A man cave, a VHS, and a bit of magic… How one dad unplugged from the digital world to reconnect with his past.
In a world defined by constant digital noise: notifications, streaming, scrolling, and swiping, one man has found comfort in the hum of a VHS tape spinning to life.
Ben, a father in his early forties, recently decided to revive a piece of his childhood in an attempt to unplug from the hyper-connected world around him. In his garden man cave, nestled away from the Wi-Fi signals and endless screen time, sits a relic from the past: a combined VHS player and CRT television. To many, it’s an outdated curiosity. But to Ben, it’s a gateway back to a time when entertainment was simpler, slower, and somehow more magical.
“What’s That?”
“What’s That?”When Ben first introduced the old setup to his four-year-old daughter, she stared at it wide-eyed and asked, “What’s that?”
“It’s how I used to watch cartoons, programmes and movies,” he explained, smiling.
Her response? “Wow, it looks so old.”
He laughed and inwardly agreed. The clunky plastic casing, the whirring sounds, the absence of a remote control. All a far cry from today’s sleek smart TVs and voice-activated assistants. Yet, that moment marked the start of something special.
A Film So Boring… It Stuck
They started with Short Circuit, a classic from Ben’s own childhood. At first, the response was predictable: “This is so boring,” she said, missing the quick cuts, 3D effects, and high-def clarity of modern animation.
But just a few minutes later, she was asking to watch more.
Now, it’s become a weekend ritual. She’ll ask, not for Netflix or Disney+, but to watch a movie “on the VHS.” There’s something tactile and immersive about the experience. From choosing the cassette to hearing the machine click into gear, that has captivated her, just as it did for millions growing up in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
When Entertainment Was an Experience
Before streaming, before even DVDs, there was Blockbuster. A Friday night trip to the local video store was a weekly highlight for many families. You didn’t just pick a movie, you browsed. You read the back covers, admired the often over-the-top artwork, and debated between two or three options. Sometimes you’d leave disappointed, your chosen title out of stock. Other times, it felt like winning the lottery.
And if you were lucky enough to get your hands on a new release? You made sure to rewind it after watching. No one wanted to start a movie halfway through or get scolded by a sticker on the box that sternly read: Be Kind, Rewind. Failure to return it on time could cost you a fine and possibly a scolding from your parents.
That was entertainment. Not just the film itself, but the physical experience that surrounded it.
When Films Had Soul (And Static)
Sure, the technology today is objectively better. Crisper visuals, surround sound, on-demand everything. But something’s been lost in the upgrade. That anticipation. That magic. That community feeling of everyone watching the same handful of hits at the same time. Films back then felt like events.
And the movies? They were unforgettable. Anyone who grew up in the late 20th century will remember these iconic titles:
- Gremlins – Equal parts cute and creepy.
- Critters – Chaotic, terrifying fun.
- The Goonies – Pure, timeless adventure.
- Indiana Jones – Still a Christmas staple for many households.
- Child’s Play – That doll haunted more than a few childhoods.
- Home Alone – A festive masterpiece that never gets old.
- Alien & Predator – The blueprint for sci-fi horror.
- Big – Tom Hanks dancing on a piano in FAO Schwarz.
- Labyrinth – David Bowie, goblins, and unforgettable music.
- Short Circuit – “Number Five is alive!”
- Pulp Fiction & Lock Stock – For those growing into their teenage years in the 90s, this was rebellion on tape.
- The Empire Strikes Back – The ultimate twist and arguably the best Star Wars film.
- E.T. – A story that still brings tears to eyes.
Each of these wasn’t just a movie. It was a memory. You remember where you were when you watched it. Who you were with. How it made you feel.
A Flicker of Joy in Every Frame
VHS tapes had their quirks. The tracking issues that had to be manually adjusted, the need to clean the heads, and the slightly fuzzy visuals that somehow added character. But that’s the point. These imperfections were part of the charm. Like vinyl records, they offered a richer, more tactile connection to the media we consumed.
Today, as Ben rewinds a tape and presses play, he’s not just revisiting the past; he’s creating new memories with his daughter. And in those quiet moments, watching the glow of a CRT screen light up a dark man cave, something magical happens: the noise of the world fades away.
Reconnecting by Disconnecting
In the age of instant gratification, Ben’s story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the best way to reconnect is to disconnect. To pause. To rewind. To remember what made us fall in love with movies in the first place.
Maybe we could all benefit from pressing pause on our digital lives now and then. Because sometimes, joy lives not in the next episode queued up on a streaming service, but in a clunky black rectangle that hums to life with a bit of dust and a lot of heart.