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[Artoris]

I had he-man and fright night

 

[Hudo]

While the VHS-era was already winding down when I was a little shit, I remember that my Mom brought home a VHS version of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie, which I apparently watched quite a lot (love you, Mom)
So I guess this was my first and only VHS tape.

I was always fascinated that you had to rewind the tape after watching the movie.

 

[AV]

Tons of kids stuff, Disney etc. but the first tapes I "owned" myself were Lethal Weapon 1-4 from my aunt when I was way too young. First few are still awesome.

 

[Putonahappyface]

 

[kurisu_1974]

Wierd that I remember this, but my dad bought this in a supermarket. This was the only VHS tape we had for a long time, usually we rented or recorded.

I only now notice this is kind of a Die Hard prequel based on the cover.

 

[RJMacready73]

We came home from school to find a brand spanking new top loading VHS player and a copy of Disney's Fox and the Hound

 

[HAYA8U5A]

Probably something Disney or something like The Land Before Time

 

[Kenpachii]

star wars trilogy

 

[CGNoire]

TMNT 1990

 

[Irobot82]

I think it was ET? I remember the tape was green or partly green.

 

[drganon]

By the time I was born, my parents had a pretty big library of VHS tapes. Various Disney stuff, star wars, etc.

 

[thefool]

Can't really tell you which one but i have a very clear memory of Terminator 1 vhs. I distinctively remember the orion logo.

 

[Arcane0ne]

My firsts personal vhs when was a kid were Akira, Ninja scroll,Dragon Ball Z movies also Bruce lee,Jackie chan,Jet li movies and chow yun fat's Harboiled.

 

[AJUMP23]

I taped my movies off of TV, we had a really extensive library of classics and 80s and 90s films.

 

[West Texas CEO]

how good was this ancient technology?

 

[Laptop1991]

I watched loads but can't actually remember the 1st one, i remember when we got our first player and browsing in the store, Clash of the Titans was one of the first batch of films i watched and Mad Max 2 as well, i bought loads every Friday at the time, it was a buzz back then. i even remember the Betamax section lol.

 

[Rockondevil]

Aristocats is one of my first memories but it honestly could’ve been anything Disney.

 

[Bloobs]

The Matrix. Felt like a top G already at age 12.

 

[Mitsurux]

I think it was a series of old cartoon compilations... like one tape has like 4 Popeye cartoons, one had like a few old Superman cartoons etc.

A few Random VHS memories:
ET coming on on VHS was like a SUPER big deal
Trying to collect all of the TMNT cartoon videos that Burger King was selling, was a challenge.
Discovering that you could tape stuff off the TV (if your VCR was hooked up correctly) was amazing.
1st time our VCR "ate" a tape was both confusing and upsetting.

twas a simpler time looking back. Be kind please rewind and all that.

 

[AJUMP23]

how good was this ancient technology?

At the time it felt good to be able to watch and archive something. The picture quality was bad, but it was what we had for the TVs we were watching.

 

[sharp weiner]

Running Brave

Watched it about 200 times.

 

[poodaddy]

TMNT 89 and Power Rangers first five episodes of season 1.

 

[TintoConCasera]

My bros had a bunch of those, mostly Dragon Ball movies and also some tapes with videogame trailers, like this one for DK:

 

[MastAndo]

Can't remember which I had first, but it was one of these;

 

[John Marston]

I can't remember the first movie I bought but the first movie I watched on our new VCR was The Road Warrior because Sears gave us a free rental upon purchase

 

[John Bilbo]

 

[ManaByte]

I think it was ET? I remember the tape was green or partly green.

Released SIX YEARS after the movie was released in theaters.

In the 80s it could take a LONG time for a movie to hit VHS, and usually NOT for purchase.

For example, Star Wars released in 1977. The VHS was released in 1982 (two years after Empire was in theaters). Empire released in 80 and the VHS was 84 (a year after ROTJ hit theaters). Jedi was released in 83 and the VHS wasn't until 86.

 

[Muffdraul]

We got our first VCR in 1982 (I was 13) and one of my best friends at school was pretty well off and had two VCRs since like 1979 and could dub copies at will. He'd amassed a HUGE collection, so I'd give him blank tapes and he'd give me movies. I distinctly remember the first few, things I was dying to see for years but had been forbidden by my parents. Pretty sure the first three were: Clockwork Orange, Rollerball, Alien. They were 3rd or 4th generation, blurry with the sound a little out of sync. But that didn't matter back then, I was in movie heaven.

 

[SpiceRacz]

I had he-man and fright night

 

[Wheeljack539]

I had the first two and I can just remember seeing them in a target and picking them off the shelf to ask (beg) my parents for them. This had to have been circa '85/'86.

 

[Mr Hyde]

I watched it so many times the tape got bad and certain segments of the film was just a blurry mess. I was so upset about this because I thought VHS tapes would last forever. My mom was relieved though, she thought it was a blessing because she worried that watching the movie so many times would affect me negatively.

 

[marcincz]

Can't remember which I had first, but it was one of these;

First movie I've seen in the cinema with my parents. I was 4 y/o.

On VHS Disney cartoons.

 

[IntentionalPun]

I think we owned Koyaanisqatsi and that’s it.

I had a very normal childhood.

 

[fart town usa]

I had he-man and fright night

Fright Night is so damn good, one of my all-time favorites. My dad rented it when I was probably 6, just popped it in like it was nothing. Told me it was a "comedy" and I wouldn't find it scary, lmao. I dunno how familiar you are with the sequel but I met and got to hang out with the actor who plays Fritzy, the insane asylum character, younger guy with long hair. He was the manager for the band Deadsy back in the early 00s and he'd always give backstage passes to my buddy and I. We were on the street team. He even took us on Korn's tour bus. So many wild experiences for a 16-year old. We never saw anything crazy, just such a trip to look back and consider that this guy bothered to take the time to be nice to us.

----

The first VHS tape that was specifically mine was a bootleg of Dick Tracy and Batman. Dad's friend had a black box and would record movies on HBO for him. TMNT was also around that time. Parents told my brothers and I that we'd get a penny for every pinecone we picked up in the backyard. No clue how many pinecones there were but it was a ton and as a reward our parents went out and bought the VHS. Still own it.

 

[Dural]

I'm sure my mom had bought some Disney VHS tapes, but I remember asking for Home Alone, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and Backdraft for Christmas in 1991 and getting all three from my grandpa. Getting a movie on VHS was a big deal back then, at least for me it was. Now I have a server in my basement with 3000+ movies that my kids just take for granted.

 

[DonkeyPunchJr]

All we had were a bunch of movies and shows my dad recorded lol, I think a couple were from a guy he worked with who owned a laser disc player.

Earliest ones we had were Ghostbusters, Secret of NIMH, Short Circuit, and the Ewoks movie. And some Christian kids videos my mom got from church haha

 

[Artoris]

I'm sure my mom had bought some Disney VHS tapes, but I remember asking for Home Alone, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves, and Backdraft for Christmas in 1991 and getting all three from my grandpa. Getting a movie on VHS was a big deal back then, at least for me it was. Now I have a server in my basement with 3000+ movies that my kids just take for granted.

I still have most of the tapes I recorded in the early nineties but the VHS has been changed three times

 

[nush]

My first VHS was a Betamax, at least I remember we had Star Wars.

 

[Trogdor1123]

First one I ever bought myself was the lion king. My mom helped me save up my allowance for like 3 months to afford it. Great movie.

 

[SmokedMeat]

Police Academy movies
Revenge of the Nerds
Airplane 2
National Lampoons Vacation

Cripes, I’m struggling to remember the first tapes we had.

 

[Bloobs]

Surprised nobody answered with some

 

[ForAcademicPurposes]

The Lion King

 

[user friendly]

 

[Shtef]

 

[Insane Metal]

Some porn, probably

 

[ReBurn]

I never really spent money on VHS tapes. They wore out so easily. I remember in the early days of video rental going and renting both a VCR and the movies for a weekend because a VCR cost almost $1K to buy and movies on VHS cost $150 or more to buy. I did have a boxed copy of the original, unmodified Star Wars trilogy on VHS but someone stole it.

 

[Burning Blade]

I still remember this! Early 90s me and my buds were trying to learn how to breakdance. Checking out books at the library weren’t cutting it, so to Blockbuster we went. Back in the old days some of those tapes were well over $100, and many weren’t available to rent for some reason. We had worn out their copies of Breakin’ 1/2, but I actually had to buy Beatstreet which cost me $100. I’m 43 and it’s the only VHS tape I still have from my childhood!

 

[bitbydeath]

I don’t remember the first but I had this film that nobody talks about anymore.

 

[Fbh]

The first one that I wished for and was "mine" instead of "for the family" was probably the Lion King.
I also fondly remember getting this one for a Birthday:

It was just some random GT episodes. But back then GT hadn't yet aired where I lived so it felt mindblowing to watch something that takes place after DBZ.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

I have no clue. I'm impressed some of you can remember. I definitely had turtles 90. Batman 89...