VHS Retro Art Round-up: American Ninja, Cyborg Cop II, Dollman and more

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

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.

AMERICAN NINJA

Every kid of the VHS era knows who Michael Dudikoff is. The guy was the equivalent of the Redbox movie stars we see today but he did it before it was cool. AMERICAN NINJA was his signature franchise and these two cover variants play up the stars and stripes along with his martial arts prowess. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com.

CYBORG COP II

I am pretty sure the surplus of cocaine in the 1980s led to producers randomly putting two words together and deciding to make it into a movie. CYBORG COP is a perfect example. These two covers are a hodge podge of styles but they definitely showcase the borderline porno-budgets these movies were made on. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

DOLLMAN

Full Moon Entertainment was always my go to producer of B-movies because they had a ton of fun making them. The behind the scenes featurettes on each video tape predated special features on DVDs by over a decade. Tim Thomeson wasn't the most badass looking guy but when he was the size of Ant-Man he kicked all sorts of ass. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

FORTUNE DANE

I had never heard of this movie before but because it stars ACTION JACKSON himself, I have to find it. The title feels cumbersome when I say it and I keep wanting to call it FORTUNATE DANE, but I am sure the movie explains the odd title. Still, these covers are pretty slick for a forgettable action flick. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

HIGH STAKES

Don't search for images of Sally Kirkland today, trust me. While she may not have aged well, she was smoking hot back in the day. This movie has two alternate titles but both covers play up Kirland's ample cleavage. not sure uf the movie is any good, though. But, does it matter? Not available to purchase on Amazon.com

WHITE PHANTOM

I am not sure why the cover looks like a martial arts flick while the back looks like a FLASHDANCE ripoff. Either way, I am intrigued by the KUNG FURY level cheese on display here. I am still confused as to whether this title is racist or not. Not available to purchase on Amazon.com.

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 [email protected]