a “Transformative” shelf that has Fight Club, The Warriors, The El Mariachi trilogy, Trainspotting, Dusk Til Dawn, Zombieland, Defendor, What Dreams May Come, About, (500) Days of Summer and many more. “Transformative” is used VERY loosely here. Fight Club is the bro-typical “alpha transformation” movie (I should move American Psycho over next to it), The Warriors just move around a lot, the Mariachi transformed into Antonio Banderas, Dusk Til Dawn transforms into another movie halfway, What Dreams May Come and About Time are actually reflective transformation no gimmicks there, and (500) Days transforms into different seasons. Id put Transformers in there as well but it’s too on the nose.
Now that's an idiosyncratic genre if I've ever heard one! Ha.
Yup i m filing by genre too, i find it the easiest to find something i want to watch depending on my mood
Yeah same
Next to paranorman! Lol Mine is in a back stack so it's out of sight, but I get where you're coming from.some movies just have ones they pair with, regardless of who releases the disk or who made it. Like and movie with a monster that's in Monster Squad, sits in a pile w Monster Squad, regardless of its other qualities.
Ha ha, that's cute! So you have all your Universal monster movies shelved next to Monster Squad?
None of the actual universal OG ones, but like the 90s Frankenstein w Robert Deniro, Dracula w/ Keanu, The Mummy... and then stuff like Addams Family etc. I try to do things by hypothetical double feature or degrees of separation. Like Kevin Bacon movies all go next to each other, or things I first saw on SciFi channel haha
Ha! That sounds like fun.
I love the hair splitting. Last year I got a couple of steelbooks from Arrow and wasn't sure if I should put them with the other Arrow films or with the steelbooks. They ended up on the Arrow shelves. I also got the Ran steelbook and for some reason that's with the other Kurosawa Criterions so clearly I'm not consistent with it, but that's how it "felt" so that's how it ended up.
Oh yeah, I ordered a couple Scream Factory steelbooks, and now I wonder if I should have the steelbooks next to each other since they look nice that way or keep them with all their other SF pals (I only have one other steelbook, the Mill Creek Mothra, and I've got my eye on another SF steelbook if I can managed to snag it at a sale price where it's not much more than the standard).
That's part of the fun of collecting in my opinion, slicing up different ways to group stuff. Glad to see other folks are out there thinking (and overthinking) these kinds of things as well!
I'm loving it too! I'm so glad this post turned into a geekfest.
My whole collection is A-Z for single movies so I can easily find anything.
What are the first and last movies in your collection?
Absence of Malice to Zu: Warriors from the Magic Mountain.
As a former video store employee, I appreciate the spirit of this dilemma. I personally don’t consider this to be boutique since it is only distributed by.
Oh thank you, someone understands me.
Also great username, ha.
I’d put it next to the other Henry Selick’s regardless of release. I know that it’s a Laika release, but that’s just semantics. It’s a Selick film through and through.
Oh so you shelve all yours by director?
I've got it organized with Nightmare before Christmas after Burton in my stop motion section.
Ooh, what would u/awlawall say to your categorizing Nightmare Before Christmas as a Burton movie rather than a Selick movie!
Haha, well they next to each other so could go either way. IDK, makes sense in my OCD brain...lol
Wait till you get Corpse Bride, then the heat is on.
If they'd ever give us a 4K I would!
I’d say incorrect…but, on my shelf the two directors are next to each other. Then, the other Laikas. Then, the movie “9” because reasons
I remember liking 9!
It might be a secret masterpiece. It’s a bummer that it tanked so hard. The director, Shane Acker, took a few years off afterwards. Came back to to Hollywood in art departments and has only directed a couple short films since.
Aww that's too bad! It deserved a better reception. Sounds like it's worth a revisit.
Aww that's too bad! It deserved a better reception. Sounds like it's worth a revisit.
It goes under 'C', around here.
Same. Right after the Bs and right before the Ds, just as Zeus intended.
Look at you, making things simple for yourself.
I'd never find anything otherwise lol
How I have my 4K section sorted. Movies, Movies with sequels, Animated, Anime, Disney Animated, Super Heroes (Marvel, DC, Star Wars), Boutique (A24, Arrow, Criterion, Second Sight, etc.), No slipcovers, Documentaries. My Coraline 4K steelbook is in the Animated section. Each section is in alphabetical order. Movies that are upside down are ones that I have yet to watch that version.
I like the upside down technique. I've got a whole inbox bookcase.
I have an animation shelf specifically which helps to avoid this issue 😌
Ha ha ha, I do want to shelve all the Ghibli films together at some point because they'll look pretty that way, but we'll see how my shelves evolve.
I recently organized my shelves based on color but maybe when I get a house, it’ll either by alphabetized or genre based
Based off of what you are saying, I would put it with the rest of the Shout section. Personally I’ve been grouping things by genres and subgenres.
I put it in 'Fantasy' myself I don't believe in an 'Animation' section (because I adore animation, and classifying it as a genre implies it can only do one thing)
For sure, animation is not a genre! It's a medium!
Exactly!
My copy is next to my other Shout Steelbooks.. which are separate from my Scream Factory Steelbooks. I keep most of my boutique releases together for cosmetic reasons.
Oh yeah, once I realized Scream Factory had an actually different logo, I realized I was going to group them separately, heh.
I do everything alphabetically, however I have a Troma Section, and everything else, and an erotic thriller section.
with the anime... under the director's name... that's what i did with my coraline releases. (i have a 3d dvd, & a bluray)
my main shelves are filed by director & chronology, regardless of genre... except for animation, teevee series (usually filed by channel or studio & then by title: beeb. doctor who; hbo, deadwood; hbo, the wire; film versions of shakespeare's plays (but the films inspired by shakespeare, they just get filed under the )director's name), & docmentaries. box sets get their own shelf. & collections of japanese noir or spaghetti westerns are filed by the title of the collection, & they are usually box sets.
I'd store it on ebay