Tag Archives: vhs horror

Home Video Releases

VHS GOLD! The RARE Vidmark Leprechaun VHS Retailers Promo!

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I found something better than a four-leaf clover here! In the spirit of 30 years of the Leprechaun movies, we as a horror collective, have struck VHS GOLD with the full bonus material from the very rare Leprechaun VHS retailers’ promo from 1993! I’ve personally never seen it until very recently and if you know me, you know this kind of shit is my kryptonite.

Pretty bold of me to put that out there if anyone wants to wear me down, eh?

Uploaded to Youtube by LUNCHMEAT VHS, the retailers’ promo was aimed at getting a buttwad of VHS copies into national chains/mom-and-pop video stores for consumers’ eyes to feast on. The promo pimping out Warwick Davis’ now iconic horror role went hard as fuck making this movie sound like it was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I mean, this Vidmark Lep bendy toy is a great contender for making that argument.

The promo’s narrating salesman was a bit off in his 12-15 million gross box office projection of the 1993 cult classic when the film actually only took home over 8 million, but that’s still a pretty respectable number for a low-budget horror film about a homicidal leprechaun!

The promo also features nationwide publicity stunts that including a couple of smaller fellows dressing up as the Leprechaun character marching in protest at the New York Stock Exchange.

PRICELESS.

Then, there are the highlights of the glorious tie-in promos available to the public because again, I’m a sucker for stuff too where restaurants like Domino’s and Subway got in on the Lucky Lep March Madness. And speaking of March Madness, The NBA had promotional LEPRECHAUN NIGHTS for fans as well as the NHL.

As much as I get a kick out of that, honestly my favorite part was this BOLD statement from “fan reactions”- “Leprechaun makes Freddy Krueger look like Mr. Rodgers!”

I don’t know how homeslice said that with a somewhat straight face but I thoroughly enjoyed that. Now:

Try as you will, and try as you might, If you don’t watch this retailer promo, you won’t be able to sleep through the night!

Horror Nostalgia

The Art Of Horror: Celebrating The Best Horror VHS Cover Art- Part II!

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Movie Box Art is an all-but-dead form of advertising for movies these days. A while back, I wrote up a piece on VHS Horror Cover Box Art and the films that had some of the most intriguing rental art boxes that served to pique our curiosity when strolling down the horror movie aisle at your local Mom And Pop Video Store on a Saturday afternoon. You went to rent Nightmare On Elm Street 4 and left with films like Cheerleader Camp and Frankenhooker. Case in point, the cover art was the main selling point for these movies back then along with word of mouth; and when mom or pop gave you the precious video rental card to go get what you wanted when you were old enough, that my friends, was goddamn better than a credit card itself. The freeing feeling of being able to rent whatever your little heart desired, well just not shit behind the curtain anyway, without an adult hovering over your back as you’re staring intensely at a copy of Class Of Nuke ‘Em High. Then walking like a gangster to the counter while grabbing a box of Sugar Daddies, a Cherry Coke, and presenting your rental punch card to the clerk. The only thing that made that moment even more glorious was if you were due for a free rental.

So let’s take another walk down the horror aisle of the corner video shop where some of the greatest horror movie cover art existed. That being said, there are way too many to put into one article, so I’ve decided to put together another piece championing VHS art with Parts 3 and 4 likely to come in the following weeks/months.

These are just some that really stood out to me at that age. Oh, and for the record and refresher from my last entry, I popped that solo video rental store cherry visit with Return of the Living Dead and The Blob.

What are some of your favorite VHS covers? Get crackin’ on those comments Nostalgic Nuggets and come back for parts 3 and 4 of wild and wonderous VHS Horror Box Art!

Home Video Releases

PUBLIC ACCESS CHANNEL 43 IS A VHS AESTHETIC DREAM COME TRUE

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These people pretty much had me at VHS transfers.

Channel 43 is an online public access station streaming on Twitch that focuses on horror, science fiction, and all the glorious things we here at Nightmare Nostalgia soak up and live by. The back to the past channel features short form video work from various artists while taking on the format of a television broadcast complete with commercial breaks, bumpers, news stories, PSAs’ and of course, host segments. All of this content has been transferred to VHS, circuit bent, and converted back to digital to create a consistent aesthetic throughout the entire broadcast.

Take a gander at this stunning strip of VHS aesthetic.

Per the press release:

“Channel 43’s first showcase offers up an eclectic blend from both traditional filmmakers and conceptual video artists while maintaining a unified viewing experience. With video work by 20 artists from around the world, the project aims to bring a dose of variety to horror and sci-fi as well as expand the scope of what these genres can be.
Creator and director of programming, Sophia Gordon, has been blending analog and digital technology within her own video arts practice for over 7 years. Her first channel, Miller’s Grove Public Access, incorporated the style for a group exhibition in 2019. Since then, it has become a staple within her work as a curator. Working under the name TeleUphoria Media Network, Gordon’s main initiatives are to preserve a safe space for artists of all experience levels and to create more interesting opportunities for video makers. She runs annual open calls for her rotating lineup of channels and encourages a DIY sensibility that is lo-fi friendly.”

For more information and a downloadable TV guide with schedule, visit Telephoria.org/broadcasts!