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JANUARY 8 VHS HISTORY LEASON : STAR CLASSICS
One of the most prevalent EP-mode budget labels and one of the worst in terms of quality which made it all the worse for the buyer because they had some pretty rare titles on their roster. Trans World Entertainment licensed many of their films for Star Classics to release in budget versions, including WHITE FIRE, EVIL TOWN, DEVIL'S DYNAMITE and many others. Star Classics also released many 70's & 80's horror films, including DREAM NO EVIL, THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THE DARK, ALIEN DEAD, THE NIGHTMARE NEVER ENDS, NIGHT OF HORROR, REVENGE OF THE ZOMBIE, BOARDING HOUSE, CRAZE, MOVIE HOUSE MASSACRE and many more. The only problen was that you played Russian roulette with every purchase. Nine times out of ten, the VHS cassette was defective. Either it wouldn't track correctly or the print was so washed-out that it would be unwatchable. Still, some of their covers were pretty decent and are considered collectable today for that fact alone. It still amazes me that people would spend upwards of $50 for a copy of Star Classics' version of the TV movies ANTS or GARGOYLES on eBay, though. Star Classics went out of business in 1991. { text from critcononline.com }
JANUARY 8 VHS HISTORY LEASON : LIGHTNING VIDEO
This bastard stepchild of Vestron Video released a lot of genre product during the video heyday of 1985 - 1990. Releasing mainly unknown films such as DARK AUGUST, NIGHTMARE WEEKEND, A BLADE IN THE DARK, MASSACRE IN DINOSAUR VALLEY and many others (their most well-known title is STREET TRASH), Lightning Video exposed a lot of renters to the pleasures (and pitfalls) of 80's horror cinema. Titles like NEON MANIACS, FROZEN TERROR, NECROPOLIS, CHOPPING MALL and NAKED VENGEANCE made their debuts on the Lightning label. They also released films from the 70's such as THE CLONES, WHEN THE SCREAMING STOPS, PANTHER SQUAD, TERROR IN THE WAX MUSEUM and THE CLONUS HORROR. I remember many nights putting a cassette into my VCR and seeing the Lightning logo come on my TV screen. A red background with two thunderbolts would appear and someone with a Hi-Fi VCR could hear the stereo separation as the right thunderbolt would come blaring out of the right speaker and the left one out of the left speaker as the Lightning logo would appear in blue. While the films may have left a lot to be desired (GIRL SCHOOL SCREAMERS anyone?), you could at least look forward to some previews to appear after the film was finished. While Lightning Video was not a major driving force in the video pantheon, they did supply a lot of horror-hungry fans with some lesser-known titles. For that we can be thankful. { text from critcononline.com }
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