The last film to actually be released on VHS was “A History of Violence” in 2006. Since that time VHS tapes have made their way into bargain bins across the country, but now the man that fills those bins is giving up, and dropping the format all together.

I think i will always love VHS for what it was. In this day of DVRs, digital downloads, DVDs, and Blu-Ray Discs, it’s hard to even look at a VHS and get all the way through it. The quality is just terrible…BUT…I remember very well the VHS collection we had at my house.

I would buy blank tapes and fill them to the brim with recordings of my favorite bits from SNL, MadTV (the early years), and sitcoms galore. I’d record comedy specials on HBO and watch them into the wee hours of the morning. George Carlin came into my life thanks to VHS tape. Godzilla too.

Every crazy bit of entertainment I loved as a kid went through a VHS tape at one point.

In high school I worked at a video store, and DVD came in shortly after I exited. It was one of the best job’s I’ve ever had – and I can still very clearly remember what was like to take a busted VHS tape and perform surgery to move the tape contents to a new case, to make the video playable again.

Even though we’ve had movies recently like “Be Kind, Rewind” that sort of remind us of how interesting and simple VHS was – it’s time has long passed. It’s successor is about to be successed, and whatever is coming after that is on its way to the horizon.

I’m guessing we’ll be watching things digitally in the next few years, and that’s where it will stay, in one form or another, for a very long while. We’ll see though. You never know what’s going to happen next in the world of recordable media – but the grandfather of home movies has passed away, and it’s finally time to lay him to rest.

(S02E05) “Let It Go”

Finally, the characters of Private Practice get down to the core of what gives a show it’s heart. In tonight’s episode, we were allowed a real glimpse of the key player’s personalities.

In the sub-plot surrounding Violet we receive confirmation that she was once raped. While we still don’t know the full-extent that this has effected her, it’s obvious that this part of her life is painful and not fully understood by many, with the exception of her old college friend. Sadly her one time confidant is now running for congress and will do just about anything to erase her own painful past, including sacrificing Violet’s job. Time will tell, but this may just be an opening for a major move in Violet’s life. I don’t suspect that she’ll leave the show, but she may be forced to leave the practice.

Also finding that the ties which bond them can, and sometimes must, be severed, Naomi and Sam officially call it quits. This only occurs though after they not only full themselves, but also their daughter who has hopes of her parents reuniting. As this storyline progresses, one can easily tell that explosions may occur as both Naomi and Sam begin to date again. After all, nothing that happens in this practice is ever truly private.

In lighter news, Addison steps up her game and takes on her role as a leader without hesitation. After hours of sleepless nights she not only has an idea of how much money the practice will need to survive, but also an unpopular idea of how to obtain that quick cash. This includes leasing out the fourth floor she didn’t even know they owned until tonight. Speaking of fourth floor plans, could Charlotte be getting in on that action with her new job opportunity? Looks like a possibility to me.

Now, no Private Practice review can be complete without at least a small grumble from this writer. Tonight’s is quite valid, as the message the show sent out tonight was completely misleading. You can indeed get the HIV virus from oral sex. So here’s a clue to Cooper… put a cap on it. What’s more, just because you’re on the pill doesn’t mean you can’t slip up and get pregnant. Something to keep in mind Charlotte.

I personally feel that if you’re going to represent a very important issue as a doctor’s office, no matter how fictional, you should take it on with some sense of responsibility. There’s one too many kids out there who get their facts from a TV screen. Why add to that confusion?

Sometimes there are things from your childhood that you just flat out forget about. Most of the time those things are little, and really had no impact on you. Then there are those other things. Things you’d forgotten about that you really, truly, loved as a child. One of those things for me is “My Pet Monster”.

As a kid I was not at all interested in carrying around a “My Buddy”. I thought that guy was lame. I already had a little brother, why on earth would I need a simulated little brother too? A monster, on the other hand, that was a different story. Plus, this thing looked like he could tear your head off. I mean, just look at him…

That guy looks like he could eat YOUR SOUL!!!!! I loved that thing. I mean seriously – do you think the boogyman is coming into your room if this guy is standing guard at your bed? NO WAY!

So, as you can imagine when a video came out in the 80s called “My Pet Monster” you can bet I was interested in renting it from the local video store. I did just that, and what I found was a 45 minute movie about a kid named Max who was turned into a Monster that looked like a friendly character at a theme park than the hideous beast I was holding while the video played.

The story involves Max and his siblings running from a scientist and rescuing a kidnapped dog.

You’d think I would have hated it….but you would have been wrong. For some reason, I loved it. It became a regular rental when we’d venture to the video store and there was nothing else to get. My Pet Monster was my old stand by. My mother probably could have purchased the tape 3 or 4 times over with the amount of times she paid $.99 for me to take it home for 2 days.

Still, as I grew up, many of my favorite shows as a kid stuck with me, but this one fell by the wayside in my memory. At least, until about a week ago.

After doing some digging I stumbled across a copy of the video, and promptly sat down with my daughter to watch it. I expected to cringe all the way through it, but somehow even now, I can’t help but love it. When we were finished watching it my daughter told me it was “funnier than Kung Fu Panda” (which she actually enjoyed quite a bit).

The movie itself is insanely cheesy, and cliche, but darn it – its fun. If you can get a hold of (and if you look hard enough, you can), you should check it out. They really do need to bring the mean, soul stealing Monster back – kids today would love him.

Below, we have a list of 5 TV Shows that never should have been cancelled – and each of them was for one of the reasons listed above.

5. The Screen Savers

When TechTV was merged with G4 – every fan of TechTV knew that the glory days were over. Bizarre changes started immediately, and Leo Laporte left the show, and things looked really bad. The new co-host, however, was an aspiring actor named Alex Albriecht. He, along with Kevin Rose, managed to usher in a new era for The Screen Savers. The show was reborn, but after a few months Alex was fired, and the format was changed over an over again until they finally cancelled the show all together, and moved the staff to a new program called Attack of the Show!.

The Screen Savers should have never been cancelled, and the hosting team of Alex Albriecht and Kevin Rose would later re-team for an online show called Diggnation that has officially made them tech-rock stars.

4. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip

Studio 60, much like Bionic Woman, had great ratings the first night, but most viewers didn’t make it back for a second glance. It’s a shame too, because the engaging drama was well written, well acted, and a joy to watch. The first episode did seem to drag a bit to me, but the show really improved from there on out, and had the fickle audience given it another chance, I think it would still be on today.

3. Clerks the Animated Series

ABC was originally so supportive of Clerks that they planned to air it after the Superbowl. It was going to be BIG. ABC’s version of The Simpsons – but what series creator Kevin Smith soon learned, is that its much better to be “a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish, in the giant [exploitive deleted] that is ABC”. Executives didn’t understand the show, and it was quickly buried and cancelled. Had it found a proper home on a smaller network, or even somewhere in Fox’s animated line-up, the show would probably still be on today.

2. Arrested Development

Never has there been a show quite like Arrested Development. It’s irreverent style and sense of humor have influenced some of the biggest comedy hits today including The Office, and feature films like Superbad. The show did catch on with audiences, and its my firm belief that if a realistic ratings system was in place, the show would still be on the air.

Firefly

Joss Whedon’s space western masterpiece has sparked a fan base all over the world, and was so successful on DVD that it launched a feature film version of the show. Fox never even went so far as to air the show in order when it first appeared on their network – making it almost impossible to really “get into” the show. It lives on it merchandise, conventions, DVDs, comics, and possibly more in the future…but if Fox had had any sense at all and given it a chance, it would be on the air right now.

(Note – Family Guy and Futurama are not on the list because they were effectively “uncanceled” – feel free leave your selections for uncancelation in the comments below)

Then there are other Christmas Specials. Specials that, if you’re a child of the 80s, you probably watched more than once, but that haven’t lived on into the immortal status. They aired annually for a few years, but these shows will never be the holiday mainstays that they were intended to be…but that doesn’t make them any less great.

Thanks to the magic of YouTube, however, we can remember these shows…

5. A Garfield Christmas

The Garfield Christmas Special was one of my favorites as a kid, and is available on a really cheaply produced DVD that includes his Thanksgiving and Halloween specials as well. Even though the special doesn’t air annually anymore, and the DVD looks like a VHS copy, I’m glad I share this one with my kids.

4. It’s Christmas Time Again, Charlie Brown

Like many sequels, this Charlie Brown Christmas Special (which first aired in 1992) just didn’t click with people like the original. This special lives on as a Special Feature in the “A Charlie Brown Christmas” DVD – and is sometimes aired directly after the original “A Charlie Brown Christmas” on television, although it is no long listed as a separate special.

3. Claymation Christmas

I always found claymation to be both creepy and awesome at the time time. This special was one of my favorites, and featured the California Raisins as well as other claymation characters. The special is available on DVD, although I’ve never been able to find it in a store.

2. He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special