The home video version of Titanic was released on September 1, 1998. Because the DVD version wasn’t scheduled to hit Best Buy and Circuit City locations for another year, consumers wishing to experience James Cameron’s record-breaking epic at home were forced to purchase the film on VHS.
Half the film was on Tape One (it ends with the Captain saying, “Well, I believe you may get your headlines, Mr. Ismay”) while the second half (which begins as Cal shouts, “Oh, it is a little slut, isn’t it?”) was on Tape Two. Because it’s hard to find 195 minutes to do anything—let alone watch a single movie—many Titanic (myself included) preferred to watch just one tape as a complete experience.
Picture it: Spring, 1999. You have 90 minutes to spare on a Saturday afternoon. What do you put in the VCR?
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