VHS vs DVD

While I appreciate the better screen quality and extras DVDs have today, I miss the good old days of VHS, if only for the warm memories the cases give me. The Warner Brother clamshells with the unimaginative screen grabs.. the strange 3/4 Fox halfbreed cases.. the sturdy hard plastic cases of Thorn EMI titles.. Columbia's unique four sided case with gateflap on the right side and proof of purchase tab on the inside (tabs which my sister and I inexplicably collected one summer in our parent's video store and hid inside the huge double clamshell of The Right Stuff). Except for Warner Brother's old crappy snap cases, there's no way to tell one company from another on DVD, and I miss that. Artwork is another department VHS was sometimes better at and here is a prime example:



On the DVD for Blake Edwards' A Fine Mess, they've photoshopped the actors into a mass formation, even including Empty Nest-er Richard Mulligan, and Rip Torn.. Wait a minute, that's not Rip Torn, that's Angel from The Rockford Files! Stuart Margolin may be a good actor, but he's not cover art material. Double for Mulligan.

Now look at the original VHS:


Germaphobe Howie Mandel in a maid's uniform?! Ted Danson holding a gun to his head?! This has got to be a funny movie, for one scene at least.

For contrasting purposes, here's the original theatrical poster:

It dares to name Danson and Mandel in a list of some of film's greatest comedy teams, but it's also a good indication of its roots - slapstick aficionado Edwards freely admits A Fine Mess is a veritable remake of a Laurel and Hardy film.

Granted, Blake Edwards always shoots his film in 2.35, so it's essential to see them in the widescreen on DVD (or preferably on film), but I'm just talking cover art here. Videos win this category almost every time.

A big exception to this rule proves to be classic titles, in particular MGM and Warner Brothers movies.

Freaks on DVD, which uses the original poster:

On VHS:

This central image reveals the mutilation of the villianess at the end of the movie. Good work MGM Home Video!

For a trip down video store memory lane, visit:

http://www.critcononline.com/video_companies_cover_art.htm