VHS Covers from your childhood

dave13 · 02-25-2011, 08:17 PM

As i said in another thread, some of my earliest horror memories revolve around the forbidden images on vhs boxes at my local rental stores. I've hunted for as many of them as I can remember, but I'm sure that there are dozens that I've forgotten. I'd love to see some of the great vhs covers that had the same effect on other people. Maybe I'll even recognize some of the ones I've forgotten. Off the top of my head, here are some covers that I remember being particularly intrigued/terrified by as a kid.

The Howling IV - one of the worst of the sequels, yet the picture of the werewolf woman on the back scared the shit out of me. With all the fire around her, the movie I imagined was absolutely crazy.

Friday the 13th Part VII - all the friday movies seemed increadibly mature to me, and reached something of a mythical status before i eventually got to watch them. the picture of jason grabbing the guy on the back of part 7 was the closest i felt i could come to actually seeing what this maniac did to people in these movies. It was right there in front of me: a psychopath in a hockey mask about to slaughter some random teenager.

Ghost Town - maybe it was just the shock of what appeared to be a western horror movie. It just really stuck with me, and I was really excited when I ran into it in a pawn shop years later. I'd completely forgotten about it. The picture below is good, but the tagline has been changed from "The Good. The Bad. The Satanic." which I like a lot better.

Anthropophagus · 02-25-2011, 08:29 PM

Not sure how to post an image of it, but the VHS cover art for Hell Night with Linda Blair always stuck with me. Great film too.
Also, who could forget the original I Spit On Your Grave covert art, pretty lukewarm on the film itself though.

Jeremy · 02-25-2011, 08:43 PM

Try this link, guys - http://www.critcononline.com/video_c..._cover_art.htm

j tea · 02-25-2011, 08:57 PM

a few that haunted and tantalized me!

CPT HOOK · 02-25-2011, 09:00 PM

Phantom Of The Opera (1989) - Seeing this on the video store shelves, my brother convinced me that the Phantom in this version rips out his own skull-plate and wears it as a mask. Of course, I eventually saw the movie and learned this wasn't true. But the cover has haunted me ever since:

And who could forget this image:

I also always loved the VHS cover of Twisted Nightmare. This one still hasn't made it to DVD, but it is a personal favorite of mine. Fortunately I still own (and cherish) my VHS of this cheesy gem:

Mutilated Prey · 02-25-2011, 09:19 PM

fart_mike · 02-25-2011, 09:58 PM

the faces of death 2 from this photo...so traumatizing as a child, and such an integral part of my current collection...

Mikey Horror · 02-25-2011, 10:17 PM

The first one that always comes to mind for me is The Dead Pit VHS cover that actually had battery powered blinking eyes. I can still remember staring in awe at that cover in the video store. Kinda wish Code Red's DVD kept with that but I'm not complaining, I'm just grateful we even got it on DVD in the first place.

f.ramses · 02-25-2011, 10:31 PM

CPT HOOK · 02-25-2011, 10:36 PM

Mutilated Prey, I also have fond memories of the House Of Death cover. But I grew up seeing the other version on the video store shelves. I still own that on VHS (the Virgin Vision version). Both covers for this movie are great!

Hatchetwarrior · 02-25-2011, 11:28 PM

Here's a couple that always caught my eye as a young child wandering through the horror aisles of my local video store. To bad a few of these didn't live up to the awesome covers :/

dave13 · 02-26-2011, 01:26 AM

had to cut my initial collection short, but here are a few more that I remember seeing and finding fascinating as a kid:

There was also an illustrated cover that i remember vividly. It had a little blond girl in a dress standing at the end of a dirt path, with an old picket fence running into the background to a house in the background. The area around her was all brown grass and fields, with maybe a dead tree or something. There were no pictures, only text, on the back. I'm almost positive that it was for Last House on the Left. Does anyone have any memory of that cover? I can't find any pictures of it online.

Jeremy · 02-26-2011, 01:31 AM

There are a bunch which always stood out to me when I was younger. These all fall into the category of I knew it was pointless to ask my mother for permission to rent them, so it wasn't until I was a teenager or older that I caught up with any of them...

Grim · 02-26-2011, 01:37 AM

That 7 Doors of Death cover is fucking sweet. I'd love to have that as an alternate cover on the blu-ray of the Beyond or something.

Damage · 02-26-2011, 02:01 AM

02-25-2011, 08:17 PM	#1
dave13 HackMaster Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,759	VHS Covers from your childhood As i said in another thread, some of my earliest horror memories revolve around the forbidden images on vhs boxes at my local rental stores. I've hunted for as many of them as I can remember, but I'm sure that there are dozens that I've forgotten. I'd love to see some of the great vhs covers that had the same effect on other people. Maybe I'll even recognize some of the ones I've forgotten. Off the top of my head, here are some covers that I remember being particularly intrigued/terrified by as a kid. The Howling IV - one of the worst of the sequels, yet the picture of the werewolf woman on the back scared the shit out of me. With all the fire around her, the movie I imagined was absolutely crazy. Friday the 13th Part VII - all the friday movies seemed increadibly mature to me, and reached something of a mythical status before i eventually got to watch them. the picture of jason grabbing the guy on the back of part 7 was the closest i felt i could come to actually seeing what this maniac did to people in these movies. It was right there in front of me: a psychopath in a hockey mask about to slaughter some random teenager. Ghost Town - maybe it was just the shock of what appeared to be a western horror movie. It just really stuck with me, and I was really excited when I ran into it in a pawn shop years later. I'd completely forgotten about it. The picture below is good, but the tagline has been changed from "The Good. The Bad. The Satanic." which I like a lot better. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by dave13; 02-26-2011 at 02:58 AM.

02-25-2011, 08:57 PM	#4
j tea Stalker Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: atlanta, ga Posts: 329	a few that haunted and tantalized me! Attached Thumbnails

02-25-2011, 09:19 PM	#6
Mutilated Prey Soul Stealer Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Texarkana Posts: 5,084	__________________

02-25-2011, 10:17 PM	#8
Mikey Horror Maniac Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 588	The first one that always comes to mind for me is The Dead Pit VHS cover that actually had battery powered blinking eyes. I can still remember staring in awe at that cover in the video store. Kinda wish Code Red's DVD kept with that but I'm not complaining, I'm just grateful we even got it on DVD in the first place. __________________ mikey-horror.dvdaf.com

02-25-2011, 10:31 PM	#9
f.ramses Maniac Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 691	__________________ "I keep wondering why they keep making all these stupid fucking movies!" - Mickey Knox, Natural Born Killers

02-25-2011, 08:29 PM	#2
Anthropophagus Anthrosnuphalufugus Dad Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 3,224	Not sure how to post an image of it, but the VHS cover art for Hell Night with Linda Blair always stuck with me. Great film too. Also, who could forget the original I Spit On Your Grave covert art, pretty lukewarm on the film itself though.

02-25-2011, 08:43 PM	#3
Jeremy Closet SCREAM fan Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 844	Try this link, guys - http://www.critcononline.com/video_c..._cover_art.htm

02-25-2011, 09:00 PM	#5
CPT HOOK HackMaster Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Posts: 2,317	Phantom Of The Opera (1989) - Seeing this on the video store shelves, my brother convinced me that the Phantom in this version rips out his own skull-plate and wears it as a mask. Of course, I eventually saw the movie and learned this wasn't true. But the cover has haunted me ever since: And who could forget this image: I also always loved the VHS cover of Twisted Nightmare. This one still hasn't made it to DVD, but it is a personal favorite of mine. Fortunately I still own (and cherish) my VHS of this cheesy gem:

02-25-2011, 09:58 PM	#7
fart_mike Victim Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 130	the faces of death 2 from this photo...so traumatizing as a child, and such an integral part of my current collection...

02-25-2011, 10:36 PM	#10
CPT HOOK HackMaster Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: US Posts: 2,317	Mutilated Prey, I also have fond memories of the House Of Death cover. But I grew up seeing the other version on the video store shelves. I still own that on VHS (the Virgin Vision version). Both covers for this movie are great!

02-25-2011, 11:28 PM	#11
Hatchetwarrior Maniac Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Farmingdale, New York Posts: 894	Here's a couple that always caught my eye as a young child wandering through the horror aisles of my local video store. To bad a few of these didn't live up to the awesome covers :/ __________________ Peep my DVD collection

02-26-2011, 01:26 AM	#12
dave13 HackMaster Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 3,759	had to cut my initial collection short, but here are a few more that I remember seeing and finding fascinating as a kid: There was also an illustrated cover that i remember vividly. It had a little blond girl in a dress standing at the end of a dirt path, with an old picket fence running into the background to a house in the background. The area around her was all brown grass and fields, with maybe a dead tree or something. There were no pictures, only text, on the back. I'm almost positive that it was for Last House on the Left. Does anyone have any memory of that cover? I can't find any pictures of it online. Last edited by dave13; 02-26-2011 at 05:23 AM.

02-26-2011, 01:31 AM	#13
Jeremy Closet SCREAM fan Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 844	There are a bunch which always stood out to me when I was younger. These all fall into the category of I knew it was pointless to ask my mother for permission to rent them, so it wasn't until I was a teenager or older that I caught up with any of them...

02-26-2011, 01:37 AM	#14
Grim HackMaster Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 7,277	That 7 Doors of Death cover is fucking sweet. I'd love to have that as an alternate cover on the blu-ray of the Beyond or something. __________________ AIM: MrGrim132002

02-26-2011, 02:01 AM	#15
Damage Mirror Mirror Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Take off to the Great White North, eh? Posts: 2,576	__________________ "May I point out that I had an opportunity to observe your counterparts here quite closely. They were brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilized, treacherous -- in every way, splendid examples of homo sapiens, the very flower of humanity. I found them quite refreshing." My DVD List and Movie Tracker... Like you care!

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