VHS Retro Art Round-up: Young Frankenstein, Firefox, Ghost Warrior 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.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Mel Brooks has a long and illustrious film career full of hilarious classics and cult favorites. One of his best films is YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN which features a cover paying homage to the great Universal horror films of the 1940s and 1950s. While both of these covers are very similar, the second one is notable for featuring the international title of FRANKENSTEIN JUNIOR. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

CUT AND RUN

Who doesn't love Michael Berryman? The guy with the egg-shaped head made a career out of his unique appearance. From THE HILLS HAVE EYES to WEIRD SCIENCE, Berryman has made his mark on movies. I had never heard of CUT AND RUN but the box art here looks like a cross between RAMBO and a survival horror movie. Seeing as this film comes from CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST director Ruggero Deodato, I am sure this is a gory and f*cked up flick. Not available to purchase on Amazon.com

LISA AND THE DEVIL

Notice that neither VHS features the film's real title? Mario Bava's horror film was recut as an awful close of THE EXORCIST which contributed to it bombing at the domestic box office. Still, it managed to come out on video with some cool box art. Check out Telly Savalas' fake eyes on the first box. Available to purchase on Amazon.com

FIREFOX

Clint Eastwood has made some cool movies and some mediocre ones. FIREFOX is one of his lesser efforts but still is worth watching for fans of aerial sequences. The first box looks like classic Eastwood art while the second is just a headshot of the actor/director as a part of the "LA Collection".  Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

GHOST WARRIOR

I have never seen or heard of this movie, but it is a samurai flick from the makers of TROLL? Yeah, now I have to see it. Notice the awesome domestic title and the weird international name SWORDKILL. I would have just passed this flick by if not for the TROLL connection but now I am very intrigued. Click here to purchase on Amazon.com

FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3

This third entry in the Jason Voorhees saga was released in 3D when it first came out which explains the second, common VHS cover showing a machete jutting at the viewer. But, the first cover is an international variation I have never seen before. This child-like demon version of Jason is terrifying and disturbing and would never make it onto a Blockbuster shelf, but it is damn cool to look at. 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]