"I know they have, like, letterboxd as a website that basically (separates your films by year), but... Fuck that." - Jay Bauman 2015
I've (slowly) been compiling a list of movies Jay mentions on Previously Recorded, ranging from movies mentioned off-the-cuff to movies actively recommended/hated by him. He's a real wealth of knowledge when it comes to films, so I feel those looking to expore film would appreciate this list.
Some of the movies Jay mentions can be tricky to find, so I've decided to make a starter list on how to find them!
List below the cut:
Most of the films linked are films Jay has mentioned on Previously Recorded streams.
Buying movies on DVD/Blu-Ray:
Arrow Films: a wide range of b-movie, cult, and international films plus more, including Frankenhooker
Synapse Films: sells cult, exploitation and sci-fi films, including Document of the Dead
Blue Underground: sells exploitation and cult films, including City of the Living Dead
Shout! Factory: a distributor Jay mentions several times on Previously Recorded. Catalogue includes Elvis, a film directed by John Carpenter and starring Kurt Russel
Vinegar Syndrome: sells hard-to-find and cult films. Jay mentions them on Previously Recorded. Catalogue includes Miami Connection
Troma Entertainment: sells low-budget indie horror films. Jay mentions them on Previously Recorded. Catalogue includes The Toxic Avenger
Grindhouse Releases: sells cult films. Jay talks about them in the context of the co-founder, Sage Stallone, being Sylvester Stallone's son. Catalogue includes Cannibal Holocaust (NSFW/L)
The Criterion Collection: sells films. Jay jokes about their covers on Previously Recorded. Catalogue includes This is Spinal Tap, and I recommend looking out for their sales!
Severin Films: sells cult films and collections, including Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched (also known as Jay's cat's chew toy of choice)
I also strongly recommend looking up second-hand and specialty DVD stores that are in your area, as well as adjacent stores that may sell rare DVD. My city has a store dedicated to less mainstream DVDs, for example, and these days I typically purchase my DVDs second-hand from dedicated second-hand media stores.
Streaming:
Shudder: a streaming service with a focus thriller and horror films. Jay talks about this streaming service from time to time, and he (and I) enjoyed watching Leap of Faith
Mubi: a streaming service with indie, international and classic films.
YouTube: yes, you can buy movies on YouTube to stream, but I'm mostly talking about films that can be watched for free on YouTube (the legality of this can depend from film to film.) Letterboxd users have made lists dedicated to movies viewable on YouTube, such as this list of Asian films.
Archive.org: not a streaming service, but it didn't fit neatly into any of the other categories. Offers a catalogue of public-domain films, such as House (possible NSFW warning for archive.org content)
Kanopy: a free streaming service accessible via libraries and universities. To access Kanopy through libraries, you need to sign up for a library card.
Speaking of libraries: depending on where you live, they can be a great resource for films and tv shows. One of my local libraries has Twin Peaks available to borrow, for example.
"Other methods":
Jack and Jay don't really vibe with the less legal routes, but some movies may not be easily accessible depending on factors such as government censorship and region locks. I won't delve into the intricacies of this as I'm not the most knowledgeable on it, but here's some basic considerations:
Use a VPN. Some sites can't be accessed without a VPN, depending on your location, and online activity can be traced back to your IP if you're not using a VPN. I personally use NordVPN, and SurfShark is also popular, with both having student/influencer discounts (student discounts vary by region- you'll have to look up student discounts yourself.) However, r/VPNTorrents recommends Mullvad as a good beginner's choice, and OVPN as the best streaming VPN.
Clients: For torrenting, qBittorent is a popular option. Stremio is a popular media centre option that has plenty of add-on options and the ability to watch movies with others.
Virus checking: VirusTotal can scan both files and URLs for malware.
Torrenting and downloading: RuTracker has niche European/Russian films. rarefilmm for rare films. Secret Cinema is a private torrent tracker that is joined via MAM.
on an episode of pre-rec, jack gets asked if he would leave his wife for “future jay” and they show a pic of him in a shirt with the sleeves ripped off and a gun. jack says how manly jay’s gray hairs are….do u know what this is in reference to? jay with gray hair is 😫 also, idk if ur still taking requests, but could you make a compilation of jay wearing his under the skin t shirt ?
Yes! Future Jay is from HITB 73
Future Mike and Jay and Future Future Mike and Jay appear at the end of the video:
As for the compilation of Jay in that shirt, I'd be happy to work on it of someone sends me a pic of him with it or a link to one of the times he wore it! I'm not picturing that specific shirt so if you show me what it looks like I can make a comp!
Every squat I do, I do for Rich. Every deadlift I do, I do for Mike. Every bicep curl, for Jay. Every lunge, for Josh. My planks, for Jack. My heavy explosive single-leg 1 1/4 rep hyper extensions, for Tim