Rare and Valuable Types of VHS to Look Out For

It’s been a long time since most of us made the move from VHS to DVD. There are, however, several types of VHS tapes that can still fetch a pretty penny at auctions and beyond. So, if you’ve got a collection of VHS tapes that have been doing nothing besides gathering dust, it may be worth your while to rifle through them to see if any of your tapes fit into the following categories.

Turn Old VHS Tapes into DVDs – What are the Benefits?

Those VHS tapes can give you a lot of great memories, from your favourite childhood films to the home movies that you watch with the entire family. However, the days of the VHS tapes have ceased to be. The latest blockbusters have not been released on VHS for over a decade, and the last VHS player was manufactured in 2016. With the introduction of DVDs, and later Blu-rays, it’s the era of the disc, not the tape.

Film Roles That Ruined Actors Careers

Being an actor seems like the dream job to many; they get to star as iconic and brilliant characters doing what they love, however, what we don’t think is how the wrong role can take them down the wrong path in their careers.

Actors will always be remembered for a certain role they took and, sometimes, this isn’t a good thing. Here are a few film roles that ruined actors’ careers.

Classic Movies That Would Have Started A Franchise If Made Today

With films today, many create sequels, if not franchises – think of the Guardians of the Galaxy and The Hunger Games. Even films that were not massively successful still have a sequel; as long as they make a profit, directors will make another one (or remake one) – there’s even a Now You See Me 3 on its way!

It makes you think; if classic movies of old which never got sequels were released in today’s Hollywood, would they have had their own franchises? Here is a list of films that may have had franchises if they were made today.

What Are The Best And Worst Movie Remakes?

Movie remakes always seem like a risk, they either go amazingly well, or become a huge fail. Some audiences can be very fond of an original movie, but respect the efforts of the remake, yet some are an insult to the film industry.

Numerous films released are remakes of classics which succeeded when they were released. Here, we will look at the best and worst movie remakes. Have you one in mind? Let’s see if it makes the list.

Access Denied: Films Only on VHS!

With the likes of Netflix and Amazon now our main forms of entertainment viewing, you may think all films are accessible in some way. However, the truth behind the timeline of film is that many movies aren’t available at the touch of a button or a flick of a switch. There are some titles that have been left behind, and believe it or not, have never seen a DVD in their life. At the end of the Blockbuster era, times were tough for film lovers, and VHS slowly died a death.

There are still places around the world dedicated to VHS tapes, such as ‘Seattle’s Scarecrow Video’- Home to the world’s largest collection of VHS tapes. Here are just a few of the lonely films that have been left behind in the progression of technology.

 

Killer Shark

This extremely hard to find Adventure/Thriller film explores a college student and his voyage to sea with his father, who is the caption of a shark hunting boat. Sound interesting?  When the young boy’s inexperience in shark hunting/ boating creates problems and accidents, his father and crew are injured. The student tries to make up for his actions, but things don’t turn out as wanted.

I mean, you’d think this story would sell itself, but as of its release in the 1950s, the shoe-string budget movie was and still is difficult to source, as it was only ever released as a VHS. You can, with great difficulty, find the film on DVD, although probably not in the correct format.

Rating: 4.4/10

Penelope Spheeris Documentaries

Penelope Spheeris has made some legendary films (nothing as good as Wayne’s World though) even though some have stayed slightly under the radar. These documentaries include “The Decline of Western Civilisation” and the second part “The Metal Years” starring idols such as Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper and Poison. This duo of films covers the LA punk scene and focuses on heavy metal, and the music business. Again, these are both only available on VHS, and can’t be purchased on DVD.

Rating: Part 1: 7.7/10, Part 2: 7.2/10

 

Let It Be

The 1970 documentary by Michael Lindsay-Hogg shows footage of the famous Liverpudlian group… The Beatles. It shows the four musicians final public performance as well as secret info into why the group broke up. The reason this film is so difficult to track down is due to the members themselves blocking the release on DVD. Due to the dark information on the band’s history, they do not approve of some aspects; meaning copies only survive on VHS.

Rating: 7.8

Sound of the South

Apart from the occasional singing of “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” Disney has basically wiped all traces off this film. The musical has had huge splashbacks of racial connotations, and much controversy came from the live action/animation combo. The film did originally get two releases; on laserdisc and VHS; however, it is now pretty much just not available. If you are lucky you could grab one of the few VHS tapes left.

Rating: 7.4

 

The Big Crime Wave/ Crime Wave

The plot of this unique movie marvel, consists of a young director on making ‘the greatest colour crime movie ever’, but he just can’t seem to finish his script. The daughter of the writer’s landlord is excited to have a real-life movie person in the living quarters, so tries to help him by getting him in touch with a collaborative script writer, who is the strange ‘Dr Jolly. ‘All is not as it seems…

The black comedy is a beloved treasure to those who have seen it, but sadly our modern film lovers can only get this on VHS. The director, writer and producer also is the main star of the film.

Rating: 7.2

Getting your VHS to DVD can sometimes be a difficulty, especially when your favourite films are only available on VHS. Some movie masterpieces have been forgotten about in the new world of progressing technology- but this doesn’t mean they are not works of art; as proved by the IMDB rating.

At Video2DVD, we pride ourselves in keeping film alive; whether from the 50’s or this day and age. If you would like to know any more about our services, you can get in touch with our team on 0800 592 433, and we would be happy to help you bring your VHS to life again.

Spotlight On: Short Film

Currently, we are being bombarded by an endless supply of blockbuster movies. From 3D smash hits to endless binge watching of Netflix originals; have you ever stopped to think about short films? Are they still as important as they once were, and why are they not as talked about as much as the latest feature film? Through cinematic life, the short film has continually adapted itself to the newest function and technology. Audiences now revel in new and delightful spectacles and it’s fair to say that the movie industry is on top form.

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Where Did the Short Film Go?

At the beginning of the century, some may say that short film experienced a recession. There was a lack of legislation for the lost art, and the 1927 Cinematograph Films Act simply didn’t offer enough protection for them. However, John Grierson, Scottish documentary maker joined the Empire Marketing Board in 1927 to develop a programme of publicity films for the EMB. When his first film Drifters (1929) became a success, it became evident that seeking sponsorship was key.

In the beginning, due to technical restrictions, all films were short, or shorter than currently. The earliest cinema audiences weren’t necessarily aware of this but, while they marvelled at the seconds of reel, they weren’t to know that as the 20th century would dawn, they would get much longer.

Short films were still being made in the swinging sixties, but their obvious unpopularity was becoming noticeable. Chris Hilton, former general manager at an Odeon in London said:

 “In the Sixties, you would still occasionally get short films in the programme, things like the Rank Organisation’s Look at Life series [which depicted scenes of ‘Swinging Britain’]. But most of these were pretty boring and the audience used to use them as an excuse to pop to the loo or get some more popcorn.”

With financial changes to the cinema and the addition of trailers and adverts, the short film was ousted from the big screen. By the end of the sixties they were almost gone; except for a short cartoon maybe shown before a children’s film.

 

What’s Next for Short Film?

It may not be so obvious to a viewer or lover of film, but Short films have been progressing and are making a comeback in ways. Some short films, we may just not see as short cinema, but they are there. With the technology and anyone pretty much able to be a filmmaker, YouTube and such other outlets have allowed us to adapt short films into the modern technological age.

The ability to screen films on the cheap has given birth to hundreds of dedicated film festivals and events all over the world, and they have been flourishing for some time now. The industry has bounced back and found more than one way to make and present short films; and they are even more excited and eager than ever, with an increasingly growing audience.

The biggest demand for short films comes from the internet now. Fabien Riggall, founder of short film company ‘Future Shorts’ says, “we have a million views a month on YouTube, and that’s just through word of mouth and social media” Is it that audiences are more interested in bite-size pieces of information and entertainment?

You only need to look at the IMDB list for short films to see their popularity and ratings. When you take a trip to the cinema now, it’s not rare to witness a short film before the feature film. Disney does this regularly and has made a buzz around it. As cheaper, newer and constantly easier ways of making films are happening, we live in an exciting time to welcome short film back.

 

There’s no doubt that short film has made a come-back. But with the constant churning of feature length films, will this make the short film industry stand out, or will they sink against the mass of blockbusters? Will short film make a commercial cinema comeback?

At Video2DVD we believe in keeping cinema alive; not just feature film, but the short film also. All film should be valued as much as any other.  If you have any film of any format that needs some life bringing to it, we would love for you to get in touch with our team on 0800 592 433.

The Best and Worst Movie Trailers

A movie trailer has the important job of wowing the audience in two minutes. The intended aim is to draw the audience into wanting to watch the film without giving everything away. The average movie trailer will include an outline of the films genre, cast and plot without giving away the whole story, helping you to decide that this film is a must watch for you.

Can Cinema Screen Resolution Affect Viewing Experience?

The way we watch films is constantly changing. The rise of 3D technology proved that, although there are many other new technologies and developments that affect our experiences (just like watching a bad remake affects our viewing experience). For example, going to the cinema can be a very memorable and fulfilling experience; you can go with your family and watch a film together, or you can celebrate something with your friends. But did you know that what you might be watching isn’t all that’s cracked up to be?

The resolution of the screen can drastically change your perception of the film, which can affect your viewing experience. So, how does the resolution of a cinema screen affect its viewers?