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Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

A number of years ago I had a helluva VHS collection for a high-school kid. These weren't tapes my whole family owned, just mine.

Once DVDs came out and started getting cheap enough for average consumers, I started buying those instead, and in many cases replaced my VHS movies with DVDs for reasons including "widescreen" and "director's commentary." My DVD collection got stupid huge and my VHS collection dwindled.

A few years back though, rental stores started liquidating their VHS collections and I realized something: some of these movies never made it to DVD! Now we're mostly talking '80s direct-to-video fare, but that's not the point. We're starting to get two generations removed from VHS and some of these flicks are in danger of becoming extinct.

Now I'm aware there's no reason they couldn't release "Ator: The Fighting Eagle" or "Deathstalker II" on Blu-Ray (and if you're lucky you might even find a copy of their one-shot run of DVDs), but the thing is, they probably won't. What's more, there's just something more authentic about the VHS tapes. Back in the day, the only way you could watch "Warrior of the Lost World" was on videotape, and that's just 'cause you were browsing through the rental store and the post-apocalyptic box art caught your eye, with promises of awesomeness they couldn't possibly make good on. DVD loses some of the experience.

So I've found myself buying a lot more VHS tapes lately. Not modern stuff, but '80s flicks that time forgot. I'm not suggesting that studios keep producing VHS tapes, but I don't think this stuff should be lost forever.

Anyone else have any thoughts? Tebor, chime in here. Wink

Title: Titlating Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 5042

well you could transfer your vhs tapes to dvd so you dont have all those bulky tapes

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Nonsense. Which of these is more awesome?

This:

Or this?

Title: Titlating Joined: Dec 17 2007 Posts: 5042

Touché

Posted: Feb 21 2008 03:02 pm

DarkMaze wrote:

Nonsense. Which of these is more awesome?

This:

Or this?

Why can't they they put a label on the DVD? I'm assuming you are downloading movies off the internet.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

DarknessDeku wrote:

Why can't they they put a label on the DVD? I'm assuming you are downloading movies off the internet.

Um, no?? I don't download movies.

A label on the DVD? Argh. What hath the internet generation wrought? Is there no love for box art anymore? For a pretty cardboard box or plastic case on the shelf? Crying

Posted: Feb 21 2008 03:52 pm

lol Darkmaze downloading movies?? Let us not forget the reasons why B.B. King got banned.

VHS is way better, just like vinyl

Posted: Feb 21 2008 03:58 pm

Theres a small business movie rental place that I go to, and their going to start liquidating their VHS collection pretty soon here, which includes a whole lot of shlocky action movies, martial arts stuff from the 70-80s, and those conan ripoffs with the faux Boris Vallejo/Julie Bell artwork. I asked them to call me when they start, but I know they won't. CURSE THEM!!!

Posted: Feb 21 2008 06:29 pm

Box art is awesome, but VHS tapes mess up easy, especially when the VCR is feeling hungry.

Posted: Feb 21 2008 07:51 pm

DarkMaze wrote:

Tebor, chime in here. Wink

I only get rid of my VHSes once I have the DVD, even then I want to keep some VHS copies. I'm pissed off my neighbor borrowed and then kept my Ghostbusters I and II tapes (plus the covers were awesome) and eventually I have to get "Superman II" back from a friend... Anyway, I have a huge stack of VHS tapes of Hollywood films I upgraded. I was going to sell them at the next garage sale.

But what about those RARE VHSes? Some films I thought were rare came out on DVD like Ice Pirates, Revenge of the Ninja, and Android. But sometimes it doesn't help because the print run of a DVD was so short. I'm going to join NetFlix just so I can burn a copy of Black Scorpion I and II (although I think the first is still available). Then there's "1990:The Bronx Warriors" which never came out on DVD - to my knowledge.

I'm more concerned with films that NEVER made it to VHS or DVD like Mr. Boogedy, Bride of Boogedy, and The Adventures of Captain Zoom (fun fact: one of the writers I met today). Those I have to make a bootleg DVD myself from TV recordings to save.

Anyway, I'm a pack rat and I want to hold onto as many copies of the films as I can, because I never know what the future may bring... Or what alterations were made.

Posted: Feb 22 2008 12:44 am

I do the same as Tebor. I still have both my VHS and DVD copies of SpaceBalls, although I plan to rid myself of the VHS copy because it has some magnetic score lines on the bottom. But my copies of movies like Anchorman, Happy Gillmore, and Meet the Parents are on VHS because I got them when I was around 11 and that was all I could afford. I still remember getting the occasional $10 to spend and getting a funny movie. Good times. Cool

Docinsano's Channel 63 · Posted: Feb 22 2008 01:44 am

The last movie I've gotten on VHS was CHUD II. Not a bad 80s horror flick. The funny thing is that I got that movie as a tip for a food delivery. Pretty sweet tip.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

RobotGumshoe wrote:

a whole lot of shlocky action movies, martial arts stuff from the 70-80s, and those conan ripoffs with the faux Boris Vallejo/Julie Bell artwork.

Tebor wrote:

Then there's "1990:The Bronx Warriors" which never came out on DVD - to my knowledge.

That's exactly the kind of stuff I'm talking about! Besides, some of the DVD re-releases of those flicks have the most godawful box art. Time for another "Which of these is more awesome?"

This:

Or this?

Photobucket

Posted: Feb 22 2008 02:59 am

I personally buy a movie to watch, not to sit around and look at the box. Usually I can only see the spine anyway, since it's in a row with a bunch of other shit.

Posted: Feb 22 2008 06:13 am

-bjork- wrote:

I personally buy a movie to watch, not to sit around and look at the box. Usually I can only see the spine anyway, since it's in a row with a bunch of other shit.

But it's the promise of greatness and then being paid off by something God awful... Or discovering an unknown gem. It's like the best kind of gambling ever. Time and time again I've been surprised by movies I've randomly bought because of their covers or their titles.

Joined: Apr 14 2006 Location: Lake Michigan Posts: 3332

Tebor wrote:

The Adventures of Captain Zoom (fun fact: one of the writers I met today)

I loved Captain Zoom. I wish they had turned it into a series, which it seemed like they wanted to do. It was a great spoof of Flash Gordon.

With VHS, I've been disgarding them or leaving them at my parents' once I get the dvd version. The last one that I'll have to do this for is Lost Highway next month, which is just now getting it's first DVD release. There's a few movies on my main shelf that are stil VHS, like Happy Gilmore, Billy Madison, Office Space, Mortal Kombat, etc., cuz I've seen them too many times to waste money on a dvd.

Posted: Feb 22 2008 07:58 pm

Cattivo wrote:

I loved Captain Zoom. I wish they had turned it into a series, which it seemed like they wanted to do.

That was the first thing I asked him. Apparently he was off doing a film for Spielberg, so Sci-Fi set the show up with a new show runner. Now, they already had a 6 episode deal, but this show runner was an idiot, apparently. I do believe that "Brian" also said that the show runner's name was... David Howard. Bum-bum-bum!!!

Edit: Wow, that post sucked. Here's a reinterp: "Brian" writes Captain Zoom as his passion project, however, he gets a job to do some Spielberg movie. Sci-Fi buys it and produces a backdoor pilot/TV Movie, but also signs up for 6 more episodes. However, the show gets handed off to an idiot and the additional episodes never get produced. A couple of years later "Galaxy Quest" gets made and the project gets shelved indefinitely.

Posted: Feb 22 2008 08:19 pm

I recently got a DVD-R and I've been thinking about ripping and reviewing some old stuff that never made it off VHS. I've also considered putting up the video history project that Spanky and I did in 10th grade, because it's awesome and we accidentally set fire to our friend's deck during filming, but that might be something that stays in SydLexia.com vault.

Posted: Feb 22 2008 10:23 pm

Syd Lexia wrote:

I recently got a DVD-R and I've been thinking about ripping and reviewing some old stuff that never made it off VHS. I've also considered putting up the video history project that Spanky and I did in 10th grade, because it's awesome and we accidentally set fire to our friend's deck during filming, but that might be something that stays in SydLexia.com vault.

Tease

Posted: Feb 22 2008 11:25 pm

Well, I probably would have done it already buy I am having trouble finding a copy of the VHS I want to review. The copy I have is missing a 20 minute chunk in the middle where I accidentally recorded most of an episode of Reading Rainbow over it.

Title: Hugh Joined: Sep 23 2007 Posts: 1591

VHS is the shiz.. The only times I buy stuff on DVD are when it's too new to be on VHS or when I'm too lazy to find a VHS copy, especially since most of my VHS shopping is done at thrift stores. Plus I hate change and as a kid I remember VHS alone for movies for a good while, and it was a good good while. Same reason I take a hundred shots to the balls before I gave up my casettes, sure, I remember CDs and Vinyl but tapes I support the strongest, even though Vinyls much better in so many ways. Yay for fearing change!

Posted: Feb 24 2008 12:39 pm

I dont mind VHS or vinyl or tapes or even LaserDisc (thats right I had one), but they take up WAY too much space for me.

I agree, losing that awesomely bad box art is a sacrifice, but I'd rather sacrifice that, than have my collection take up half my house.

And I dont really have that many of those old/cheesy movies either. So, this argument doesnt really pertain to me for the most part.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Yeah, VHS tapes are definitely bulky. I don't recommend buying newer movies on VHS because there's no point unless you're going for cheapness. It's the older, more obscure flicks I'm talking about. Some of that '80s stuff just feels plain weird on DVD, if you can even find it. But the stuff that's only available on VHS doesn't deserve to die.

And hell, the direct-to-video movies of the '80s and '90s are still way better than the direct-to-DVD movies of today. Although that almost feels like a subject for another topic. Wink

Posted: Feb 24 2008 04:13 pm

DarkMaze wrote:

And hell, the direct-to-video movies of the '80s and '90s are still way better than the direct-to-DVD movies of today. Although that almost feels like a subject for another topic. Wink

Soooooooooo true.

And it should be another topic... Cool

Posted: Feb 26 2008 09:22 am

The only reason I originally switched DVDs originally was because of space. I have binders full of hundreds of DVDs taking up less space that my VHS collection. I, like you, will still get a VHS if it hasn't been released on DVD. Or if the butchered it when they converted it to DVD. I still like to watch Star Wars on VHS. Call me a traditionalist, but I would rather see old Anikan than Hayden Christenses at the end of Return of the Jedi. I also could do without the Jabba the Hutt scene it A New Hope (which I still refer to as simply Star Wars).

And VHS do have that nostalgic value to them. I'll never forget picking out cheap low budget movies, like many of you, by looking at the cover art. And it was always best at a locally owned store where you got that musty oder wafting through the air when you walked through the door (there was usually jingle bells on the door). Not like the big corporate stores of today who lure you in with their state of the art buildings and promotions so you forget they are fucking you without even kissing you with their jacked up prices.

Space and director/cast commentary are the only real reason I like DVDs better. I most likely wont upgrade to blu-ray until I have to. As long as new movies are released on DVD, and as long as my DVD player works, that is what I will buy. When I can buy blu-rays for as cheap as a buck, then maybe I'll think about it. And as good as a blu-ray looks on a good tv with all the sweet hookups, It doesn't bother me in the least to watch a movie on VHS quality. I enjoy it just as much.

I do take much pleasure, however, when I come across a DVD that I never thought would make it past VHS, such as, Bikini Car Wash Company, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-rama, or Meatballs 4.