Director Releases First VHS-First Film in 20 Years
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- Robert dos Santos released "This Is How the World Ends" straight to VHS — the first such release in 20 years, with the format's last manufacturer (Funai Electric) having ceased production in 2016.
- The film depicts two siblings reuniting at an end-of-humanity party, with AI depicted as the catalyst for the world's destruction.
- dos Santos framed the VHS release as an anti-AI statement ("It's a film made by humans for humans") and plans a reverse rollout: VHS first, then Blu-ray/DVD, then cinema and streaming.
- The South African former lawyer turned to filmmaking after being held up at gunpoint multiple times, deciding "if I'm going to die, I might as well do something that I'll really, truly, passionately enjoy."
- Pre-release demand forced additional VHS tape orders, and viewers have sent dos Santos videos of themselves buying VCRs specifically to watch the film.
- A small VHS-collecting community supports the format: r/VHS has 73,000 users, Witter Entertainment releases VHS editions of titles like Terrifier and Mandy, and Alien: Romulus got a limited 4:3 VHS release in 2024.
Why it matters: dos Santos's VHS-first gamble, driven by anti-AI sentiment and a rejection of frictionless streaming, found enough pre-release demand to require additional tape orders — evidence that a committed niche audience will physically seek out hard copies in a streaming-dominated market, with mainstream cinema and streaming still planned after the VHS window.
