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HELLO AND WELCOME TO VHS WASTELAND, YOUR HOME FOR HIGH RESOLUTION SCANS OF RARE, STRANGE, AND FORGOTTEN VHS COVERS. EACH OF THESE BIZARRE GEMS IS SCANNED AT 200 DPI. SIMPLY CLICK ON THE THUMBNAIL OF ANY VHS COVER TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL HIGH RES FORMAT. WE WILL BE ADDING A NEW COVER DAILY, SO BOOKMARK THIS SITE AND CHECK BACK OFTEN. WE'D ALSO LOVE SUBMISSIONS FROM YOU. IF YOU HAVE A VHS THAT IS WEIRD OR RARE, JUST EMAIL US AT MADHATTERDESIGN@GMAIL.COM. REMEMBER TO SCAN THE FRONT, BACK AND SIDES OF THE VHS AT 300 DPI. WE WON'T ACCEPT LOW RESOLUTION FILES. WHILE YOU'RE HERE, GRABBING OUR AWESOME FREE VHS COVERS, FEEL FREE TO CLICK THE "DONATE" BUTTON ON THE LEFT. IF ENOUGH PEOPLE SEND US SOME CASH, WE MIGHT BE TEMPTED TO KEEP BRINGING YOU THE COOLEST, HIGH RES VHS COVERS ON THE NET. BUT IF YOU GREEDY, COVER GRABBING... I MEAN... YOU WONDERFUL VISITORS TO OUR SITE, DON'T COUGH UP A DONATION, MAYBE WE'LL JUST FIND SOMETHING BETTER TO DO WITH OUR TIME. LIKE GO MAKE NACHOS. MMMMM... NACHOS. SO HELP A BROTHA OUT AND DONATE A LITTLE DOUGH TO THE CAUSE.

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SERIAL KILLER CALENDAR: THIS DAY IN SERIAL KILLER HISTORY BOOK
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This perfect bound Serial Killer Calendar book includes detailed facts and trivia about serial killers for every day of the year. It also includes the best true crime artwork from around the world. Want to know what happened today in serial killer history? Its all in this one massive collection of true crime information. This is the perfect gift for any fan of history, murderabelia or the macabre.



 
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A History of VHS Companies Part Two

Published At Critcononline.com

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MAGNUM ENTERTAINMENT - This is another video company that turned out splashy covers in big box, clamshell cases and VHS WASTELAND VHS WASTELANDregular size video sleeves that always caught the eye, even if the films themselves were strictly bottom-shelf. Films like CURSE OF THE BLUE LIGHTS, NAIL GUN MASSACRE, MAXIM XUL and THE REINCARNATE tempted renters with their colorful artwork, only to disappoint once the cassette was inserted into the VCR. Not that all of their films were bad, mind you. Magnum also released the uncut versions of good exploitation films, including Jose Larraz's VAMPYRES, S.F. Brownriff's backwoods trash epic POOR WHITE TRASH PART II, the highly-original A.I.D.S. parable THE CARRIER and Gregory Dark's STREET ASYLUM. But Magnum was first and foremost a trashfilm maven's dream as their roster included REVENGE OF THE LIVING ZOMBIES, BLOOD SALVAGE, THE CHANNELER (ugh!), GOODNIGHT GOD BLESS, THE DARK POWER and their crowning achievement, ROBO VAMPIRE. The sad fact that my library is full of Magnum Entertainment product attests to their market savvy. I was (and still am) a sucker for eye-catching box art. Magnum did close up shop in the early 90's, only to ressurect itself with new films (you can tell their newer releases by the number "2" next to their logo on the boxes) and a whole new generation of unaware film seekers getting duped into buying or renting shitty films. And we wouldn't have it any other way. Magnum finally closed-up shop for good in 1997 after a run of nearly 15 years. Not bad for a company that never released a major motion picture on VHS. UPDATE: According to badfilm director Donald Farmer (SAVAGE VENGEANCE - 1993), Magnum Entertainment formed a subdivision called Eden Entertainment and released a bunch of lower-tier films under the banner of I WILL DANCE ON YOUR GRAVE. Along with Farmer's VENGEANCE, Eden also released his CANNIBAL HOOKERS (1986), Tim Ritter's KILLING SPREE (1987), the rape-revenge film LETHAL VICTIMS (1987) and the cleverly-titled (if awful) I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE TOO (1995). I have just learned from Donald Farmer that the Magnum that ran Eden Entertainment is not the same Magnum Entertainment that released all the other films mentioned. Confusing, isn't it?




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MEDIA HOME ENTERTAINMENT - One of the earliest video companies, Media Home Entertainment VHS WASTELAND was VHS WASTELANDformed in 1978 and released nearly 1,000 films before it ceased operations in 1992. Media began by releasing public domain titles (back then, public domain titles such as PSYCHOMANIA and NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD weren't readily available on the market as they are today, so they were new to the renters) and graduated to the big time, thanks to some popular CHARLIE BROWN titles and live concert performances. During the mid-to-late 80's, Media was king of the independent distributors, as they released popular theatrical product (the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET franchise and much of New Line's 80's catalogue; Chuck Norris films such as A FORCE OF ONE, THE OCTAGON and many others; Charles Bronson flicks (MURPHY'S LAW, MESSENGER OF DEATH) and a lot of independent releases like TROMA'S WAR, MOTHER'S DAY and, strangely enough, a lot of Trans World Entertainment's theatrical releases) and also released a lot of low-budget horror and action films that nearly all renters of the 80's gobbled-up. Media released such titles as DON'T GO IN THE HOUSE, TOURIST TRAP, DEMONOID, LASERBLAST, C.H.U.D.BASKET CASE and many, many others. Media titles were as commonplace as major label's product in many households as they also distributed animated films, self-help videos, sports-themed videos and many films never released to theaters, such as TERROR ON TOUR, a slew of Italian post-nuke films (ESCAPE FROM THE BRONX, ENDGAME, 2020 TEXAS GLADIATORS) and action films like THE EXPENDABLES, NAM ANGELS and SAIGON COMMANDOS. Media had their hands in every type of genre, thereby cementing it's dependability as a company that could meet anyone's spur-of-the-moment urges. There are many unconfirmed stories about Media's reputation and they need to be told. Unfortunately, until a reliable source appears, these stories will go untold as much of Media's catalogue is still around and still being distributed by companies like Anchor Bay, Fox and New Line on DVD (I don't want lawsuits, but there are rumblings of murder and underworld connections.). A lot of Media's early releases command big bucks today in the auction market. I own a few from the late 70's and they play perfectly. Just a side note here, but don't the early tapes weigh much heavier than tapes produced in the last 10 years? You could drop an older tape and nothing would happen. Drop a new tape and be prepared to bring out the vacuum as it will shatter into hundreds of small pieces. The older tapes were made to last, and 25 years later they play as well as the first time.




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MGM/UA HOME VIDEO - Here's another label which lived a very long life. MGM started out as a major film produc VHS WASTELAND VHS WASTELANDtion company, cranking out films since the early 1920's. Their huge library of films was ideal for the home video market, so in 1979 they joined forces with CBS Home Video to form MGM/CBS Home Video. In 1981, CBS broke off with MGM to join with 20th Century Fox to form CBS/Fox Home Video. That same year, MGM joined with United Artists to form MGM/UA Home Video and that partnership lasted until 1998, when Ted Turner bought the MGM library and renamed the label MGM Home Entertainment. For seventeen years, MGM/UA released thousands of films on VHS, including many that have still yet to see the light of day on DVD. MGM/UA is most fondly remembered for releasing their films in those big cardboard boxes that opened up like a book (They also had a blue piece of tape shaped like a giant "I" that stuck to the middle of the right hand side or bottom of the box, either covering a portion of the artwork or the credits. If you tried to remove it, more times than not it would destroy whatever was below it.). Time has not been kind to those big boxes, as they have faded or wrinkled due to the ravages of time, but who can't help but remember seeing those big box releases, like GYMKATA, EQUALIZER 2000, THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN, HOSPITAL MASSACRE, FORBIDDEN PLANET and FINAL EXECUTIONER lining the video store shelves. MGM/UA had exclusive deals with Cannon Films and Roger Corman's Concord Films during the 80's and many of those big box releases command high prices on the collectors' circuit due to their rarity and the fact that they have never been released to DVD. MGM/UA was also one of the first major VHS companies to encode their tapes with the Macrovision process to curtail piracy and illegal copying. Nearly every MGM/UA VHS tape produced was Macrovision encoded, so if you ever think of buying their tapes to back up to DVD, just remember that you will need a device to bypass the encoding.




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MOGUL COMMUNICATIONS, INC. - Not much is known about Mogul Video (or it's sublabels: All-American Video; Mega Video, Trend Video VHS WASTELAND VHS WASTELANDand Canada's Galaxy Video), except they turned out some kick-ass artwork on their oversized clamshell cases between the years 1982 - 1986. Whoever did the artwork on these cases deserved some kind of award as there were eye-catching art of well-endowed women in perilous situations, skulls (a favorite theme here), and guns and knives used in threatening manners. The artwork for SATAN'S BLOOD alone was used for at least two other titles (see my visual tour) on Mogul's roster. Mogul specialized in little-known European horror films with titles such as THE ICEBOX MURDERS, DON'T LOOK IN THE ATTIC, RAPE, DON'T PANIC, FEAST FOR THE DEVIL, SCHOOL OF DEATH and many more. They also released some home-grown horror flicks, such as Donald Farmer's first film DEMON QUEEN, Tony Malanowski's piss-poor CURSE OF THE SCREAMING DEAD, as well as the unbelievably-bad SATAN'S BLADE; Italian Crime Thrillers like Lucio Fulci's CONTRABAND and the Henry Silva-starrers THE KILLER and CRIMEBUSTERS; Martial Arts flicks like CHALLENGE OF THE TIGER, EYE OF THE DRAGON and NINJA HOLOCAUST; and British Thrillers such as Michael J. Murphy's video nasty INVITATION TO HELL and Alan Birkenshaw's INVADERS OF THE LOST GOLD. Mogul and it's sublabels didn't release an enormous amount of product, but what they did before it became popular was release some of their films letterboxed. I don't know if it was on purpose of if they didn't know better, but it was a nice surprise for people who like their films shown in the proper aspect ratio.




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MONTEREY HOME VIDEO - This long-lasting video company (started in the mid 80's as a sublabel of Family Home VHS WASTELAND VHS WASTELANDEntertainment and still going strong today) released many little-known (at the time) foreign genre films that entertained viewers hungry for something new. Titles such as THE GRIM REAPER, THE MEAN MACHINE, THE SLASHER, DEADLY SANCTUARY, THE DEVIL'S NIGHTMARE and many other were released all for the first time, in their big-box glory. Monterey didn't skimp on obscure home-grown films either, releasing THE FLESH EATERS, THE LOVE BUTCHER, BONNIE'S KIDS, DEADLY GAMES, THE LEGEND OF ALFRED PACKER, KILL AND GO HIDE, THE SWITCHBLADE SISTERS and many other for the first time in VHS format. Monterey also had a sublabel, called After Hours Entertainment, that released  "dicier" titles like THE DEVIL'S UNDEAD, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, and BLOOD VOYAGE, films that Monterey didn't want to release under their own banner. Monterey also controls the rights to the "Ginger" films, a series of 70's sexploitation/action films that starred Cheri Caffaro as Ginger, an undercover agent who used her body, as well as her fists. These films include: GINGER (1971), THE ABDUCTORS (1972) and GIRLS ARE FOR LOVING (1973). A fourth film, A PLACE CALLED TODAY (1972), is usually mentioned in the same breath but has no connection other than Caffaro appearing in it. Monterey stays in business today selling their catalogue on DVD, which includes many documentaries, self-help and PBS programs.




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NEW WORLD VIDEO - Contrary to popular belief, Roger Corman had nothing to do with New World Video, since he sold his interest in New World Pictures in 1984. In a relatively short period of time (1984 - 1989), New World Video left quite an impression for the horror film lover. Releasing such films as J.P. Simon's SLUGS, the first two HELLRAISER films, direct-to-video fare CELLAR DWELLER and ZOMBIE NIGHTMARE and some chosen cuts from New World Picture's classic VHS WASTELAND VHS WASTELAND70's output (BURY ME AN ANGEL, ANGELS DIE HARD, PEACE KILLERS), New World Video had nearly something for everyone. If you wanted action, you could rent THE OMEGA SYNDROME, THE ANNIHILATORS or the very offbeat CERTAIN FURY. If you wanted adventure, you could take home JAKE SPEED, DEF-CON 4 or CODENAME:WILDGEESE. If you desired comedy, you could laugh at TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000, Larry Cohen's THE STUFF or FRATERNITY VACATION (starring future pole-smoker Stephen Geoffreys). If you wanted to take home a theatrical production, New World Video offered such films as DEAD HEAT, FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC, BLACK MOON RISING or TUFF TURF. But, New World's stock in trade was horror films. Titles such as GHOSTKEEPER, THE HOUSE ON STRAW HILL, GHOST TOWN, TERROR IN THE SWAMP, TORMENT and many. many others lined the video shelves for the undiscriminating renter. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and New World Video's came in 1989, when the News Corporation (who also owned 20th Century-Fox) bought the company and licensed most of the post-1984 library to budget label Starmaker (who released a bunch of New World titles in the crappy EP mode) and eventually Anchor Bay Entertainment. Roger Corman still retained rights to most of the pre-1984 New World library and began releasing them on his New Concorde Home Video label, both on VHS and DVD (right up until this day).




VHS WASTELAND

PARAGON VIDEO PRODUCTIONS - Of all the pre-records I own (well over 3,000 as of this writing), the VHS WASTELAND VHS WASTELANDmajority of 80's horror in my collection comes from Paragon Video. Their sleeves were the meaning of simplicity: Usually a copy of the original release theatrical poster on the front with a big copy of their logo on the bottom right and a few photos of the film and a short plot synopsis (usually taken from the film's pressbook) on the back. While they didn't release the best-looking prints of the movies, they were usually the uncut versions (keep your Paragon version of JUST BEFORE DAWN as the Shriek Show DVD version of the film is missing bits of gore found on Paragon's tape). What really made Paragon stand out was their collection of trailers that they showed before the film. There were usually about 12 minutes of trailers for horror, exploitation and action films that were probably more enjoyable than the film on the tape. While I don't pretend to know squat about Paragon's history, I do know that they were located in Las Vegas, Nevada, were originally known as "King Of Video" and released product from late 1981 until 1985, making them one of the earliest companies in the home video rental market for genre films. I made it a quest of mine to own as many Paragon VHS tapes as I can get my hands on. Thanks to eBay, I have been able to purchase a lot of them for less than two bucks. They play just as good now as they did when they were new and some of them are nearly 25 years old!


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PRISM ENTERTAINMENT - This independent company, which began operations in 1984, released VHS WASTELANDmany genre films VHS WASTELANDup until they filed for Chapter 11 in 1995. Prism distributed a lot of obscure stuff on VHS during their prime, including WOLF LAKE, BECAUSE OF THE CATS, DEADMATE, BLOOD RAGE, DEATHMASK, ALMOST HUMAN (you gotta love that misleading cover!) and many others. They were known basically for releasing little-known films and hardly had any major theatrical releases in their catalogue. Prism's varied sked consisted of films such as DARK SANITY, FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE SPACE MONSTER, MURDERLUST, CURSE OF THE LIVING CORPSE, THE AFTERMATH, WILLARD (and BEN),  TALES FROM THE CRYPT, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, ASYLUM, THE DIVINE ENFORCER (a personal favorite for all the wrong reasons), THE BONEYARD and a bunch of MFTV films, including SHE WAITS, SATAN'S SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, CRUISE INTO TERROR, THE BOY IN THE PLASTIC BUBBLE, SAVAGES and DEATH AT LOVE HOUSE. As the 90's approached, Prism began distributing mostly "erotic thriller" DTV fare such as the NIGHT EYES trilogy, TROPICAL HEAT and ULTIMATE DESIRES, which eventually led to it's downfall. Still, Prism had a good 11 year run and entertained a lot of renters during the 80's, which is why you will find a lot of their releases reviewed on this site. Prism also released product for a label called A.N.E. Home Video (American National Enterprises), which distributed a bunch of even-more obscure titles such as BEASTSJOHNNY FIRECLOUD, and RENEGADE NINJAS.