When it comes to collecting movies, I’m a self confessed addict. And no I’m not about to give them up by going down to this week’s M.A. meeting at the local YMCA. That’s Movies Anonymous in case you didn’t pick up on that lame attempt at humor.

So here’s my story ….

Last week I came across the opportunity to purchase about 1500 movies on video tape. Act fast I tell myself. The seller wants to move them as a lot and not have the usual suspects comb over the titles pulling only the rarities from the shelves. A quick message to the seller and Number 2 son, Kirk, and I are on our way.

SOLD!

As we don’t have a truck, we took two cars and pretty much filled them to capacity. Makes for an amusing drive home with video tapes crashing about and sliding forward over the front seats of my vintage 2008 Toyota Prius.

So once the weekend came it was time to go through all these “treasures” to see just what I’ve amassed for my ever growing collection knowing that a vast majority of these will find there way to either my annual summer movie sale in my driveway or the goodwill shop.

Let’s have a look and hopefully rekindle some fond memories for those of you who frequented the video stores while growing up.

Sure there were plenty of movies branded with the WB and MGM labels but how about these companies that you got used to seeing when pressing play on the VCR.

So just what did I find? Cut cases, clamshell cases and some still sealed! Plenty of titles that sent me back in time to the weekend rentals. One of the great werewolf movies to a satire on the subject with a TV star on the box cover to a major disappointment as far as sequels go.

Richard Harris returns to prominence, the rise of an action star named Van Damme to a Ginger Rogers-William Holden film I’m not sure I even knew existed.

Classics of the 1930’s, childhood faves to a major box office bomb from Roman Polanski that if I’m not mistaken never surfaced on DVD or blu ray making this a rare tape????

Must see action films of the day with three of the era’s biggest gun toting stars.

The epic length films in the double tape editions……

The Big G. No my favorite import from Japan is not my Prius but rather Godzilla, King of the Monsters.

Ah, yes…. the previously viewed bin that always had my attention which in this case could net you the latest non-Bond effort from Moore …. Roger Moore. A steal at $9.98.

Forgotten sequels to films that you may have already forgotten about. I’d like to add I will be checking out Cyborg 3 thanks to the participation of Malcolm McDowell and Richard Lynch.

A trio of enticing box covers would have lured me in years ago but I somehow missed these at the time. I won’t make that mistake this time around.

America’s Sweetheart, Mary Pickford, a sci-fi film I’m not familiar with and it’s high time I finally saw the Kentucky Fried Movie.

Each and every week there seemed to be a new Dennis Hopper film on the shelf that I’d never heard of before.

This was a nice find among the piles of tapes. A somewhat lost Billy Wilder film starring Lemmon and Matthau that I believe has not been released to home video since this VHS release. Saw it back in the day so I’ll give it a rewatch thirty some odd years later.

More titles I sifted through include a bizarre looking horror film, more Arnold and even Lee Van Cleef’s final film, a movie I’ve yet to see.

A horror flick that scared the hell out of me as a child on late night TV, some cool James Coburn artwork and a film that me and my teenage buddies hoped to rent when Mom and Dad weren’t around.

Willie, Ustinov and The Groove Tube. Hell of a triple feature if you can find them.

A trio of titles I’ve never heard of include a Sybil Danning title I’m pretty sure is one I’d have been hoping to see in my teenage years. Back before the internet changed everything …. I’ll leave it at that…..

Thankfully there were a few tapes in the collection of my go to tough guy of the era, Charles Bronson. A nice selection here. Probably his best film of the 70’s Hard Times, perhaps the rarest of his leading roles, the straight drama Act of Vengeance opposite Ellen Burstyn (hate that title as it’s meant to capitalize on his image) and of course his iconic vigilante in Death Wish II.

These are of course just the tip of the iceberg but be rest assured if I see an ad for 1500 tapes for sale tomorrow within driving range ….. well let’s just say, “let the haggling begin.”

Any of the above titles bring back some memories? Maybe you’ve seen some of these that I would call rare. Do tell and let me know what you think. Maybe you even want to secure one or two for your own collection. Feel free to reach out.

Cheer’s and when it comes to movies ….. happy hunting. Gotta go . Time to press PLAY on an old favorite.