Everyone of a certain age will recall with big nostalgia the old video format of VHS cassette tapes. First memories of their beloved machine being introduced to the house. Choosing a movie from a video store where racks and racks of crazy small rectangular boxes sat with intriguing art work covers promising action packed thrills and excitement. Getting home and turning your front room, bedroom into a “movie theatre”. The constant tweaking of those tracking buttons to rid the picture of lines across the screen. And probably the most exciting element! being able to watch films way out of your age certificate range. They were brilliant times and I got to see some fantastic, terrible and damn right hilarious movies which you wouldn’t give the time of day to now but that was all part of the fun. Sometimes the more ridiculous the better, well certainly the fun levels were sky high.
All these memories plus more are presented in this superb little documentary called Rewind This. Great interviews with collectors, geeks, movie buffs, directors and the fans. Topics range from video nasties, the adult market, home made videos, the Betamax VHS battle and the life of a collector. It’s all great fun and very worth tracking down.
My first memories of VHS was a few days before my 13th birthday, my super Dad brought home our first player, a Panasonic front loader. My first thoughts were film party and invited about 20 kids from school. We had a superb video shop called Take One which was chock full of movies, like any good rental should be.
I still remember to this day the 3 we rented. Big respects to my Dad for letting me get them, he must of got a right ear bashing from my Mum, it still gets brought up time and again.
The first was recommended by the owner, Rambo First Blood so went for that. Still a classic. Second was The Warriors and that still remains one of my favourites films of all time. Then there was the third choice and this is where my Dad became a guy of legend. I handed him Emmanuelle trying our luck. Sure it crossed his mind to say no but in a nano second it probably flashed by him sitting and watching it on his new machine with a beer and whisky, smoking a cigar.
13 years old and turning up to your party with three 18 certificate films and one being of a naughty nature. How could I forget that day!
Still remember the best line from a friend, who won’t be named. As Emmanuelle or some other flossie was happily playing with herself through her panties, the camera panned in for a close up. Then this loud voice at the back of the room in a slight panic shouts out “OH MY GOD I DIDN’T KNOW THEY COULD MOVE LIKE THAT!!!!” and we all fell about laughing. A few years later I was happy to find out they didn’t and I’m sure this was the case of relief for most of the guys š
Mad Mongos Music 