Deep Sixing the VHS Tapes
Apr. 13th, 2016 05:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wraithfodderYeah, that time has finally come.I'm slowly tossing VHS tapes. In my preliminary sorting, I found the wretchedly awful "Lucky Pierre" episode of Dynaman, a show which aired in the 80s, I think. sorta like Power Rangers. This episode was about a giant French frog kidnapping Japanese brides. I kid you not. A true classic. Not on YouTube (removed, alas). I remember showing it to James Doohan in my hotel room at a Pennsylvania Con eons ago. He just sat on the floor, drink in hand, jaw dropped open as he couldn't believe what he was seeing...
Also found Peter Cushing's Island of Terror, which I tend to describe as 'mutant turtle creatures rampaging UK island, sucking the bones out of is population'. ;)
Meanwhile, shows that are out on DVD are going, although it will be a while before I toss Magnum PI, or Riptide. Got rid of half of Miami Vice as I replaced with DVDs. Combat! goes tonight, but I'm sitting there staring at the one tape of Black Jack Savage, which isn't out on DVD. If I can't find a fan who wants it, to the garbage can it goes!
What's most fun about old tapes is the old commercials, the news footage. I found a news item of a British soldier, dressed up as a gorilla, skydiving for charity. The chute failed, and he plummeted to ground. Amazingly, he survived with no lasting damage. Checked YouTube but not there. One thing about old TV commercials is that they seemed a lot nicer in tone. These days, it's all drug ads, or in-your-face type ads (may be just the market I'm in, but I miss nice ads).
And the rest of the garbage can will be filled with poison ivy vines. Been ripping 'em out (wearing long gloves) and hope not to get it.
Also found Peter Cushing's Island of Terror, which I tend to describe as 'mutant turtle creatures rampaging UK island, sucking the bones out of is population'. ;)
Meanwhile, shows that are out on DVD are going, although it will be a while before I toss Magnum PI, or Riptide. Got rid of half of Miami Vice as I replaced with DVDs. Combat! goes tonight, but I'm sitting there staring at the one tape of Black Jack Savage, which isn't out on DVD. If I can't find a fan who wants it, to the garbage can it goes!
What's most fun about old tapes is the old commercials, the news footage. I found a news item of a British soldier, dressed up as a gorilla, skydiving for charity. The chute failed, and he plummeted to ground. Amazingly, he survived with no lasting damage. Checked YouTube but not there. One thing about old TV commercials is that they seemed a lot nicer in tone. These days, it's all drug ads, or in-your-face type ads (may be just the market I'm in, but I miss nice ads).
And the rest of the garbage can will be filled with poison ivy vines. Been ripping 'em out (wearing long gloves) and hope not to get it.
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no subject
Date: 2016-04-14 07:07 am (UTC)I'm currently ignoring the boxes of VHS tapes, even though I don't have a player any more. I figure when I start to get rid of them, it'll be a few at a time since the one place in the UK which used to recycle them stopped a couple of years back. It's just a painful thought, especially as a bunch of them were sent to me by kind folks from the US (season 1 of Wild Wild West, for example, long before it was out on dvd). *sigh*
no subject
Date: 2016-04-14 12:01 pm (UTC)I suppose one reason (besides downsizing as I'll probably move next year) is that I realize with HUNDREDS of videotapes, I'm never going to have time to watch 'em again. And I realize that sometimes the memory is better than watching show again, as you realize, wow, it wasn't that good, was it?
And on buying DVDs, I hate when they change the music used. Especially on shows like WKRP, or Stingray with Nick Mancusco. And then, I can't find ENG or NIGHT HEAT on VHS. Canadians, you gotta catch up and put 'em out! ;)