The Keep, HBO and Columbus soaps on a Fuji VHS

The Fuji tape sat in a GE sleeve with The Keep on the label. Once we played it, The Keep turned up on Cinemax, but that was only the first layer. I fast-forwarded through part of the movie; after it came the channel's bumper-heavy run of science-fiction titles and then a cut to the end of another film with HBO continuity. Another cut landed in The Lords of Flatbush already in progress. In its surrounding HBO promos, Cast a Deadly Spell was advertised for 'tomorrow.' We'd watched that film on a different tape earlier the same stream. I stopped at the coincidence because the two tapes are so far apart in the catalog, not because they came from the same broadcast or household.

More film endings and Cinemax promos followed, then the tape changed personalities: WSYX soaps, first a program tentatively identified as Loving, then All My Children. Here the breaks are as interesting as the shows. There's a Ragu Chunky Gardenstyle ad, the WSYX Highlight Zone sports promo doing a Twilight Zone spoof, and a parade of ordinary products. The local spots get sharper toward the end: Grant Medical Center babies, Columbus State summer classes, a Columbus Symphony and Jazz Arts Group concert promotion, a Columbus La-Z-Boy Father's Day sale and Big Bear's Sounds of Summer. A spoken Channel 6 WSYX Columbus ID finally pins down the station.

Those ads also complicate the handwritten chronology in the viewing notes. One notation says March 18 for All My Children, while a Good Morning America promo says the Tiananmen Square second anniversary is tomorrow and the later ads point toward June. I wouldn't date the soap episode, let alone the earlier movie blocks, from that alone. What held my attention was the tape's turn from movie-channel leftovers into a Columbus afternoon, with all its commercial breaks intact.

Content inventory

Shows and segments

Cinemax — The Keep and promos

1. Cinemax — The Keep and promos
2. The Keep movie on Cinemax.

Film ending and HBO promos

1. Film ending and HBO promos
2. End of an unidentified film; source suggests The Exorcist III

The Lords of Flatbush and HBO promos

1. The Lords of Flatbush and HBO promos
2. Cut to The Lords of Flatbush — super-early Stallone; already in progress.

Cinemax film endings and promos

1. Cinemax film endings and promos
2. Ending of Hell High on Cinemax
3. Cut to The Indestructible Man (just the ending).

WSYX — Loving? (ABC soap opera, probably 1991)

1. WSYX — Loving? (ABC soap opera, probably 1991)

WSYX — All My Children, brought to you by MCI

1. WSYX — All My Children, brought to you by MCI

Commercial inventory

WSYX — Loving? (ABC soap opera, probably 1991)

1. Era Plus laundry detergent.
2. Benadryl Cream and Spray animated ad.
3. Super Poligrip Pump.
4. FiberCon.
5. Ragu Chunky Gardenstyle
6. AT&T — “It's all you need.”
7. Kid with Kellogg's Fun Pac.
8. Mr. Phipps pretzel crackers.
9. Bac-Os! (salad topping).
10. Breath Savers.
11. Mother Goose Huggies diapers.
12. Cascade for spotless glasses.
13. Zest rinses clean away.
14. Stetson cologne (win his-and-hers convertibles).
15. Velveeta is better than cheddar.
16. Clusters cereal — dog blaming squirrel.

WSYX — All My Children, brought to you by MCI

1. Ivory dish soap.
2. Go Fish — Long John Silver's ad.
3. Stetson cologne.
4. Oral-B toothbrush.
5. Taster's Choice instant coffee.
6. Lawry's seasoned pepper.
7. All laundry detergent.
8. Kmart White Rain, sunglasses, other cheap stuff.
9. Kraft Free mayo.
10. Colombian Coffee walking sculptures.
11. Tylenol Allergy Sinus.
12. Fruit of the Loom underwear
13. Gyne-Lotrimin — now without a prescription.
14. Dr. Scholl's.
15. Clear Eyes.
16. X-14 — it's better than Tilex.
17. Doxidan laxatives.
18. Grant Medical Center for babies.
19. Columbus State summer classes — no excuses.
20. Land O'Lakes.
21. Colgate toothpaste
22. Clear Away.
23. Burlington socks — quality and not that expensive.
24. Papa Dash from Mrs. Dash — 85% less sodium.
25. Huggies Storytime.
26. Acutrim, Acutrim II.
27. Pizza Hut Classic Italian Combo.
28. Honey Maid graham cracker.
29. Monistat 7 — now OTC.
30. Country Crock.
31. All — kid with toad in pocket.
32. Friskies cat food.
33. Childhelp USA.
34. Sears Brand Central — Kenmore washers and dryers.
35. LensCrafters.
36. Energizer Bunny hemorrhoids-ad parody (advertiser uncertain)
37. Jet-Dry rinse aid.
38. Dole breakfast juices — delicious combos.
39. Father's Day June 16 — La-Z-Boy Showcase Shops in Columbus.
40. Boboli bread shell.
41. Big Bear Sounds of Summer.

Station and show promos

Cinemax — The Keep and promos

1. Cinemax Movie — '90s bumper.
2. Flashback — up next on Cinemax.
3. Science Fiction in October on Cinemax.
4. I Come in Peace promo.
5. Slipstream.
6. Moon 44.
7. THX 1138.
8. The Valley of Gwangi.
9. Cinemax October promos.
10. Cinemania promo.

Film ending and HBO promos

1. Next on HBO — Tales from the Crypt.
2. Memphis Belle — premieres Saturday, Oct 5 on HBO.
3. Pacific Heights — premieres Saturday, Oct 12 on HBO.
4. Behind the scenes — Deadlock (renamed Wedlock).
5. Tales from the Crypt — next.
6. Dream On — tonight on HBO.
7. Sessions HBO promo
8. Comedy Hour with Funny Women — Women of the Night III.
9. Postcards from the Edge — premieres Oct 1.
10. Ghost — premieres October 6 on HBO.
11. HBO Movies bumper.

The Lords of Flatbush and HBO promos

1. Next on HBO — Firefox.
2. MC Hammer on Influences — premieres Sept 21.
3. Flatliners promo — tonight at 8.
4. Cast a Deadly Spell — tomorrow on HBO.
5. Presumed Innocent — premieres Sunday on HBO.
6. Confrontation — Attempted Murder — Wednesday on HBO.
7. The Two Jakes — premieres Sept 14.
8. Inside the NFL — tomorrow on HBO.
9. Tonight — Flatliners at 8, Masquerade at 10, Tales from the Crypt at 11:30.

Cinemax film endings and promos

1. Cage promo on Cinemax
2. Cinemax Drive-in Saturday Night bumper.
3. Wild at Heart — premieres Saturday.
4. Thrillers in September on Cinemax.
5. Military Max in September.
6. Cinemax Post Apocalypse.
7. Next on Cinemax — Bloodstone.
8. Full Moon Madness on Cinemax.
9. Weekend at Bernie's on Cinemax.
10. Flashback on Cinemax.
11. Loose Cannons — premieres June 15.
12. Police Academy Class Reunion on Cinemax.

WSYX — Loving? (ABC soap opera, probably 1991)

1. China Beach promo.

WSYX — All My Children, brought to you by MCI

1. Gabriel's Fire promo.
2. WSYX news promo.
3. WSYX Highlight Zone sports promo (Twilight Zone spoof)
4. Tomorrow on Good Morning America — Tiananmen Square.
5. Inside Edition.
6. Columbus Symphony / Jazz Arts Group concert promo, June 7–8
7. Good Morning America promo.
8. One Life to Live promo.

Tape details

Archive ID

VHS-2026-332

Format

Fuji HQ T-120 home TV recording in mismatched GE T-120 sleeve.

Recording

Separate Cinemax, HBO and WSYX blocks; individual broadcast dates unconfirmed. Summer promotions in the later WSYX block do not date the entire tape.

Viewed

October 15, 2026, through the end. The Keep was fast-forwarded in part; full real-time film viewing is not established.

Label

Faint handwriting on Fuji tape is not reliably legible in the reviewed photo.