DVD Corner

Rewind This! DVD Review

One of the best films of 2013 is now available on DVD and VHS.

In the year 2014, the way people watch movies at home has changed dramatically from the past couple of decades. While physical media (Blu-rays and DVDs) is still popular, streaming films and shows has become much more prevalent (particularly for younger folks). Even as video quality (and technology) continues to improve and evolve, however, it’s hard not to get a little nostalgic about the days when VHS was king. Going to the video store to browse, search for titles, or discover weird little seen movies was a joyful experience for film lovers across the globe. Sadly, that experience is more or less a thing of the past now unless you’re lucky enough to live next to one of the few remaining video stores. Still, even though the reign of VHS may be over, its impact and legacy lives on as the 2013 documentary film “Rewind This!” so clearly demonstrates.

Via film clips and interviews with filmmakers, film buffs, video store owners, and film journalists such as Zack Carlson, Charles Band, Lloyd Kaufman, Drew McWeeny, Elvira, Bryan Connolly, Caroline Frick, and Mamoru Oshii, “Rewind This!” chronicles the rise and fall of the VHS format. The documentary explores such subjects as the infamous VHS/Beta Max war, the home video revolution, the groundbreaking recording ability of the VCR, the impact that the porn industry had on VHS, straight to video titles, mom and pop/chain video stores (no mention of Portland’s Movie Madness oddly enough), home video distributors (many of which are now defunct), tape collectors, and much more.

Whether you were born after VHS ceased production or practically lived in video stores like myself, “Rewind This!” proves to be an emotional and nostalgic tribute to the VHS format. From the first frame to the last frame, it’s clear that everyone involved in the production of this film was passionate about discussing the significance that VHS had on the film and home entertainment industry. Whether the interviewees were talking about films shot on video or explaining how VHS preserves films that may never see the light of day on another format, ‘Rewind’ certainly drives home the fact that VHS holds a special place in film history.  

Note: This review refers to the DVD only release. A Rewind This! DVD/VHS combo pack is also available for sale.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 1.78:1. How does it look? Like any documentary, “Rewind This!” varies in quality as the film contains newly shot interviews/footage, lower quality VHS clips, etc. Much like a VHS tape, the content is more important than the video quality here.

Audio Track: Dolby Digital 5.1. How does it sound? This disc isn’t going to put your speakers to work, but the track is perfectly satisfactory for the film.

Extras:
* “Rewind This!” trailer.
* A music video for the Beaujolais song “Where I Came From.”
* 6 ½ minutes of animated segments that were cut from the film.
* A plethora of interviews that didn’t make the final cut about topics such as VHS artwork, hunting for VHS, laserdisc, nostalgia, ownership, physical vs. digital media, rental industry, the return of VHS, shot-on-video titles, tape stickers, and video nasties.
* “VHS Day”- Bryan Connolly talks about VHS facts amidst a group of friends for a VHS Day gathering.
* “Everything Is Terrible! In Austin, Texas (August 16, 2010)”- Footage of this ongoing oddball live event.
* “Push-Ups With David “The Rock” Nelson”- David “The Rock” Nelson performs push-ups on stage at a live event.
* “Remix Culture (Extended)”- Extended interviews about mix tapes so to speak.
* A commentary by Josh Johnson, Carolee Mitchell and Christopher Palmer that is jam packed with information. The three chat about cameras that were used, video footage, changes made in editing, interviewees, etc. Well worth listening to.  

January 19, 2014 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Rewind This! DVD Review, VHS