The Days of Rental Have Gone

So I was actually going to write a post of movie decades and whilst researching, it made me remember how I used to choose horrors at the video store (long before the days of Netflix and Amazon prime)  in the little town I grew up we had a little video rental store called Forward Video.

 Friday nights were the days we could choose and this was all by the cover, the artwork was incredible and I appreciate it so much more now.

The 1950s to early 90s had some of the best video tape covers for horrors. After all, that was the first thing you saw. So here is my list of video tape covers.


1) Robot Holocaust 1986

Directed by Tim Kinkaid.

This cover takes me back to my childhood growing up watching Saturday cartoons, He-man and Transformers. It has a definite 80s feel to it. 

 2) The Video Dead 1987

Directed by Robert Scott.

This cover was one of my favourites from searching, it's like a Demonic Johnny 5. I've never seen this movie but after looking at the cover I'm definitely going to watch it, a review will be posted.

 3) Chopping mall 1986

Directed by Jim Wynorski

I recently watched this movie and I didn't mind it, wasn't one of the best movies of the 80s but it was a fun, cheesy ride. The cover definitely would have peaked my attention at my local video store. 

 4)  A cat in the brain (nightmare concert) 1990

Directed by Lucio Fulci

I love this 90s cover. It feels very 70s to me and has a very eerie vibe to the cover. It's not one I could forget.

 5) The brain 1988

Directed by Edward Hunt.

I love creature features, it's one of my favourite genre of horrors, the likes of Basket case, The Ghoulies always appeals to me. So when I saw this cover it had to be added to my list. I love the slogan aswell "mind over matter"

 6) Zipperface 1992.

Directed by Mansour Pourmand

Another 90s one but this one is purely for the title. Zipperface.. it feels like a villain from Power rangers. "It's morphin' time"

7) Slaughter high 1986

Directed by Marc Ezra and Peter Litten 

This one is too cool for school.. 

This is another I have yet to watch but after seeing the cover I'm going to check it out. 

8) Waxwork 1988

Directed by Anthony Hickox

Another one with great slogans "stop on by give afterlife a try" 

This cover just oozes creepiness, I could see it being rented out all the time. 

9) Seedpeople 1992

Directed by Manoogian 

Another creature feature, this cover is purely on here for the humour factor. I don't get scared by it, I just want to laugh every time I look at it. It's another I haven't watched but I will give it a whirl. 

10) Return of the living dead. 1985

Directed by Dan O'Bannon

This one sticks out to me as it looks like an 80s comic book, the artwork on this is phenomenal. When I see covers like this it definitely makes miss the days of video rental. 

Thanks for reading, Did this post make you miss the days of video rental? 

Let me know your favourites. 

Tash.