10 Favorite Horror VHS Acquisitions as Picked by Yale University Library
The Sterling Memorial Library at Yale University in New Haven, CT, is undertaking a somewhat unusual project – at least by academic library standards. Since last year David Gary, the Kaplanoff Librarian for American History, and Aaron Pratt, now Assistant Professor of English at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, have been taking a serious look at the cultural significance of the VHS medium as a vehicle for movie dissemination and consumption – one also worthy of preservation and conservation.
As a VHS enthusiast (and professional archivist), I recognize the importance VHS plays in telling the larger story of audio-visual history and, unfortunately, how it is more often than not regarded as a throwaway relic of an era gone by. You can read more about their totally rad VHS exploits here.
I caught up with David and asked him and his partner, Aaron Pratt, to each give me their 5 favorite acquisitions for the library collection thus far, with a brief explanation of why these made the cut. And let me just say… some of these titles are near and dear to my heart, so I’m thrilled to see them here.
Here’s their list..
Aaron’s 5 Picks:
1. 555 (1988; Slaughterhouse Entertainment, slipcase, 1988)
“Shot in blood-vivid video for your viewing pleasure,” this direct-to-video slasher classic from director Wally Koz features some of the gnarliest cover art from the VHS era: a graphic decapitation and a knife stabbing into a woman’s chest. As the cover promises, “Viewing may cause severe damage to your brain cells.” Come for the gore, stay for the stultifying dialog.
2. Night of the Demon (1980; VCII, Big Box, 1986)
VCII, the non-porn division of the adult distributor VCX, put out some amazing releases in both small and big-box formats. I was tempted to go with The Prowler, another title they issued, but this Bigfoot gem from the 1980s pulls no stops when it comes to both gore and sheer bizzareness. As with 555, I knew I had to watch it when I saw a guy getting his head ripped off on the cover.
3. Breeders (1986; Wizard Video, Big Box, 1986)
When Wizard Video advertised Breeders in one of its VHS trailers, it emphasized that it was a movie too “terrifying” and graphic for the cinema. And it is a movie that does strike me as quintessentially VHS. For one, the eponymous “sexual parasites” spare no opportunity to bare the breasts of women they impregnate, and the movie completely jumps the shark when a creature shows up with a face that bears a striking resemblance to the female genitalia. Seriously.
4. Faces of Death (1978; Gorgon Video, slip case, 198?)
The numerous “death” scenes in this faux-snuff documentary are preposterous, but if you were a boy growing up in the 80s or 90s, a tape of this was the Holy Grail. When Gorgon Video got its hands on this, I can only hope they realized that they had hit gold. How could you not want to rent something that says it was “BANNED! IN 46 COUNTRIES!”?
5. Black Devil Doll From Hell (1984; Massacre Video, Clam Shell, 2013)
Sadly, the Yale collection doesn’t have the 1984 original release of this shot-on-video classic—a copy recently sold on eBay for more than $1,000—but we do have the recent reissue from Massacre Video. Made by an African-American filmmaker on a shoestring budget, Black Devil Doll’s story of a religious woman’s sexual awakening at the hands (and more) of a puppet that looks like Rick James simultaneously unsettling and hilarious. It really is a must-see for all horror and VHS connoisseurs.
David Gary’s 5 Picks:
1. Ms. 45 (1981; USA Home Video, Big Box, 1983)
I’m bit more partial to the exploitation side of the collection, and Abel Ferrara’s rape-revenge story of a young, mute garment worker carries a lot of cultural weight. It touches on urban decay and the violence it spawns, the power dynamics of sexuality and gender, and, one of Ferrara’s signature themes, religion.
2. Great Texas Dynamite Chase (1976; Warner Home Video, Clam Shell, 1984)
A pair of beautiful women rampage their way across Texas as they rob banks and steal hearts with sticks of dynamite. Starring Claudia Jennings, the Playmate of the Year for 1970, the movie has comedic elements, car chases, and a shootout with the police definitely worth rewinding to watch again. As with all Warner Clam Shells, be sure to read the clever description on the back.
3. Riding High (1981; USA Home Video, Big Box, 1985)
The tagline on the box cover says it all: “Rock ‘N Roll and Motorcycles.” A down-on-his-luck British motorcycle messenger, played by stuntman Eddie Kidd, finds meaning in his life when he challenges an American to a jumping contest. One of the co-stars, Murray Salem, who plays the pompous manager of the American stuntman, grew up in my hometown of Brooklyn, Ohio.
4. Eternal Evil (1985; Lightning Video, slip case, 1987)
The prolific Karen Black teaches a frustrated television commercial director the art of astral projection with terrible consequences in this bad Canadian horror movie. It’s a perfect example a distribution company, in this case, Lightning Video of Stamford, Connecticut, using box art to sell a subpar movie. Lightning Video and its parent company, the well-known Vestron Video, are of importance to the Yale collection because of their link to Connecticut.
5. The Boston Strangler (1968; Magnetic Video, slip case, 1978)
Based on a true story, Tony Curtis and Henry Fonda star in this movie about a police investigation and eventual interrogation of a serial killer responsible for the murder of thirteen women. It was the first horror and exploitation movie released by Magnetic Video of Farmington Hills, Michigan, the earliest distributor of Hollywood movies on VHS.
Can’t get enough of all this VHS talk? Read more here.
STILL can’t get enough?! Then consider checking out an upcoming event at Yale University called Terror on Tape, taking place on May 6 and 7.
