The last VHS tape may have been produced a year ago, but the medium won't rest in peace if one video buff has anything to do with it.
In 2004, Nick Prueher, a writer/director and former researcher for The Late Show with David Letterman, created Found Footage, a showcase featuring various obscure VHS clips.
Along with fellow founder and childhood friend Joe Pickett, Prueher has already successfully brought the showcase to Montreal, Edmonton, and Toronto, and is making his Vancouver debut at Vancity Theatre on Monday, Dec. 7.
"We're like the resurrecters of VHS," Prueher told 24 hours via phone from New York City. "We think [VHS] has a real analog charm to it."
Prueher's love of VHS fare began with a training video he found at his high school McDonald's job--The Inside and Outside of Custodial Duties.
"It was just so over-the-top bad I had to show it to someone," he said, laughing. "That got [Joe and I] thinking that if there are videos this dumb under our noses, there's got to be more out there."
They were right. With a current collection of 3,000 video cassettes, Prueher's desire for cheesy creations hasn't dimmed.
"It's like Christmas morning," he said of finding a particularly tacky gem.
Among the video clips audiences can expect to see at Monday's show is a cat care video guide featuring Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, exercise videos starring the likes of Dolph Lundgren and Milton Berle, and raw footage from a badly acted furniture store commercial, Prueher's personal favourite.
"I think the thing we found is the formats can change ... but the bad ideas don't," Prueher said.
To sample the collection, go to www.foundfootagefest. com. Tickets for Monday night's show are $12 at the door.
