The Great Video Store in the Sky (Blow Out)

***I recently have gained access to some folders containing scans of thousands of different old import VHS covers, posters and lobby cards. I thought it might be cool to build some new series' here to show off some favorites. Enjoy...***

The Great Video Store in the Sky: Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street

The Great Video Store in the Sky: Abel Ferrara's MS. 45

Under it's British title...go to the enlarged version to read the back cover which gives due praise to Zoe as well as highlighting some of the critical reactions.

The Great Video Store in the Sky: Joe D'Amato's Anthropophagous and Absurd

These two VHS covers bring back fond memories of me and my movie buddy David's unquestionable thirst to find an uncut copy of this notorious film back in the day. We must have gone through several versions (including the heavily cut US version The Grim Reaper) before discovering Midnight Video's composite print, which I still remember receiving in the mail about 15 years ago. Of course D'Amato's infamous and still effective shocker can now easily be found uncut on a special edition DVD, but there was nothing like the hunt for a lot of us...



While we are at, here is a scan of the British VHS copy of Absurd, the semi-sequel to Anthropophagous starring savage George Eastman and lovely Annie Belle...a film that has still yet to see a proper Region 1 DVD release.



Speaking of more exploitative titles. Since I have a overwhelming amount of these covers and posters now, I will be using Harry Moseby Confidential to upload some of the more outrageous ones from the seventies over the next few months for those interested. I have already posted half a dozen or so with more coming.

The Great Video Store in the Sky: Joe D'Amato's Buio Omega (Beyond the Darkness)

I must admit that this scan has a special significance to me as this was the original Dutch cover that came with my first copy of this stunning film, which I got in the mid nineties from I think European Trash Cinema. The film is now thankfully available on an excellent special edition from Shriek Show, but I will always have nice memories of my original copy that came with this cover.

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A Walerian Borowczyk Double Feature

My video store in the great beyond will have a full section dedicated to the complete works of Polish Master Walerian Borowczk, with a special shelf dedicated to the different versions of these two astonishing films:

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A Brian De Palma Double Feature

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A Mario Bava Double Feature

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A David Cronenberg Double Feature

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A DON'T Special Edition

One of the most popular trailers featured in Grindhouse a couple of years back was Edgar Wright's spot-on Don't, a remarkably authentic nod to so many of the splendid early seventies promos for a large number of Italian Giallos. While his delightful trailer recalled the works of Martino and Di Leo wonderfully well, The DON'T phenomenon was mostly felt here in the States though throughout the reign of the Slasher film. I thought it might be fun to gather together a few of the VHS covers that went along with some of these films...
















Here's Wright's amazing trailer:



and here's the Italian triler for Di Leo's shocking and incredibly entertaining Slaughter Hotel, one of the trailers Wright was clearly emulating:

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A Lucio Fulci Double Feature

Today we check out one of Fulci's finest:



and one of his weakest:

The Great Video Store in the Sky: A Dario Argento Double Feature

It's late and the night has been filled with drink and disillusion. You stumble into an all night video store and make your way to the Italian horror section. You come away with two Dario Argento films that you haven't seen in awhile. The next morning your head will be stinging from the disappointment of The Cat o' Nine Tails, but your mind will still be thoroughly blown by Inferno.