3d ago

Stupid question: how does one watch old movies?

Please accept my apologies in advance if this is against any rules.

I have never watched an Akira Kurosawa film. How would I go about doing that?

I'm aware of the Criterion stuff, but it seems expensive if I don't even know if I'm going to like it (I have weird neuroses around movies; consequently, I don't watch many). Additionally I just don't want any more plastic in my house, if you know what I mean.

Any advice would be very much appreciated – thanks!

Edit: thanks very much everyone for the constructive conversation. I'll get an account at the library since I'd like to support them, and go from there. Cheers!

29 comments

Have you tried your local library?
- Check if your library offers Kanopy or Hoopla services. They usually have a lot of classic films.
  
  Awesome, thank you. Had not heard of these
- I have not; good suggestion. Thanks

For Kurosawa specifically, you can find many of his films on the internet archive as others have mentioned

If some streaming network picked it up than you could try that, sometimes it isn't available anywhere so you need to resort to piracy.

https://lemmy.ca/post/31782306
Yarrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Arr matey, I can't give ya the best options to watch what you want without having to walk the plank!
- For
  Most
  Help
  You
  Should google, some term that initially escapes me right now. But it's all out there, one bold search away

Internet Archive is how I do it, but like...idk if that's what I am supposed to say.

Others have already made good suggestions for older movies (libraries, Kanopy, Hoopla, Tubi, Archive.org etc). Also try buying second-hand physical media (DVDs, BDs).
Specifically re an old Kurosawa movie, there are a couple of channels on Peertube with old movies they say are in the public domain (I am not a lawyer).
A couple of such channels
ClassX https://peertube.wtf/c/classx@blurt.media/videos
Achives https://peertube.wtf/c/archives@vod.newellijay.tv/videos
And ClassX has Kurosawa's Seven Samurai
https://peertube.wtf/w/u6DzMDxEhMa8d1HrnucEYV
There are also YouTube channels that claim to have public domain or licensed movies. I recently found an "all-in-one" site that collates movies from many such channels.
Cinetimes https://cinetimes.org/
If you don't want to go via a third-party site like Cinetimes, you can try some supposedly-legally-free channels directly on YouTube:
DDF: Reel Films https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTjxrujNCF9JSQzXE3th21A
Filmix https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0igugFRsUPMvGLrv86DIog
The Archive (nothing to do with The Internet Archive) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCunMgh6zlbhjYLOoU5zKTAA (also you can watch on their own website https://www.thearchive.tv/ )
Warning: the movies on the channels are free, but not necessarily any good :) A lot of dross and only a few gems, unless you love trashy B-movies.
A couple of possibly decent films (in my watchlist, haven't seen them yet)
Sorcerer https://youtu.be/LXwfcdkhmE8
Eight Million Ways to Die https://youtu.be/2G6hJJFzKxo
All the ones I've given above are for video on demand (VOD), i.e. you pick what you want, press play and it starts.
There are also linear channels, i.e. like old fashioned TV where things are shown according to a schedule and you see whatever's on when you tune in. Nowadays sometimes called "live TV", even when watching stuff made years ago. ( TheArchive.tv does both: VOD and one linear channel.)
A lot of free linear channels (including some with old movies and TV shows) are available through different ways:
channels / apps on streaming devices like Roku, Firestick, Smart TVs etc
an app on your phone (currently, I use Televizo on Android)
an app on your computer (currently, I use Hypnotix on Linux)
websites
For apps on your phone or computer, you might need to add a "playlist": a big list of channels that you can pick from to watch. Currently, I use the English language playlist from iptv-org (over 2,000 channels from around the world).
https://github.com/iptv-org/iptv
https://iptv-org.github.io/iptv/languages/eng.m3u
There is also the IOTV app for Roku, which I think uses the all languages playlist from iptv-org.
Warning: using these playlists can mean a bunch of the included channels won't work for you, e.g. because they are geoblocked to a specific country.
Some example channels with older stuff:
Pluto TV has some channels with older stuff
TVS https://watchyour.tv/
Cinevault
FilmRise Classic
- Thank you very much for this detailed reply. I need to get PeerTube set up, in fact I've been needing to do it for a while. Thanks
  
  You're welcome.
  Re Peertube, I believe you can start watching without setting anything up.
  Re setting up an account and choosing an instance, I'm not a content creator and just went with peertube.wtf when I saw it promoted by its admin here on Lemmy.
  https://lemmy.wtf/post/15733096
  Handy post on Peertube instances here:
  https://lemmy.wtf/post/17976076

Check your local library. Many still have extensive DVD collections and/or free streaming options.

FWIW, The Criterion Channel is worth every penny. They have not enshittified one bit, and they do amazing work in curating, restoring and preserving older films. Not just classics like Kurosawa but more rare and obscure films too. They have themed collections that rotate every month. It's like visiting an independent video store staffed by film scholars.

You can try a site like justwatch.com to see if the film is available on a streaming sire you could use.
You can also search for rentals online so you can pay for it.
You can look on eBay or similar for cheaper second hand copies.
Or piracy.

internet archive + local library, for sure!

Your local library may have a free login available to you through Kanopy. They carry a rotating selection of Criterion films and other classic movies. My library offers 10 films a month.

Also, if you do own any old movies on physical media that are hard to find, plead help others my uploading them to archive.org and pirate bay

If you consider 10.99 (for criterion channel or other streaming platforms) too big a risk then the only option you leave open is piracy. All other options require you to spend money with the possibility that you might not like it.

archive.org
tubitv.com
Probably there are others but it's a little bit rare that I haven't been able to find stuff on one or the other

Generally, you'd want to check if it's on a streaming service you already have access to. That's the fastest way.
Then, check your library.
If both of those fail, you run into choosing to hunt a copy down, or sail the seven seas.
Stuff like Kurosawa has a big enough fan base that you're very likely to be able to find used copies fairly cheap. The more obscure the movie, the harder it will be to find, and prices can vary depending on how much of a cult fan base it has. Sadly, eBay really is the best option in that regard. So you don't always have to pony up for the more expensive editions.
Since you don't like accumulating plastic, you can always resell, or donate to your library, depending on how willing you are to lose money on the swap.
You can check local message boards too. Sometimes folks will give stuff like that away. Pawn shops still occasionally have DVDs around. If you can find film buffs in your area and make friends with them, you may be able to borrow stuff, or have a movie night. Those of us with big collections do tend to like hosting movie nights to share the fun, though you have to rely on making connections with people that happen to have stuff you're interested in.
And, yeah, there's file sharing options as well.
- I highly recommend Stremio with a torrent plugin. Its a free streaming service that has the widest selection.

You could try one of the free ad-supported streaming services like Tubi or Plex. I've seen Kurosawa films available on Plex before but it's likely country dependent.
- +1 for Tubi. The have a bunch a lot of old movies that there’s a category for it. I even saw a black and white silent film there last I checked.