Rewind This!

Rewind This! is a compelling and nostalgic documentary film that takes you on a fascinating journey through time to explore the impact and influence of the VHS era on modern culture. Directed by Josh Johnson, the film employs a mixture of interviews, archival footages, and personal narratives to convey the story of the home video revolution, in an effort to pay tribute to the VHS format's golden era.

The 2013 documentary stars Ben Jousan, David Gregory, and Micah Matthews, among others. With these individuals, the film offers an in-depth analysis of the culture of video, examining the media format that took the world by storm, and how it has shaped our perception and execution of movie-making and movie-watching.

Opening with a dive into the yesteryears, the film gives viewers a glimpse of the technological advancements in the world of visual media. It sets the stage by laying down the groundwork of the analog medium's historical significance, exploring how tapes were once the primary method for people to consume movies at home.

The documentary then steers the narrative towards some hard-core VHS fans and collectors. Herein, the likes of Ben Jousan and David Gregory bring out the personal side of the VHS story. Their emotional attachment, their collections, the "hunt" for rare tapes, and their efforts to keep this format alive, provide a charismatic character flavor to a technologically driven narrative.

Micah Matthews also provides a unique perspective in the film, shedding light on how the '80s and '90s indie film scene was greatly influenced by the advent of VHS. This technology gave rise to a new breed of filmmakers who, due to the relatively low cost and high accessibility of the format, found an opportunity to be seen and heard.

Rewind This! also features illustrative examples and interviews with industry icons, filmmakers, historians, collectors, and enthusiasts from around the world, using their unique stories and experiences to delve deeper into the cultural and societal changes that the VHS era brought about. It brings to light how this technology might be considered obsolete in the digital era, yet it still holds a special place in the hearts of movie buffs and collectors, a sentiment that resonates with, and perhaps is even growing among, physical media proponents.

Johnson's film goes beyond just nostalgia and applies a critical lens to the era, highlighting some key moments such as the VHS's victory over Betamax, the home video boom, the rental store culture, and the ultimate displacement by the DVD technology. It also reflects on the strength and downside of the format, from its ease of reproduction that led to unprecedented copyright infringement issues to its eventual and inevitable decline under the foot of new technology.

The documentary captures a certain kind of magic that existed during the reign of VHS. It masterfully presents a double-edged feel, lacing the narrative with a sense of longing for the past, while acknowledging the practical reasons for its decline and current vintage status. By analyzing not just the existence but the impact of the technology on individuals and the movie industry at large, the film manages to unravel the socio-cultural layers that came into play during the VHS era.

Rewind This! isn’t just for cinephiles and enthusiasts of the medium, but it serves as a valuable lesson about the evolution of entertainment technology for any viewer. Its deep-dive into the phenomenon of the video revolution isn't solely about the physicality of the video tape, but also about the cultural, social, and industrial shift it represented. The theme at its heart is the fascination with, and the tenacity of, a culture that refuses to let go of a seemingly obsolete technology, indicating our innate tendency to cherish and preserve tangible memorabilia.

In essence, Rewind This! is a must-watch for those who lived through the VHS era, and equally engaging for the younger generation curious about media history. It offers a poignant, well-researched, and thoughtful look at the VHS phenomenon, capturing the spirit of an era gone by, yet one that continues to echo in contemporary media culture.