I found him having a VCR hard to believe
In 1981, they were so expensive that you probably wouldn’t see it in an apartment like his.
shareRelax, it was probably a betamax...
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MovieChat Forums > Joker (2019) Discussion > I found him having a VCR hard to believe...
Not true. My grandparents weren't rich, they just lived off social security and they had one in 1981. They weren't cheap back then but they weren't insanely expensive like they were in the 70's when they first came out.
shareYep and prices were dropping then plus there were high end and low end models, however $771 was the average price by 1980, so likely around $699 by 1981.
https://www.nytimes.com/1984/11/12/business/innovations-spur-boom-in-vcr-sales.html
From: November 12, 1984
The first VCR, introduced in 1975 by Sony, carried a list price of $1,400. Five years later, according to figures compiled by the Electronic Industries Association, a Washington-based trade group, the average price to dealers was down to $771 a unit. In 1982 it dropped to $640 and then to $528 in 1983.
Manufacturers, retailers and industry analysts all agree that the most important factor contributing to surging sales growth has been plummeting prices. The average suggested retail price for a VCR today is about $500, but the spread between the low-end and the top-of-the-line is wide: a deluxe VCR can cost as much as $1,500 or more, while a basic unit can be bought, discounted, for just under $300.
Here in Australia it was similar but way dearer in the beginning:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-01/vcr-a-final-farewell/7676598
In 1981, only 3 per cent of Australian households (150,000 homes to a population of 14.93 million) had a VCR.
That number rose quickly, and by 1993 to 80 per cent of Australian households (4.5 million homes to a population of 17.67 million) had a VCR. One reason for the rapid uptake was the dramatic drop in price of VCR technology.
In 1976, the average price of a VCR was AU$4,684 (AU$8,838 in today's dollars). By 1993, the average price was less than 10 per cent of the 1976 price, at AU$446 (AU$842 in today's money). The number of movies available also skyrocketed, from a measly two films in 1978 to 33,000 titles in 1993. The uptake of VCRs began to slow by 1995
Having said that I do know that some people justified it by saying they could save by watching movies at home and not going out, especially for families vs cinema visits. share
I confess you're right. Though it's possible he stole it. I just saw the movie an hour ago but it seems like it wasn't there earlier in the movie when he and his mom were watching TV.
shareMoviemistakes.com would probably say that if you try to submit this as a plothole. They ll list reasons
1. He could have saved up
2. Somebody gave it to him as a gift
3. The gun guy stole one and gave art a discount
4. Art stole one himself
*SPOILERS*
it's not real
My parents had a Beta in that year... but VHS was around... not outside believable.
shareAfter reading all the comments, I am now sure we found and inaccuracy in the Joker. There was no way they had the money to buy that kind of electronics.
And if they made the economic sacrifice to do so, it would've been nice for them to show it, as it would be a big moment for them. Who bought it Arthur as a gift to his mother who he loves so much (at least at the beginning) or perhaps his mother got it for him? Interesting to think who made that decision.
If Arthur did it, it would show how much he loved his mother and how much he changed him the movie, to the point of doing such a thing to her. Also, why did they bought it? Perhaps to just record Murray'0s program because they love it so much... all of those reasons would've given the characters more depth.
Not an inaccuracy you just have to make assumptions
shareHis mom bought it with the money that was supposed to be used for his medicine so she could tape her soap operas.:-)
shareWe were lower middle class, and we had a top-loader VCR in 82-3.
shareThat was when we got our top-loader. We were one of the first families in the neighborhood to get one.
shareMy uncle had one in the early 80s and it would chew on the tapes quite often lol. Terrible product.
shareMy family never had a problem with that happening. In fact, I still have the first tape we ever had. As a kid, I would tape over stuff a lot, that was until tapes became more affordable. I have lots of tapes from 35 years ago or more. Haven't watched them in a long time though. I wonder if they are still watchable.
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1. Sometimes low income people make poor financial choices. Such as wearing $300 sneakers or buying expensive electronics. Did you notice Arthur chain smoked throughout the whole movie? Smoking is an expensive habit!
2. Perhaps his mother or Arthur got it second hand for not too much money.
3. This is a movie based in a city that doesn't exist - some suspension of disbelief is required.