Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => News and Theory => Topic started by: Reel on November 29, 2013, 02:57:58 PM

Title: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on November 29, 2013, 02:57:58 PM
Sometime around 2005 everyone here stopped giving a shit about each other's dvd collections, especially after we all saw Mac's/Silias'. I am truly interested to see what VHS tapes have been important enough for you to hold on to through the years, though. I am still an avid collector, and my enthusiasm has recently vamped up due to seeing Rewind This! (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=12650.0) which confirmed that I'm not the only person who still finds these plastic thingies valuable, and there are people who have dedicated their lives to amassing embarrassingly larger collections than mine as well. So I figured it was time to catch up, and in the past few months I have been scouring thrift stores and starting to put a collection together that I can say I'm very proud of.  Here it is.


Faves


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJUgRGCQAAJMDx.jpg:large)

These are my favorite tapes. Besides Popcorn, STEEL, and Dolly Dearest,  all of these were much sought after movies to have in my possession. 'That Was Then, This Is Now' takes me back. I read the S.E. Hinton novel in 6th grade, really affected me in a profound way. On the cover of the book was the movie poster, and I had to see it. Kept my eyes peeled at every videostore until I finally learned that you could order shit from the library, and it must have taken a couples month until I got it. I was obsessed with seeing it. To this day, I can't even say whether it's a good or bad movie because it's been awhile. I just know that it pales in comparison to the book. Emilio Estevez wrote it, but it has a cool young Morgan Freeman as the bartender.

Shy People is my very favorite tape because it doesn't exist on any other format to my knowledge. It was one that caught my eye at the library a lot, such an emo title. It seems like whatever it could possibly be about would be lame, but I'm a shy person in general so I had to rent it and find out. Turns out the definition of 'Shy' in that movie is bit different than mine, as in people who shy away from society, live off the grid and don't want to be seen by outsiders. This movie really is up there with Magnolia and the rest of 'em as one of the most riveting cinematic experiences ever when I first saw it. I had no idea what to anticipate, and it exceeded my expectations in ways I couldn't imagine. I had been on a quest to own it a few years after wanting to rewatch it and see if it still held up but the library didn't carry it anymore. There were no torrents of it and the only available copy was a VHS tape on amazon, so I broke down and bought it for about $10. It was a ratty old copy from a library in Indiana. I'm so happy I have it to this day because I guarantee none of you have seen it besides Regular Karate and if you wanted to, it'd have to be on VHS.

The others, I can talk about if you ask.

Best Covers


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJUli3CEAAw8DD.jpg:large)

That's Demi Moore in her second role on PARASITE. Blood Salvage was a fucking disturbing movie on levels I can't even begin to comprehend. Needed a shower after that one.


Blind buys that should be a delight


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJU3iTCIAADU9G.jpg:large)


Fucking. Weird.


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJU81fCcAABQz4.jpg:large)

I want nothing to do with YOUNG EINSTEIN or that jerkoff Yahoo Serious. According to Pubrick it's something like "The Best piece of cinema to come out of Australia in the past 25 years." Fuck that guy...


My one and only big box title


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJVDPcCAAACgcc.jpg:large)


the craziest thing about it is the way they put this image on the spine to advertise it. People could REALLY get the wrong idea about this movie, such a racist scene...NSFW!


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJVMUECQAAEsTH.jpg:large)




...Unfortunately, I can't go anywhere near these because this is the current state of my VCR:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDiz54SBXxE




Okay, now yours!!!
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: 03 on November 29, 2013, 04:07:09 PM
i just came in my pants.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Lottery on November 29, 2013, 05:30:06 PM
This reminds me of the old video store from when I was young. The cover art is just so weird.
I think the art for Squirm looks fucking awesome.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on November 29, 2013, 05:39:18 PM
Quote from: 03 on November 29, 2013, 04:07:09 PM
i just came in my pants.

from the picture on 'The Mercenaries' spine? me too
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: pete on November 30, 2013, 12:49:25 PM
can't see the image!
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 30, 2013, 01:35:12 PM
Really? It's showing up for me.

In any case, I will attach it for posterity.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: N on November 30, 2013, 02:03:24 PM
That's an awesome collection you've got there. Your post from the horror thread was the main factor that sparked my interest in starting my own collection, and this only vamps it up tenfold.

Blood Salvage looks great btw, kinda like Wolf Creek meets Merle Dixon.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on November 30, 2013, 04:48:49 PM
Quote from: N on November 30, 2013, 02:03:24 PM
Your post from the horror thread was the main factor that sparked my interest in starting my own collection, and this only vamps it up tenfold.

Cool! I guess this kind of thing is infectious because seeing the mammoth collections in Rewind This was what inspired me to go a lot deeper into my obsession. I have been collecting VHS for years and years and years, I honestly can't remember a time when I didn't. Yet, when the switch to DVD came the things seemed practically useless by comparison. The only reason for me to buy tapes at that point was because I couldn't afford the DVD. And really, that still remains the motive- to get more out of my dollar.  I'm no format snob, I'll take whatever I can get my hands on. Sometimes you haven't seen Jacob's Ladder yet and all you've heard are people saying great things about it so you keep your eyes peeled everywhere you go for the DVD and it never turns up. Then, you happen to be at a thrift shop and it's sitting on the shelf for 50 cents and you snatch that shit up like you just found a 20 dollar bill on the ground and that's a good day. I think the most fun part about it is the treasure hunting aspect, to feel like you actually got more than your money's worth is a beautiful thing. That's why I'm more interested in going into some geriatric's basement and rifling through a box of tapes that's been under a leaky pipe for 15 years than I am going on amazon and finding deals that I end up paying $5 on shipping for. Really, what I'm trying to say is that I'm in it for the movies more than the novelty factor, and VHS has simply been the most rewarding way to covet these films without putting a huge dent in my pocket.


Anyhow, here's some titles I love, but just don't happen to own on any other format, and I'm good with that:


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BaWpEkfCUAAClx4.jpg:large)



lately I've been really looking forward to watching 'In The Bedroom' again. So good.










Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: N on December 01, 2013, 02:00:33 AM
Yeah, I guess you're right with the treasure hunting aspect. At the moment I'm being a total format snob and buying VHS online with absurd shipping costs when I could probably pick up the DVDs from my local WAL-MART thing.
There's just something about that sound a VCR makes after you insert a tape, the clunky-ness and the cover, it reminds me of the way I used to enjoy movies as a kid.
The artwork on VHS covers has a nice 80s/90s feel for me too, even though I started watching VHS in the early 2000s.

That and my dvd player has no remote and the play button just pauses the menu on most discs for me.

I remember watching Rumble Fish a while back in english class, we did an essay on the book, I think watching VHS will also introduce me to a lot of movies that I otherwise wouldn't have watched.
I still need to watch "Rewind This!", I'm considering copying it with my VCR so I can watch it first time on tape (thus becoming the ultimate format snob).

You've got some great titles there either way, even if I can't find them on VHS I still plan to watch them.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Ravi on December 01, 2013, 03:46:21 AM
I only watch movies in their original aspect ratio (unless that is not possible), and DVD and HD have spoiled VHS quality for me, so I don't buy VHS of anything available on DVD or Blu-Ray. But every now and then I do buy a comedy special or documentary or esoteric title that probably won't ever be released in another format. I'm always hoping to find something strange that would be a great addition to the Found Footage Festival.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on December 03, 2013, 11:26:34 AM
Quote from: Ravi on December 01, 2013, 03:46:21 AM
I'm always hoping to find something strange that would be a great addition to the Found Footage Festival.

I did yesterday:



(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bak7eh4CcAAWq9K.jpg:large)



actual clip from the video, you don't have to watch it all to get the gist


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Csea_hI_1sc
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on December 10, 2013, 01:09:37 PM
I just want to put up a disclaimer for the kids to be careful when practicing Bob Klein's techniques. Some of the poses if held too long can cut off oxygen to the brain. Speaking from experience...





So happy I found this. I've wanted to see it forever, thought I never would. SYDNEY!!!


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJTBLJCUAA4BV7.jpg:large)


..and another big box to add to the pile. Good day for movies about Running.


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJTIJ4CQAA3F7B.jpg:large)
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: tpfkabi on December 11, 2013, 10:19:47 PM
There is a movie called Run (1991) with McDreamy and it is VHS only, I believe.
I saw it on cable and I have this scene in my head where a car goes off a several story parking garage. Last I checked it was on YouTube, but I haven't gotten around to watching it.

Like said above, the main detractor of the format is the hideous Pan & Scan practice. Then there is the degradability factor with each play.

There was a local used media store that was one of the last places to buy used VHS and I would get some that didnt have DVDs yet. Then a year or two later that movie would get a DVD release - happened with Howard the Duck (people thought Lucas hated it so much he would never let it come out on DVD) and The Wizard.

I have tons of VHS that I recorded stuff off of TV with. I had one that I recorded Nirvana Unplugged and an In Utero era concert, and that concert was only recently released on DVD. I was going through all of them and trying to figure out what I had, burning stuff I wanted to keep to DVD, but I stopped.

Now with DvD to Blu the same is happening. I buy The Burning on DVd, couple months later Shout puts it out. Buy Repo Man DVD, then Criterion puts out a new version.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: chimbo on December 23, 2013, 12:20:31 AM
Quote from: Reelist on November 29, 2013, 02:57:58 PM


Blind buys that should be a delight


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJU3iTCIAADU9G.jpg:large)



Avenging Angel, my god that brought back some memories. I remember loving the first movie which is just called Angel. This is the sequel to that but didn't live up to it, although most ppl would consider the first one a bad movie to begin with. They made another one after this (in the 90s?) which I never got a chance to see.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Lottery on December 23, 2013, 12:37:12 AM
"The movie is a sequel to 1984's Angel and was followed by the 1988 film Angel III: The Final Chapter and Angel 4: Undercover."

Ha, that must be embarrassing. I mean besides making them to begin with and so on. Though I feel naming sequels maybe wasn't a concern for them.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: chimbo on December 23, 2013, 12:53:36 AM
Quote from: Lottery on December 23, 2013, 12:37:12 AM
"The movie is a sequel to 1984's Angel and was followed by the 1988 film Angel III: The Final Chapter and Angel 4: Undercover."

Ha, that must be embarrassing. I mean besides making them to begin with and so on. Though I feel naming sequels maybe wasn't a concern for them.

That's the magic of the 80s?  :)
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on December 23, 2013, 11:20:49 AM
Quote from: chimbo on December 23, 2013, 12:20:31 AM
Quote from: Reelist on November 29, 2013, 02:57:58 PM


Blind buys that should be a delight


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BbJU3iTCIAADU9G.jpg:large)



Avenging Angel, my god that brought back some memories. I remember loving the first movie which is just called Angel. This is the sequel to that but didn't live up to it, although most ppl would consider the first one a bad movie to begin with. They made another one after this (in the 90s?) which I never got a chance to see.


Yeah, I gotta find Angel and check it out before I watch this one. Plus the tape is broken, but it should be an easy fix. Anyways, this page is looking a little...empty


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BcL0CUCCQAAMdrK.jpg:large)



so...Candy Mountain, I thought that was Kevin Connolly in the lead role, Johnny Drama from 'Entourage', so I thought "Oh, this is gonna be terrible!" Turns out it's my home dog Kevin J. O'Connor of PTA fame. It's a really good road movie and the coolest surprise I've had in awhile. I dug Smooth Talk, but I was just staring at Laura Dern the whole time so I don't remember what it's about. The Entity is the best horror movie I've seen recently, it's like an adult version of Poltergeist that came out the same year. This movie and Shy People alone make Barbara Hershey one of my favorite actresses. Anguish, that's the little Poltergeist lady on the cover, haven't watched it but I'm positive it will creep me out! Like I said in the shout box, I always underestimated Wishmaster to be shitty, but it kicked so much ass! I wasn't expecting to see such grisly gore effects in a mid 90's horror movie, it's got an interesting story too, I'm looking forward to the sequel.
The rest I can't tell you about, even though I did watch Neighbors, which was so wacky that I had no idea what was going on by the end. Glad to have it as it's John Belushi's last movie. If you look really close on that one there's a clue to where I find most of my tapes.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: 03 on December 23, 2013, 03:26:01 PM
i have that same version of house of games. neighbors is fantastic, so is anguish.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: tpfkabi on December 25, 2013, 04:53:42 PM
I bought the Warner Bros Archive DVD of Neighbors not too long ago.
Never heard of Anguish, but I recognize Zelda Rubenstein from the Poltergeist series. The Plot description on Wikipedia sounds completely nuts.
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fen%2F3%2F33%2FAnguish_%2528film%2529.jpg&hash=847c9312edf286983ec2dd039103e4924312f41e)
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: 03 on January 07, 2014, 08:46:30 AM
aight. so i've been frustrated with this thread because i haven't had access to my collection, it's in a storage shed temporarily, and i have a strong passion for vhs, a very long ongoing romance with it since i was a kid. around the time dvds came out, i started going to movie rental places everywhere trying to buy their vhs from them. i traded and hunted around to find the best. i spent ridiculous amounts of money on shit i shouldnt have, and sold it for worse oftentimes. you're doing quite excellent with your finds, because these are different times i guess, i dont know. anyway, i was able to get a couple horrible pictures of some of my remaining prized possessions when i ventured out last night. these were the ones easiest to get to but i'll post more later when i go out there again.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fscontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-frc3%2F1510780_10203363868043266_119309662_n.jpg&hash=ffca358daeeded72b4d8efbb5b9135d5fcb06651)
hotel room miniseries - lynch
wild at heart - lynch
after hours - scorsese
bring me the head of alfredo garcia - peckinpah
l'amour l'apres midi - rohmer
santa sangre - jodorowsky
my right shoe
-
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fscontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net%2Fhphotos-prn2%2Fr270%2F1545943_10203363885763709_46318553_n.jpg&hash=6d3a5334eb163ed177db5873ba73a4bc61f4423d)
spirit of the beehive - erice
hail mary - godard
woodstock - wadleigh
small change - truffaut
brewster mccloud - altman
delicatessen - jeunet & caro

Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on January 07, 2014, 02:09:42 PM
Cool! Thanks for posting. I was getting discouraged that no one was showing me theirs. Never saw Hotel Room, would you recommend it? I wish I owned some Rohmer, specifically Boyfriends & Girlfriends. That's how I was introduced to him on a rented VHS and none of his other films I've seen have quite lived up to it. I can't believe you found that super rare My Left Foot sequel! People are asking almost a grand for that on Ebay. I'm not familiar with anything in the bottom picture, so no comment.

I've found some good ones over the past few weeks that I'm particularly excited about watching, but I got so much stuff for christmas I've been meaning to see ( The Wire box set, Ain't Them Bodies Saints, Alfred Hitchcock Collection, Pyscho 1-4 ) that I've hardly gotten to any of these! These first 3 should be obscure enough to raise your interest. They're all covers I spotted in other people's collections and thought "I WANT THAT!!"

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZdENeCMAAVtaj.jpg:large)

Fade To Black caught my eye because I'm really into movies about cinephiles. It's starring Dennis Christopher, who played Leo's right hand man in Django. I guess he's really proud of it because he RT'ed my tweet @ somebody saying "This looks right up my alley." The woman who played Sheeba Rt'ed me too...No explanation for that. People seem to like it. Any of you familiar?

I feel like I'd be doing a disservice to not show you the description on the back of 'The Pit'

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZn7ojCQAA0cjb.jpg:large)
Whatley Copse?


New York Ripper was looking lonely on my shelf so I gave him some friends

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZb8jlCcAA1iyT.jpg:large)



(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZd85kCQAAoRs1.jpg:large)


I really enjoy these. I didn't expect Class Reunion to be a horror spoof, and it's one of the most ridiculous I've seen! Never knew National Lampoon took a stab at that. 

Rolling Thunder is like the perfect revenge movie. The story is cut and dry, and yet the way it ends so abruptly always makes me feel like I missed something. Am I alone on this?  As someone who loves Taxi Driver I feel like I should be more familiar with it.

I know, Friday The 13th part 4, big whoop. Well, that's kind of the point. This was the first Rated R movie I managed to sneak past my mom at the blockbuster counter, at a young 5 years old. I remember thinking that the violence was real, and that people who starred in horror movies were just like suicide cases or criminals who had to end their lives so they volunteered to do it in a cool way. Heady concept for a kid that age, but I thought it was true! I look forward to rewatching and thinking about how my small brain processed it back then.

Here are some that I'm proud of finding because I'd never heard of any of them and they all seem interesting. Any of you seen these? Dark Of The Night is a New Zealand flick, N.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZc19GCEAEzF_c.jpg:large)


Cool covers...Movies notsomuch

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZfAPtCcAAEJ7z.jpg:large)


and lastly...my favorite christmas present of 2013.


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BdZwoApCYAA6Dp2.jpg:large)


This will allow me to take clips of some of these to post here! Possibly do other things.. :wink:  Most importantly, I'll finally get to transfer all our home videos. It's taken me forever to get around to that.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Ghostboy on January 07, 2014, 02:46:09 PM
I saw THE PIT multiple times on TV when I was a kid and always found it really disturbing. It has a killer kid, an evil bear, a monster in a pit AND a ghost, which was what always scared me the most.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: tpfkabi on January 12, 2014, 11:03:52 PM
NL's Class Reunion was supposedly written by John Hughes. I have wanted to see it, but I think the DVD is OOP.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Reel on April 24, 2014, 05:15:39 PM
I broke down and bought a nice Sony VCR after not having any luck at the thrift stores, but ever since I put in this super old copy of Alice In Wonderland, it spits the tapes out in a toe-breaking fashion


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5LM5ajd_wI&list=HL1398377711


I'm not asking for any help, I just think it's funny.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: 03 on April 24, 2014, 05:43:27 PM
holy shit! lol thats awesome, ive never seen that happen before
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: N on April 24, 2014, 10:31:02 PM
Dude I think you got Wallace and Gromit's VCR.
Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Lottery on April 24, 2014, 10:31:34 PM
I know Reelist's hands look like. Oh baby.


Anyway, this is pretty cool and somewhat relevant. At about 1:45.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZyT2kh3j0s

I loved that aged aesthetic to things. Before this game was announced, there was another one called Routine which embraced the future-obselete style.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAcAd1fUiy8

I just fucking love that sort of thing. Boards of Canada's most recent album had a very similar sort of feel to it. A retro, analogue-feel but with a bleak futuristic element.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2HZmQlQFLk

That intro tune and old arpeggiated synths, bloody awesome. The video is fitting too. I should have created a separate thread, for this but whatever. It's retrofuturism but more embedded in the 70s and 80s rather 50s and 60s (optimistic clean scifi sort of thing).

Title: Re: VHS is the BEST!!!
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on February 05, 2017, 01:41:43 AM
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