9 Classic Movie Trailers That Take Us Back to the VHS Days
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The VHS days were simpler times. You’d pile in the minivan, head to Blockbuster to carefully select your weekend entertainment, haggle with the clerk about late fees, then tuck into a cozy couch, junk food in hand, and press play on your next favorite film.
Before you get to the good stuff, though, you’d sit through a collection of previews of up-and-coming hits, either with stars promoting them or a baritone-piped voice artist narrating. Even if you never ended up seeing the movies, you may have nuggets of memories of seeing Leo exclaiming he’s the king of the world, hearing the iconic Circle of Life intro, or other highlights of classic blockbusters chosen for these trailers.
Let’s be kind and rewind as we explore the most nostalgia-inducing movie trailers that transport us straight to the VHS days.
The Lion King
Belting out the classic Zulu intro of the Circle of Life was a rite of passage for many 90s babies. Its nature-filled trailer introduces us to all the best moments and has a narrator providing an overview of the storyline and shouting out the award-winning musicians on the project. This film was (and still is) road trip gold.
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Titanic
Committing to a Titanic viewing was a marathon, not a sprint. It took up a whopping two VHS tapes thanks to its 3+ hour runtime. While we now have the luxury of streaming instead of switching out tapes halfway through, it will always go down as one of the most iconic films in history. The age-old question remains, was there room on the door?
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Jaws
The classic “dun dun, dun dun” score had the ability to make viewers shield their eyes under blankets and behind popcorn bowls in the trailer for this 1970s thriller. While we may look at it as less horror these years later, Jaws was packed with classic one-liners and gory moments that made us all a little more afraid of the ocean. You’re gonna need a bigger boat.
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The Parent Trap
Growing up, we all accepted The Parent Trap as a charming movie about long-lost twins on a mission to get their parents back together. But in adulthood, we’ve had to face the troublesome realization that the parents were the worst and Lindsay Lohan wasn’t actually a twin. Despite this harsh reality, we can all appreciate the movie's most iconic moments—from ear piercings to pushing Meredith into the lake and, of course, the handshake.
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Back to the Future
Back to the Future really leans on the narrator by talking viewers through the entire plot. Nevertheless, we all wished (or, wish) we could accompany Marty McFly on his DeLorean time-traveling adventure. Thinking back on it, if we traveled 30 years back in time from today, we’d be towards the end of VHS domination in the '90s.
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Jurassic Park
A Steven Spielberg classic, the Jurassic Park franchise has continued to this day, plus it has a dedicated theme park section within Universal’s Islands of Adventure. All of that commercial success began with a trailer released in 1993, offering a first glimpse of the awesome dinosaur-filled Jurassic Park and the people that get stuck inside when its terrifying captives suddenly break out of confinement.
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Ghostbusters
When you’re feeling extra nostalgic, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! This trailer invokes a spooky vibe in its intro, but fans of the film know it’s a lighthearted paranormal comedy with a stacked cast. The franchise has recently been given *ahem* a new life, featuring a new cast of characters led by Paul Rudd alongside the originals.
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Miracle
Whether you watched this classic sports movie as a lesson in school or on a small screen stuffed between front seats on your way to the beach, the Kurt Russell-led masterpiece details USA Hockey’s journey to Olympic gold, also known as the Miracle on Ice. It’s a double dose of nostalgia today, as it was released in the early 2000s but is set in 1980. From both the trailer and the film, we’ll never forget that great moments are born from great opportunity.
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Jumanji
Jumanji changed the way we looked at board games in the 90s. The trailer perfectly captures the chaos of two kids' whirlwind jungle-themed adventure all in an attempt to free a trapped player (Robin Williams), and while it may have induced nightmares for me personally as a child, it will forever be a classic. Roll the dice and rent the original for a timeless adventure.
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