Geekstorians Episode 3: VHS vs The Gatekeepers

In the 1980s, a strange new box arrived in our living rooms — the VHS player. It was noisy, chunky, and occasionally tried to eat your favourite film… but it changed everything.In this episode, Dave rewinds through the story of how home video broke the monopoly of the movie studios, terrified censors, and accidentally created the first generation of fan-filmmakers. From Mary Whitehouse’s “Video Nasties” crusade to Kevin Smith maxing out his credit cards to make Clerks, this is the tale of how VHS gave ordinary people the power to choose what they watched — and in doing so, redefined geek culture itself.[MUSIC / SFX from the episode include: 1980s synths, tape whirrs, and the sound of a van full of forbidden treasures.]Listen for:• The forgotten role of a door-to-door video rental van• The panic that birthed Britain’s “Video Nasty” blacklist• How a New Jersey shop clerk became a cult-film icon• Why imperfection made VHS feel alive🎙️ Written & Presented by Dave Elliott🔗 More at Geektown.co.ukSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/geektown. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.