Posted on 04/25/2014 6:49:36 PM PDT by nickcarraway
MOSCOW, Idaho--One local man said he dedicates his free time to collecting copies of the movie Speed. Ryan Beitz, of Moscow, wants to be the sole owner of every VHS copy of the 1994 thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.
“One time I bought 30 copies from a store,” said Beitz.
What started as a joke, when Beitz bought six copies from a pawnshop seven years ago, turned into a campaign.
“We're running a Kick-Starter to get the van fixed up and painted like the bus from the movie Speed. It's so we can travel the country, come to your town and get copies of Speed,” said Beitz.
It's rare to come across VHS tapes today in a world of DVD's. Beitz had 550 VHS tapes of the movie as of April 23.
“A lot of people just donate them to me, they send them from all over. I've got a few from Japan,” said Beitz. “I would buy them all off of Amazon but the shipping costs $4 when the copy costs a penny. It's ridiculous.”
It could be Beitz’ enthusiasm that's driven this obsession to go viral.
Beitz started the World Speed Project in 2007. His one-man mission took off in April and was picked up by NPR, Good Morning America and a Japanese reality TV production company.
“No one ever really knows if the work they're doing is making the world a better place or not, but they don't give up. That's how Speed works. We just have to keep going no matter what,” said Beitz.
KREM 2 News asked Beitz if he could estimate how many copies of the movie he wanted to get his hands on before he would stop looking.
“No, I'm never giving up. I can't stop my whole life because I'll never know. So, I'll die looking for Speed,” said Beitz.
he doesnt fit in In Moscow Idaho...or likely much of anywhere else Id bet!
So who cares...why post this? Speed? Send him to Nascar...
I was thinking that Betamax no longer existed when that movie came out?
In my attic, collecting dust, is one of these tapes.
I was going to put it on Ebay but no! Instead, I will hold on to it and will taunt this man. He knows not my address but with this photo, he will know that I am not bluffing when I say I own a copy.
A copy he shall never have! He will never reach his goal now!
A man's gotta know his limitations.
DEWD.....HE STOLE JOHN BELUSHI’S HAIR!!! .../s
wow The Belushi Hair...and The Travolta Photos in one image...is really coincidentally odd find
Read my tag line. Pretty sure MY ‘hobbies’ might end up being a tad more realistic.
I admire his moxie, though. Everybody needs SOMETHING to believe in...and it’s not the WORST movie ever made, so there’s that. ;)
I owe my life to Moscow, ID. That’s where Mom & Dad met in college.
I love Idaho!
I feel the need, the need for Speed
So I can really cash in when my copy is the only one left that he doesn't own...
I have several tapes I like to buy when I find them. Speed is one of them but my favorite is Dances with Wolves.
Not because I like the movies but I tape over them. I can pay $.25 -$1 for an old movie tape or spend $13 for a 5 pack of new tapes at W-M that used to be about $5.
Some of the tapes I get are longer movies so when I tape over they go longer than 6 hours, some like DWW are almost 9 hours.
It is funny if I buy more then one copy of a movie at the same time and have had to explain that I tape over some of them. I can’t tell you how many times I have bought the 2 tape set of Titanic, which I have never even bothered to watch.
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