Why Do You Not Play, VCR?

We have a Magnavox DVD/VCR player and it's angering me. The DVD side works fine, plays DVDs no problem. The VCR side however, will take the movie, let it play/fast forward/etc. for a few seconds, and then the entire thing shuts off. When I turn it back on, the VCR ejects the movie. It's really frustrating and I just got a new Final Fantasy VHS >.< Please tell me it's fixable.