Chicago: One Magnificent City (1991)

Cooked: Survival by Zip Code

Filmmaker Judith Helfand's searing investigation into the politics of “disaster” – by way of the deadly 1995 Chicago heat wave, in which 739 residents perished (mostly Black and living in the city’s poorest neighborhoods).

Disappeared: The Bradley Sisters

In 2001, sisters Diamond and Tionda Bradley vanish from their Chicago apartment. Twenty-two years later, Detective Pam Childs gains access to the family, revisiting critical scenes, interviews, and inconsistencies -- leading to a shocking admission.

The Lost Sons

1960s Chicago, a baby is kidnapped from a hospital. Fifteen months later, a toddler is abandoned. Could he be the same baby? In a tale of breathtaking twists and turns, two mysteries begin to unravel and dark family secrets are revealed.

kid 90

As a teenager in the '90s, Soleil Moon Frye carried a video camera everywhere she went. She documented hundreds of hours of footage and then locked it away for over 20 years.

Chuck Norris vs Communism

In late eighties, in Ceausescu's Romania, a black market VHS bootlegger and a courageous female translator brought the magic of Western films to the Romanian people and sowed the seeds of a revolution.

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports

Bob Uecker hosted this show in the mid to late 1980's, featuring sports bloopers and comedy with Mr. Baseball himself.

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports

Here is the legendary Bob Uecker hamming it up, commentating on sports bloopers and other sports-related skits for 30 straight minutes!

VHS Revolution

Using testimonies by pioneers and witnesses of the times, delve into the feverish visual culture the media generated – with far-fetched examples of canine television games, seduction manuals, aerobics class while holding a baby, among others.

It's Branson!

Nestled in the beautiful hills of the Ozark Mountains, far away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities, lies a place of great beauty and splendor... a place you'll never forget. It's Branson, Missouri and you're going to see it all! Enjoy Branson's greatest sights - amazing Marvel Cave, popular Silver Dollar City, the Branson Scenic Railway, beautiful Dogwood Canyon, historic Shepherd of the Hills Homestead, magnificent Inspiration Tower, picturesque Lake Taneycomo, the unforgettable showboat Branson Belle - and more! And you'll thrill to performances by Branson's greatest starts, including Andy Williams, Boxcar Willie, Mickey Gilley, Jim Stafford, The Lennon Sisters, The Osmond Brothers, Roy Clark, Ray Stephens, The Baldknobbers, Glenn Campbell, and more! So sit back, relax and get ready to enjoy the sights and the stars of America's favorite entertainment destination... It's Branson!

Hoop Dreams

Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

Chicago 10

Archival footage, animation and music are used to look back at the eight anti-war protesters who were put on trial following the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Life After People

In this special documentary that inspired a two-season television series, scientists and other experts speculate about what the Earth, animal life, and plant life might be like if, suddenly, humanity no longer existed, as well as the effect humanity's disappearance might have on the artificial aspects of civilization.

All These Sons

On Chicago's South and West sides, the scourge of guns and gangs is destroying countless lives. Taking matters into their own hands, two men dedicate their lives educating, empowering and healing young Black men at high risk for being victims—or perpetrators—of deadly gun-violence.

2Everything2Terrible2: Tokyo Drift

The team of smart-talkin' toddlers known as Everything Is Terrible! have once again emerged from their VHS cocoons to conjure a jam on culture so culture-jamtastic that we're sorry we can't be there to hold your hand as you watch in dazed amazement. Thousands of hours of brain-boiling footage have been concentrated into an impenetrable jewel of an experience, teach us once and for all that loving well is the best revenge.

Movie Hoarders: From VHS to DVD and Beyond!

Filmmakers and collectors lift the curtain on their manic media obsession that is not only a huge part of their lives, but the lifeblood of their existence!

VHS Forever? | Psychotronic People

A feature length documentary shot over 9 months taking a look at the explosion of movies that became available on VHS in the UK.

VHS Massacre: Cult Films and the Decline of Physical Media

This lively documentary explores the rise and fall of physical media from the origin of film all the way through the video store era into digital media, focusing on B-movie and cult films. With icons like Joe Bob Briggs (MonsterVision), Lloyd Kaufman (Toxic Avenger), Greg Sestero (The Room), Debbie Rochon (Return to Nuke 'Em High), Deborah Reed (Troll 2), Mark Frazer (Samurai Cop), James Nguyen (Birdemic) and many others.

The Janes

Defying the state legislature that outlawed abortion, the Catholic Church that condemned it, and the Chicago Mob that was profiting from it, the members of “Jane” risked their personal and professional lives to support women with unwanted pregnancies. In the pre-Roe v. Wade era — a time when abortion was a crime in most states and even circulating information about abortion was a felony in Illinois — the Janes provided low-cost and free abortions to an estimated 11,000 women.

AGFA Mystery Mixtape #4: Follow Your Own Star

Unleashed from the video vaults of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #4: FOLLOW YOUR OWN STAR is a brand new compilation of the most electrifying found footage mayhem that you’ll see this week. For this latest tape, our deep dive into behind-the-scenes horror is complemented by an even deeper dive into television from Dimension X.

Terror on Tape

A video store clerk showcases clips from Z-grade horror movies to curious customers.

Long Gone Summer

An examination of the 1998 MLB season and the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The two sluggers' race to hit the most home runs, later overshadowed by the steroid scandal, left a permanent mark on baseball history.

AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1

Unleashed from the video vaults of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #1 is a brand new compilation of the most electrifying found footage mayhem that you’ll see this week. For our kick-off tape, we’ve curated an hour-long joyride through the hallowed halls of “behind the scenes” horror. Our team has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support during these difficult times. So this is our way of saying thanks! The price is set at 99 cents, which is the lowest possible option that Vimeo offers. We want everyone to be able to enjoy this. But if you’re able to donate more to our non-profit mission, there’s also an option to pay what you want. Thank you for your continued support, and remember: “DIDN’T YOU USED TO BE SATAN?”

AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #3: SEQUELITIS

Unleashed from the video vaults of the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), AGFA MYSTERY MIXTAPE #3: SEQUELITIS is a brand new compilation of the most electrifying found footage mayhem that you’ll see this week. For our third tape, we’re diving into the most controversial, hotly debated topic of all time: HORROR SEQUELS! Thank you for your generous support during these difficult times. And remember: “This makes Guns N’ Roses look like THE BRADY BUNCH.”

At the Video Store

Equal parts personal essay, intense rumination, and playful satire, this movie laments the death of the American Video Store while it searches for the missing human element in today's digital landscape.

Special When Lit

What made more money than the entire American movie industry through the 50s and 60s? Pinball. Special When Lit rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon. A product of the mechanical and electrical age, the American invention swept the world and defined cool. Now it is relegated to a nostalgic footnote deserving a better fate. Joining the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe who share a world many of us didn't know still existed.

Best of Enemies

A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"

The Saint of Second Chances

Mike Veeck, son of MLB franchise owner Bill Veeck, blows up his father's career. Exiled from the game he loves, the younger Veeck spends the next few decades clawing his way up from rock bottom, determined to redeem himself.

Michelle Obama: Life After the White House

Former First Lady Michelle Obama's story has just begun. The Obamas have remained quite busy with their new life of activism which includes their issue-oriented production company, Higher Ground, which won an Oscar for Best Documentary in 2020. Mrs. Obama's autobiography, Becoming, has become the best-selling memoir of all time and even won a Grammy following the publication of her book. Get lost in the incredible journey of this modern-day First Lady's story in the making...

Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project

Marion Stokes secretly recorded television 24 hours a day for 30 years from 1975 until her death in 2012. For Marion taping was a form of activism to seek the truth, and she believed that a comprehensive archive of the media would be invaluable for future generations. Her visionary and maddening project nearly tore her family apart, but now her 70,000 VHS tapes are being digitized and they'll be searchable online.

VHS Massacre Too

The last stand of the American exploitation film. In a post video store era, media consolidation has led to the censorship and near death of the independent and exploitation film industry. Joe Bob Briggs (Last Drive-in), Debbie Rochon (Toxic Avenger IV), Lloyd Kaufman and James Rolfe (Angry Video Game Nerd) take us on an adventure that leads from the last Blockbuster video store in Bend Oregon to Troma Entertainment in New York, all in an effort to examine how history keeps repeating itself from the video store era to the modern streaming.

Home Movie

A young man returns to his hometown in the countryside of Minas Gerais and revisits the memories of his grandparents through conversations and restored personal files.

All New Dazzling Dunks and Basketball Bloopers

An American direct-to-video film that features highlights and bloopers from the NBA from its beginning to the film's release in 1989. The film is hosted by broadcaster Marv Albert and former Utah Jazz coach and executive Frank Layden. The video features brief biographies of NBA personalities including Darryl Dawkins, Bill Walton, John Salley and Frank Layden, as well as footage of dolphins playing basketball, a group playing basketball while riding horses and a group playing basketball on ice skates. Recaps of the 1989 and 1990 NBA slam dunk contest are also shown.

The John Wayne Gacy Murders: Life and Death in Chicago

Summaries "The John Wayne Gacy Murders: Life and Death in Chicago", Focuses on serial killer John Wayne Gacy's time in Chicago and includes information about Gacy's childhood, his career of crime in Waterloo, Iowa, and Gacy's becoming a celebrity in prison. Containing interviews with Chicago attorneys, news reporters, law enforcement officers, and history experts, the film illustrates what the atmosphere was like in Chicago when Gacy was murdering and ultimately apprehended. Gacy's time in prison as a celebrity serial killer is also explored in this groundbreaking film by Chicago native filmmaker John Borowski. —John Borowski

Adjust Your Tracking: The Untold Story of the VHS Collector

A documentary capturing the modern day VHS culture and VHS collectors.

'85: The Greatest Team in Football History

Through never-been-seen-before footage and fascinating interviews with key members of the 1985 Chicago Bears -- Mike Ditka, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, and others -- you will hear the inside story of their historic season.

Chicago at the Crossroad

While gun violence was on the decline in most major US cities, why did it continue to increase in Chicago's segregated communities? What is known about the systems that created the problem, the laws that isolated it, and the policies that abandoned it? Using dramatic footage, including interviews with residents on the front lines over the last 15 years, this documentary opens a rare historical window into the systematic creation of poverty stricken communities plagued by gun violence. 

Eliot Ness vs. Al Capone

January, 1947. The public receives the news of Al Capone's death with indifference, although twenty years earlier he had ruled Chicago's crime underworld with brute force and corrupting many touchable individuals. Until the day the head of the Untouchables Brigade, Eliot Ness, entered the scene. Since then, a cruel battle between the two of them began, a battle that ended in trial, conviction, disease, insanity and death.

Rewind This!

Home video changed the world. The cultural and historical impact of the VHS tape was enormous. This film traces the ripples of that impact by examining the myriad aspects of society that were altered by the creation of videotape.

Great Sports Moments of the 80's

Experience the thrill as your favorite teams and heroes triumph again! Great comebacks, rivalries and record-breaking performances are here to watch over and over again.

Synonymous With

A student's increasingly intimate line of questioning causes his interview with a local horror host to take a vulnerable turn.

The All American Girls Dance Funk Workout

High-stepping, fast-paced dance standards flow throughout this aerobic workout tape from Parade video. Follow along with the All-American girls, who hoof their way into peak physical condition. Dance routines include the Robocop, Go-Go, Steppin' and just Hanging Out. While the steps are intense, there is a beginner level to warm-up before kicking it into high gear with the more advanced versions. This 30-minute workout takes the boredom out of getting into shape, by taking the viewer outside the gym and puts them into the dance halls. The results are a great mix of new age performing arts and conventional exercising.

Wise Guys 2

After the release of his debut film, documentarian Richard Chase journeys down a rabbit hole to uncover the lost second episode of his initial film's subject: Wise Guys.

How to Protect Yourself Against Weapons

Master John Tsai began his Kung Fu training in Kasshiung, Taiwan, at the age of 7. His life long talents for developing potential go beyond the reach of his schools today. He holds titles of state and world wide champions. This Instructional video will guide you in all you need to know to PROTCT YOURSELF AGAINST WEAPONS. Learn from the Master! Foremost teacher of Shaolin Kung Fu Today.

29 Minute Beginners Workout

An exercise video for beginners from the 1980s, hosted by Deborah Lee.

Public Housing

Public Housing is Wiseman’s unflinching portrayal of life at the Ida B. Wells housing project in Chicago, a raw exposition of the daily conflicts between residents and the bureaucratic machinery to which they are continually subjected. With intimate detail and an abiding dedication to his subject, Wiseman unearths the hidden facets of institutions to find humanity and sites of unexpected beauty.

The All New NFL Football Follies

This collection of football follies comes from Sports Illustrated and was a subscription bonus for signing up to the magazine.

The Best of Thunder and Destruction: NFL's Hardest Hits

A Sports Illustrated compilation video of the NFL's Hardest Hits.

The Stairway to Stardom Mixtape

Culled from over 15 hours of footage by the American Genre Film Archive (AGFA), THE STAIRWAY TO STARDOM MIXTAPE is the definitive presentation of public access TV’s most otherworldly show.

Disney: Through the Looking Glass

Tito del Amo, a passionate 72-year-old researcher, takes the final step to unravel the enigma about the alleged Spanish origin of the American cartoonist Walt Disney, making the same journey that his supposed mother made to give him up for adoption in Chicago. A journey that begins in Mojácar, Almería, Spain, and ends in New York. An exciting adventure, like Alicia's through the looking glass, to discover what is truth and what is not, with an unexpected result.

Alaska's Great Wilderness Denali: The Living Edens

Travel to Alaska's great wilderness, a place of incomparable beauty and power where you will witness close-up the amazing cycles of life in one of the last pristine corners of our planet Earth. Soar over Mt. McKinley, the tallest people in North America, crown jewel of the vast Alaska range, piercing clouds nearly four miles high. Explore the vibrant territory beneath this stunningly beautiful mountain. Watch caribou roam the plains, listen to the haunting howl of the wolf, witness the flight of the majestic golden eagle, meet a mother grizzly and her two cubs as they emerge from winter's hibernation. You'll be swept up in the drama and beauty of this unique wilderness and you'll enjoy for many years to come its unforgettable scenery.

Pooh: The Derrick Rose Story

A never before seen look at the meteoric rise of Derrick Rose, the young Chicago superstar that was suddenly derailed by devastating injuries and unrealistic expectations for a hometown hero.

Your War (I'm One of You): 20 Years of Joan of Arc

Your War (I'm One Of You) chronicles the life and career of Chicago's Tim Kinsella, frontman of ever-shifting band Joan of Arc and '90's pioneers Cap'n Jazz. With appearances from Tim's friends, family, and admirers, we learn what has made his legacy so unique and enduring for more than 20 years.

Touring Australia

A film dedicated to Australia and travel around it.