I'm a total nostalgia whore (check my Pay TV Memories thread), so I thought that I'd start a thread dedicated to trailers on old VHS releases. I think they deviate from current previews on DVD's and Blu-ray's not just for the nostalgia factor, but because of how they were always included with messages about asking your "local video dealer" about pre-viewed tapes and, instead of those annoying anti-piracy ads there would be PSA's for drugs. What are some of your memorable favorites? Thought I'd post some Youtubed ones.

Diet Coke commercial from the first Batman VHS:
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Also from that tape, the Warner Bros. Studio Catalog spot (which also appeared on, among others, Lethal Weapon 2 and Beetlejuice):


Diet Pepsi ad on Top Gun's original release (first third-party commercial on a VHS IIRC):


The Diet Coke ad from the original Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade VHS:


Some other factoids:

• I distinctly remember spots for Mortal Kombat and Senior Trip before Dumb and Dumber.
• Spaceballs' original release has an enticingly ambiguous teaser for Willow. I never saw it, but I can't imagine being as good as the trailer.
• My stepdad's old copy of Beverly Hills Cop II had a teaser for Big Top Pee-wee which I never found again and is infinitely funnier than the actual film. I searched everywhere online before, as a friend of mine and I are big fans of Pee-wee Herman, but never could find anything.
• I always remembered, at least with late 80's tapes, Warner, Paramount, IVE/Live/Carolco (they also had PSA's a lot of times), and Fox (CBS/Fox) having the most consistency with trailers. Universal never had them, but MCA had some at the end of tapes (and a Universal Studios ad before a lot of tapes). Never rented a lot of the old-school Media or New World releases way back, but wish I did. Though I rented Night of the Creeps a couple years back and was lovin' the super 80's CG graphics and hilarious action movie trailers on it (can't remember exactly which ones).

Those 3 are pretty much the only goddamn VHS ads anyone ever remembers. Although I would appreciate it if someone were to post the Daffy Duck cartoon at the beginning of Batman. I still have to call Warner Brothers and request my free catalogue.


edit: Nevermind.

"That's neck-ties!"

Wish granted. Just added it to the OP.

Also, raise your hand if you watch or watched movies with your Warner Bros. Ball Cap on.

I expect zero responses to this.

VHS related - Vincent Price explaines how to keep your head clean!

...And an anti-drug spot from the Robocop VHS...

That should have been on the Criterion DVD.

Actually Zen, the trailer for Willow you are talking about might be actually on its DVD. The first teaser for the film, which is there, was just as ambiguous as you described.

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an exercise psa from Arnold (followed by an ad for Subway on the original Terminator 2 vhs.

I only remember the 2 ads in front of Batman.

I remember the preview for the second Crow movie on the first VHS, where they showed the characters name as Michael something, which became Ash in the film.

Last night I was watching Robocop and it made me think of a drug psa before Robocop 2. It was an edited version of the scene where Robocop electrocutes himself.

"What's bothering, Murphy?"

"Drugs. Drugs are bothering me."

It's actually "Drugs bug me."

Here's another one I forgot. A Pizza Hut ad preceding the first Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie:



Ironic considering how in the film Domino's is prominently featured.

And another one, the Pepsi commercial on the original Home Alone tape:

There was one I saw a lot where a bunch of kids dress up as characters from The Wizard of Oz.

I remember an old Diet Coke ad that was on an old tape that had a young girl with a mudpack on her face and cucumbers on her eyes walking around and her younger brother and his friends saw her and were scared shitless. It was raining and thundering outside. I think it may have been before Daffy Duck's Quackbusters.

It's funny, I just salvaged an old Batman VHS tape out of my grandma's garage specifically to watch the commercials/previews that play before the movie. For some reason, I've had a craving to watch those again. Brings back the memories....

Does anyone remember those celebrity anti-drug ads before 80's movies on Touchstone video? I know one was Pee-Wee Herman.

I guess the decline in these commercials means the war on drugs is over?