VHYES

Those shows are just the tip of the iceberg of the television content that is intercut between Ralph’s adventures with his best friend, Josh (Rahm Braslaw). Whenever Ralph isn’t watching late-night tv while his parents are out (which hi, who didn’t do this when they were a kid?), He and Josh are looking for things to get into, whether it’s sneaking into Zombie Alien Hell 4 or going to an abandoned sorority house where a former sister was killed for being a witch, which we find out in another tv show about the incident. During the brief glimpses into Ralph’s life, we realize that his parents’ relationship isn’t going so well, which is familiar to a generation of kids born in the mid-to-late ’80s who dealt with similar circumstances.

The true genius of VHYES lies in those poignant moments and also in the more cautionary meta-humor warning against concerns that are still prescient today, such as global warming, which is addressed in a series of “Skinemax” softcore porn parodies, one of which is entitled Hot Winter. There is also a talk show where a woman warns against the dangers of VHS recorder over-use, touting the same dangers that many people speak of today in regards to social media. The guest on the talk show even poses the idea that in the future there will be many VHS recorders that will fit in our pockets. Wink, wink.

“…such as global warming, which is addressed in a series of “Skinemax” softcore porn parodies…”

I could go on forever about the different hilarious segments of this film, but then you wouldn’t even have to see it! If you’re someone who was born between 1980-1989, this film will ring all of your nostalgia bells and crack you the hell up. I’m sure that people who were born before or after that will get a kick out of it, too, but I feel like it will definitely be something special for those who were children during the VHS and Basic Cable boom. Director Jack Henry Robbins was born at the tail-end of the ’80s and VHYES encapsulates that reality deftly. Robbins’ parents, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon also make cameos in the film, which are also incredibly hilarious.

VHYES is one of the most unique films I’ve seen in quite some time and it’s a film I could watch over and over again. There are plenty of “easter eggs”, whether it be the ridiculous show names on the spoof of the TV guide channel or the titles of the songs on the parody of a power ballad cassette commercial. Everyone who stars in the film is obviously having a great time, which in turn makes the viewing experience all the more enjoyable. While the film is mostly hilarious, it does make a valid point of how the problems we have in the world have been brewing ever since the ’80s, if not before, and that so many of us have an extremely short memory when it comes to that. Possibly because we’re inundated with so much other media that we don’t know which end is up. It’s an astute observation that might get lost in the absurdity, but hopefully not. Either way, check out VHYES if you want to see the most original film to come out in ages.