NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — If you're talking about things we used to see a lot, and we don't see much anymore, here's one. Outside the Belcourt Theatre Thursday night, people were stocking shelves with VHS tapes.
"Highlander!" Kathryn Edwards said, holding up a VHS tape. "Fantastic movie."
"Isn't there a famous line in this?" I asked her.
"There can be only one!" she laughed.
Both collectors and businesses set up tables of VHS tapes outside the Belcourt. They came from all over middle Tennessee and Kentucky. A crowd of people huddled around each table.
Let me introduce you to a few people. Jesse Butler and Brittany Fernandez run the Danger Zone Video business in Mt. Juliet. Kathryn runs Culture Trash Printing. I also spotted one thing I have truly have never seen before.
"This is the world's only ambulance video store!" said Eric Wilson.
Eric runs Emergency Movie Services. Yes, it's a retired ambulance turned video store.
"I'm pretty sure it's the only one," Eric laughed. "Every crevice, we've stuffed tapes. We have working VCRs! We have a Joe Bob Briggs shrine."
In the US, the last major studio movie released on VHS was back in 2006. These meet ups of collectors still happen. The Belcourt was hosting this one Thursday night alongside their screening of the Videoheaven documentary, a look at video stores and film.
"Throw up the three letters VHS, and we'll show up!" Jesse said. "It's like the bat signal for us."
"My grandfather used to watch this a lot too just cause he liked to look at Adrienne Barbeau," said one man picking up a copy of The Fog from a stack of tapes.
The rows of tapes included the usual Vincent Price and Jamie Lee Curtis stuff. Sections were titled things like 'cannibals!'
"Just have been on an insane 50s/60s sci-fi kick," Jesse smiled, holding up another title. "Teenagers From Outer Space! Ton of fun."
"If you're a fan of anthologies!" Kathryn said, holding up a copy of Tales From the Darkside: The Movie.
"Debbie Harry!" I said.
"Debbie Harry's in it," she nodded.
So, how is it that these events and businesses are still going nearly 25 years after VHS was the top movie format?
"It feels really weird to, like, still be here," Jesse smiled.
Well, a lot of it is nostalgia, but I like how Jesse puts it.
"Honestly, I think it's just people excited to find people who like what they like," he said.
"A lot of times, you just walk around, and you want to talk to people about tapes!" Kathryn said.
"I got tired of being the person standing on a back deck trying to talk about movies, so I thought, 'if I just built an ambulance, they'd all just come to me!'" Eric said. "We're going to talk about Basket Case for ten minutes, and it's going to be awesome."
I mean. I'm in.
As an event winded down, a few people gathered around the familiar glow of a TV. It does take you back.
"You hit the button. You hear the wheels spin. There's something magical about that," Eric said.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
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- Lelan Statom
