Where dead media lives.
2001: A Space Odyssey on VHS. Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester, Douglas Rain. Directed by Stanley Kubrick. Based on the novel by Arthur C. Clarke. 1968.
From the box:
Moving from the prehistoric birth of intelligence to the emergence of man as pure thought, 2001 is a remarkable achievement.
DVD Upgrade: 2001 – A Space Odyssey (Two-Disc Special Edition)
Read The Book: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Star Wars on VHS. Starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness, James Earl Jones, Peter Cushing. Directed by George Lucas. 1977.
From the box:
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Star Wars is an elaborately-spectacular film that represents the ultimate in cinematic entertainment. Writer/Director George Lucas’ unrivaled passion for space fantasy, adventure and romance is captured on screen with awesome special effects and extraordinary bizarre space creatures.
Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) is held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and dashing Captain Han Solo (Harrison Ford) team together with lovable robot duo, R2-D2 and C-3PO, to rescue the beautiful princess and restore justice in the Empire.
DVD Upgrade: Star Wars Trilogy (Widescreen Theatrical Edition)
Heathers on VHS. Starring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty. Directed by Michael Lehmann. 1988.
From the box:
Life at Westerburg High is a rat race–where getting ahead is more important than getting along. Life here is no game… it’s a full-scale war for popularity. And like the saying goes, all’s fair in love and war. All’s fair, that is, until students start dying.
DVD Upgrade: Heathers
Instant Rental: Heathers
The Ice Pirates on VHS. Starring Robert Urich, Mary Crosby, Michael D. Roberts, Anjelica Huston, John Matuszak, Ron Perlman. Directed by Stewart Raffill. 1984.
From the box:
It’s a mighty thirsty universe whose entire water supply is controlled by the evil Templar Empire. Holding the world by its thirsty throat, they ship frozen blocks of the precious fluid across the far reaches of space, thus ensuring their power over every galaxy. Only the Ice Pirates… are brave enough to hijack the frozen treasure.
DVD Upgrade: The Ice Pirates
Instant Rental: Ice Pirates
The Bad News Bears on VHS. Starring Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal. With Vic Morrow, Joyce Van Patten. Directed by Michael Ritchie. 1976.
From the box:
A major surprise as one of 1976’s top grossing films, The Bad News Bears is a movie about children that is refreshing, utterly believable, and quite cleverly funny. Walter Matthau is at his absolute best as the grumbling beer-guzzling former minor-league pitcher who gets roped into coaching a band of half-pint misfits somewhat loosely called a team. With this bunch in uniform, it’s impossible to get caught up in the suburban competitive spirit that drives other adults to extremes of parental discipline. So, instead, the Bears have a good time.
Instant Rental: The Bad News Bears (1976)
Escape From L.A. on VHS. Starring Kurt Russell, Steve Buscemi, Stacy Keach, Peter Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Pam Grier, Bruce Campbell. Directed by John Carpenter. 1996.
From the box:
Into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 comes Snake Plisskin (Russell). His job: wade through L.A.’s ruined landmarks to retrieve a doomsday device. Don’t miss the excitement as Snake surfs Wilshire Blvd., shoots hoops at the Coliseum, dive bombs into the Happy Kingdom theme park, and mixes it up with a wild assortment of family, friend and foes.
DVD Upgrade: Escape from L.A.
Instant Rental: Escape From L.A.
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! on VHS. Starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley. With Ricardo Montalban, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic, Reggie Jackson. Directed by David Zucker. 1988.
From the box:
Those screw-loose Airplane! creators have done it again! Leslie Nielsen stars as Police Squad’s own granite-jawed, rock-brained cop Frank Drebin, who bumbles across a mind-control scheme to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. Priscilla Presley, O.J. Simpson, a stuffed-beaver, two baseball teams and an odd assortment of others join the wacko goings-on and blow the laugh-o-meter to smithereens.
DVD Upgrade (All three Naked Gun films with group commentary from director and writer David Zucker, producer Robert Weiss, and host Peter Tilden): Naked Gun: Trilogy Collection (2013)
Instant Rental of the first Naked Gun movie: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
The Descendant of Wing Chun on VHS. Starring Hsu Shao Chiang, Huang Chin Shen. Directed by Wang Ha. 1978.
From the box:
Fierceful fighting displays the Wing Chun style of kung fu in this tale of revenge. Evil bandit Ma Lung escapes from prison and seeks revenge on retired Wing Chun teacher Lam Chan, who had helped to imprison him. Ma wreaks havoc on Lam’s Wing Chun school and kills a few of Lam’s students. Lam has no choice but to avenge his students’ deaths as a final showdown confronting Ma. Director Wang Ha creates an unforgettable tale of vengeance that won’t release you from its grips until the final credits.
DVD Upgrade: Descendant of Wing Chun
Disturbing Behavior on VHS. Starring James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Bruce Greenwood, William Sadler, Steve Railsback. Directed by David Nutter. 1998.
From the box:
Achieve, be excellent… and be afraid.
When the esteemed Blue Ribbon Club of Cradle Bay High takes its slogans too far, things in the small coastal town begin to go wrong. Dead wrong. Newcomer Steve Clark finds fast allies in Gavin, an overly imaginative paranoid and Rachel, a “bad girl” with a razor-sharp tongue and a body to match. But when some “dark sinister force” begins turning the school’s curricularly challenged into the soulless, academic elite, these three “outsiders” join in a desperate, dizzying race to avoid becoming insiders–and losing their individuality forever!
DVD Upgrade: Disturbing Behavior
Mad Max on VHS. Starring Mel Gibson, Joanne Samuel, Hugh Keays-Byrne. With Steve Bisley, Tim Burns. Directed by George Miller. 1979.
From the box:
Mel Gibson introduces the character of Max in this full-speed futuristic epic, a bleak, decaying landscape of the post-nuclear future that continues in “The Road Warrior.” MAD MAX is the dark vision of this stark future, a high-speed, high-intensity film that became an instant cult classic.
In this desolate wasteland, all that remains is the highways of the Australian outback, the scene of bizarre death chases between vicious rebel bikers and the police who guard what is left of civilization. Max is a gung-ho young cop, the best of his squad. But when Max’s best friend on the force is killed, Max hangs up his guns, taking his wife and young child across the country on a long-needed vacation. But the renegade gang isn’t through with Max just yet…
DVD Upgrade: Mad Max (Special Edition)
Instant Rental: Mad Max
