When the last Blockbuster Video in my neck of the woods closed recently, I smiled on the inside. Then I got nostalgic for the era of movie-watching that corporation exploited and killed: the VHS revolution. Anyone who recalls the days of frequenting mom-and-pop video stores or now spends weekends trolling flea markets for unwanted tapes will feel that joy return in a rush from Rewind This!
Josh Johnson’s documentary chronicles the VHS format from birth to death, and those for whom the words on its “Be Kind Rewind” sticker remain a way of life. In 94 minutes, he covers a ton of ground: the Beta vs. VHS showdown, the porn explosion (pun intended), the dawn of sell-through tapes, the lost art of cover art, the proliferation of the aforementioned Blockbuster, the legion of DIY filmmakers inspired, the tape-trading and bootlegging circuits — heck, even how the sudden glitch on a tape signaled that a lucky renter was seconds away from seeing sure-as-shit nudity.
Among Johnson’s interviewees are Something Weird Video’s Mike Vraney; Basket Case director Frank Henenlotter; Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark; Full Moon’s Charles Band; Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman; and a number of film programmers, shop owners and obsessive collectors still touting VHS’ dominance. What I can’t tell — and it’s impossible to know — is if their love is misplaced; the format is inferior, but the sheer volume of titles it brought to their homes is mind-boggling.
Rewind This! is rife with clips, including oddball releases and outright obscurities. It’s a kick to see snippets of Bubba Smith’s workout video, Until It Hurts; Corey Haim’s misbegotten vanity project, Me, Myself and I; Leslie Nielsen’s Bad Golf Made Easier; a shot-on-video Western titled Death Rider; the first SOV adult film, Football Widow; 1984’s tasteless “horror” movie Black Devil Doll from Hell; and other atrocities, now preserved for the enjoyment and delight of future generations. —Rod Lott
“Football Widow” is available online; that’s the issue with a lot of the video age, it’s now available to stream right into your home. I loved video stores and 2nd run theaters, but so much more is now available in DVD and streaming.