Why we love Horror VHS tapes
Our favourite time of the year is approaching, and we’re starting to be really excited.. yes, Halloween! Time to gather at a friend’s house, drink beer and eat candies. And most importantly, this is the perfect time to look back at our collection of cult Horror Movies from the 80s and 90s. We can’t wait to look back at those 80’s VHS covers that scared us when we were kids and feel the excitement once again.
When it’s Halloween we like to remember when we were younger, and there was no such thing as Netflix. We watched films on VHS, and a trip to the video store was a weekend ritual. For us, what would really make the trip to Blockbuster or local Video Rental Store was the art of those VHS covers. Walking down the aisle of old video stores, the horror section was the one that would make our heart stop. Those Horror VHS covers and the scary movie posters hanging on the walls would give us the creeps, make us laugh or stare in wonder.
We know that as designers it’s never easy to find Halloween artwork that isn’t corny or trivial. That’s why every year we try our best to collect some of the best Halloween artwork. In the past, we have talked about Halloween Creepy Movie Posters, or the most interesting Horror Fonts for Halloween-themed artwork.
VHS tapes are the quintessential 80s object, something we all remember fondly. We loved to watch our favorite movies again and again, we knew every glitch of those tapes. This year we looked back at our VHS collection and thought it was about time to show it to the world.
So here we are, many years later, on the scariest night of the year looking at VHS artwork like we were back at the video store, feeling like when we were much younger. You’ll find all the classics, like A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser and Friday the 13th, but also some obscure VHS tapes you might have never seen before.
We hope this collection of Horror VHS Covers gives you the creeps, inspires you and helps you find the perfect movie for tonight!
Chopping Mall- 1986
Terror Vision – 1986
The Wraith – 1986
Gate 2. Return to the Nightmare – 1990
A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge – 1985
House – 1985
Tainted Blood – 1993
Shocker – 1989
The Supernaturals – 1986
Poltergeist 3 – 1988
Nightmare Beach – 1989
Evilspeak – 1981
Neon Maniacs – 1986
Killbots (German version of Choppin Mall) – 1986
They Live – 1988
Pumpkin Head – 1988
Demonoid – 1981
Hellraiser – 1987
Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter – 1984
Friday The 13th Part VIII: Jason Takes Manhattan – 1989
Racing Fury – 1986
Maximum Overdrive – 1986
The Lost Boys – 1987
Christine – 1983
Primal Rage – 1990
Halloween II – 1981
From Beyond – 1986
The Nest – 1987
Death Ship – 1980
The Outing – 1987
Fright Night – 1985
Are VHS still around?
As with all 80s things, the technological innovation people were enjoying sound trivial right now, a time when everything we like is available anytime and anywhere. But VHS were pure magic at the time, as people were used to going to the cinema to watch a movie and missing their favorite program if they couldn’t be at home while it was on TV.
VHS tapes appeared around the end of the 70s, they were cheap and revolutionary: for the first time in history, anyone could watch a movie at home, again and again, moving back and forward on the tape send enjoying the best scenes again and again. For a generation that was used to going to the movies and seeing films on the big screen only, this was a radical change.
For two decades, the VHS was a symbol of modernity, of how technology could change life for the better. The new device was so powerful that it started a whole industry: home theater and video stores. Remember Blockbuster? Or even better, your local video store?
The history of VHS is over now, its decline started around the end of the 90s, when DVDs appeared. According to Hollywood history, the last movie to be released on VHS was A History of Violence in 2005, which marked the end of Hollywood releases on VHS tape.
Contemporary VHS Artwork
Today we love those horror VHS sleeves because they are rad objects, still around for nostalgics, horror lovers and collectors.
Lately, we have seen a rise in VHS aesthetics, thanks to a newfound taste for the 80s (might still be the influence of Stranger Things?). Old memory devices are being used for interesting artwork by designers, musicians and artists – we are thinking of the good old Floppy Disk and Cassette Tapes, iconic 80s objects. They are very popular for promoting music online or on social media, while some have gone far enough as to create a floppy disk label.
