Just cracked open this still-sealed VHS of The Mask of Zorro.
Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, and a breakout Catherine Zeta-Jones—back when swashbuckling still had studio money behind it. This is a classic baton-passing tale: the aging hero trains his replacement, swordplay and revenge ensue, all wrapped in that smoky, romantic 90s lighting.
There’s a certain grandeur to 90s blockbusters that feels extinct now. Not just scale—but ambition. Like every frame was trying to earn a spot in movie history. Today’s films still shoot for the stars, but with different coordinates. Different vocabulary.
Still a fun ride. And honestly, every trip to the thrift store feels like Blockbuster time travel.
This just unlocked a memory of a couple with a van full of VHS tapes driving round the neighborhood renting them out to everyone. 100% fakes but a 10 year old me was mesmerized.
My aunt’s basement was full of bootlegged VHS tapes. Like wall to wall. She had one of those vcrs you could schedule. Just WOW at the time.