Living on Video (covers)

A celebration of the fantastic artwork from video tapes. Sensational to artistic or just simply charming. Let these great artists' work not be forgotten by means of my 400dpi scans. Or something.

[derekfme]

An apology

There's been a significant lack of updates lately. Sorry about that. I've been busy with my band and other things. I hope to resume doing this in the near future though. Promise.

[derekfme]

Abducted (1986) RCA Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090578/5.0/10

I've not go much time to say anything but that's pretty special isn't it?

[derekfme]

Hot to Trot (1988) Warner Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095326/3.9/10

It may not be rated very highly on the imdb but that doesn't stop it being worth money. Last time I sold this it went for £14 + £3 postage (roughly). So I was pleased to see it again when I bought it. I got it alongside the last couple of uploads. All of them were bought from the first charity shop I went in when I was in Derby.

My what a hillarious joke they have on the cover...

Right that's all I've got time for tonight. I'm off to watch American Ninja 2 now. Micheal Dudikoff is my double you know. (Ahem, cough)

[derekfme]

Lanzarote tourism tape (age unknown) Datan films release

Why on earth did I buy this? I bought it when I bought the Fury of the Dragon tape. Something just appealed to me about the idea of buying an old tourism tape. Plus it had a nice bubble case which I could always steal for a more valuable vid if necessary.

I may decide to watch it at some point to see what it's like. Or maybe not. Who knows. Not my most exciting upload but I hope you appreciate it anyway...

Variety is the spice of life as they say. Whoever THEY are.

[derekfme]

Fury of the Dragon (1979) Entertainment In Video release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0187039/

It's undoubtedly worthless as it's available on DVD for pennies but I couldn't resist it when I saw it. I can't resist any cheap EIV stuff with the stripey covers. It was only about 20p anyway.

So it's not really a film as such, just a few episodes of the Green Hornet tv series stuck together.  Still Bruce is always good for a few quid, right? Even if you hire a particularly crap artist to portray him on the cover. Though the artist has got a rather excellent action pose for the Green Hornet there on bruce's right.

[derekfme]

You have some really excellent VHS scans & i would like to know if it would be possible for me to use 1 particular image for my upcoming kung fu movie fan site, the image in question is the cover art for the VPD Release of "The Iron Dragon Strikes Back" I would happily name check you on the image & put a link on my site to yours if your feeling charitable today?

As I don't own the rights to these scans there's no reason you shouldn't. I started this project (and somewhat lackadaisically updated it lately) with the spirit of sharing. I don't care if you want to use it without giving me a link (though that would be nice). The images here are free to use as you wish. Getting them 'out there' is the main objective. Or something. 

[derekfme]

Turkey Shoot (AKA Escape 2000/Blood Camp Thatcher) (1982) Guild Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082338 5.7/10

This version is undoubtedly cut to ribbons. It says a running time of 1h28 which would be about the length of the film but that might include trailers as well. This film got cut by 6 minutes. Which is pretty impressive. Most 'nasties' got cut by maybe a few seconds here and there but 6 minutes. Wow.

I got given this tape for free by a customer earlier today. He also gave me the stablecane release of 'The Witch' (which is also known as Supernatural). I sold that for £5 on the stall today and the customer is coming back to pay the same for this. It's entirely worth all that money for this lovely work.

I like to call it Guild's Brown Period. Just because I've just decided that's what I like to call it as the case is brown and there's brown on the tape.

On the case there's also a guild security label saying 'Guild gold seal reproduction' just so you know you're not buying a dodgy bootleg presumably.

Also on the case is a sticker saying 'action adventure'. I'm not entirely convinced that's the right way to describe a film also known as Blood Camp Thatcher...

Oh and what a wonderful joke on the cover - "not for chickens". Oh ho ho hoho. Or something.

[derekfme]

Survival Run (AKA Spree) (1979) Revolution Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081576/ 4.2/10

Now here's a brilliant example of really not trying at all. Well actually that's a bit harsh, it's probably a case of trying without really having much appropriate equipment to do the job properly.

Clearly images have been cut out and stuck back in in an attempt to try and convey the delightful excitement of the film. I somehow doubt that a racing truck will feature in the film though and you can see mr machine gun in the thumbnail on the back cover.

I rather like the typewritten blurb on the back too. Just brilliant stuff all round really. I dare say it's a mid 80s bootleg release but maybe it's just a super low budget release like the 23rd Century dvds are.

An alternate cover for it is also brilliant as you will see below:

Oh and there's no tape scan as it's just a blank looking tape with a handwritten sticker saying 'Terminator 2 - Judgement day' on its spine.

[derekfme]

Kill Zone (1985) IVS release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0164703/ 4.5/10

A relatively 'famous' film. Among b-movie circles anyway. The director went on to do the much over-rated Deadly Prey (when I watched it I found it quite dull). I'd have thought the cover would have cropped up elsewhere on google images but it seemed relatively hard to find. Strangely. And now here it is in its 400dpi glory.

I like all the rental stickers on the tape. The tape has a specific number and we know exactly where it has been. Gomersal Videos. The only place in Gomersal to get videos then? Dare say it's been dead many years now that place. Unless it managed the transition to DVD and piracy...

Though this video has lived its early life in West Yorkshire it migrated at some point to south yorkshire, which is where I am. I picked this up quite recently for 20p at Oldcotes Car Boot. The Amazon price is currently £50. Be jolly nice if I get that for it.. (minus charges it would be closer to £40)

Also I hope you like my 'assemble your own vhs tape' scan there. Shame I forgot the top of the tape cover. I do hope you'll all print it out and assemble it.

[derekfme]

Bridge to Hell (1986) Avatar Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090772/ 4/10

Now I prepared this yesterday morning so that I might have it auto post later. In fact I left this bit below quite blank so that I could edit it at work and sort out the auto posting.

However I promptly forgot all about it.

Anyway this is one of those card cased videos. You know, like you Americans get all the time (or at least most of the time). I love it when they wrap around like that. Yes I know it's not exactly that uncommon on conventional ones but er something. A point I was making but now seems irrelevant. Never mind.

Oh and I didn't split the box to create this image, I just scanned each side separately and joined them in the image manipulation prog.

So there you go.

[derekfme]

Banzai Runner (1987) Medusa Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0181305/ 4.6/10

Is that Tommy Lee jones? No? It's Dean Stockwell? Oh obviously. Yes spitting image. Obviously.

Fancy cars have always been popular in films haven't they? They've rarely seemed fancier than in the 80s though. Well at least they were never quite as spectacularly coloured at any other time anyway.

It's such a pity this wonderful cover is marred by those annoying rental shop barcode things. Couldn't they have found somewhere else to put it? Didn't they know some guy 25 years later would be scanning it and putting it on the internet in the hopes of preserving the artwork? Eh?

[derekfme]

The Odd Angry Shot (1979) Guild Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079652/ 6.5/10

That tape's had a bit of wear hasn't it? I wonder what was stuck over the right hand side. Such a shame as it's yet another beautiful work from Guild. Such beauty.

Apparently this is a war comedy Is that really the impression you get from that cover? Not me. I get all serious commentary on war and its brutality or something. It's a great piece of art but really can you honestly say it's a great cover for the film? I suppose it might make it look tempting to people.

Anyway one of the main things I love about this era of Guild stuff is the way the cover wraps around. It's a such an underused idea. Probably because it was largely pointless when in the box. Oh well such is the way of things.

Or something.

[derekfme]

The Last American Virgin (1982) Guild Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0084234/ 5.6/10

Again I'm trawling through my archive of old scans. Once again this is from 2009. 3rd of December I scanned it in.

A typically beautiful Guild pre-cert release, sadly marred once again by those dreadful 18 stickers. I wonder if the film is actually much more tender than the cover makes out. It's just certain screens on the back seem to imply more teen coming of age drama than the perhaps bawdy nature of the front cover.

Anyway, it's beautiful regardless so enjoy it and with any luck I'll be back with another one tomorrow.

Oh and here's a photo I took after some people got RAPTURED:

[derekfme]

Las Vegas Weekend (1986) IVS release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091381/ 2.5/10

Again this is rather an old scan as I don't have my scanner to hand right now. This was scanned at 12:19pm on the 10th of July 2009. Which I'm sure you're fascinated to know. Obviously due to this it's not going to enlarge much. Sorry. And obviously there is no tape scan.

It seems like so many of these videos are from 1986. I consider it quite the golden year for VHS rentals. It's when it became properly big I guess. Enough people actually had VHS players for the market to be properly big enough for rentals to take off big style. But I'm sure I've said that before.

That cover kind of reminds me of the "I'll buy that for a dollar!" guy from Robocop. I suppose it will if you have an awkward man surrounded by babes.

Any ideas what IVS stands for?

[derekfme]

The Act (1984) EV release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0083518/ 4.4/10

ROBERT GINTY IS BACK! In case you hadn't guessed. Who is he? I'm not familiar with him. Still this is a brilliant cover as always from EV. Lasted quite a while they did but their early stuff was definitely the best. Though this released lacked that border around it in the style of the logo. Maybe it was a transitional period. Or they just decided not to on this occasion.

Shame the cover has been partly destroyed by added on certificates due to that BBFC ruling. 

Also this is an old scan (17th November 2009) so it's not as big as normal. Sorry.

Also I'm really tired right now so apologies if this isn't all that interesting.

And sorry if I've said sorry a bit much.

Enjoy a photo of an old christian indoctrination video instead:

[derekfme]

Thor the Conqueror (1983) Apex release (and a vhs haul)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0200211/ 2.6/10

Have I featured many fantasy films on here? I tend to think not. I prefer me sci I does. Anyway I seem to recall knowing someone once who had watched this and said it was supremely terrible but that was part of its charm. My podcast co host, Duncan Timiney often argues that terrible swords + sorcery is better than terrible stuff in any other genre. I tend to think that about sci fi.

I sold this recently and delayed sending it out for a day just so that I could scan it for you. I'm nice like that.

At the car boot sale today I bought this lot for £2.50:

[derekfme]

Under Siege (1986) Guild Release

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092132/7.2/10

Is this the highest rated picture I've ever scanned on here? Quite possibly. The mark does seem to come from 143 users so perhaps not the most convincing argument for it to be so good.

Typically for a guild release it comes in one of those brown cases with the guild embossing on the inside of the front cover. Certainly gives them that extra character. Not that often we see Kodak tape though. Note the handy arrow to show you which way it goes in your machine just in case you couldn't quite figure out from the way the writing is oriented.

On imdb it lists the film as being 180mins but on the tape it's only 148. Is it cut? Is it massively edited to remove dead wood? I think you'll find that being as it was a TV movie the 180 minutes would account for advert breaks. Aren't I clever in figuring that out, eh? EH? (No, we all guessed anyway - The Readers)

Anyway it's a lovely eye catching cover but I wonder if the running time ever put people off? Covers like this are obviously the reason for this tumblr.

Also if the quality of the scan isn't quite up to scratch it's probably because I'm using a different program to do it because I'm at work. Paint.net didn't seem to give as much dialogue for the scanner operation. I may have to re-scan it at home at some point. Or fetch the program from home. Aren't I good being so kind as to take time out of my busy schedule at work to scan in covers for you?