Following our interview with Dale Lloyd of Viva VHS, Paul Risker looks back at his VHS memories….
I class myself as one of the VHS generation, a generation who finds a place to belong here at www.flickeringmyth.com. Whilst the world is turning Blu, there remains a part of my film obsessed heart – beating at 24 frames per second – that still holds a great affection for VHS.
I can recall the excitement of walking into the video shop as a young boy, and seeing from floor to ceiling the rows of video boxes. Too I remember eying the VHS boxes of films such as Hellraiser and Fright Night and contemplating the terror contained on that video tape, know with hindsight realising that I was anticipating the pleasure I would derive from horror in the not too distant future.
There are those of us who remember a time when we uttered the words “Video” collection rather than the more common “DVD” collection, or fast becoming “Blu-ray” or “Steelbook” collection. Will we ever reflect with such nostalgic sentiments on DVD? Perhaps VHS is something truly special to the cineaste, much like Vinyl is to the music fan. How excited I remember being when LP (Long Play) was introduced, doubling the length of a single video cassette.
So, much of my introduction to film came through VHS, hours of my life spent strolling around video rental shops as I made that all important decision on which video I should rent. Writing this piece I recall my discovery of Christopher Nolan through VHS (Memento), Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver and Goodfellas, Michael Mann’s Manhunters, and Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Trilogy. Just as fond a discovery was the video rental of John Carpenter’s Halloween which scared me senseless for months after.
Growing up in the 1980s, I remember excitedly loading tapes of The Burbs, Terminator 2, Commando and The Running Man into the VCR, films I watched repeatedly, maxing out on comedy, action, and special effects.
This may sound strange, but I remember fondly the deteriorating picture and sound of these films, played over and over again, sometimes one film as many as three to five times in a single day. Of course there was the irritation of having to rewind them each time… but with that came the inevitable excitement as you heard the tape getting closer to the beginning, kind of like a countdown. I miss the sound of the VCR machine, the inserting and ejecting of tapes, the sound as you pressed play and stop, as well as the distinct sound of the two modes of rewinding and fast forwarding.
So as someone who belongs to the VHS generation, I owe an eternal debt of gratitude to VHS, my doorway and introduction to the world of film. VHS, there will always be a place in my heart for you. Thanks for the memories.
Paul Risker is co-editor in chief of Wages of Film, freelance writer and contributor to Flickering Myth and Scream The Horror Magazine.
Originally published March 23, 2013. Updated November 6, 2019.
