When’s the last time you popped a VHS tape in your VCR? I’ll assume it was around the last time you slipped an Al Stewart 8-track in your Hi-Fi stereo before you rushed down the street to call your buddy on the payphone. Yes, videotapes and VCRs are clunky relics of a bygone era. When I wrote an article on Casa Video earlier this year, I lamented not just the loss of video stores, but also the experiences some of us grew up with.

Thankfully, there’s a vast army out there of filmmakers, archivists, authors, artists, journalists, programmers, curators and other VHS aficionados who won’t let us forget what it was like stumbling across a Dario Argento or a William Lustig flick for the first time. All around the world, VCRs are still being put to good use. Everything is Terrible, a website and touring collective based in Los Angeles, specializes in various gonzo clips culled from thrift store finds, yard sales and from the murkiest depths of bad movies. The Found Footage Film Festival, also based in Southern California, has a similar concept. A number of international film festivals are throwing together VHS-specific screening parties. In Austin, Texas, the folks behind Mondo are designing film posters, T-shirts and even going as far as releasing vinyl film soundtracks and re-issuing movies on VHS.

Then there’s the trio of filmmakers behind the recently released documentary Rewind This! Josh Johnson, Christopher Palmer and Carolee Mitchell are Team VHS, a collective who found each other over their passion for VHS culture and obscure films. After funding their documentary through Kickstarter, filming throughout America and abroad, the film has finally been released from the festival circuit and is currently touring through various independent theaters, including our very own Loft Cinema. Just a little over 90 minutes, Rewind This! is a love letter to the golden age of videos and video stores, with interviews with former video store employees, film programmers, collectors and filmmakers Lloyd Kaufman, Atom Egoyan and Frank Henenlotter. I spoke briefly with Johnson about the genesis of the film, how it’s been received, the joys of Twitter, and how the film attracted filmmaker Panos Cosmatos, the director of 2010’s surreal mindbender Beyond the Black Rainbow.

How did the project start?

It start off as a discussion between myself and two partners about a possible documentary concept. What we had discussed initially was two key ideas: one was the fact that the home video revolution had never been documented on film even though it was a revolution that completely changed our relationship to movies; to people of a certain generation it largely inspired them to make movies. The fact that that hadn’t really been documented properly seemed really surprising to us. The other aspect that we discussed was the current archival demand for videotape, because there’s so many tens of thousands of films that were only released that way that were in danger of being lost to history. The fact that there was a valuable historical account to be told and also a contemporary relevance that has meaning right now, those two things combined made sense for the framework for our film.

When did the film premiere?

It premiered at South by Southwest in Austin back in March, and then it’s gone on to play a lot of international film festivals. This past week it launched on iTunes and as part of that launch we scheduled a lot of theatrical bookings as cross-promotion. It’s currently on tour of the U.S. and other English-speaking parts of the world in conjunction with the digital release.

How has the audience reaction been? From what I’ve read, the film seems to packing them in.

Yeah, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I’m very curious to see how the response changes or perhaps doesn’t change as it gets out to a wider and wider audience. It’s now available digitally and it’s going to continue to expand to other platforms for online access. It’s really interesting because the screenings that we’ve done I think bring out a lot of people who are already predisposed to like the film. As positive as it’s been, it’s difficult to evaluate whether or not that represents a more general reaction to the film. What we’re starting to be able to see now with the digital watching and that it’s playing more and more theaters across the country is that people of a whole variety of backgrounds and ages are responding to the film, so it’s really encouraging.

I noticed while watching the trailer that Panos Cosmatos (Beyond the Black Rainbow) is involved. How did that come about?

Panos is somebody that I started interacting with via Twitter after his film had premiered at Fantastic Fest in Austin where I was living. I was aware that he was largely inspired to make that film because of VHS boxes that he would see as a child and in the experiences that he imagined would be contained within those boxes. Because of that piece of information I informed him about the film that I was working on through Twitter, and he started to follow that account. When it came to time for us to get our completion funding and go to Japan to finish the film, we launched a Kickstarter in order to raise that money. Once that happened Panos contributed at the Executive Producer level and as a result, he attached his name to the film.

I imagine Twitter has been a great help for the film.

Yeah, we’ve got a Facebook page and a website as well, but I think Twitter, because of the immediacy of it and the real-time interaction that it allows for has been an amazing tool for us throughout the entire process. Long before the film was even finished, we really gained followers and people that were interested in interacting with us and being a part of the film. We’ve been able to really cultivate an audience that is interested in the film before any footage was delivered and shown to the public. So, I would encourage any filmmaker to be as active as possible in social media, because you’re going to develop an audience for the work that you’re creating before the work even exists.

How did Tucson become a stop on the tour?

The film showed in Phoenix recently, and now it’s Tucson. There’s very few states where we did more than one show. But it seemed to be, for whatever reason, a lot of interest in Arizona. So I’m really excited that there’s now a second show and I hope the turnout is pretty good.

Rewind This! is playing the Loft Cinema on Wednesday, Sept. 4, at 7 p.m. It’s co-presented by Casa Video and the store is running a promotion involving ticket stubs and free rentals! More information can be found at the Loft’s website here and Casa Video’s website here. For more information on Rewind This!, you can check out the website here.

Joe Bob Briggs, the esteemed Drive-In movie critic, once wrote the only way to enjoy watching movies was "out under the stars, like God intended, in the privacy of my own automobile."

Sadly, that experience is just about cooked. In Tucson, those days died when the De-Anza Drive-In was demolished in 2009. As of this year, only 357 drive-in theaters exist in America.

Come September, make that 356. According to the Globe Miami Times, after almost 60 years, the Apache Drive-In in Globe is closing their gates. It's just another casualty of the recent push by Hollywood studios for theaters to covert to the digital format. All across the country theaters are shutting their doors because they can't afford the new technology.

This Labor Day weekend is the last weekend the Apache Drive-In will have regular programming, but on Sept. 28 they're having one last picture show. They'll be showing American Graffiti, George Lucas' film about hot-rodding, sock hops, and coming-of-age in the clean-cut early '60s. Starring Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, Cindy Williams and Wolfman Jack, it's a perfect film for the Apache to go out on. Tickets to the event are limited to 200, and they're going fast. You can find more info and purchase tickets here.

Now's a good time as any to take the Official Drive-In Oath. Written by Joe Bob Briggs (aka humorist John Bloom, whom you might remember from The Daily Show's "Godstuff" segments) over 30 years ago, it's the only manifesto to my knowledge for the drive-in aficionado. Stand up and be counted.

Earlier this year, former Smiths frontman Morrissey performed a show in Hollywood High School's auditorium, selling out the 1,800 seats in 12 seconds and delighting his shrieking fans by playing a stack of his hits like “Everyday Is Like Sunday” and “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side.” The Loft Cinema has been kind enough to bring some joy to the lives of some generally sad people wearing black clothes by screening the filmed version of that show this Saturday at 9 p.m. Plus, Zia Records will be there giving stuff away, so if you're cash-strapped and need a new copy of Viva Hate, this could be the best of all scenarios.

As a Morrissey bonus, you should really read Chuck Klosterman's article from 2002 in Spin (available on Google Books), where he examined the phenomenon of Moz's heavily Latino fanbase in Southern California. As someone who attended a Jaguares/Morrissey double bill in Anaheim ages ago, it's definitely a fascinating subculture.

I'm sure you've all heard it by now. Ben Affleck is the new Batman.

From Variety magazine:

The actor will replace Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne in the upcoming untitled Batman-Superman feature for Warner Bros., the studio announced Thursday.

Affleck becomes the eighth actor to play the Caped Crusader, following Bale, George Clooney and Michael Keaton.

“We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some,” WB president Greg Silverman said in a statement.

Directed by “Man of Steel” filmmaker Zack Snyder, the Batman-Superman feature will open worldwide on July 17, 2015, with Henry Cavill, Amy Adams and Diane Lane reprising their roles.

Well, with the Internet being a fickle beast and all, the news wasn't taken so well. Here's a lot of tweets decrying the decision. One pissed-off fan got serious and created a White House petition to make sure the Batcape won't be sullied by any Boston buffoonery.

Personally, I could care less. I've never been much of a superhero movie fan, save for Tim Burton's Batman in 1989... because I was 11 years old.

I can remember the casting of Michael Keaton ruffled a few dork feathers back then too. You know what? That worked out just fine. In fact, there's still a lot of Keaton fans out there who want to see him back in the Batcave.

Isn't the real problem here Bruce Wayne, and not the alter ego? As far as I can tell, anybody can don the costume (except for director Joel Schumacher's version of the costume, with the emphasis on the nipples) and wreak some havoc, but you have to have some chops to pull off Wayne. I believe Affleck will do just fine in that role as the reclusive millionaire that everybody is kinda ambivalent about.

Remember, this will be a Zack Snyder film. It's going to suck no matter who's behind the mask. Calm down, Internet.

There are no words to accurately capture the weirdness of Pulsebeat, a 1984 film designed to take advantage of the moment when Jazzercise and Jane Fonda ruled,but you'll have the chance to experience it yourself on Monday at the Loft.

From the Loft's blurb:

Along the way, we are treated to WAY too much slow motion showering, pointless nudity, sex on gym equipment, wacky (and aerobically questionable) dance routines featuring lots of jiggling and dangling body bits and a supposedly tense finale in which scores of spandex-clad airheads compete in such categories as “Best Aerobic Trio Routine” for the title of National Aerobithon Champion!

What more could you ask for? Showtime is 8 pm, with general admission tickets $3, a buck less for Loft members.

The 2011 documentary Samsara is newly available on Netflix Instant and since you've probably already worked your way through Orange Is the New Black, you probably need something to watch.

Here's what Colin Boyd said about the film upon its release, even though Netflix loses something on IMAX front:

Rarely has a film come along that looks this good. Shot in glorious 70-millimeter, Samsara plays to its strength by presenting many things that can only be truly appreciated on such a grand scale. By and large, it’s IMAX-quality stuff. (The IMAX science movies, that is, not the cheap up-converted Hollywood flicks.) Ron Fricke and Mark Magidson don’t have a story to tell so much as an experience to share. They traveled to 25 countries over a five-year span to capture remarkable visuals, and it’s certainly a captivating show. They do not editorialize regarding the subjects they shoot, nor do they reach for a larger point of connectedness—except for the one that dawns on you as you watch: We’ve got a remarkable planet, and here’s a pretty good atlas for it.

It's definitely not a pleasant watch, but the Dead in the Desert documentary by Austin Counts and Devlin Houser is now on YouTube.

From Hope Miller's article on the documentary's release party:

Dead in the Desert documents how Pima County medical investigators attempted to identify and repatriate the bodies of two migrants found in June 2011—one in Arivaca, and the other on the Tohono O'odham Nation.

The film also shows how migrants prepare to cross the Arizona-Sonora border, offers a snapshot of a northern Mexican town that depends on migrants, and highlights a humanitarian-aid group that provides water stations for migrants crossing the desert.

(art by Chris Weston)

If you've never seen John Carpenter's 1981 post-apocalyptic, sci-fi masterpiece Escape From New York, or if it's been awhile, here's five reasons why you need to hustle over to The Loft Cinema this weekend.

1. The plot is simple. The year is 1997, and Manhattan has been turned into a maximum security prison. There's a wall around the island, and all the bridges are laced with bombs. There's no getting out of the Big Apple. The President of the United States, on his way to a peace summit, is taken hostage by the prisoners when Air Force One goes down near the World Trade Center. Snake Plissken, an eye-patched soldier of fortune recently sentenced to NYC, must go in and rescue him before the summit is over.

2. The cast is incredible. Veteran British actor Donald Pleasence, best known for playing the Van Helsing-like Dr. Loomis in Carpenter's groundbreaking Halloween, plays the president. Kurt Russell is Snake Plissken (more on this in reason #3). Soul singer, funk machine, and Blaxploitation star Issac Hayes is great fun as the villain, The Duke of New York. Spaghetti Western veteran Lee Van Cleef is rock-solid as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk, the man who sends Plissken inside with his mission. Rounding out the cast are Harry Dean Stanton, Adrienne Barbeau and Oscar-winner Ernest Borgnine.

3. John Carpenter helped Kurt Russell shed his Disney image. Originally the studio wanted Charles Bronson or Tommy Lee Jones for the lead, but Carpenter balked. Carpenter had cast Russell as Elvis Presley a few years previous in the TV-movie biopic Elvis, a role that landed Russell an Emmy nomination. Carpenter wanted to work with him again, and Russell wanted to shake his Disney-movie past. I'd say he succeeded. You wouldn't think the lead in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes could pull off the eye-patch wearin', no time for talkin' and Uzi totin' Plissken, but it cemented Russell's career as a bankable star. Maybe there's hope for Zac Efron yet.

4. The score. Since his debut film Dark Star, Carpenter had been composing his own scores. His trademark pulsating, monotone synthesizer drones are used to great effect in this. It brilliantly captures the urban decay and moral rot of the city and re-enforces the feeling of isolation and dread. The score ranks among one of Carpenter's best.

5. Escape from New York was highly influential... in Italy. Carpenter's film was a smash success overseas, and it opened the floodgates to a sea of imitators. Escape from New York was essentially remade over and over again as 1990: The Bronx Warriors, 2019: After the Fall of New York and Escape from The Bronx. They're each a pale slice of extra-cheese pizza compared to the original, but they're also pretty fun on their own merit.

Escape from New York is part of The Loft's Late Night Cult Classic series, and it's playing tonight and tomorrow at 10 p.m. More information can be found on their website.

For six years now, the Arizona Underground Film Festival has been bringing spectacular genre films to Tucson. They've also brought a wide array of film-makers, actors, and other behind-the-scenes types to town, and it's one of the more personal and comfortable festivals I've attended. If you've ever wanted to cozy up to some of the most innovative people working in the Cult, Experimental, Horror and other off-kilter genres, I suggest you seek this festival out. This year the fun is taking place from September 13 - 21.

They've just released their second wave of films, and it's looking good! You can check those out here. They announced their first wave of films last week, and those are right here. Two documentaries on Harry Dean Stanton AND Divine?! Color me impressed.

The full lineup will be announced on August 23, and you can buy festival tickets starting that day as well. All information can be found at the Arizona Underground Film Festival website.

If you're a fan of wacky '80s romps, "can do" sportsmanship, and movies (partially) filmed smack dab in the middle of the Old Pueblo, you should check out Major League tonight at The Loft.

It's all part of a celebration for Tucson's birthday month. In addition to the movie, there will be a Tucson-themed birthday cake, and several food tucks will be in attendance. There's also a free prize raffle for a "fabulous Tucson Gift Package which includes dvds of films made in Arizona, Tucson-centric books and gift certificates from local retailers!"

The 1989 comedy about a struggling, fictionalized version of the Cleveland Indians filmed their spring training segments over at Hi Corbett Field, back when the Tucson Toros reigned supreme and the actual Cleveland Indians did their actual spring training there. According to the Hi Corbett Field Wikipedia page, the film production used several University of Arizona baseball team players as extras. I can remember when the casting call for extras came out, asking for the city of Tucson to come on down and fill the bleachers while Sheen, Tom Berenger, Wesley Snipes and the rest of the cast goofed around on the diamond. I repeatedly begged my mom to take us there, but apparently she had better things to do than sit around Hi Corbett Field for nine hours.

Major League is a light, hilarious movie that still manages to hold up. The plot is standard Bad News Bears fare; a struggling band of wash-outs and rookies prove their naysaying owner wrong and rise to the occasion by the end of the credits. The grizzled Berenger plays veteran catcher Jake Taylor, a womanizer with bad knees who was last seen catching stray balls in a dusty town in Mexico. Sheen is Ricky Vaughn, a pseudo-punk rocker with bad eyesight, a mean throw and a prison rap sheet. Watching the movie when I was younger, I always assumed Sheen's scenes were filmed right after he awoke from a coke-binge coma, turns out I was close; Sheen is on the record about juicin' up on steroids during the production.

Snipes, Corbin Bernsen, Rene Russo, Bob Uecker, the tough-as-nails and gravel-voiced James Gammon and current Allstate spokesman Dennis Haysbert round out the cast. The movie has a bevy of great lines; everything out of Willie Mays Hayes (Snipes) mouth is pure gold, and I still say "Fuck you, Jobu" with alarming regularity. You might also recognize a line you and your drunk uncle say when watching any game together; "JUUUUUST a bit outside" was heard here first!

Also, if you just can't get enough of Charlie Sheen filmed in Tucson hotspots, The Loft will be playing the bitchin' 1986 sci-fi revenge film The Wraith as part of their "Mondo Mondays" series on August 19 at 8 p.m. What's the matter Loft, you couldn't go for a Sheen/Tucson trifecta and book Terminal Velocity?

The fun and festivities start at 5 p.m. Tickets are the Loft's regular admission prices. More information can be found at the Loft's website. Batter up!