If you know me, like really know me, then you know I'm a fan of dead formats, and VHS is my all-time favorite. I'm not exactly sure why, but there's just something exciting about an old dusty VCR. It's that same "excitement" that Jack Henry Robbins attempts to encapsulate with his latest release, VHYes!
VHYes is a bizarre retro comedy shot entirely on VHS, it takes us back to a simpler time when twelve-year-old Ralph mistakenly records home videos and his favorite late-night shows over his parents’ wedding tape.
The result is a nostalgic wave of home shopping clips, censored pornography, and nefarious true-crime tales that threaten to unkindly rewind Ralph’s reality. The collage of recordings meld together and deliver the ultimate genre-less mixtape that can only really be described as something similar to a weird fever dream.
While VHYes "transfers" everything from heart to horror, I couldn't help but wish that Jack had attempted a more subdued version of the film. While I can appreciate the commitment to the insane reality, I would have preferred a more sincere version of what we got.
That being said though, the experience is still entertaining, and the VHS community appreciates all of the love it receives. So if you're looking for some analog goodness, check out VHYes when it arrives in cinemas nationwide on January 17th.
Jessie Hobson