Will “Professor VHS” Thompson will host VHS Mania 3 on Friday at the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre in Moscow. This third installment will feature “Friday the 13th” (1980) and “Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter” (1984), both screened on original VHS tapes. Thompson will give a short introduction to each film. The event is presented by the Palouse Cult Film Revival.
First, to address the controversy surrounding my academic credentials that crops up on social media every time I have a public engagement: No, University of Maine at Castle Rock and Last State College on the Left don’t currently have websites. I’m not sure why, but it may have something to do with being part of the potential University of Phoenix/University of Idaho merger.
Second, VHS Mania 3 will absolutely continue as planned. This isn’t the first time my bonafides have been called into question. I’ll let my (brief) lecture at the event speak for itself. For those who wish to stand in my way, I can only recommend they seek the time-honored advice of Ice Cube. In short, I recommend that they check themselves.
Ahem.
Now, to address a real question: “Why VHS?”
VHS, which stands for Video Home System, was the primary distribution method for movies and other audio/visual material for home viewing for nearly three decades. The chunky black slabs of plastic were ubiquitous in essentially every home and held everything from footage of family reunions to the latest Hollywood blockbuster. The format was inexpensive, flexible and everywhere.
In terms of media formats, VHS is not like vinyl records, where the studio recordings are preserved in analog format that’s pretty close to the fidelity of the original. It’s also not like digital, which tends to be far sturdier, more durable over time and provide far, far higher audio and visual resolution. VHS wasn’t meant to be screened theatrically. So why do it? Why celebrate the format?
1. Physicality. These chunky plastic slabs are just so satisfying to hold, to shake, to insert into the VCR and hear the machine begin to whir. The audience becomes an active participant in the process of consuming the media.
2. Artwork. VHS boxes are canvases and were treated as such, particularly by smaller distribution companies looking to grab someone’s attention at the video store.
3. The visual experience. For nearly three decades, VHS was how anyone who wanted to watch something at home did just that. The fuzziness of the image, the way colors can bleed into one another — it’s an aesthetic that informs our world today.
In short, it’s an experience. And, for those who experienced the VHS era, when did you ever get to see a VHS tape screened in a movie theater? If the novelty of the thing is what it takes to get you to show up, then here we are.
Lastly, it’s a community experience. If you’re still reading at this point, the event is for you. Plenty of folks saw the hockey mask on the poster and instantly turned the page (if my mugshot hadn’t already turned their stomach). October and hockey masks are synonymous with Spooky Season cinematic slaughter, and there’s nothing quite as instantly iconic as Jason’s hockey mask, even if it didn’t turn up until halfway through the third movie.
In short, if you know, you know. And if you don’t know and you’re curious, don’t fight it. Join us. Also, the Kenworthy Performing Arts Centre’s popcorn is delicious.
Finally, you won’t get this experience anywhere else. You can’t stream it. You can’t get it in a subscription box. And when it’s over, it’s over. You gotta show up. You’ll be glad you did.
Thompson, VHS.D, holds a doctorate of cult media in pop culture from University of Maine at Castle Rock. He delivers lectures on movies and other pop culture topics under the moniker Professor VHS. Find him on Instagram as @professorvhs and read more of his work at professorvhs.substack.com.
