As the single largest library in the state of North Dakota, it’s no surprise that the Chester Fritz Library contains plenty of reading material. But one of the less utilized options on offer is their expansive physical DVD collection. Located on the third floor near the Nistler corridor, the CFL houses thousands of movies, documentaries and television shows that UND students can borrow and enjoy free of charge. Seeing how Halloween is right around the corner, students might be particularly inclined to check out the various horror movies and shows lurking within the library’s vast archives.
The history of horror movies is nearly as long as cinema itself, and the CFL’s collection of scary titles reflects that long legacy. Browsing the shelves, one can find copies of horror films that date as far back as the silent era of the 1920s, with titles such as Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. The Universal productions of the 1930s and ‘40s, which feature perhaps the most enduring versions of iconic Halloween icons like Dracula, Frankenstein and the Wolf Man, are also available in the CFL collection.
As one moves through the 1900s, more and more films can be recognized on the library’s shelves: classics like The Shining, The Exorcist, John Carpenter’s original Halloween, and many more that extend all the way to the modern day, with more contemporary titles such as the cult hit M3gan and the highly anticipated Beetlejuice Beetlejuice.
Options also exist for those interested in television horror, with classics like Rod Serling’s seminal 1960s series The Twilight Zone available in its 156-episode entirety, or David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, a popular choice for those looking to embrace the fall atmosphere of October.
Students who find the vast collection too daunting to sift through may instead peruse the much more limited display shelf on the second floor, right next to the book returns. This display shelf features a small handful of movies curated by library employees Jackson Harper and Brian Garrison, who also collaborate together on the library’s video collection as a whole. The display, which changes monthly, follows a set theme typically determined by whatever films the library is showing that month, and Harper described this October’s theme as “Silly & Spooky.”
“This month, the library is screening Sinners and Troll 2,” Harper said. “I wanted the display to blend more serious horror movies in historical settings like the former with campier and so-bad-it’s-good flicks like the latter.”
This blend of fun and frights puts films such as Robert Eggers’ deeply stylized 2019 period piece, The Lighthouse, shoulder to shoulder with classic B-movie schlock like the notoriously panned Plan 9 From Outer Space, a film considered by many to be one of the worst—and most entertaining—movies of all time. The variety in these titles is consistent with Harper and Garrison’s goal when selecting which movies to select for display.
“I hope that anyone who passes by can find at least one movie that appeals to them,” Harper said.
Most movies can be rented from the CFL for a period of one month. For students without any device on which to play their library rentals, the Chester Fritz also offers portable DVD/Blu Ray players, which can be rented for one week.
Quinn Berg is a Dakota Student Section Editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
