“I loved the idea of the ghost of that VHS tape that you might have this vague memory of becoming a symbol of your inability to become yourself, grow up or resolve your own cliffhanger in life,” Schoenbrun says.

Basing the show on a depraved VHS library, Brice said, allowed him and Duplass to explore more “Creep” but “not have to fully commit to a third film.”

Regular people, of course, would still be subject to regular criminal courts, where they might get life in prison for stealing a few VHS tapes.

In the age of VHS and DVD, piracy was less of a concern—it took enough effort to keep the threat level low.

Daydreaming, after all, is powerful, and as “Great Gold Bird” gets weirder — we’re soon canvassing the trailer looking for hidden rooms, hunting for VHS tapes and trying to decipher maps of Los Angeles — “Great Gold Bird” becomes a tale of magical realism.