The VHS Appreciation Thread

[old-boo-radley]

*Dodges the attempted bludgeonings*

With the video apparently dying at the end of this year, I figure that I gotta create a thread to celebrate its life. Now before you once again pelt me with fucking rocks, hear me out.

I was born in 1985, the horror boom was on the decline and I live in a smaller town (10,000 people. Rhett frequently makes trips here, so obviously our tourism industry is buzzing with a celeb in town). By the time I got old enough to actually want to go see a horror film in a theatre was probaby 89-90, and we all know at that point it was in a pretty good decline into nothing. Certainly, none would play here. So basically, I had to turn to video to satisfy my cravings and until about 2000 it did a good job. Sure the prints were washed out, cut, cropped and God knows what else, but growing up it wasn't about that, it was about the horror on the screen. Even to this day, I enjoy watching a video from time to time just to go back to the thrill of yesteryear when the film would actually scare me.

Video box art is also a big deal. I can remember strolling through the horror sections in my town and seeing the most amazing covers ever, the thrill of going to the rental store and actually being surprised when a new movie would come out, even if it was Ghoulies III or House IV. When I see a video, it reminds me of all the good times I had. And I've had times purchasing DVD that equaled the feeling, but for the most part, I still find those thrills to be so much better than reading about a movie coming out on DVD a year before it actually makes it. Or if it's Grindhouse, just a tad longer.

So DVD comes along and obviously kills everything video had to offer. And now we simply dismiss videos as crap or worthless. Sure, we now have a better format, but before you bash every video you have/had, remember the times before when the movies were just becoming available for sale and you were so happy to be able to own the films you love! Videos and the elderly have so much in common, we used 'em up and spit 'em out and they get no respect.

Basically I made the thread for people to express some nostalgic feelings toward the format and to give it some credit for allowing us to see the films we wanted to see and perhaps couldn't have otherwise. DVD did this even better by allowing us to see original aspect ratios, surround sound and special features. I honestly think the best time for horror fans is right now, even better than the boom of the 80s. We're now able to own the movies, looking and sounding better than in theatrical releases at an affordable price, much the same as a night at the movies. Movies no one imagined would ever released are getting released and with ebay, you can find virtually any old OOP video you've ever wanted to see. Basically, every movie is at our disposal. That's a good feeling especially for us horror geeks.

But, how many people actually made it through this big ass post is the question I ask. And if someone tosses another rock at me, I'm taking my site with ZoSo nudes down. And that's a promise, not a threat.

[Agentsusp]

There is a ton of amusing stuff on VHS that will never come out on DVD. As sad as the demise of VHS is, one thing that I've personally dug is when video stores close I'm able to go in and pick up hurndreds of tapes for less than $1.00 each a lot of the time. I make myself a DVD-R copy so I can watch it, and then still have the great box art, etc

[MorallySound]

I still love all my VHS movies. I have a tonne of them that aren't out on DVD yet, so I'm glad I have a format I can watch those movies on. And I agree with you on the nostalgia part, I was born in '86, and I remember checking out the covers as a kid, especially the horror ones, and remember being intrigued and scared by the cover art. I loved the fact that the cover art (and posters) of those times, and before then, where hand-drawn. Not some photoshopped images from the movie. I think all posters should have that hand drawn artistry that used to be. Hell, I just watched Straw Dogs on VHS yesterday.

So here's to VHS! *raises glass* Thanks for the memories, and I'll still revisit you time and time again. Cheers!

[speanroc]

as long as the DVD companies keep f'in up genre titles , i will continue to purchase import vhs.......

[Bad_Ronald_1983]

VHS still rules!! I still collect them. I know DVD'S are awesome, and put a new light on your favorite movies, but it also takes away some of the mystery and creepy feel of the movie. For example, I enjoy watching 'Halloween' on my Media VHS tape more than I do my Anchor Bay DVD.

VHS still has the best movies, best cover art, best prices, best memories.

May VHS continue to stick around.

[speanroc]

Originally Posted by Bad_Ronald_1983

VHS still rules!! I still collect them. I know DVD'S are awesome, and put a new light on your favorite movies, but it also takes away some of the mystery and creepy feel of the movie. For example, I enjoy watching 'Halloween' on my Media VHS tape more than I do my Anchor Bay DVD.

VHS still has the best movies, best cover art, best prices, best memories.

May VHS continue to stick around.

AMEN....................

[dwatts]

Well, maybe I can muster up some nice comments about VHS if I divorce the availability of films from the format. To be honest, I wouldn't touch a VHS with a barge pole right now. Sure, some titles have yet to come out on DVD - but all I got to do is wait, and in the mean time there are literally thousands of titles for me to get - I mean, how much time do I have?!?

However, the era of VHS was a good one. It was step toward what we have today. Before VHS we had CINEMA and TV. With VHS we could rent a bunch of movies and watch them any time we wanted. At the beginning I was in the UK, and I could get films incensored too! Not that that lasted long

So yes, VHS helped me a lot. But over time - once censorship happened in the UK, I began to lose interest in movies. DVD brought me back to the fold.

Some of the artwork for VHS was/is good. On the other hand, there's a lot of good cover art on DVD too. I just can't imagione not having DVD at the moment. VHS? Well, I don't have it. I'm not interested in paying a dollar for a movie I'm going to hate to watch.

Still, it did well in its time, and yeah, it helped keep me somewhat interested during the lean years.

Originally Posted by MorallySound

So here's to VHS! *raises glass*

That better be water in that glass sir. You are still on your diet remember?

[bigdaddyhorse]

I'll always have fond memories of discovering many flicks on VHS. The scary part is, I remember when it came out! I also remember my dad almost buying betamax.

I have been spoiled by dvd though, and it's often hard to watch a vhs anymore. Not so much the video quality, but more the aspect ratio now. But I will always love them for bringing good horror movies into my tv that couldn't have been there any other way.
Box art was always far better than the bullshit major studios throw on front their dvds. Even better than 80's horror boxcovers < 80's porn boxcovers! I still love those to this day and have 1000's of file on my computer to prove it. No porno pictures, just a few clips waiting to burn on a disc, but 1000's of classic boxcovers.

[Jeremy]

Over the past two months I have (between several bouts of unemployment) been working on an independent documentary project involving the bootleg VHS phenomena. This has required me to start tracking down old pre-record VHS tapes in order to contrast the films American presentations and show why overseas imports were so desirable. For example, last week I finished capturing footage from the old Vidmark NEW YORK RIPPER tape, and even tough the violence is essentially intact the "foot fuck" scene is only about twenty seconds long.

I really hope that a lot of these old tapes are preserved in some form, particularly the ones that were cut or otherwise screwed up. They really are a part of the history of these films.

[bigwes15]

I was born in 1971, so I guess I have a few more beloved VHS memories than some of you whippersnappers here. I still have many of my fondest movie memories of those early days desperately wondering if I could snag one of the very scant copies (AKA ONE per store, if that) of some of the intriguing horror movies popping up that I had only heard rumors of (Re-Animator, Creepers, HG Lewis movies, Pieces, Madman, the list could go on forever). Also challenging in these early days was the laborious attempts to convince my parents to let me rent most of these, which was always tough even though they were pretty cool. 1981 through around 84 saw some interesting struggles, in which pops would actually make me go to the library to hunt through magazines using the reference system to find reviews of these movies to read before deciding if he would let me get them! Maybe he just liked seeing me sweat it out, who knows. The worst would be when he would have to watch the movie first to decide if I could see it. Given my taste for the stronger side of horror, this did not always go well. Anyway, I can still remember the sometimes very odd clerks, layouts, and eye-popping box covers of some of the films in my favorite (all long-dead) video stores, and I don't imagine that any DVD experience will ever come close, regardless of the fact that the product is obviously much better. VHS will live forever, at least in my horror loving heart! Thanks for this thread, old boo. It certainly brings the memories back in a flood. That sense of awe and discovery will never come around again.

[Katatonia]

I still have tons of VHS tapes in my possession. I well remember enjoying movies way back when on VHS. But, I also remember all too well just how much I always hated the format's shortcomings. If it wasn't the murky picture, or sometimes scratchy sound, it was the inevitable hassle of rewinding and fast-forwarding. However, I can still enjoy a movie on VHS, even though the picture and sound quality is lesser.

A good friend of mine still has well over 10,000 VHS tapes in his possession, almost all being rare material. Is it even feasible to transfer those to DVD-R's, that perhaps have an estimated shelf life of 10+ years?

Do I still buy VHS tapes? Actually, yes, if they are not yet available on DVD. The last one I purchased was Black Roses (with the wicked raised cover), brand new and sealed for only 50 cents. I admit, VHS had many cooler package designs.

It's a little like Vinyl somewhat too I guess...some albums I would much rather own on Vinyl, versus CD. A vacuum tube versus a transistor. Sometimes I just want that more natural BOOM. Vinyl didn't annoy me as much as VHS though.

[old-boo-radley]

To be honest, when I watch a video, once I get into the movie the quality begins to bother me less and less. Not sure why.

A thing that always bothered me was people saying that videos degrade over time. I can't argue as it's a fact, but man, I have an old stroke tape I made from like grade 7-11 or something and it's been watched probably a thousand of times, recorded over and over again, rewound, forwarded, thrown, dropped and fucked. It's in pretty bad shape, but if it lasted that long with the situations listed above, there's no way you could ruin a decent condition used video unless you watch the flick every couple days.

I'm also surprised no one has made a flame post yet. I finally found my reason for believing in the future.

[gunner]

I can't believe the amount of vhs lovers here. I still have an s-vhs deck, and there's a few tapes I still watch, and hundreds I still own. I always loved the movies, but hated vhs tapes to a certain degree. How come the UK got nice, clamshell boxes while the US was stuck with mostly flimsy, cardboard sleeves?
But don't get me wrong, when my parents brought home our first vcr back in 1984-ish, a top loading panasonic with corded remote, I was in love...but from 1993 on I would say the format started to irritate me. I remember in my teen years it always upset me that Friday the 13th looked better on tv than on the tape I had spent $20.00 on. Laserdisc was a godsend for me, but the types of films I watched rarely got any kind of special release. And looking back at those transfers, yuck! But I've still held onto all my favorite LDs too. I'm a pack rat.
I think dvd has pretty much eclipsed my emotions for the previous formats. But I'm starting to get that half-empty feeling again since both of my tvs are capable of so much better resolution now. Bring on 1080p dvds!!!

[The Chaostar]

Still love VHS. Have shitloads of them and will never sell them.