Every child of the 80s will remember going to the video store and trying to find a movie to rent. Back before the days of Blu-ray and On Demand, selecting a movie usually meant finding the flick with the coolest box art. Like modern posters, classic VHS art has been lost but thanks to the Internet there are countless reminders of these cool creations. This column will be dedicated to bringing you reminders of a bygone era and a look at how cool some of these movies looked on store shelves.
THE DRILLER KILLER
A typical slasher movie VHS would feature a damsel in distress or a shot of the killer in his murder attire. THE DRILLER KILLER covers give us a look at each along with the titular weapon in a couple of different stages of use. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.
SUPERGIRL
The incredibly forgettable spin-off of the Christopher Reeve SUPERMAN movies, SUPERGIRL is pretty bad, even with Peter O'Toole. Still, the cover art looks like a perfect companion for the Richard Donner films. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.
THE EVIL DEAD
Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are immortal names now, but back in the 80s they were trying to make a living with their first film, THE EVIL DEAD. The box art highlights the horror in the film and didn't shy away from Stephen King's words of praise. Hail to the king, baby! Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.
MAD MAX
Two vastly different covers that both evoke just how damn awesome George Miller's movie is. One focuses on the very young Mel Gibson while the other is a brilliant painted image of Max and his car. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.
THE GATES OF HELL
Lucio Fulci's zombie/ghost movie may be better known as CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD outside of the U.S., but I discovered it at Blockbuster and had no clue what was in store for me. It is common to find European films retitled for distribution around the world and this movie got the luck of two sweet titles and some really cool cover art. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.
Feel free to pop us your favorite VHS box art and come back for each future column. You can send your finds or photos of your own VHS tapes to alexmaidy@joblo.com