VHS Memories

[Opera Ghost]

Back in the 1980s, in nearby North Hollywood, is/was a video rental store called Eddie Brandts Saturday Matinee. They had the most amazing selection. There was nearly nothing that they did not have as things not released on video were often recorded off of TV, and offered as a free rental (with the rental of another normally produced rental VHS) THAT was they way I first got to see House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, not to mention a few others.

I do believe that it is still around.

Personally, I still have about 40 vhs (not counting a full DS set beginning with resurrection of Barnabas) of mostly A&E Horror/Halloween etc, and a few movies which I had recorded off of TV, and TV series like Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Wife has transferred most to DVD, I believe now.

[Splitty]

We had rented VHS, but the first PVT (Previously Viewed Tape) that I ever bought with my own money ($6.99!) was Leviathan.
It was such a novel and awestruck feeling that I could actually own personally a movie, and it made me feel part of the movie. Ignited a firestorm of VHS collectin'.
Of course, the first one I had to get was a mutacious violent goo movie. 

Kinda wish I had kept that very first tape, and not chucked it when DVD came along. )~(

[RedKing]

The first pre-recorded tapes I bpught way back in 1985 were Day of the Triffids and Night of the Living Dead. They were like$15.00 each at K-Martt and kept in a locked glass case on an endcap with a few other pre-recorded movies. I was 14 and the whole idea of being able to tape movies from TV and buy ones commercial free and watch them anytime was just so exciting. I also used to love going to the mom and pop video store(there was no other kind back then) and perusing all the cool garish over-sized VHS boxes for all kinds of horror and sci-fi flicks.

[crissrudd4554]

It was about 1997 or 1998. I was about 4 years old. My mother owned the 1991 Classic Collection VHS of Frankenstein. I popped it in and after about 10-15 seconds of black screen a jumping musical note striked and there was Dracula uttering the famous quote "I bid you welcome". Then a narrator spoke "MCA/Universal Home Video announces the Universal Monsters Classic Collection". Next the Wolf Man came out from behind a tree ready to attack. The narrator continued "These are the titles Monster fans have been waiting to sink their teeth into. Now at the spooktacular price of just (the image froze just as the Wolf Man was about to attack and a price caption appeared) $14.95 each suggested retail". Here came the part that really impacted me. They proceeded to show each video cover one by one. The artworks were just too much. They revealed the covers to Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, Phantom of the Opera, Bride of Frankenstein, and Son of Dracula. Next came the great scene from Frnakenstein of the Monster coming to life. The narrator continued as it shifted to another scene from Dracula "Visit your local video retailer and ask for the Universal Monsters Classic Collection". It concluded with a still shot of the 1990s Universal Monster crest with the tag The Classic Collection shown above it "Classic Monster titles with a haunting new look at a price to die for". From that time on that promo impacted me perhaps more than the actual film!! Now don't get me wrong. Frankenstein is one of my favorite films of any genre!! But as a kid that was where my obsession with Universal Monsters began. Between the time I was 5 and 12 I tried collecting them all, finally concluding with the Spanish Dracula. Most of these films were on DVD at this point (all of which I have now as well) but I still wanted the VHS' and I love these films!!! These are some of the greatest films to ever exist and I owe it to that Frankenstein VHS for exposing me to them!! Long live Universal Monsters!!!!!!!!!!

[marsattacks666]

   

Long live Universal Monsters.