Let me start this off by saying that I am not one to generally back or promote Kickstarter projects. The fact of the matter is that Kickstarter is largely a place where talentless people go to beg for money to make their shitty little stupid movies, rather than working for that money and pulling it out of their own pockets like people did before this whole online fundraising thing came about. They grovel for your money and, as a way of repaying you, they promise to send you a copy of the DVD once the movie is completed, which in most cases probably isn't even ever gonna happen. It's just really not my bag.
That said, projects do pop up on Kickstarter from time to time that I absolutely cannot help but support (I don't know why, but saying that just made me hungry for some POPCORN!!!) and there's no denying that some cool shit has been made because of the website that probably wouldn't have been made otherwise. So I guess I can't hate on it too much at the end of the day.
What was I saying? Oh ya, projects I can't help but support ... that about sums up Rewind This!, an upcoming documentary based on the rise and fall of the VHS tape, which is currently 90% completed and needs our help to raise the final $15,000 needed to get this thing in the bag and into our lovin' arms. Check out the kickass pitch video below, which features interviews with Lloyd Kaufman & Jason Eisener, and then learn more about the project after you're done!
The introduction of home video had a massive impact on culture, business, and the development of media. The film-going public had unprecedented control over their viewing schedule, burgeoning filmmakers had inexpensive tools with which to create, and a new business was formed that expanded the reach of an already exploding industry. Videotape redefined the way modern society interacts with media. REWIND THIS! aims to be the definitive account of the home video revolution and a showcase of its continuing legacy.
WHERE WE'VE BEEN :
We have already shot over 60 hours of footage in Dallas, Austin, Seattle, Los Angeles, New York, and several other cities in the US. We've conducted interviews in the offices of former employees of small scale film companies like Cannon, Vestron, Wizard, Troma, and IVE. We have also gone to great lengths to contact a variety of noteworthy filmmakers who emerged from the SOV (shot on video) era as well as directors who witnessed the transition from the theatrical market to the video store. We've been to all of the major North American rental chains both new and old. We've investigated how the change in media accessibility has affected society by discussing the matter with experts on this development, such as Frederick Wasser, author of "Veni Vidi Video: The Hollywood Empire and the VCR". Our preliminary interviews and research have revealed a powerful sense of nostalgia in a cross-section of the video generation. For a large segment of the populace VHS calls to mind late-night sleepovers, romantic epochs, and countless unnameable guilty pleasures. We are interviewing collectors with thousands of tapes who continue to spend money building their libraries. REWIND THIS! will cover every aspect of the video story, from box art to the format wars.
WHERE WE'RE GOING :
We are 90% completed with production. We have one remaining trip to Japan, where we hope to cover the creation of home video technology, as well as the extremely unique direct-to-video market that exists there. We also have some post-production expenses to get the film ready to screen for audiences (website design, errors & omissions insurance, etc...).
We have been working on this project for almost 2 years. It is a labor of love by a small team of filmmakers whose lives were forever changed by the advent of home video. While having strong individual personalities and different production roles, the team behind REWIND THIS! is bonded by a mutual obsession with the totality of cinema, from the universally lauded to the shamefully ignored. A true independent film, there have been no corporate or private investors involved with the production thus far. This campaign is the final step in bringing the film to completion.
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Proving that VHS nerds like myself are supremely hungry for this kinda loving, the campaign is already just shy of the $6,000 mark, with still 29 days to go. If my calculations are correct, that means less than $10,000 is now needed to get this thing completed. If you help fund it, there are all kinds of little goodies you can obtain, everything from promotional posters to a handmade VHS charm, a DVD copy of the film to an insanely awesome VHS mattress cover (pictured below, clad in a Terror On Tape blanket!). But remember, as with all of the best Kickstarter projects, DONATE TO THIS ONE because you want to see this movie come to life, not because you want free shit. That's really what it's all about.
Ok nevermind, you should totally donate the money just so you can score this badass bed!
Learn more over at REWINDTHISMOVIE.COM!
3 comments:
VHS still gives a better picture than Blu-Ray ! ! !.
This looks fantastic. I'm not at all nostalgic about VHS, since DVD was clearly a step up (not sold on Blu-ray yet), but I am totally interested in the rise of home video, since it had such a profound effect on my life.
Wish I had more to give to the cause, but will definitely look into supporting this.
Wow, this looks really cool and right up my alley. Growing up in the '80s and early-90s, VHS was a huge part of my life and in many ways I do miss it. I regret all the great tapes I got rid of over the years once I started switching to DVD and wish I'd held onto everything. I really hope they can get this finished. Would love to see it.
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