An organization called Vista Group recently uploaded dozens of VHS and cassette tapes from the 90s and early 2000s to the Internet Archive, and the content within is worth a retro-nostalgia trip back to a simpler, weirder, more wavy time.
Vista Group uploaded nearly 200 in the last two months, most of which were uploaded on January 5—a rate noticeably higher than their usual 50-70 per month. They’re being added to the VHS Vault, an Internet Archive collection of more than 17,500 VHS scans.
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Most of the videos are instructional or documentary films, like workout or yoga videos or tutorials on installing vinyl flooring or training a dog. There are also a few audio only cassettes in this most recent batch, like “Is It Worth Dying For?,” based on Dr. Robert S. Eliot’s breakthrough book on stress management.
Then there are gems: like this 1997 interview with Bjork that was first aired on MTV’s 120 Minutes show where she and the host sit cross-legged on pillows, or this 1998 edition of TRL and “Manson TV” that clears up the question of a generation: Did he really remove his ribs to give himself a blowjob?
If you want to become a sommelier, there’s “Wine 101” from 1997.
If you just want to chill, “Scottish Fantasia,” a 90s tour of Scotland and its boats, is the most soothing film I’ve ever watched.
In the 1996 film “Spontaneous Healing,” self-help writer Andrew Weil spends an hour and 15 minutes making the case that, according to Rotten Tomatoes, “the critical issues facing America’s healthcare system are not ones of economic inequity, but fundamental misunderstandings in medical treatment.” Wow, the 90s!
As of Tuesday, the Vista Group is still busy uploading new tapes to its collection. It’s hours of nostalgia content that’s worth burning some time browsing, especially if you’re searching for true love or just trying to get abs of steel.
