VHS Retro Art Round-up: Star Trek II, Ewok Adventure, Frankenhooker and more

Last Updated on August 5, 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.

STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN

Gotta love classic STAR TREK.  Before the movies were re-released with consistent cover art for the entire franchise, each film had a unique VHS box.  This one combines the original theatrical poster with very 1980s fireworks/stars to drive home the seriousness of Ricardo Montalban's mullet. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.

FRIGHT NIGHT PART II

Gimmicky box art existed for VHS as well as you can see from the below box shaped like a coffin.  Still, the original all white cover is my favorite and remains a cool design to this day. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.

SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT

The original cover of the red Santa clause going down a chimney holding an axe caused a stir when it was first released, but the Italian VHS just goes full Evil Santa without any subtlety.  Gotta love a VHS cover that doesn't pretend to be anything but a movie about a Killer Claus. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.

FRANKENHOOKER

The title says all you need to know about this movie.  Both covers look like cheap pornos, but the second is so over the top it could pass for a 1980s heavy metal album cover.  To this day I have never seen this movie but recognize the title from having seen this cover so many times at the video store. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.

CARAVAN OF COURAGE: AN EWOKS ADVENTURE

The Ewoks got their own movies which try very hard on these boxes to look worthy of standing alongside the actual STAR WARS films.  Alas, these movies are cheaply made TV films that still are worth viewing just because of their significance to STAR WARS. Click here to purchase on Blu-ray/DVD.

MICHAEL JACKSON: MOONWALKER

I remember waiting in line to get my copy of this movie on VHS and then watching it until the tape broke.  Was it a good movie?  No.  Hell, I don't even know if it qualifies as a movie at all, but it was still a moment from my childhood I will never forget. 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 [email protected]