1988 in home video

Industry milestones

Date unknown

• Distribution of Video 2000 products ends.
• Sony begins marketing VHS VCRs for the first time
• VCRs present in over 50% of American homes for the first time

  Video Debuts

• Dirty Dancing - January 6
• Dragnet - January 14
• Predator - January 21
• La Bamba - January 21
• Robocop - January 28
• Spaceballs - January 31
• Benji the Hunted - February 2
• The Monster Squad - February 10
• Mothra - February 14
• The Lost Boys - February 24
• The Big Easy - February 24
• ' - February 24
• ' - February 24
• Hamburger Hill - March 2
• Beverly Hills Cop II - March 9
• Amazon Women on the Moon - March 10
• Stakeout - March 15
• The Pick-Up Artist - March 16
• The Living Daylights - March 17
• Innerspace - March 30
• The Princess Bride - March 30
• Hellraiser - March 30
• The Hidden - March 30
• No Way Out - March 30
• Flowers in the Attic - April 5
• Three O'Clock High - April 7
• Adventures in Babysitting - April 12
• Less Than Zero - April 14
• The Pick-up Artist - April 14
• The Untouchables - April 20
• The Witches of Eastwick - April 27
• Deadly Illusion - April 28
• Return of the Living Dead Part II - May 11
• Baby Boom - May 12
• Can't Buy Me Love - May 17
• Fatal Beauty - May 24
• The Running Man - May 25
• Throw Momma From the Train - May 26
• Barfly - May 26
• Born in East L.A. - May 26
• The Chipmunk Adventure - May 26
• House of Games - May 26
• The Principal - May 26
• Donald in Mathmagic Land -May 31
• Fatal Attraction - June 1
• Like Father Like Son - June 1
• Rent-A-Cop - June 1
• Julia and Julia - June 9
• Overboard - June 9
• Nuts - June 15
• Cry Freedom - June 16
• ' - June 21
• Full Metal Jacket - June 22
• Ironweed - June 22
• The Couch Trip - June 23
• Wall Street - July 7
• Action Jackson - July 13
• Eddie Murphy Raw - July 13
• Moving - July 13
• Prince of Darkness - July 14
• D.O.A. - July 19
• The Telephone - July 19
• Suspect - July 21
• ' - July 27
• You Can't Hurry Love - July 27
• Good Morning, Vietnam - August 2
• End of the Line - August 3
• A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon - August 4
• Satisfaction - August 4
• Pass the Ammo - August 11
• For Keeps? - August 11
• Aloha Summer - August 17
• Cop - August 17
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles - August 17
• ' - August 17
• Promised Land - August 17
• Panda and the Magic Roc - August 18
• Bulletproof - August 25
• Hairspray - August 25
• 18 Again! - August 30
• Moonstruck - August 30
• Best Seller - August 31
• The Last Emperor - August 31
• Broadcast News - September 1
• Frantic - September 8
• Shy People - September 8
• Appointment with Death - September 14
• Lady in White - September 14
• Scavengers - September 14
• Batteries Not Included - September 15
• The Milagro Beanfield War - September 15
• The Wrong Guys - September 20
• Johnny Be Good - September 22
• Shoot to Kill - September 27
• School Daze - September 28
• She's Having a Baby - September 28
• Switching Channels - September 28
• Vice Versa - September 28
• Masquerade - September 29
• Cinderella - October 4
• Mary Poppins - October 4
• The Wind in the Willows- October 4
• Rambo III - October 6
• The Serpent and the Rainbow - October 6
• Shakedown - October 6
• Dead Heat - October 11
• ' - October 12
• My Best Friend Is a Vampire - October 12
• A New Life - October 12
• Salsa - October 12
• Maniac Cop - October 13
• Bright Lights, Big City - October 18
• Beetlejuice - October 19
• ' - October 19
• The Invisible Kid - October 19
• Judgment in Berlin - October 19
• Little Nikita - October 19
• Permanent Record - October 26
• A Time of Destiny - October 26
• Bad Dreams - October 27
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial - October 27
• Little Nikita - October 27
• Mickey's Magical World - November 1
• Return to Snowy River - November 1
• Above the Law - November 2
• And God Created Woman - November 2
• The Seventh Sign - November 2
• Sunset - November 2
• Biloxi Blues - November 10
• Off Limits - November 10
• Three Men and a Baby - November 15
• Stand and Deliver - November 16
• Colors - November 17
• Funny Farm - November 22
• Willow - November 22
• Call Me - December 1
• Big Top Pee-wee - December 7
• Casual Sex? - December 8
• The Rescue - December 13
• ' - December 14
• Midnight Crossing - December 14
• License to Drive - December 15
• The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking - December 15
• Short Circuit 2 - December 15
• Bloodsport - December 21
• - December 21
• Monkey Shines - December 29
• Red Heat - December 29
• The Unbearable Lightness of Being - December 29

  Other video releases

• TV show releases

• Gumby
• *Gumby and the Moon Boggles
• Wee Sing
• *Grandpa's Magical Toys
• Jabberjaw
• Wally Gator
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• *Heroes in a Halfshell
• *Hot Rodding Teenagers
• Barney & the Backyard Gang
• *The Backyard Show
• The Berenstain Bears
• *The Messy Room
• *Learn About Strangers
• *The Truth
• *Get in a Fight
• DuckTales
• *High-Flying Hero
• *Daredevil Ducks
• *Fearless Fortune Hunters
• *Masked Marauders
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• *The Epic Begins
• Foofur
• *Foofur and His Friends

  Documentary Home video releases

• Legendary Linemen - January 28
• The Great Ones - January 28
• Gift of Grab - October 5