VHS Retro Art Round-up: Beyond Evil, The Possessed, Uncle Sam and more

Last Updated on August 2, 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.

BEYOND EVIL

A rale of two covers. One of this is creepy and gnarly and the other looks like it was made by a middle school kid. The first cover is ridiculous and doesn't look professional at all, and yet it makes me want to watch the movie. The second is a copy of multiple other films I have seen and still looks damn cool. I am a sucker for skulls with the flesh torn from the sockets. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com.

ERNEST SAVES CHRISTMAS

Every child of the 1980s grew up knowing who Ernest P. Worrell was. While I prefer the Halloween and camp themed films, this Christmas outing is still a fun romp through the cheese filled world of Ernest and Vern. Interesting about these boxes is that the art is virtually identical, but the very American titled translates to the hilarious MR. JERK in certain European countries. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

RACE WITH THE DEVIL

A film I have never seen but always meant to, RACE WITH THE DEVIL puts extra focus on fire and explosions on both boxes. While the art on the first cover looks more like the film's poster, the second box mimics a trend on VHS boxes that show a single still image from the movie, even if it doesn't give a good perspective on the movie itself. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

UNCLE SAM

For a time, lenticular covers were popular for horror films like JACK FROST and UNCLE SAM. While the cover below doesn't quite translate to a still image, but it still packs a nice retro punch. I will say this movie sucks, really bad, but the second cover is just the perfect blend of bad horror and great pun. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

SPLATTER UNIVERSITY

Such a great title. Everything about it is classic 1980s horror. These covers  exude the cheese of the era while still making sure that you know this is a feature film. Since this movie is a Lloyd Kaufman production, the budget was miniscule and looks like a borderline pron film. Still, can you beat that title? Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

THE POSSESSED

Better known by the title DEMON WITCH CHILD, this Spanish horror film from TOMBS OF THE BLIND DEAD director Amando De Ossorio is a hard to find cult classic. I love a good demonic possession story and this looks like a decent one. It is hard to find good horror these days, but twenty years ago, the movies were in abundance. Check this one out if you can find it. Click here 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]