You never know what you can find in a Videocassette shop these days. Twenty to thirty years ago, they were all the rage in the Home Entertainment, with Beta and Laserdisc not far behind. Nowadays, Blu-Ray and DVDs are currently dominating the market, as well as downloadable content off from iTunes and other downloadable content places, while the VHS is, like I’ve mentioned in the first episode, a dying breed, with Beta just about killed off. But that doesn’t mean that Videocassette are no longer being sold, because I’ve became a regular customer at St. Vincent’s for Videocassette, after learning that they are only worth 20 cents each. This gave me the opportunity to own Election (a film that would star Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’s Matthew Broderick, and then-up-and-coming star Reese Witherspoon), A Clockwork Orange (which definitely needs no introduction for now at least), and This is Spinal Tap, the latter regarded as ‘the best cult film of the 80’s’. While I don’t agree with that statement (I think it’s good, but to me, The Blues Brothers was definitely the better film.), I will throw that out the window today, because I have not one, but TWO copies of Spinal Tap. Can you believe in this?
…The VHS Surprises…
To pick up the first paragraph of the episode, If you’ve thought I was lying, no, I’m not. I really do have two Spinal Tap VHS copies, both of which distributed by Communications and Entertainment Limited, which was one of the biggest Home Video companies of Australia in the 80’s, alongside Roadshow Home Video, CIC Video, and Video Classics (which crashed spectacularly when the year 1984 ended). For those who don’t know, CEL was the successor to Publishing and Broadcasting Video, and managed to keep some of the divisions, such as Star Video, Australian Video and MGM/UA Home Video (which also lent some of its videos to Warner Home Video during the 80s). Aside from that, they were also able to help RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts Video get on the map by releasing some of their titles, including Ice Castles and Lawrence of Arabia. But when the 90s came, CEL would barely be able to support itself by relying on domain titles, and a few well-received movies, until it finally gave up in the turn of the new millennium.
(Credit goes to MovieTrailerMonkey for the trailer. Strangely enough, it does appear in the workshop VHS copy I've bought.)
But enough about the company’s history; let’s look at the two copies of This is Spinal Tap! Both are identical with the slick displaying everything: The rating (M in Australia), the company logo, pictures from the movie, the time, etc. Both the plastic and the slick, however, on the copy that I picked up at the workshop (which I work every Wednesday morning for a couple of hours) looks worse for wear, compared to the one that I picked up at the shop, which looks brand-spanking new, except for some blue text written on the spine of the plastic. Also, the shop copy has an opaque black compact box, as opposed to the workshop copy, which carried a translucent compact box.
And then comes the case where they are two different copies; the videocassettes. Both of them are black videocassettes, sporting the same front sticker (as the top sticker is nowhere to be seen on either tape), yet the copy I’ve picked up at Vinnie’s has the text in blue, compared to the workshop copy, which is black and misplaced to the left (or in this case, slightly moved to the bottom)! Also, the videocassettes are not the same aside from the colour, with the workshop version having a bigger roll of film in it. To heighten the difference even more, the shop version carried two stickers (one rectangular and one square), while the workshop version had no extra stickers.
St. Vincent’s Workshop Version
The first VHS that I’ve popped in was the workshop version, which was bought from 2014. The video almost immediately jumps us off with the 2000s MGM logo, along with the Embassy Pictures’ E logo (with no text indication whatsoever), transitioning us into the movie. By the time that I’ve seen the warning, which was taken from a DVD, I knew that I didn’t get what I’ve paid for at all. But it didn’t stop there, as the person who recorded it, decided to keep recording to showcase the DVD’s features. It includes an interview from Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner), additional footage that wasn’t seen in the original release (some of which explaining how Spinal Tap got cold sores on their lips), some commercials involving Spinal Tap especially the trailers and the TV spots for Rock n Rolls (which, prior to watching that copy, I’ve never heard of), music videos of the titular band, and some other promos. And when the recorder was done, the person decided to record some of the opening from another movie, which I honestly don’t know about other than logo itself (The Rank Organisation), which involves a man banging a gong slowly.
Vinnie’s Shop Version
And now onto the copy that I’ve bought more recently this year. While the copy certainly showed signs of aging as it flickered every two or three seconds it ran (unlike the Swap Meet VHS I’ve watched a couple of weeks ago), it at least starts off with a warning (with the ‘New Penalties Copyright Act of 1986’ version), played on a colourful sunrise background which segues into the CEL Home Video logo, as the announcer boasts that the company is ‘bringing you the entertainment revolution’.
(Credit goes to TheShortMan for this. However, the version that appeared on 'This is Spinal Tap' had a different upbeat tune that contained more synth and less guitar.)
When the logo fades away, ‘Preview time’ zooms in, indicating (of course) previews. The first is from an actual band in Australia called Cold Chisel (which featured Jimmy Barnes, a well-known singer in Australia), as they star (or better yet, featured via footage from the concerts) in the movie The Last Stand. Another thing to note, it was rated G, which (to me), sounds unusual to be appearing on an M-rated VHS.
The second preview, which was rated M, as indicated on a black background with the rating resting on a grey line, is from Columbia pictures, with the movie featured starring Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close in Jagged Edge. It then brings us the classification of the movie to us, which just likes to remind you all it is rated M, just as it was on the cover and the front stickers of both films. And then it leads us into the movie without any logos to precede it. Speaking of the movie, while it doesn’t have much of a plot (given that it centres on a band touring around America, and then one concert in Japan), it does have plenty of humour, so it definitely does try. I also love how the credits roll at the end of the movie, where the members of the group continue with the documentary by saying nonsensical things to Marty. Immediately when the movie ends, the CEL Home Video logo shows up again, with the announcer saying the same things as well, before it would fade to black.
And now my final thoughts. While the workshop version does feature a whole lot more stuff, and immediately starts us off with the movie as well, it is definitely not the real copy, as it is placed in a different VHS box compared to the shop version, and the fact that it has much more tape. On the other hand, it has much more quality than the real copy, which stood the test of time for too long, as it flickered almost immediately before the warning showed up. In conclusion, I’ll say these final words: If you still have a VCR, or a DVD, or a DVD/VCR, which I still have, then take what you can get out of it. It may not be much, but if it’s a movie/TV series/OVA/etc that you've been wanting to see, or if the VHS is in good condition, then it’s worth it.
Final Score
VHS Cover: 3/10 (Workshop), 9/10 (Shop). The shop version has a cover that (aside from the blue markings and the white '20 cents' sticker) appears to be new.
Videocassette: 1/10 (Workshop), 4.5/10 (Shop). Even when the shop version has more to offer, it still doesn’t have a lot to show. For starters, neither of them have a top sticker!
Quality: 9/10 (Workshop), 2.5/10 (Shop). The workshop version definitely has the shop version beat.
Warning: 0/10 (Workshop), 7.5/10 (Shop). The DVD warning doesn’t count, period, while the shop version carries a colourful and interesting warning screen.
Logo: 0/10 (Workshop), 6.5/10 (Shop). The workshop version isn’t doing well, is it?
Previews/Other Features: 9/10 (Workshop), 4/10 (Shop). At least the workshop version will have 16 times more previews than the shop version.
Final Score: 22/60 (Workshop), 34/60 (Shop). Below average for the workshop version, while the shop version gets a passing grade.
And also, I apologise for bringing you the episode as late as Tuesday, but considering that my laptop had to reboot because of the viruses, I was lucky to get an episode done this week.
Phew! Now it’s time for me to watch Leatherface, the ‘promotional use’ version on VHS.
…The VHS Surprises…
To pick up the first paragraph of the episode, If you’ve thought I was lying, no, I’m not. I really do have two Spinal Tap VHS copies, both of which distributed by Communications and Entertainment Limited, which was one of the biggest Home Video companies of Australia in the 80’s, alongside Roadshow Home Video, CIC Video, and Video Classics (which crashed spectacularly when the year 1984 ended). For those who don’t know, CEL was the successor to Publishing and Broadcasting Video, and managed to keep some of the divisions, such as Star Video, Australian Video and MGM/UA Home Video (which also lent some of its videos to Warner Home Video during the 80s). Aside from that, they were also able to help RCA/Columbia Pictures/Hoyts Video get on the map by releasing some of their titles, including Ice Castles and Lawrence of Arabia. But when the 90s came, CEL would barely be able to support itself by relying on domain titles, and a few well-received movies, until it finally gave up in the turn of the new millennium.
(Credit goes to MovieTrailerMonkey for the trailer. Strangely enough, it does appear in the workshop VHS copy I've bought.)
But enough about the company’s history; let’s look at the two copies of This is Spinal Tap! Both are identical with the slick displaying everything: The rating (M in Australia), the company logo, pictures from the movie, the time, etc. Both the plastic and the slick, however, on the copy that I picked up at the workshop (which I work every Wednesday morning for a couple of hours) looks worse for wear, compared to the one that I picked up at the shop, which looks brand-spanking new, except for some blue text written on the spine of the plastic. Also, the shop copy has an opaque black compact box, as opposed to the workshop copy, which carried a translucent compact box.
And then comes the case where they are two different copies; the videocassettes. Both of them are black videocassettes, sporting the same front sticker (as the top sticker is nowhere to be seen on either tape), yet the copy I’ve picked up at Vinnie’s has the text in blue, compared to the workshop copy, which is black and misplaced to the left (or in this case, slightly moved to the bottom)! Also, the videocassettes are not the same aside from the colour, with the workshop version having a bigger roll of film in it. To heighten the difference even more, the shop version carried two stickers (one rectangular and one square), while the workshop version had no extra stickers.
St. Vincent’s Workshop Version
The first VHS that I’ve popped in was the workshop version, which was bought from 2014. The video almost immediately jumps us off with the 2000s MGM logo, along with the Embassy Pictures’ E logo (with no text indication whatsoever), transitioning us into the movie. By the time that I’ve seen the warning, which was taken from a DVD, I knew that I didn’t get what I’ve paid for at all. But it didn’t stop there, as the person who recorded it, decided to keep recording to showcase the DVD’s features. It includes an interview from Marty Di Bergi (Rob Reiner), additional footage that wasn’t seen in the original release (some of which explaining how Spinal Tap got cold sores on their lips), some commercials involving Spinal Tap especially the trailers and the TV spots for Rock n Rolls (which, prior to watching that copy, I’ve never heard of), music videos of the titular band, and some other promos. And when the recorder was done, the person decided to record some of the opening from another movie, which I honestly don’t know about other than logo itself (The Rank Organisation), which involves a man banging a gong slowly.
Vinnie’s Shop Version
And now onto the copy that I’ve bought more recently this year. While the copy certainly showed signs of aging as it flickered every two or three seconds it ran (unlike the Swap Meet VHS I’ve watched a couple of weeks ago), it at least starts off with a warning (with the ‘New Penalties Copyright Act of 1986’ version), played on a colourful sunrise background which segues into the CEL Home Video logo, as the announcer boasts that the company is ‘bringing you the entertainment revolution’.
(Credit goes to TheShortMan for this. However, the version that appeared on 'This is Spinal Tap' had a different upbeat tune that contained more synth and less guitar.)
When the logo fades away, ‘Preview time’ zooms in, indicating (of course) previews. The first is from an actual band in Australia called Cold Chisel (which featured Jimmy Barnes, a well-known singer in Australia), as they star (or better yet, featured via footage from the concerts) in the movie The Last Stand. Another thing to note, it was rated G, which (to me), sounds unusual to be appearing on an M-rated VHS.
The second preview, which was rated M, as indicated on a black background with the rating resting on a grey line, is from Columbia pictures, with the movie featured starring Jeff Bridges and Glenn Close in Jagged Edge. It then brings us the classification of the movie to us, which just likes to remind you all it is rated M, just as it was on the cover and the front stickers of both films. And then it leads us into the movie without any logos to precede it. Speaking of the movie, while it doesn’t have much of a plot (given that it centres on a band touring around America, and then one concert in Japan), it does have plenty of humour, so it definitely does try. I also love how the credits roll at the end of the movie, where the members of the group continue with the documentary by saying nonsensical things to Marty. Immediately when the movie ends, the CEL Home Video logo shows up again, with the announcer saying the same things as well, before it would fade to black.
And now my final thoughts. While the workshop version does feature a whole lot more stuff, and immediately starts us off with the movie as well, it is definitely not the real copy, as it is placed in a different VHS box compared to the shop version, and the fact that it has much more tape. On the other hand, it has much more quality than the real copy, which stood the test of time for too long, as it flickered almost immediately before the warning showed up. In conclusion, I’ll say these final words: If you still have a VCR, or a DVD, or a DVD/VCR, which I still have, then take what you can get out of it. It may not be much, but if it’s a movie/TV series/OVA/etc that you've been wanting to see, or if the VHS is in good condition, then it’s worth it.
Final Score
VHS Cover: 3/10 (Workshop), 9/10 (Shop). The shop version has a cover that (aside from the blue markings and the white '20 cents' sticker) appears to be new.
Videocassette: 1/10 (Workshop), 4.5/10 (Shop). Even when the shop version has more to offer, it still doesn’t have a lot to show. For starters, neither of them have a top sticker!
Quality: 9/10 (Workshop), 2.5/10 (Shop). The workshop version definitely has the shop version beat.
Warning: 0/10 (Workshop), 7.5/10 (Shop). The DVD warning doesn’t count, period, while the shop version carries a colourful and interesting warning screen.
Logo: 0/10 (Workshop), 6.5/10 (Shop). The workshop version isn’t doing well, is it?
Previews/Other Features: 9/10 (Workshop), 4/10 (Shop). At least the workshop version will have 16 times more previews than the shop version.
Final Score: 22/60 (Workshop), 34/60 (Shop). Below average for the workshop version, while the shop version gets a passing grade.
And also, I apologise for bringing you the episode as late as Tuesday, but considering that my laptop had to reboot because of the viruses, I was lucky to get an episode done this week.
Phew! Now it’s time for me to watch Leatherface, the ‘promotional use’ version on VHS.