A jubilant celebration of the greatest VHS cover art in all its gory glory -- which inspired
scared and delighted generations of movie-goers. For anyone who frequented a video store in
the ‘80s or ‘90s the styles are instantly recognizable: surprisingly beautiful paintings of
fanged and winged monsters ridiculously lurid depictions of young men and women in peril
illustrations so incompetently drawn as to qualify as outsider art absurdly overstuffed
photomontages. The home video revolution was accompanied by an explosion of all kinds of cover
art embodying the anything-goes ethos of an era when obscure cheaply produced movies—usually
with supernatural storylines and bottom-drawer special effects—could be distributed throughout
the world and watched from the comfort of one’s living room. Videotapes from Hell provides a
fascinating illustrated history of VHS cover art in all its glory from direct-to-video
oddities to major studio releases. Drawing on the expansive collection of world-renowned horror
expert Stephen Jones it collects nearly 500 pieces of period artwork accompanied by detailed
captions that give the history of the movie and its release dates in video format. In addition
to front-cover images and full-sleeve spreads it includes examples of promotional posters and
freestanding original artwork that was incorporated into box designs. Including a foreword
from beloved cult director Joe Dante ( Gremlins The ‘Burbs ) and commentary from horror
luminaries such as Ramsey Campbell Mick Garris Stephen King and many more Videotapes from
Hell is a garish and jubilant celebration of a lost genre ripe for rediscovery.
