He watches Titanic every day and has a room with thousands of VHS tapes of the film: “I was involved in the film”

In an endless loop, JD’s seven televisions broadcast Titanic seven times a day. In a room dedicated to that film, monitors and their video recorders coexist with hundreds of VHS cassettes that serve as wallpaper and a mannequin that resembles Leonardo DiCaprio.

“We watch Titanic every day,” JD admits to Clarín. Every time I watch it, it feels like it’s the first time: “I’m as excited to see the movie now as I was in 1997. It never gets old and I always find new things I love.”

The collector lives with his partner in Largo, Florida. He is 32 years old and is the number 1 fan of James Cameron’s classic.

Today, 2,860 VHS copies of the 1997 film make up the largest Titanic videocassette collection on the planet. “I can’t imagine anyone having more,” JD tells Clarín.

What is your room like on the Titanic?

It’s full of Titanic on VHS. We actually ran out of space! Right now we have set up a larger space in a commercial location and it will be open to the public. It should be a lot of fun fixing things.

JD fell in love with Titanic when he was six and his parents took him to the movies. He bought his first copy in 1998, and unknowingly marked his destiny as a collector: he understood that being able to see the film again whenever he wanted would change his life.

Do you think your fanaticism has to do with nostalgia?

Obviously. I saw the film in theaters in 1997 and couldn’t help it. It was everywhere. I was immediately drawn into the story and the film.

Thanks to social networks, where he has thousands of followers, JD receives VHS copies of Titanic from all countries. Other boxes, as well as several collectibles from the film, can usually be found in second-hand shops.

What’s the best copy you have?

My favorite copy is the 1997 screening of the film. It came out a year before the actual VHS release. It is super rare and hard to find. It’s also the most expensive: $50 USD.

His dream is to build a Titanic VHS Titanic. It’s not a joke: “This is my ultimate goal. I would like to recreate my dream boat and display it in an art exhibition. It will take some time before we can get 1 million.”

Do you think Jack would be saved if he got on the board?

Jack Dawson swam to America to live in my Titanic Kingdom. I currently have a life size Jack Dawson that I take with me on my adventures to find more Titanic on VHS.

JD has copies from every continent, but none from Argentina. “We accept international copies from all over the world, so it’s just a matter of time,” she said of the possibility of getting one. Will it be given?