An Ancient Movie

[Hans von Goeben]

"Ooooh my God, just like the one from the website!" Hans kneeled in front of TV devices, running his hands over every surface. "Even with an ancient SCART-cable! And a cassette recorder on top?! So antique! I'm loving it! Thank you so much for this opportunity, Alessa!"
His enthusiasm was swinging between childish joy and fanatism...an odd sight seeing a grown man getting so excited over a DVD-Player.
"Errrr...yeah." Alessa seemed irritated by her guest's behavior."...just like what was promised. Oh, speaking of promises: Where are the movies you mentioned?" Hans suddenly back-pedaled. "Of course! 'knew I forgot something onboard the shuttle. Uno momento!" An instant later, the man had already disappeared through the double-winged door.

The professor couldn't help but wonder about Goeben's unusual behavior. Either he was one of the most obsessed fans of their shared interest...or the trauma inflicted by the accident messed with his head.
Before she was able to continue those thoughts, Hans had already bursted back into the room with an old, shabby cardboard in his hands. It was filled to the brim with plastic covers. "Here they are!", euphorically presenting her the box. "Your collection is more than impressive, and I will certainly have a closer look at it later, but this is priority number one: 55 DVDs, packed with...", he paused for dramatic effect,"...original movies from Earth!"

Alessas' gaze was shifting between Goeben and the box. A moment later, she finally answered with squinted eyes: "From...Earth. Hans, I know you promised those movies would be old, but...are you really feeling alright?" A short, hearty laughter echoed through the room. "Hah! Exactly my reaction when this queer old stick told me that! Can you believe that nonsense? I bought them nevertheless..."
He grabbed a random cover, wiped off the dust layer and stated its title.

"Titanic"

A black ship's bow was printed on it, with a man and a woman on the horizon. A classy, romatic image.

"Eh, it's not relevant where those things come from, or who made them.", Hans shrugged, "Those are in original packaging, they are old enough to have never been heard of before, and we have the device to watch it. So...wanna make some popcorn before we get started?"
Her worried expression was still showing. Her guest continued in a more serious, calm voice:
"Oh, and, erm...I am fine, Professor. Really. Maybe...I am just really hyped right now to finally do something interesting after being trapped on my farm on Stuttgart for an eternity. Sorry if I, uhm..."
He coughs.
"Then it's all dandy!", Alessas' warm smile returned, obviously filled with anticipation. "I know that cabin fever can mess with you, but...movies from Earth? That sounds way beyond sane. Moreover: Sweet, or salty popcorn?"

Time was passing by quickly while both were consuming the movies and snacks. "Titanic", "The Godfather", "Psycho" and one episode of a strange title called "Star Wars" were already done watching. Despite the lack of holographic options, really bad CGI and some cheesy scenes, the movies for sure were enjoyable and worth their money.
Without the comfy couch and pillows, it would not have been possible to watch all masterpieces in a row. "So, which one next?", asked Hans after taking a sip from his cup. "Iiiit's...", Alessa closed her eyes and presented the new cover she grabbed out of the box.



"..."The Abyss". Sounds like a horror movie. In the recorder it goes!"