a lot of people love vinyl records and talk about the superior sound quality of them. i like records fine but don’t really buy that. the hisses and pops are alright and lend themselves to certain albums well but that sort of thing certainly doesn’t enhance every album, so i think it’s weird how nuts some people are about vinyl.
on the other hand, i think VHS videos share a lot of the same qualities but i like it a lot more, and don’t understand why there isn’t a dedicated following for them. i’ve never heard anyone wax on about the warm colours of VHS, the tracking that causes little lines of static every now and then, the slight warbling of the audio…it’s not only retro and awesome. to me, it actually feels more tangible, more true to life than the sterile, cold, flawless, crystal clear pictures of modern HD tv’s.
i noticed this in the last year or so while watching tons of stephen king film adaptations with dana. a few of the flicks we’ve watched have been from my collection of 80’s horror movies on VHS, like children of the corn, graveyard shift, and salem’s lot. after getting used to all the various digital formats for movies and tv now, the warmth and depth of VHS vids is amazing. i’m sure a big part of my affinity for it is nostalgia-based but that’s fine. i still like it.
it’s surprising to me that more people aren’t as pumped on VHS as i am. hell, even audio cassettes have made a modest resurgence with 80’s nostalgists, so why don’t we see a resurgence with VHS? it possesses the same analog qualities that seem to make people rabid over other formats so i just don’t get it.
and if you don’t believe me that VHS is actually awesome, do yourself a favour and go watch an old flick you like on VHS. something like gremlins or die hard or labyrinth or ghostbusters. try it and tell me it isn’t superior.
long live film.
crimson highway 