VHS Retro Art Round-up: Claws, Hardrock Zombies, Vamp 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 will be the last entry in this ongoing column. It has been a pleasure to revisit the best of the worst of the 1980s VHS era. After 58 columns over two-and-a-half years, I have brought you almost 400 rare, bizarre, and funny pieces of art that will never be seen in the DVD or Blu-ray era. Hopefully you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed sharing. Please enjoy our final six VHS covers.

CLAWS

Giant killer bears, is there a better subject for a movie? Okay, so there are likely hundreds of better ideas but there is still a sub-genre of killer bear films out there. CLAWS is one that i have never heard of but these covers make me want to change that. While the first drives home that it is about a bear, the second cover deserves to be remembered as an iconic image like JAWS or FRIDAY THE 13TH. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com.

VAMP

Grace Jones is a badass of the highest order and has appeared in countless movies. Her statuesque appearance and trademark haircut have made her an icon to many. VAMP was custom directed just for her and is a brilliant mess of a movie. These two covers embody the mish mosh this vampire film is with the second being almost an exact replica of the movie poster. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

HARDROCK ZOMBIES

This movie has one of the best titles ever. I never knew hardrock was a single word, but I guess these boxes prove it is. In any case, rock music and horror go hand in hand and this movie looks like a solid foray into horror musical territory. I mean, just look at the band on the back covers. Those guys look awful. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

SLITHIS

What the hell is this movie? Is it a slime monster? Is it a ripoff of CHUD or SWAMP THING? I cannot tell by the odd title but this looks like a worthy candidate for a b-movie marathon. Nature gets its revenge is a great tagline for any movie except for M. Night Shyamalan's THE HAPPENING. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

HOBGOBLINS

At one point, everyone wanted to copy GREMLINS. From GHOULIES to CRITTERS, there have been a bunch of movies featuring deadly little creatures killing people who cannot seem to figure out how to beat a ten inch tall opponent. This doesn't look particularly well made but those monsters are so damn cute I have to find this flick. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

THE KILLER LIKES CANDY

It is appropriate that the last movie we cover in this column has terrible covers and terrible titles but that is how I go out. This movie has zero change of being good but that second cover needs to be printed on a t-shirt and I will wear it with pride. 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]