Rewind This! (2013)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Even though I'm not a collector and I don't have a particular affection for the VHS format, I have witnessed the emergence of the videocassette, the video stores and the amazing novelty of watching films at our homes, something which seemed impossible in the times of Super 8 cameras. The protagonists of the documentary Rewind This! are authentic connoisseurs, collectors and many times key figures in this technological revolution, and we can enjoy their anecdotes thanks to director Josh Johnson, who traveled around the world (well, United States, Canada and Japan) recollecting testimony from "normal" famous people, such as Atom Egoyan, Cassandra Peterson and Mamoru Oshii, as well as from authentic psychotronic celebrities, such as Frank Henenlotter, Roy Frumkes and the late Mike Vraney. We can also witness pleasant interviews to people like Lloyd Kaufman, Charles Band and David Schmoeller. But the most sincere and emotive words come from the fans who don't only share their memories, but also illustrate the genuine importance of the VHS format as a cultural archive in danger of extinction due to the natural deterioration of the magnetic tape. For better or for worse, during the boom of the home video, thousands of films were exclusively edited on VHS, and not all of them had enough popularity in order to resurrect on DVD years later. This means that a significant part of "B" cinema will get lost forever in a few years from now, because so far, there isn't anybody like Martin Scorsese or Francis Ford Coppola taking care of their preservation, like they are currently doing with the old films shot on celluloid. On the other hand, some people will say that films such as Ninja the Protector or Santa with Muscles don't deserve to be preserved, and that in fact, it would be better for humanity if they end up becoming semi-magnetic jelly... but those are obviously not the people this documentary was made for. So, I found Rewind This! a very entertaining documentary, and I recommend it not only to those who share the memories of that era, but also to modern lovers of cinema convinced that "cinematographic art" possesses enough categories in order to admit those modest films which defined a time, even though its popularity has dissipated through the years.

Rewind This! (2013) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Extremely entertaining documentary takes a look at the VHS boom of the 1980s and how VCRs and video stores really changed how movies were made and especially how they were marketed. REWIND THIS! has already become a favorite among horror fans and it's easy to see why. If you grew up in the 80s then you obviously remember walking those video store shelves looking for new and strange movies. Many of these have never been released since their VHS days and this documentary touches upon that subject but also the creation of VCRs, the way the major studios didn't believe in the format and of course we get into things like the important of artwork and nudity. The film works for those who remember those video store days but it also works because even if you're young and don't remember those days then the film manages to be a great educator. We get some wonderful commercials of the early days of VCRs as well as the "hot" item of remote controls. Even better is that we're given all sorts of great interviews with the likes of Charles Band, Frank Henenlotter, David Gregory, Don May, Jr., Roy Frumkes, Lloyd Kaufman, Cassandra Peterson and Something Weird Video's Mike Vraney who talks about how he started off as a bootlegger and how this started his career. The art of bootlegs are also discussed including those wonderful ads in various horror magazines. REWIND THIS! is really a wonderful throwback to the days where the video box was every bit as important as the movie itself. Fans of the 80s horror and exploitation pictures are really going to have a good time here.

Oh the good ol' days of VHS. Yes, I wore my Disney videos down til they were just a fuzzy haze of grainy musical colours like everyone else, but my real relationship with cassettes comes from recorded movies from the TV guides. When I was first getting into film, I began my catchup with a big list of modern essentials such as Fight Club, Goodfellas, Full Metal Jacket, American Beauty, Pulp Fiction, all of which I watched and rewatched on video tape until I knew exactly where the advert breaks would come. That's essentially why I do what I do today. I never collected VHS like the subjects of this documentary, but ever since I got into DVD collecting, I've been manic. Blu-rays, books, vinyls, I collect 'em all. Although VHS is more or less useless these days (I remember the moment my player just decided to stop working, it was very irritating), I can definitely relate to the people in the film who scourer car boot sales obsessively for rarities.Rewind This! is a nostalgic reminder of why VHS deserved to be the best of their kind at the time. It's the same reason I like vinyl. They have a 'lived-in' quality we can't get from the polish of blu-ray. Little imperfections that are part of its unique identity where they've been over- paused and subsequently scarred with snowy lines of distortion. Although there's an almost Not Quite Hollywood focus on horror and porn as far as the 'hidden gems' go, it's a very interesting documentary. The film itself is well done, but admittedly, the industry professionals are far more interesting than the caricature hipsters who just really like videos. Definitely some colourful characters there on both sides. It does lack structure and its 8-bit music gives it an unwarranted sense of urgency that can be distracting, but it makes great use of cutaway footage from the video footage the subjects talk about. There's a great charm about its flaws and that kind of reflects its points about the authenticity and naivety on VHS. Worth watching.7/10

It's been a long time since I've been as mesmerized as I was while viewing the world premiere of Rewind This! at this years SXSW Film Festival. I was clinging to every word uttered from everyone interviewed in this, dare I say...instant cult documentary. As a consumer who was there at it's inception, I ate up all things VHS. To be able to record a show not only to watch at your convenience, but to keep as your own was the ultimate in entertainment fandom as far as I was concerned. To be able to buy or record a movie that you already saw in the theater was just how life was meant to be. I was the ideal consumer because I bought anything and everything it took to enjoy the VHS experience. This documentary delves into every aspect of that and so much more with the love and devotion you'd expect from such ardent fans as Josh Johnson, Carolee Mitchell, and Christopher Palmer...my friends. So do yourself and your well-being a favor and treat yourself to what is cinema gold...Rewind This!