All Hail the VHS Tape Signature Sale
Short for Video Home System, the VHS format, which debuted commercially in the late 1970s and became ubiquitous during the 1980s, may be an outdated mode for watching movies, but many of the tapes themselves have become highly collectible, just like comic books, baseball cards, and record albums. People love the box art and the fond memories they have of perusing the shelves at Blockbuster and popping their favorite film into the old VCR as part of a Saturday afternoon movie marathon or simply as a way to unwind after a long day at work.
AUCTION PREVIEW: In our upcoming VHS Tapes Signature Auction, taking place June 9 (bidding begins approximately May 20), we are offering a plethora of fan-favorite films and cult classics on tape, each graded, safely preserved, and ready for display.
All are factory sealed, and some are rare variants. We even have Beta tapes on the docket. I’ve seen and enjoyed almost all of the movies represented in this sale, so the prospect of boiling it down to a list of seven of my favorites was a tricky proposition at best, but I’ve done just that.
Barbarella (1968)
Do you know where the pop band Duran Duran got their name? Look no further than Barbarella, the psychedelic space romp. Jane Fonda, never looking more beautiful than she does here, plays the space-faring title character, who is sent by the United Earth government to stop the evil scientist Durand-Durand from creating a weapon that could destroy humanity. Based on the French comic series of the same name by Jean-Claude Forest, the film has gorgeous visuals, a fun theme song, boffo action, and cheesy dialogue and effects—all the makings of a great midnight movie!
Batman (1989)
In the months leading up to Tim Burton’s first Batman film, I was beside myself with excitement. Hollywood was FINALLY going to take The Dark Knight Detective seriously after decades of fallout from the ultra-campy Adam West TV version. I bought the action figures, the bubble gum cards, the T-shirts, and even the novelization of the film. And, months after seeing the movie in theaters, I bought the movie on VHS, probably at Best Buy or Suncoast Motion Picture Company. I’ve watched it many times since, and it is still my favorite Batman movie, partly because of nostalgia, but also because it’s simply a lot of fun to watch. “Who are you? I’m Batman!”
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The Big Chill (1983)
When The Big Chill hit theaters in 1983, I was largely oblivious. It was about a group of Baby Boomers who attended college together and reunite after their friend commits suicide—not really something my 16-year-old self was interested in.
However, I saw it years later and was mesmerized. It is an excellent “people movie,” which is what I call films that focus on human drama and relationships, not aliens, explosions, or superheroes. Further, it has one of my favorite scenes in the history of cinema: JoBeth Williams (Poltergeist, The Day After) playing the first few chords of “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” on the organ at the funeral service, leading into the actual Rolling Stones song playing during the funeral procession. Brilliant!
Die Hard (1988)
Is Die Hard a Christmas movie? That has become a topic of debate over the past few years, fueled largely by social media memes. Whether it is or not (of course it is!), it’s a fantastic action film. In fact, many people call it the greatest action film of all time. Not only does it boast incredibly gripping action scenes, such as Bruce Willis walking barefoot across broken glass and bungee jumping with a firehose, but it also has plenty of heart and humanity, at least for a film of this type. The relationship that develops between Willis’s character and LAPD Sgt. Al Powell (played by Reginald VelJohnson) as they communicate via radio is especially moving.
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The Exorcist (1973)
When the grunge movement took over rock music during the early 1990s, it instantly made hair metal seem silly and irrelevant in the eyes of many. Something similar happened with The Exorcist and monster movies. In terms of fright factor and sheer verisimilitude, most previous creature features paled in comparison to The Exorcist, in which a 12-year-old girl (played by Linda Blair) gets possessed by…could it be Satan? Well, at least a demon. The film is chock-full of shocking scenes, making it controversial among certain religious folks. However, many in the Catholic church praise it for taking the subject matter seriously. In fact, William Peter Blatty, who wrote the novel the movie is based on as well as the screenplay for the film, was a devout Catholic.
Jaws (1975)
From the time he was a young boy, my son has been obsessed with Jaws, a film that is widely regarded as the first summer “blockbuster,” meaning audiences lined up around the block to see it (virtually unheard of at the time). He collects Jaws memorabilia and has seen the movie and its (admittedly lesser) sequels many times. While the shark doesn’t look super realistic compared to what special effects wizards can do today, the film, which made countless people fear going to the beach, otherwise holds up remarkably well, with good performances, excellent pacing and build-up, and countless iconic scenes and lines (“You’re gonna need a bigger boat”). The film is oft-referenced today and continues to build its fan base as new generations discover its magic. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
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The Terminator (1984)
I was a junior in high school when The Terminator was unleashed on an unwary public. It was a low-budget film, and most people knew of Arnold Schwarzenegger only from Pumping Iron (1977) and the two Conan movies. There was very little hype surrounding the film, and I didn’t really know what to expect, but the plot sounded cool so I was intrigued—a soldier is sent back in time to stop a nigh-indestructible killing machine. I thought it could be fun. It was playing at the local mall, so my best friend and I went to see it. We sat there in the darkness, Coke and popcorn in hand, and were absolutely blown away for the next hour-and-a-half by the movie’s intensity, believability (relatively speaking), and sheer fun factor. To this day, I have never been so floored by a film compared to what I was expecting going in.
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