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“Be kind; please rewind.” That classic recommendation is absolutely irrelevant today, in the age of competing streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or Hulu. It was, however, a recurring saying in video stores in the 1980s and the 1990s, when movies used to be rented out in the form of VHS tapes, watched over and over again, and returned ideally rewound to the tape’s beginning, so as to accommodate the next client.
Video Killed the Radio Star, as per the 1979 hit song by the band The Buggles, but another sad truth is that streaming services brought about the demise of the beloved video store, where film enthusiasts gathered and spent hours selecting the titles they would bring back home to enjoy alone, with family, or friends.
Here is a selection of the most rented blockbusters in the '90s, spanning animation, drama, comedy, action, adventure, science-fiction, and romance.
15 Speed (1994)
The very first title helmed by Jan de Bont, Speed is an adrenaline-packed action thriller starring Keanu Reeves and Jeff Daniels as LAPD SWAT bomb disposal officers Jack Traven and Harry Temple, Dennis Hopper as the bomber and hijacker Howard Payne, Sandra Bullock as the bus passenger Annie Porter, Joe Morton as Lieutenant Herb 'Mac' McMahon, and Alan Ruck as Doug Stephens. It centers on a bus rigged with a bomb that is designed to explode if the driving speed falls below 50 miles per hour.
“Films like Speed belong to the genre I call Bruised Forearm Movies, because you're always grabbing the arm of the person sitting next to you. Done wrong, they seem like tired replays of old chase cliches. Done well, they're fun. Done as well as Speed, they generate a kind of manic exhilaration.” - Roger Ebert
The film won Best Sound and Best Sound Effect editing at both the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards, and Bullock was voted Favorite Actress - Action/Adventure at the Blockbuster Entertainment Awards. Additionally, Reeves and her earned Best On-Screen Duo at the MTV Movie + TV Awards. Suffice to say, those Speed VHS tapes were probably damaged from being overused.
Fun fact: The role of Annie was first offered to Halle Barry, but she wasn’t interested. A decision she would come to regret, as per Entertainment Tonight.
14 The Parent Trap (1998)
A remake of the 1961 film of the same name, The Parent Trap is co-written and directed by Nancy Meyers, and stars Lindsay Lohan as 11-year-old twins Hallie Parker and Annie James, who were separated as infants because of their parent’s divorce, and miraculously stumble upon each other at summer camp. They then decide to bring their parents, played by Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson, back together, by any means necessary. Unfortunately, their dad’s annoying and sophisticated fiancée, Meredith (Elaine Hendrix), is in the way; she is still considered one of the most memorable characters audiences love to hate.
13 The Mummy (1999)
Directed by Stephen Sommers, scored by Jerry Goldsmith, and snubbed by critics, the period action-adventure crowd-pleaser The Mummy is still revisited to this day, and it spawned four other films: two sequels, The Mummy Returns (2001) and Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008), a spin-off with Dwayne Johnson, The Scorpion King (2002), and the franchise’s fantasy horror reboot with Tom Cruise, The Mummy (2017).
The story follows adventurer Rick O'Connell (Brandan Fraser), librarian and Egyptian historian Evelyn Carnahan (Rachel Weisz), and her brother Jonathan (John Hannah), as they go on a quest to find Hamunaptra, the mythical City of the Dead. Evelyn accidentally awakens the mummy of Imhotep (Arnold Vosloo), a cursed high priest with terrifying powers. Also starring are Oded Fehr as the righteous Medjai ranger Ardeth Bay, and model Patricia Velásquez as Imhotep’s selfish lover Anck-su-namun.
Despite its cheesy moments and stereotypical elements, The Mummy is considered by Junkee “the pivotal blockbuster of the nineties” and “the perfect popcorn movie,” mainly because it “had heart, humor, heroics, and Brendan Fraser.”
12 Home Alone (1990)
“Science has proven that the John Hughes-penned, Chris Columbus-directed classic of 1990 is the ultimate filmic Yule affair in a number of surveys and experiments conducted by illustrious institutions the world over. It’s impossible to top the story which has latchkey kid Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) taking on two thieves on Holy Night.” - Den of Geek
Indeed, the family comedy film Home Alone instantly turned Culkin into a worldwide child celebrity and topped the box office for 12 weeks. Because it sold a whopping 11 million VHS and LaserDisc units early on, it wasn't rented quite as often as the below titles; audiences definitely wanted to hold on to their copy and not pay a late-return fee.
11 Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Considered one of Disney’s most popular romantic animated musicals in the 1990s, Beauty and the Beast centers on a selfish and arrogant prince (voiced by Robby Benson) and his servants, who were respectively turned into a monster and household objects as punishment. The Beast holds a young villager, Belle (Paige O'Hara), captive, in exchange for the release of her father, who had been caught trespassing. Love is the only way to break the curse, but it must be done before the last petal falls from a certain magical rose. Also starring are Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, and Dame Angela Lansbury.
According to Billboard, by October 1993, the film had sold up to 22 million VHS units. Its soundtrack, composed by Alan Menken and lyricized by Howard Ashman, won 5 Grammys, and featured a track performed by Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson.
10 The Crow (1994)
Considered a cult classic to revisit on Halloween, the Gothic superhero flick The Crow, directed by Alex Proyas and based on a comic by James O’Barr, is highly praised by critics for its visual style, soundtrack, and Brandon Lee’s iconic and very last performance as Eric Draven, a resurrected grief-stricken rock musician looking to avenge his girlfriend’s rape and murder. The film’s tragic mood is heightened by Brandon’s own demise on set with a prop gun; not to mention that he was the son of legendary martial artist actor Bruce Lee.
A reviewer on IMDB left this comment in 2020, chuckling, “Just found my VCR in the attic… and I had paused a VHS rental from Blockbuster of this film _ that I rented 27 years ago. Thank God they're out of business; I can't image my late fees. Glad I finished this gem.”
Alternative rock music was all the rage back in the 1990s, and the film’s iconic soundtrack featured tracks by the Stone Temple Pilots, The Cure, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, and the heavy metal band Pantera.
9 Toy Story (1995)
The first title to be helmed by John Lasseter and the first animation film to be entirely computer-generated, Toy Story was produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The story follows a group of talking toys who are newly brought into the household of their owner Andy Davis (John Morris). There is Tom Hanks as Woody, a cowboy figure and Andy's favorite; Tim Allen as Buzz Lightyear, a space ranger action figure; Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head; Jim Varney as Slinky Dog, a dachshund; Wallace Shawn as Rex, a green Tyrannosaurus; John Ratzenberger as Hamm, a witty piggy bank; and Annie Potts as Bo Peep, a porcelain doll. A technical innovation and a fun family watch, Toy Story was rented extensively as soon as the VHS tapes were released in 1996, and it sold over 21 million copies in the first year alone.
Fun fact: Veterans Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, and Robin Williams were all considered to voice Woody.
8 Aladdin (1992)
Based on a classic Middle-Eastern folktale, Disney’s animated fantasy musical Aladdin is produced and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. It stars Scott Weinger as street vagabond and thief Aladdin, Frank Welker as his pet monkey Abu, Robin Williams as the funny lamp Genie, Linda Larkin as Princess Jasmine, and Jonathan Freeman as the villainous vizier Jafar. Set in the fictional city of Agrabah, the story focuses on the budding love between Aladdin and Jasmine, and how they thwart Jafar’s plan to use the Genie to overthrow the Sultan. Per Wikipedia, Aladdin was an instant hit, "becoming the highest-grossing film of 1992, with an earning of over $504 million in worldwide box-office revenue. The film's home video VHS release set a sales record and grossed about $500 million in the United States."
7 Independence Day (1996)
“We've always believed we weren't alone. On July 4, we'll wish we were.”
Roland Emmerich’s science-fiction and action hit film Independence Day features Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller, Vivica A. Fox as his girlfriend Jasmine Dubrow, Bill Pullman as President Thomas J. Whitmore, Jeff Goldblum as satellite engineer David Levinson, and Brent Spiner as Dr. Brackish Okun, the unhinged scientist in charge of research in Area 51. The plot centers on a rallying of humans planning to counter an alien invasion on July 4. Because of its patriotic theme, Independence Day was and still is watched as part of the annual Fourth of July celebration. It won the Academy Awards’ Best Visual Effects and the Grammy Awards’ Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television.
6 10 Things I hate About You (1999)
Loosely based on William Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew and directed by Gil Junger, the teen romantic comedy 10 Things I Hate About You gave breakthrough roles to Heath Ledger, Julia Stiles, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Kat Stratford (Stiles) is an acerbic and cynical senior, unlike her younger and more popular sister Bianca (Larisa Oleynik). Since their dad has forbidden Bianca from dating before Kat finds a boyfriend herself, enamored sophomore student Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) conceives a deceptive plan to set his relationship with Bianca in motion, with help from the reserved bad boy Patrick (Ledger). Very popular among teen audiences, the film, whose soundtrack stayed on the Billboard 200 chart for seven weeks, is still considered a staple in romantic titles to rewatch on Valentine’s Day.
5 Clueless (1995)
“Ugh, as if!”
Speaking of the most popular teen movies of all time, Amy Heckerling’s Clueless developed such a large cult following that it spawned TV and book series, a stage musical, and a special trivia and makeover CD-ROM. It has also influenced several fashion trends and pop stars.
Set in Beverly Hills, Clueless follows the popular, privileged, shallow, but well-meaning Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash), as they help transfer student Tai Frasier (Brittany Murphy) navigate through fashion, love, and social life. Also featured are Paul Rudd as Josh Lucas, Donald Faison as Murray Duvall, Elisa Donovan as Amber Mariens, and Breckin Meyer as Travis Birkenstock.
4 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991)
Directed by Kevin Reynolds, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves may not have been historically accurate, and may have featured supposedly English characters with a noticeable American accent, but it is considered one of the 90s’ most entertaining period action-adventure flicks. Critics may have torn it into pieces, but it was the second-grossing title of 1991, behind Terminator 2: Judgement Day. The film stars Kevin Costner as the titular hero, Morgan Freeman as his sidekick Azeem, Christian Slater as Will Scarlett, and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as Marian. The prolific Alan Rickman’s unhinged performance as the ruthless Sheriff of Nottingham garnered him a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. As for the theme love song, Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It for You, it won a Grammy. Not only was this film considered an entertaining group watch, but it also spawned two popular games for the Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy in 1991.
3 Jurassic Park (1993)
Based on a novel by Michael Crichton, directed by Steven Spielberg, scored by John Williams, and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, and Richard Attenborough, Jurassic Park is one of the highest-grossing movies ever made; it has generated five sequels to date. The plot centers on two paleontologists and one mathematician who are invited to tour a billionaire’s island, which he had populated with genetically recreated dinosaurs. It’s a smooth and safe visit…until some dangerous predators break free.
Wikipedia states that according to Variety, the movie sold 17 million VHS and LaserDisc units, and is, per Los Angeles Times, the fifth best-selling VHS tape ever.
2 Titanic (1997)
Written, produced, and directed by James Cameron, the romance and disaster movie Titanic stars Kate Winslet as Rose, Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack, Billy Zane as Caledon, and Kathy Bates as the historical character Margaret Brown. Loosely based on real accounts on the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic, it won 11 Oscars, and tackles the themes of social class, verbal abuse, greed, and forbidden love.
Released in two VHS tapes in 1998 for a selling cost that ranged from $10 to $30, it still is one of the most rewatched films ever, with Redditors claiming they have seen it over 100 times. People would stand in line to rent or buy their copy, according to a CNN article, which claims that “At a Blockbuster store in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, more than 150 people bought the video within the first 20 minutes after midnight.”
1 The Lion King (1995)
The Disney animated musical drama The Lion King, directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff and scored by Hans Zimmer, features the voices of a stellar cast that includes Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Nathan Lane, and Rowan Atkinson. It centers around the lion cub Simba, whose journey of self-discover starts when his uncle Scar tricks him into thinking he indirectly caused his father’s death. The movie sold over 55 million copies worldwide and earned two Academy Awards and a Golden Globe.
So, when was the last movie released on VHS? The answer is David Cronenberg's A History of Violence in 2006, which marked thesymbolic end of the videotape rental and purchase era.