Tag Archives: Nightmare Nostalgia

Upcoming Book “Ad Nauseam” Highlights Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980s

Ahh. The glory days of 1980’s horror film advertising!

Set for a time-appropriate release this October 9th, 2018, former Fangoria Editor-in-Chief and current contributor at Rue Morgue Magazine (among his many other ventures), Michael Gingold brings us a glorious 248-page, full-color, hardbound book that features more than 450 rare, vintage ads pulled from Gingold’s personal archive entitled Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares From The 1980s. 

Upcoming Book "Ad Nauseam" Highlights Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980s

Edited by former Rue Morgue editor-in-chief Dave Alexander and presented by Rue Morgue, 1984 Publishing title Ad Nauseam will highlight a golden age of horror movie ads, and really, is there anything more nostalgic than retro horror film advertisements?

Per the press release:

Growing up in the ’80s, the future Fangoria writer and editor would carefully cut out ads he saw in local newspapers, leaving him with a collection tracing horror movie history via both blockbusters and obscurities.

“I’ve wanted to assemble this collection of movie-advertising madness in book form for many years, so 1984 and Rue Morgue’s publication of Ad Nauseam is a long-time dream come true,” says Gingold, who’s also a contributor to Rue Morgue, Birth.Movies.Death, Time Out, New York, and Scream, and the author of The FrightFest Guide to Monster Movies and Shark Movie Mania.

“These are the horror films I grew up with, and this volume is a celebration of that classic era of the genre.”

Ad Nauseam: Newsprint Nightmares from the 1980s goes year-by-year through Gingold’s
archive, and includes rare alternate art for Gremlins, Child’s Play, The Blob remake, and the Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. Oddities covered include Psycho from Texas, Dracula Blows His Cool, Blood Hook, Zombie Island Massacre, and many more. He provides personal recollections, commentary and includes snippets of contemporary reviews, to reveal what critics really thought of these movies at the time. To get a better sense of horror’s business side, Gingold also interviews the men behind legendary exploitation distributor Aquarius Releasing to learn how they built buzz for shockers like Make Them Die Slowly and Doctor Butcher M.D.
The regular version of Ad Nauseam retails for $34.95 USD and will be available online via Amazon and local bookstores worldwide. Details on a combo pack from the iconic horror merch designer Fright-Rags, which will include a signed book and a specially-designed T-shirt, are forthcoming.

Make sure to grab this sucker to proudly display on your coffee table, just in time for Halloween! Pre-order your copy here at Amazon!

It’s A BOY Video Retailers! The Rare 1990 VHS Retailer Promo For “The Dream Child”

Long live the days of Mom and Pop video rental stores and the VHS early screener promos that today, serve as a lost art of visual romance. Especially for us horror enthusiasts. Because hey, who DOESN’T want to see Chucky bust out an awful yet incredibly entertaining rap about how great the Child’s Play movie is?

In case you’re not hip to what the hell a VHS screener may be, basically, it’s an early release of a VHS tape sent to video store owners that will ultimately either sway them to stock the shelves with said movie or give it a hard pass. In addition, some of these screeners would be sent to the media for reviews. Hard to imagine a time where critics would have to actually wait on the postman to deliver physical media as opposed to a screener email that can be obtained in under 60 seconds, eh?

Oh, how the world has changed. And Freddy is hard at work here taunting a sleazy marketing rep in this delicious ball of cheese VHS promo for Dream Child.

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In my humble opinion however, that’s what makes these clips so great and a must-see for any movie fan. While it seems as if Robert Englund may have skipped the on-screen promotions for this installment doubled with a not-so-great-look-alike, and it sort of comes across as a second-rate porno without the boner shots, the promo still gives some great info on the film. It also totally reminded me about that gem of a rap, Whodini’s “Anyway I Gotta Sing It” that included a special music video featuring clips from NOES 5- which you can watch here. Trust me, you don’t want to miss that national treasure.

So here it is! The unconventional, yet weirdly awesome VHS promo for A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child! Might want to watch it before Susan gets any ideas…

Special thanks to Youtuber Jason H. for uploading this diddy.

 

 

Vegas’ New Immersive Haunt “HorrorWood Video” Aims To Appease Retro Horror VHS Lovers

Halloween in Las Vegas can be quite overwhelming, and certainly different from the rest of the country. While “Sin City” can boast some of the wildest Halloween parties the world has to offer, locals and tourists alike who crave a real good ol’ fashioned scare in the form of the classic haunted house mostly have to venture off the Strip (and as a local I appreciate that) to get to the stuff that doesn’t involve an overcrowded club of endless sexy nurses. However, if you find yourself in the Downtown Arts District area that remains a popular spot but not in an anxiety-ridden way, you’ll stumble across an ambitious little theater- The Majestic Repertory Theater- that focuses primarily on the modern and yesteryear American canon, and gives emphasis on giving young theatre artists an opportunity to build their skills while showcasing unique and original theatrical programs that includes an original Krampus production coming in December. This 2018 Halloween season, artistic director Troy Heard has assembled a retro horror lover’s dream in the form of an interactive haunt that is meant to set off some serious nostalgic bells, and possibly terrify the hell out of you. For a limited few days only, the Majestic Repertory becomes HORRORWOOD VIDEO- Vegas’ first RETRO INTERACTIVE HAUNT!

BE STILL MY BLACK NOSTALGIC HEART..

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PER THE PRESS RELEASE:

The premise is every horror geek’s dream: Horrorwood Video is the last place in Vegas where you can find the best fright flicks. Tonight, however, insane clerk Leon has opened up a vortex. Once you step through it, you’ll find yourself stuck in the middle of your favorite 1980s horror films, including “The Hex,” “Gym Class of the Dead,” and “Slaughter House Massacre 5: Pig-Gut’s Revenge.” The question isn’t just whether you get out safely…but will you accrue enormous late fees while trying?

HORRORWOOD VIDEO is created by Majestic Rep’s Artistic Director Troy Heard, who also created the immersive experiences JONESTOWN, MOTEL and MEASURE FOR MEASURE. “I grew up watching all the classic slashers – Jason, Freddy and Michael – but I also came of age with movies such as THE MONSTER SQUAD, GREMLINS and THE GOONIES. Although they weren’t pure horror flicks, they had a sense of adventure that’s coming back into fashion with STRANGER THINGS,” says Heard. “This year, I wanted to create a very theatrical haunt that combines those genres and taps into that particular vein of scary fun. We’re creating scenes from these fictional movies that totally could’ve existed in 1988 and casting you in them when you enter Leon the Clerk’s vortex. You’ll actually go trick or treating, join a teenage witch’s coven and go camping with some unsavory types as you walk through the experience. And I promise there are plenty of scares around every corner.”

HORRORWOOD VIDEO will be open Thursday, October 25, through Sunday, October 28, from 7 p.m. to midnight each night. Admission is $15; VIP tickets are $20 and include a one-time-only front of the line pass and exclusive HORRORWOOD VIDEO swag. Majestic Repertory Theatre is located at 1217 S. Main Street. Tickets are on sale October 1st at www.horrorwoodvideo.com. Call 702-423-6366 for more details.

Vegas' New Immersive Haunt "HorrorWood Video" Aims To Appease Retro Horror VHS Lovers