VHSCollector.com - Your Analog Video Resource!

Over 1000 Cover Scans!

2012-01-03T04:26:00.000-08:00

Big thanks to everyone who have contributed their cover scans to the site! Keep it going and encourage others to do the same. The more information we have on the titles, the more complete we can make the catalogs.

Also, we are also looking for contributors to the site! If you're a decent writer, you could possibly write articles, reviews, or other relevant material for the site. Thanks everyone! :)

Video review for "Spine" now up!

2011-12-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

Check out the review for this super rare obscurity!

Watch the review on the site here!

Review of "Spine" in the following days!

2011-11-16T03:50:00.000-08:00

I haven't really kept up to date with this blog so much mostly due to being preoccupied by the site and Facebook page. But seeing that this blog for some reason does well on the Google search results, I shall maintain it to keep all you stragglers and wanderers up to date :) Several weeks ago, I had finally had the honor to review the shlockfest, "Gore-met Zombie Chef From Hell." It ended up being my longest review yet at twenty-two minutes! It was a review long overdue. I had finally been reunited with the the glorious big box. I maintain the strict rule of not reviewing a film unless I have the original VHS tape in my grasp.

Watch "Gore-met Zombie Chef From Hell" Review Here!

Now that I was lucky enough the score the infamous and extremely rare video, "Spine," I will be reviewing it! Spine had always been on the top of my list right next to Majestic Home Video's "Mama's Home." I had gotten that one several years ago, and now I have Spine on my shelf.

SlasherIndex.com is now VHSCollector.com!

2011-11-01T03:11:00.000-07:00

So over the years, I thought it was time for a change, a big one. I finally took the huge step to change what once was SlasherIndex.com. It has now evolved into VHSCollector.com. Unlike the original site that merely had artwork and some distributor info here and there, VHSCollector.com is jam packed with new awesome features I had only dreamed of when I was putting SlasherIndex.com together years ago. The VHS collecting community will now have an ultimate source for anything VHS, from distirbutors, to reviews, interviews, articles, etc. Create an account now and upload your scans to the database! Thanks for the support over the years guys.

Click here for the new site!!

Happy Hunting!

Interview with Ex VHS Cover Artist, Corey Wolfe!

2009-12-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

Thanks for taking the time to speak to the few of us that really cherish the horror artwork of the forgotten VHS format. After many years of seeing the artwork on the shelves of video stores across the country and now in our own personal VHS collections, it’s a great honor to speak to one of the artists who actually contributed to the horrific horror VHS artwork of the 1980's.

I first noticed your name on the artwork of Wizard Video's Space Vampires (a.k.a. Astro Zombies), how did you get hooked up with Wizard Video and what was it like working for them?

Some of the jobs came through outside design firms. I can’t really remember the names of them, except The Don Mennell group. I did work for Virgin video, VCL, Video Gems, Empire, Universal, API, Imperial Entertainment, Overseas film group, CineTelFilms, Vidmark, Lightning Video, and Magnum Ent, Fox, and others.

How were the jobs assigned? Did they prefer you to conjure up your own artwork based on the title, or did they require you to watch the movie first?

I don’t ever remember watching any of the videos. They’d give me screengrabs (from a Sony Video Printer), and a vague idea of what they wanted. I’d then work up 1-3 sketches and we’d go to final color. I remember it being difficult to get back the original art sometimes, but I was a bulldog and got back most.

I remember meeting Ralph Bakshi and Frazetta once at a meeting. I met my wife at Virgin Video during a meeting. I put her in a few covers, only one in the Horror genre. It’s the cover for Scream and Die! (This artwork wasn’t used in the VHS release, but in promotional material)

Some of my best pieces I never got the art back from. My all time favorite was Chopping Mall. Great title. I put the face of a good friend in the bag of Body Parts. Another fav was Re-Animator. Had some good reference on that one, never have seen the movie. I remember taking a job that no one else would touch because it showed a baby being sacrificed (well, held up in the air about to be) by Oliver Reed and his bunch of Satanic buddies. Can’t remember the name of that one. I remember working on Highlander. Three artists met late one Wednesday afternoon. We had to each do 2 highly detailed black and white comps overnight and have them back by 8AM. I had my Dad pose for the first time and he was great. I’d never worked an all-nighter before that. We all cracked up at how each other looked the following morning. But hell, I made $2,000 in one night. Better than a hooker.

Another that was fun because it sounded so nasty at the time was ‘Succubus Sex Slaves to the Devil.’ A truly horrible piece of art, but a cool title was 976 EVIL. It was a good time to be an artist who could paint people. Now it’s mostly photo montages done by non artists. I landed Disney as a client way back when video was first starting out, and that turned out to be the direction my art went. I remember one fine day when I did a meeting at Disney, then hopped in my car and went to Hustler. I met Larry Flynt that day. He was in his gold wheelchair, coming towards me, as I stepped from the elevator. He was surrounded by hot babes who were all over him.

Seeing you did the artwork for many horror titles, did you ever have an interest in horror cinema? Were there ever instances where the screenshots or descriptions of the films you were doing artwork for caught your interest enough to make you want to see the film?

I've never had an interest in such films, I've studied metaphysics all my life, so slasher films are the polar opposite. I figure I'm here for a certain amount of years, why not study things that you'll take with you.

What was it like to see your artwork on the shelves of video stores across the country?

It's exciting even today when I see my art somewhere, be it on a bus, billboard, magazine, DVD cover, book cover. My daughter likes to brag about them, especially when she's in the art.

How much were you usually paid per VHS title?

Back in the day we were paid between $1,200 and $3,500 per cover, mostly around $2,000.

Thanks Corey for taking the time to answer a few questions. Do you have any advice for people looking to working in art for big companies such as Disney?

As far as breaking into big companies, it’s all karma, be at the right place, or know the right people.

Interview with Ex Camp Video Employee!

2009-01-12T16:51:00.000-08:00

Recently, I have been fortunate enough to bump heads with someone who has worked with two independent film distributors of the late 80’s. He had messaged me through YouTube and the moment he told me he had worked for both Camp Video and Even Stevens Productions, I knew that he would be the perfect guy to interview for SlasherIndex.com. His name is Walter Reuther and has had experience not only in video marketing, but working in a video store catering to celebrities during the era of VHS.

(Walter is in the back on the right)

Currently, Walter is still acting and runs Pretorius Productions.
This interview was done through back and forth email correspondence.

Me
You had mentioned you worked for a video store for some time, was this prior to working with the video companies? Were you already fond of horror films or videos prior to working at the video store, or did the video store job really do it for you?

Walter
I was very fond of horror films before I started working for the video store and Camp Video. I have great stories about both places. I worked for Camp Video in 1987-88 the video store in 89 and also Even Steven Productions in 89 after the video store. The interesting thing was once I began working for Camp Video, I really got to learn how these video stores across the country came to carry a lot of independent titles. I believe there were only about 2 major distributers that supplied the video stores with the major studio titles and the rest of the companies like Camp Video and Even Steven Productions got there titles in through phone sales.

(Elaborating on his Camp Video experience)

I remember at Camp Video we had a room with about 10 desks. In it, me and my 2 buddies each had a desk and there was a bunch of other co-workers. The boss would give us a pile of papers which looked like white pages listings which were all video stores. There were thousands if not millions of independent video stores across America in 1987. We would sit there all day and call them up. I remember our big seller was Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. We would always offer it in a 3 pack with a movie called Evil Spawn. They would buy the 2 titles and we would throw in HG Lewis’ the Psychic for free and we would charge 112.00 or something like that. We also had titles like Rat Fink a Boo Boo and the Incredible Stranger Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed Up Zombies and the Thrill Killers, these were all Ray Dennis Stickler films. I can also remember we carried Video Violence, and Gore-Met Zombie Chef From Hell. We would mix and match but our sales pitch on the phone was always the fact Gunnar Hansen from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre was in Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers, and featured in People Magazine. I will always remember one day: John Carradine died and he was in one of our titles, Evil Spawn, and the boss came into the room, clapped his hands, and told us Carradine died and to sell the crap out of Evil Spawn that day (laughs). A couple of months went by and it seemed that the company was doing okay, when one night they had a big party. Linnea Quigley was there and so was Entertainment Tonight. The owner of the company got wasted and went knocking on people’s doors in the neighborhood, it was a mess. We worked about another 2 weeks and the company closed due to the owners and people who ran it going broke from drug problems. I can tell you there are big boxes for all the Camp Video titles I mentioned, I believe Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers and Evil Spawn were in slip cases, I think we had a few other titles but I don’t remember them.

(Follow Up Questions about Camp Video)

Me
How did you end up working for Camp Video?

Walter
I only remember, I think, answering an ad in the paper to work with horror films or something like that. I went for an interview and got the job. Being a horror lover, I was happy to be working with them.

Me
Camp Video has always been shrouded in mystery and rumors. Such as they were once LA Video, a porn distributor, who wanted to cash in on the mainstream distribution world, and that the owner of Camp was a shady salesman and wasn't always fair with the royalties of the films he licensed. Do you know anymore tidbits about this, or the actual people who ran it?

Walter
Funny you mention LA Video. They had that and Camp running at the same time. I believe Camp was the mainstream titles and LA Video their porno stuff. When Camp closed its doors, they pulled me and my buddy Harold aside, took us upstairs to LA Video, and made us a business card and sent us out to frequent video stores that had a big porno section. They gave us a catalog and our job was to sell titles to the stores. The few times we received orders chosen from the catalog, we would then have to get the titles from the LA Video office and return to the stores and get paid in cash. After that, we would call our boss at Camp/LA Video. I think his name was John. We would meet him on a corner somewhere and give him the cash. It was so shady that one day, me and my buddy, after making a $150 sale, decided to keep the money. We never called the boss and sold off the titles we had in the trunk and nothing ever happened. It may have been dishonest, but the whole thing at that point was a joke, and we were always handed $20 or so after each sale. They weren’t covering our gas or anything and we knew inevitably that they would screw us. I still have that business card.

Me
Do you know anything about the in-house productions of Gore-Met Zombie Chef from Hell and Death Row Diner?

Walter
All I know is we sold those titles. They were already produced when I got the job, which only lasted a combined 5 months.

Me
After all these years, do you have any Camp Video memorabilia you held onto, such as catalogs, posters, etc?

Walter
I wish, the only thing I kept was the LA Video business card. In those days, that stuff was crap. Who knew Gore-Met Zombie Chef would become a collector’s item.

(Elaborating on his Video Store experience)

Later (after Camp Video), I went to work for a video store called 20/20. I loved working there and I loved horror so it made it even cooler. This store was located at the bottom of Laurel Cyn in Los Angeles and a lot of celebrities were members there. I met Meg Ryan, Dennis Quaid, Shelly Duval, Eddie Van Halen, guitarist of Ratt, singer of Warrant, John Goodman, Dennis Miller, but Anthony Perkins was the only one I met that I thought “wow, I’m talking to a legend.”

(Follow up questions about his video store experience)

Me
I'm sure many of us are thinking what kind of movies were they (celebrities) renting? Ever remember being surprised that a known celebrity was renting an obscure horror film? Do you have any other stories from your video store experience that are worth mentioning?

Walter
I really don’t have many interesting stories that have to do with videos or movies, but I have funny stories about the employees I worked with. For instance, my boss was this fat chick named Angie and every time we closed the store, she would put on a porno. One night, I agreed to go see a band with her at a club in LA. She wanted to make out, but I didn’t want to, so I declined and the next day they transferred me to another store, which had a lot of celebrity members. One day, Christina Applegate walked in and I offered her 100 bucks to be in my film. I thought that was a lot, she rolled her eyes and told me she was making $1500 a show for Married With Children, which she did a few shows a week, so she declined. Anthony Perkins had me help him find certain foreign films and told me how he just got done filming Psycho 4. I got his autograph. I’m pissed that I don’t know what happened to it, but basically, I had small talk with several celebrities.

Meg Ryan was a total bitch. She came to the counter once and this was 1988-89 and I didn’t know who she was, so I asked for her membership card and she responds, "You don’t know who I am?!" I said, “No,” and she flipped her glasses up away from her eyes and responds, “Ryan, Meg Ryan!" She put her glasses back over her eyes. She had a real snooty tone. I can’t stand her to this day and her breath stunk.

We always laughed when the singer from Warrant came in. They were an old butt rock band who was huge at the time. We laughed cause girls would come in with their boyfriends or husbands and couldn’t take there eyes of him, and sometimes they’d follow him around, ignoring their boyfriends. It was hilarious.

(Elaborating on his Even Stevens Production experience)

At this time, my best friend growing up Michael Rider and his friend Steven Arthur were making a film called Satan’s Storybook. Steven Arthur was the owner of Even Steven Productions. When Satan’s Storybook was done, I went to work for them, and like Camp Video, I worked in the sales room selling Satan’s Storybook over the phone with titles like Droid, Swingers Massacre, and others like Blood Hunger and Midnight Intruders. I actually ended up quitting that job due to personal reasons but if you’re familiar with Satan’s Storybook, it features Ginger Lynn. The company used to have me sign her signature on posters and send them to fans, it was my signature not hers (laughs) I thought at the time it was funny, I mean, the boss told me to, but in retrospect, it’s pretty dirty low down, I despise autograph forgers, but hey, this was the 80's and it was Ginger Lynn. Also a little tidbit, the guy who did the effects for Satan’s Storybook also did the Mutilator, and he also ruined his career on drugs.

(Follow up questions on his Even Steven Productions experience)

Me
So you had mentioned you're friend began the company along with another friend. Did Even Steven begin as a production company to produce their own films such as Satan's Storybook, and then branched out to distribute other films not made by them? How did they make the transition from making their own film to producing obscurities such as Swingers Massacre? Did you know anything about how the artwork for their releases were designed or by whom? Also, do you have any knowledge of how they came to rename Inside Amy to Swingers Massacre or where they drudged up that movie from?

Walter
Even Steven was started by Steven Arthur, whose father, David Arthur I believe, did Swingers Massacre. That’s how they came to distribute it. He also did a movie called Midnight Intruders, which you will see trailers for at the end of Satan’s Storybook. David Arthur was famous in the 70’s for making porno films such as Taboo, ect. When his son Steven was old enough, he started Even Steven Productions. They produced and distributed their own movies and adult titles as well, that’s how Ginger Lynn came to be the star of Satan’s Storybook. My friend Michael Rider and Steven were best friends in childhood, so when Mike decided to make a film, of course Steven was to distribute it, that’s how Satan’s Storybook came to be. I don’t know who did the artwork for them and as far as I know, the pornos they distributed may have been under another name. But as far as Even Steven goes, they had the following titles: Satan’s Storybook, Midnight Intruders, Swingers Massacre, Blood Hunger, Droid (may be the worst film ever), and a few others.

Mike Rider died in 2006 and I haven’t spoken with Steven Arthur in 10 years since Mike has died. I have no way of reaching him, although Satan’s Storybook was released on DVD from Televista so it might be possible to reach Steven Arthur through them. I believe Christopher and Phillip Booth may have had a hand in ownership.

Me
When looking at the credits for Satan’s Storybook, I notice you go by the name of Fry Scarlet, I’m just curious to how you came up with this name.

Walter
I use the name as my alter ego, kind of like how Alice Cooper has his. I just thought of it one day. I’m also in a movie called Grossout, which is on VHS and DVD and I’m in a movie coming out in June called Blood Moon Rising with Ron Jeremy. I believe Universal will release it on DVD. I also completed 2 other films: Scarlet Fry’s Horrorama available on DVD on Amazon.com and Scarlet Fry’s Junkfood Horrorfest which has been released in a 50 pack by Mill Creek Entertainment called Decrepit Crypt of Nightmares. I’m currently working on Nightmare Alley which Brain Damage Films is interested in picking up.

I would like to thank Walter for taking the time to uncover some of the mechanics behind the independent video market in the 80’s. Be sure to check out his films!

The New York Centerfold Massacre: Demistifying a VHS Legend

2008-12-08T19:38:00.000-08:00

Way back when I first started collecting VHS's, I had developed a mission as most newbie collectors had: Collect every VHS with "massacre" or "blood" in the title. Well, I did get my hands on a handful of "Massacre" titles, but there was one that intrigued me: The New York Centerfold Massacre. I had come across the title surfing IMDb.com, while looking for new "Massacre" titles to add to my list.

IMDb.com had little information on the film, besides the basics, such as director, actors, etc. But as a VHS collector, what interested me more was that it had a distributor listed, who, it claims, released it on VHS in 1985. Thus, the hunt began. I had never found a VHS of the movie, nor even a mere image of it. All I had was the IMDb.com page and the website that streamed the movie (or what was left of it) through Google video.

Since then, I have found out much more about this legendary SOV horror flick, thanks to the film's director, Lou Ferriol. Finally, I was able to find out the truth behind the movie's VHS release. Below is a correspondance I had with the director regarding the film. Enjoy :)

Me:

I have watched the movie on the site you had sent me (www.macabrevideounderground.com). But I'm a video collector and was interested in the original VHS release itself. Is there anything you can tell me about it? It seems to be incredibly tough for me to find. Would you have a picture of it?

Lou:

VHS releases on any Vidimax video was never retail, never sold in stores. It was sold by mail order membership exclusively "Macabre Video Underground."

All camera, 3/4 " Umaster and intermaster (duplicating) tapes were destroyed in a warehouse fire; further, much shoot footage of NYCM was accidentally erased even at the time of shooting. Even if you found someone with an authentic Vidimax release VHS, there is no cover art, at least not by us, because mail order tapes had only printed title labels. A Swedish pirater did make some sort of cover for his bootleg NYCM release; he got busted for doing major studio boots, so all his stock was likely confiscated by Sweden authorities or the U.S. FBI. Since the video streams at Google had to be uploaded using 4th generation SLP archives source, it's a wonder they play at all.

Me:

Ah, I see. Just one more question, if the tapes were burned in a fire or partially recorded over, what exactly was it that the Swedish bootlegger was selling? Was it a cut of the movie using the only existing materials left that was sold through your mail order catalog?

Lou:

He made dupes in 1985, prior to the warehouse fire and while we sold NYCM via the print catalog. He ordered the Vidimax tape as s customer/member. The Swedish authorities, answering a legal complaint from MCA/Universal, snagged him in 1987. The warehouse fire was after Vidimax ended catalog sales in 1995.

Me:

Ah, I see. So the print of the movie on Google Video is the same as the one you guys released originally through mail order, except its been polished up by techs?

Lou:

What of our Vidimax originals running on Google are the scraps we could find around on multiple generation VHS dupes are somewhat enhanced and re-edited, without the original camera footage there certainly are no "director's cuts."

The best footage of NYCM was lost not in the fire, but on the set as a crew member put in a recorded shoot tape as a blank, and so the best slasher scenes with a couple of great buxomy models were erased...and these models really were centerfolds. I couldn't afford to bring them back for another shooting day.

Add to this the lead actress playing Carla did nothing but whine and complain from the 1st day of shooting to the last (i.e. "stage blood got on my good dress-you have to buy me another one." "I don't like being tied to this ladder," "There's not enough bubbles (in the bath tub) to cover me" on and on until the production secretary quit.

Wonder how NYCM ever got made. huh?

Special Thanks to Lou from Carlson International. Watch the movie below :)

SI's Top 14 Most Wanted Horror VHS's

2008-10-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Here's the first entry among many that will be dedicated to the glorious horror VHS. And as a first in the blog entries, I dedicated this one to the top 14 most sought after horror VHS's. The list is compiled from not only personal experience, but also with the help of fellow collectors. The criteria for entering the list is as the title suggests, the most wanted by the collector. Factors such as rarity or current market value weren't considered too much in the making the choices, although you may find they do relate. Of course there are other films that may compete with the ones I have listed here, but this is just a basic rundown. Enjoy the mayhem!

14. Attack of the Killer Refrigerator (Donna Michele Productions)

The name says it all. Strangely enough, many people, horror or not, know of this film's existence. Not because they've seen it, but because its a title they've seen somewhere that they'll never forget. Attack of the Killer Refrigerator was probably the very first VHS I had hunted down. Why? It's obscurity and provocative name excited me. With a comic book caption bubble like "Oh No! I just hate cold cuts!" next to an image of a girl being shut in the door of refrigerator, its hard not to want this in your collection. Sure the movie is only 16 minutes, but the feature after it is definitely a treat, and the behind the scenes featurette after that is probably one of the first for an obscure video release such as this.

13. Zombie (Wizard Video)

Even though the Wizard line of big boxes are one of the most common, they're highly sought after. One of the most yearned for big boxes from the line (perhaps alongside with Zombiethon) is Fulci's Zombie. It's one of the few artworks among the Wizard line that includes a screenshot from the film (adapted from the theatrical poster). Not only is the film a cornerstone in Italian gore cinema, but the artwork represents the real horror contained on the videocassette, maggots and all.

12. 555 (Slaughterhouse Entertainment)

Maybe one of the most difficult SOV films to find on VHS, 555 is an independantly distributed homemade trash masterpiece of slasher proportions. But more stimulating than the movie itself is of course the artwork. 555 just may be the only horror VHS packaged in a bright hot-pink slipcase. But if that doesn't already make this a unique release, it has a screenshot of man being decapitated with a machete, a direct screenshot of the movie. Somehow, this odd combination of decapitations and hot pink makes this a necessary addition to any VHS collection!

11. H.G. Lewis Gore Trilogy (Comet Video)

Alright, so there isn't just one title here, but its hard to separate these. The Comet line (sub-label to Continental Video) aren't too rare due to their mass distribution in the 80's, but because of their big box format and gruesome artwork, they're necessary. The 3 films include Blood Feast, 2000 Maniacs, and Color Me Blood Red. While 2000 Maniacs isn't too gruesome, the other two are and hard to forget. The artwork for Color Me Blood Red is brilliant and makes you respect the video stores with the balls to display these boxes.

10. Nightmare (Continental Video)

Here we have another rare Continental release. Well, maybe its no so much rare as it is wanted. Nightmare is one of those classic 80's slasher flicks that have yet found its way to the digital age here in the U.S. (although it will be coming soon!) But besides being one of the premiere slasher flicks in the 80's, the masterminds at Continental Video gave this release the same treatment as the Comet releases of the Lewis films. Take the most disturbing screenshot of the film and slap it on a big box! Here, its a man towering over a girl, pressing a knife against her throat. Of course we know whats going to happen next, making this misogynistic (not dissing it) artwork shocking.

9. Spine (S.S. Video)

I've been trying to get my hands on this VHS for years, and the few times it does appear on eBay, the price goes far beyond what I'm willing to pay for a VHS. Spine is your basic slasher flick shot on video by a pornography team attempting to become mainstream. The artwork is very slasher-esque, with a man approaching a girl in distress with a knife. Like 555 it was distributed independently on a separate label than the porn films, which adds to it's scarcity (I'm assuming since there is no record of any other SS Video releases). Don't be fooled by the DVD release on Amazon.com, its a highly priced poor transfer which is probably unauthorized.

8. Make them Die Slowly (Thriller Video)

Of the two pinnacle cannibal films to come from the homeland of my ancestors, Cannibal Ferox was the only one to make it to the US in a legitimate VHS release (Cannibal Holocaust was released theatrically, but never to VHS). Thriller Video had the balls to present a film containing rape, animal mutilations, and of course castrations to the American audience. The film was so shocking that Elvira allegedly refuse to host the film like she had been contracted to do with many of the other Thriller releases. Why is this film so sought after? Well besides the artwork, its a combination of the infamous Thriller name and the extreme cannibal mayhem.

7. Screams of a Winter Night (VCI)

I'm assuming that by looking at the artwork for this video, its not the reason this film is so desired. It's neither gruesome nor big. Just an image of a creature's back in a darkened forest. This video floats in the same boat as Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. It has a strong following from those who remember its release at the drive in decades ago and refuse to forget about it. And because its only been released twice, once by VCI (a company that's already somewhat scarce on its own) it's pretty tough to find. It's been sold on eBay for more than 100 bucks!

6. Lunch Meat (Tapeworm Video)

According to IMDb.com, Tapeworm released a bunch of stuff, most of which I've never heard of or there might even be a confusion on IMDb between two companies by the same name. Regardless, a distributor with the name of Tapeworm suits distributing a film of the name of Lunch Meat. But perhaps more interesting than the name itself is the gruesome artwork, in the same vain as 555. Although not in a hot pink slipcase, it makes up for that being in the big box format. On the cover is the vivid image of a bloodied maniac holding a severed arm. It's gruesome, big, and wanted! The film may be bad, but the video is a must!

5. Gore-Gore Girls (Midnight Video)

The artwork for this VHS is simply brililant. Leave it to an H.G. Lewis film to have such glorious VHS releases! It depicts a leather-gloved man carving out a girls eye with a knife. Need I say more? Midnight also released some great artwork for several other Lewis films, such as the Gruesome Twosome and Wizard of Gore, but neither top the beauty of this one! The movie itself may lack, but this is yet another one of those situations where it matters not how good the film is, its all about the art.

4. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark (U.S.A. Home Video)

What makes this film so yearned for? It most likely has to do with the cult status it received in the 70's as a TV movie. As that generation grew older and sought after their childhood roots, they added this film to the list. U.S.A. Home Video was the only distributor to release this film (officially) and remains to be to this day. If you're looking for a legit release , this would be the one to look for, but beware, you'll have to compete with the VHS collectors to get it! Luckily I got mine in brilliant condition for only a dollar at a flea market, while on ebay it could go for as much as $70. Miracles do happen :)

3. Abomination (Donna Michele Productions)

Yet another Donna Michele release enters out list! This time, its perhaps the rarest of their releases. The movie itself seems to be shot on 8mm (maybe 16?), not on video, which may be suggested by the other Donna Michele releases. It's got gore, bad acting, and silly editing. So why is it people want this VHS? I have no idea! The artwork isn't too interesting and it comes with a simple slipcase. I think this is one of those situations where is wanted only due to its rarity, and the added gore is a plus. It may also be desired by those looking to complete their collection of Donna Michele releases. I got mine in near-mint condition for less than a dollar in a lot of 90 tapes, while a friend of mine got lucky and found it in a lot on ebay, and was able to make an offer of 20 bucks to the seller. These cases are pure luck, but if you find the vhs being auctioned off on eBay by itself, be prepared to pay over 70 bucks for it!

2. Nocturna (Meda)

Released back when Media Home Entertainment was called Meda (founder Charles Band's ex-wife), this VHS is yearned for by not only the horror VHS collector, but collectors across all genres! This video is so incredibly rare, that auctions will reach more than 70 dollars for it. Now I don't know too much about the film itself, except that I believe it was released only that one time. But the truth about why its wanted has to do somewhat with it's historical status as being released in the late 70's with the original Meda name. This was one of the very first releases by a company that would soon become a video giant in the 80's.

1. Last House on Dead End Street (Sun Video)

The holy grail of the horror VHS collecting world. Recently, a copy of this film in its unusual plain black slipcase format went for over 200 bucks on eBay! (I find anyone willing to spend 200 bucks on a VHS more disturbing than the film itself!) The artwork isn't anything special, just a miniature theatrical poster. It's really beyond me why this VHS is so sought after. The movie is available on DVD and the artwork as I mentioned isn't anything special. I can only assume that it simply has to do with its rarity and maybe its small cult following. The unusual pasted on artwork is a plus, making the packaging itself unique.