Ten Amazing Classic Films To Watch On VHS

You may have strongly considered shops that convert VHS to DVD near me. Before you do however, we still can all look back fondly about our favourite film to view on tape. Those lovely rectangular plastic boxes you remember rewinding just as much as the fast forward. There was a comfortable and warm feeling when watching VHS tapes.  The tape always remembered where you last stopped watching and you could fast-forward whenever it suited you. There was simply never a need to dig deep into your sofa to find a vhs remote control. Maybe too you achieved the highest level of all? I.e: skipping past all of the adverts when fast-forwarding from the beginning of the film.

Here then is our  top ten list of classic films that here at Supaphoto that we fondly remember watching on VHS.  Just read on to find out if your favourite movie is on the list!:

1. Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources

Renowned French writer Marcel Pagnol’s brilliant novel served as the foundation for the double-feature films, “Jean de Florette” and “Manon des Sources” (translated to “of the spring” in English). These movies, produced in the eighties, were marketed as Part One and Part Two. Adapted by the talented Claude Berri in collaboration with Gerard Brach, they achieved remarkable global box office success and garnered widespread admiration from audiences and critics worldwide. This is a narrative that thoroughly captivates anyone with an emotional appreciation for exceptional storytelling and high-caliber filmmaking. To us, this two-part masterpiece ranks among the most significant achievements in the annals of international cinema, without question. If possible, view the film on VHS.

2. The Godfather

Have you watched this film, originally released in 1972 on VHS? We adored the opening line (“I believe in America”), which truly set the operatic Mario Puzo adaptation in motion. Then, bit by bit, Coppola’s epic methodically unravels the American dream. The story, rooted in corruption, follows a powerful immigrant family grappling with the paradoxical values of rule and religion, which they understand. These moral contradictions found their culmination in the legendary baptism sequence, edited in parallel with the murder of four rivaling dons. The film is filled with countless mafia details, such as a severed horse’s head, Marlon Brando’s wheezy voice, Nino Rota’s catchy waltz, all contributing to the enduring quality of “The Godfather.” The audience lovingly absorbed the audio, screen ratios, and movie edits. Although it was made in three parts, not many are aware that a fourth film was planned but ultimately canceled.

3. Star Wars Original Trilogy 

Tell me are you really a Star Wars  fan if you didn’t watch any of the original versions on VHS?

George Lucas amply paved the way for capitalising on films through his home videos. So many people had their version of Star Wars on tape that they considered to be the really best way to watch the film! It was so easy! Each new release came with unique, stunning artwork on the the boxes and sometimes even collectable items if you invested in buying the whole trilogy. Disney+’s version will simply never compare to the original Star Wars releases on tape at the end of the day. So when you consider looking for vhs to memory stick service near me, think back to how different it all was when you’d walk to the hire shop to rent the star wars video. 

4. Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz (1939) is well known legendary for bringing technicolour onto the big screen. What an amazing thing it must have been for first time viewers! Whilst it was not the first video to be watched on home televisions in glorious colour, the worldwide film was still an absolute marvel when considering that colour TV’s only became popular in England by say the 1980s.

It wasn’t just an opportunity for children to learn about the wonders of colour television but it also had creative special effects of monkeys tied to strings literally flying gracefully through the sky! Check out the poorly painted backdrops too. All of this made it ideal for watching on a standard definition tape. This is a far cry from the desperate need nowadays to watch everything in Ultra High Definition?

5. Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park (1993) was groundbreaking and brilliantly innovative. Thousands of children hugged their parents that terrifying dinosaurs with massive teeth terrorised humans. It earnt an enviable place in everyone’s households for its high-quality production and truly epic storyline. In addition, the combination of the underlying science fiction with horror gave the film a cutting edge that other family-friendly films at the time simply didn’t have. In fact, the movie has ranked as the 5th most popular film ever bought on tape.

Jurassic Park responded to everyone’s questions about what would happen if dinosaurs were allowed to walk on Earth again. That’s the answer. The amazing special effects and thoroughly realistic T-Rex with beady eyes simply  saturated everyone’s need to visualise what it would look like to walk next to dinosaurs. It was a truly amazing piece of filmmaking that families greedily watched again and again.

6. Raiders of the Lost Ark

Released in 1981. Raiders of the Lost Ark is justifiably held up by many as a ground breaking family movie. It was joyous to watch and as you sat with your VHS tape case by your side on the sofa, you could fully appreciate that Steven Spielberg had made a masterpiece. A blockbuster that had it all – rolling boulders, a barroom brawl and a heroine (Karen Allen) that held her drink and really lost her temper! The movie also had a treacherous monkey, a champagne-drinking villain and nasty snakes . We loved the truck chase and a weirdly supernatural finale. It was a VHS release of high quality.

7. E.T. the Extra Terrestrial 

It probably goes without saying that E.T.( 1982 – also made by Spielberg ) would be on this list.  It had amazing special effects and made it so believable. E.T. very much touched many of our hearts as the film zoomed in on a dysfunctional family home where the siblings had to learn to work together to ensure that the alien made it home safely. It had higher quality effects that made it feel so real. They had arrived.  

8. Sound of Music

Made in 1965, the musical tracks composed by Robert Wise and so beautifully sung by the wonderful Julie Andrews made it perfect for families to watch together with their children. Nowadays, i feels a little dated I hear you say but the story itself is timeless. It’s such a comforting film. It has absolute belters  for songs. The Sound of Music is often considered to be the world’s most beloved musical.

The original Broadway production starred Mary Martin as Maria and won five Tony Awards way back in 1959 including Best Musical. It then also went on to absolute cinematic history with Julie Andrews in the starring role. The show also features some delightful and really infectious songs by songwriters Rodgers and Hammerstein and Librettists Lindsay and Crouse. Watched on VHS – even without although with or with , it’s fantastic. It’s one that many of us remember enjoying and watching on tape.

Let’s not forget the controversial artwork on the original VHS release that banned the tape in shops and 

9. Ghostbusters 

This film, released in 1984, firmly imprints on our memories due to its eerie yet entertaining horror. Bill Murray rightfully earned his spot on our bookshelves with his captivating portrayal of Dr. Peter Venkman. It also boasts an incredibly catchy theme tune. Even the logo made a lasting impression. However, it’s worth noting that we often recall the VHS edition primarily for its unfortunate aspect ratio, which inadvertently cropped Ernie Hudson out of many crucial scenes.

10. The Snowman (1982)

Made in 1982, The snowman made so many positive comments surface to the top.  “What a film”, “ Amazing music”, “Lovely Story”! We remember so fondly that fantastic feeling of watching this VHS tape 

The children found it magical. The story was enchantingly simple to follow. Xmas somehow felt incomplete without watching this lovely film. The Snowman tape, for these reasons and more, plus the fact that it has a short duration, made it almost the perfect movie to watch while adorning your Christmas tree with unwrapped baubles. So, the tape will never be sold in our family. It evokes too many happy memories. No easy thirst quenching streaming services can overcome the pleasure of playing this vhs recording of a timeless Christmas film.

So, if your absolute favourite VHS tapes or cassettes are still sitting on your shelf and you are considering transferring VHS to DVD near me or VHS to mp4 service, maybe it’s time to safeguard it by using Supaphoto a film digitisation service . We can help.