Long Live VHS

This is the entertainment centre in my room:

The Holy Trinity of A.V pleasure.

And here is my argument for the inclusion of the now all but defunct VHS player.

1. Price

I got my VHS and TV for free cause they were going spare in my house. (the DVD’s been “lent” to me by a friend but I don’t think she’ll be getting it back any time soon) so, strictly speaking- it was all kostenlos.

Unlike other out-dated entertainment equipment, (*cough*record players) VHS machines aren’t trendy in a retro way yet- so people are consistently throwing these sorts of TVs and video players out, and you can probably pick them up at a jumble sale for almost nothing.

Furthermore, the videos themselves are available for pennies from charity shops; this baby was part of a three for a pound deal.

If you’re after more obscure films (I’ll admit the selection at charity shops is somewhat limited) you can buy them off Amazon for 1p (+£2.75 P&P of course) which is, nevertheless, still a bargain.

2. You Probably Already Own Some of The Best Films Ever Made In This Format

One word- Disney.

The DVDs retail for a tonne of money nowadays and I fo’sho can’t afford that.

3. Modern Films

They’re rubbish. Who wants to watch Avatar or Twilight when you can watch this:

Other titles in my library include: Bridget Jones, Romeo and Juliet, Amelie, The Wedding Singer, The English Patient, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail! and many other classics. All purchased for a pittance.

4. Charm

There’s something special about having a stack of videos up against your wall. DVDs could never compete with their skinny spines- they barely have enough room for legible text or some artwork: chunky is beautiful.

You might complain about the fuss of rewinding a VHS after viewing.

Tosh.

I actually like the whole ritual- I find the clunking and whirring reassuring. DVDs are too quiet for me; plus you can’t beat fast-forwarding the ads and not being forced to read about the dangers of piracy.

They are lovely and sturdy, if you look after a VHS it’ll last you forever. DVDs seem to get scratched if you breathe on them funny.

VHS mafia represent.