Pull the PSU and give it the once-over. I've had nineties Mitsubishi's before where power supply secondaries have leaked creating quite the mess! Almost to the point of looking like a spillage/ liquid damage has occurred. The smell is, of course, a dead (fish) giveaway! A real kipper of commiseration!
A dim display can often be a tell-tale indicator of poor PSU health. The VFD, naturally, being the window to the VCR's soul!
