REWIND THIS!
Sentimental saps like me are holding onto their VHS tapes and that subculture is pictured in Josh Johnson’s engaging documentary “Rewind This!” I paid $230 for a Hitachi VCR in 1997 and most recently I bought a used Panasonic for $3. Prices have dropped.
Afficianados of magnetic tape point to classics made by backyard Spielbergs like David (the Rock) Nelson who claims “Dracula vs Sadam Hussein” as his VHS production.
VHS attracted fans of chunk blower bootlegs and titles like “Heavy Metal Parking Lot” that are much appreciated by nerds who cruise flea markets in hopes of getting lucky.
I sometimes wonder as well why I persist with VHS given that it takes two players to watch the full array of my limited collection.
With YouTube I have dispensed with many cassettes but even that’s a problem finding anyone who wants them or has a working VCR.
One observer reminds us that in a few years 2 out of 10 tapes in our collections will be unplayable. Since VHS opened a new world of movie viewing for many of us, it’s difficult to break the habit. And I am aided and abetted by a friend who still records on VHS.
Diehards detect a resurrection of the beloved VHS, with Mongo now selling new tapes. Whatever.
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