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Trapped on VHS: 10 Fun Horror Movies Only Available on Tape

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Necronomicon Book of the Dead

There’s no denying that VHS is the inferior home video format these days. Once DVD, then Blu-ray, and now digital releases came along, videotapes were cast aside for good reason. But it’s hard to completely dismiss them; the quality might be a bummer by comparison, but there are so many films that are still stuck on VHS. Films that never even made it to DVD, well before the era of high-def.

Here are just 10 fun horror movies that are still to this day only available on VHS.


Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County

Alien Abduction Incident in Lake County

A year prior to the release of The Blair Witch Project, this made for TV movie left viewers in confusion and concern thanks to its pseudo-documentary style. As for plot, it begins with a normal Thanksgiving family gathering, complete with drinking and bickering. It’s all ordinary until aliens show up, and things get super creepy. Shot on videotape, the style and eeriness stirred up controversy post-airing; viewers weren’t sure if what they’d just watched was real footage or fiction. It’s a spooky alien abduction tale rendered even spookier with the lo-fi quality, but this rare Thanksgiving genre outing has been stuck on VHS since its arrival.


Blue Monkey

Despite the title, there are no actual blue monkeys in this movie. A man pricks his finger on an exotic plant, develops a serious infection and is transported to a hospital just in time for a larval parasite to spew forth from his mouth. The hospital is put under quarantine when the infection spreads, and meddling kids cause the parasite to grow into a giant insect creature that wreaks havoc. It’s every bit as over the top and ‘80s as it sounds, and it’s still waiting for an updated release.


The Kindred

In 2017, news broke that this long-delayed 1987 horror film would finally get a DVD and Blu-ray release through Synapse Films after over a decade of legal issues to sort through. That release was intended for last year, but alas, it’s looking like the legal issues have continued and delayed any actual release indefinitely. The creature feature stars David Allen Brooks as a man who discovers he has a baby brother; or rather, a monstrous infant experiment created by his late mother. This one is a gory, slimy creature feature that isn’t on the same level as say, Aliens or The Fly, but still a fun entry that will hopefully get that updated release someday.


Necronomicon: Book of the Dead

Necronomicon Book of the Dead

You can find bootleg DVDs or international imports of this fantastic horror anthology, but stateside it’s currently trapped on VHS and awaiting a proper upgrade. It’s a shame too, because between Jeffrey Combs as H.P. Lovecraft (more like if Lovecraft was Indiana Jones), and Brian Yuzna’s affinity for ooey gooey, bloody special makeup effects, this anthology deserves a much bigger following than it has.


Spookies

On paper, the plot seems simple; a sorcerer attempts to sacrifice a group of trespassers so he can give their vitality to his dying wife. Yet what actually transpires is a lot more confusing and convoluted than that in this wacky, anything goes creature feature; nearly all of which has to do with the behind the scenes drama, which saw legal and creative issues causing all sorts of chaos and catastrophic fall out. Eventually, a new director was brought on to shoot additional scenes and piece together a movie from the already shot footage, resulting in a disjointed creature feature that’s never made it to DVD or Blu-ray. And may never.


Grim Prairie Tales

A horror western anthology featuring Brad Dourif and James Earl Jones in the wraparound segment? Yes, please. This 1990 release slipped onto home video with little to no fanfare and has remained in obscurity since. Like all anthologies, not every segment works. But it’s a fun, western kind of twist to something more in the vein of the Twilight Zone.


Dream Demon

Diana is on the cusp of getting married. Instead of traditional cold feet, she’s having terrifying nightmares of demons. But when she wakes, she’s discovering the demons might be escaping into her waking world. A surreal horror film in the same vein as Paperhouse, with a little Hellraiser and Inception thrown in for good measure, this obscure British horror film slipped through the cracks thanks to the bankruptcy of its distributor. A distributor that happened to be co-producer along with three other production companies, making for a super confusing rights ownership dilemma. So, this interesting entry in horror is likely to remain obscure.


Mister Frost

If you’re a regular reader, this entry shouldn’t surprise you. The 1990 supernatural thriller gives a devilish twist to the serial killer film. Jeff Goldblum delivers a chilling performance as Mr. Frost, the serial killer who turns himself in and causes trouble for the psychiatrist out to discover his true identity. Despite positive critical buzz, it didn’t make an impact at all at the box office and fell into anonymity. Mister Frost did receive a now out of print DVD release overseas, but stateside? It’s still as elusive as Mr. Frost himself.


Night Life

Scott Grimes is best recognized in the horror community for his role as plucky hero Brad in the first two Critters films, but he also battled the undead once in this underseen late ‘80s film. Here he plays Archie, a bullied high school nerd who works part-time at his uncle’s mortuary. When his bullies are killed in a car accident, they’re brought to his job, where a freak lightning storm resurrects them. They resume harassing poor Archie in this zombie-lite horror comedy. Night Life (aka Grave Misdemeanors, 1989) sticks to traditional tropes of its subgenre, but adds a fun ‘80s high school twist. It has also never gotten a proper release beyond VHS; save for some unofficial overseas DVDs you can find online.


The Keep

The good news is that this early ‘80s horror movie is easy enough to watch via digital rental. The bad news is that thanks to rights issues with Tangerine Dream’s score and writer/director Michael Mann’s disownment of the movie, it’s not going to be transferred to DVD or Blu-ray anytime soon. Boasting an all-star cast, The Keep sees Nazis taking refuge in an ancient keep, where they inadvertently free an old evil. Only a Jewish historian, his daughter, and an otherworldly stranger can help.

Horror journalist, RT Top Critic, and Critics Choice Association member. Co-Host of the Bloody Disgusting Podcast. Has appeared on PBS series' Monstrum, served on the SXSW Midnighter shorts jury, and moderated horror panels for WonderCon and SeriesFest.

Editorials

Six Shot-on-VHS Horror Movies to Watch After ‘Frogman’

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Frogman VHS

Nostalgia is a funny thing. From the unexpected resurgence of vinyl to modern-day flip phones, it’s pretty clear that the technical limitations of the past can often inspire the stylish trends of the future. One of my favorite examples of this is the ongoing analog horror craze, as I find it fascinating how many of the genre’s major creators appear to have been born after the decline of VHS tapes and eerie PSAs.

It’s almost like there’s a subconscious understanding that some stories are best told through fuzzy visuals and heavily compressed audio, which is why I appreciate flicks like Anthony Cousins’s Found Footage throwback Frogman, a cryptozoology-inspired scary movie that dares to incorporate lo-fi aesthetics into its storytelling during a time when most studios encourage filmmakers to make their projects look as generically slick and polished as possible. And if you also enjoyed Frogman and are on the lookout for more VHS-based gems, Bloody-Disgusting has got you covered, as we’ve come up with a list highlighting six shot-on-VHS classics for your viewing pleasure.

As usual, don’t forget to comment below with your own favorite analog thrillers if you think we missed a particularly spooky one. I’d also like to give a shout-out to Bloody-Disgusting’s own long-running V/H/S series, which won’t be included here for obvious reasons.

Now, onto the list…


6. Zero Day (2003)

School shootings are one of the scariest realities of the modern world, but the complicated political elements behind these tragedies mean that most genre filmmakers don’t even try to tell stories about them. There are a few exceptions, however, and one of the most notable is Ben Coccio’s Zero Day, a deeply uncomfortable Found Footage character study that explores just how far ill-intentioned teenagers might go to prove a point.

Inspired by the real-world Columbine Basement Tapes, in which the mass-murderers kept a record of their plans and motivations, Coccio’s film follows a fictional video diary where troubled friends Andre and Calvin discuss their homicidal intentions. Another case where the gritty visuals make the story hit even harder, I’d recommend this one for discerning fans of True Crime media.


5. August Underground (2001)

Out of all the movies on this list, Fred Vogel’s August Underground is simultaneously one of the most fascinating and the hardest to recommend. A simulated snuff film following the exploits of a degenerate serial killer and his deranged filmmaker friend, the low production value and amateurish visuals make this shot-on-video experience even more uncomfortable as you begin to question if it really is just a movie.

And while Vogel would go on to expand on this controversial production with a series of slightly more agreeable sequels that boasted improved visuals, none of the follow-ups can quite compare to the raw thrills of the original. Just make sure that you don’t accidentally pick this one for family movie night if you dare to give it a watch.


4. WNUF Halloween Special (2013)

Frogman VHS list

The only entry on this list produced after the decline of VHS-based media, this 2013 classic still holds up as a convincing masterclass in authentic period-piece horror. A simulated recording of a public access show gone terribly wrong, the WNUF Halloween Special should be on everyone’s spooky season watchlist – though I’d argue that it’s best enjoyed as a background conversation piece during Halloween parties.

From the hilarious yet extremely believable retro advertisements to the not-so-subtle hints of the satanic panic motivating the story, this is a delightful experience even if you weren’t alive back when this kind of TV was still on the air.

And if you like this one, don’t forget to check out the Out There Halloween Mega Tape, which was made by the same director.


3. The McPherson Tape (1989)

Originally made popular by bootleg copies circulating the underground VHS trading scene, there’s no discussing shot-on-video horror without bringing up one of the grandaddies of modern-day Found Footage, the legendary McPherson Tape. Also known as UFO Abduction, this homemade thriller follows a birthday party gone wrong as the Van Heese family is visited by extraterrestrials.

While the flick works better as a terrifying hoax rather than a proper movie due to its odd pacing and general lack of traditional story structure, it’s still a must-watch for Found Footage fans. Just be sure to track down the gritty original, not the 1998 remake, Alien Abduction: Incident in Lake County.


2. Ghostwatch (1992)

Frogman VHS movies

The term “made-for-TV” used to carry some seriously negative connotations in the world of film, with most audiences assuming that this kind of classification meant that they were about to watch low-budget schlock unsuitable for the big screen. However, there were plenty of clever filmmakers that managed to turn the limitations of broadcast television into storytelling tools, and a great example of this is Stephen Volk’s excellent mockumentary, Ghostwatch.

Starring real TV host Sir Michael Parkinson and borrowing details from the infamous Enfield Poltergeist case, this controversial TV special attempted to do for hauntings what Orson Welles’s War of the Worlds radio adaptation did for aliens. And while we’ve seen scarier Found Footage ghost stories in the decades since Ghostwatch premiered, I’d argue that the chilling authenticity behind the production makes it well worth revisiting in 2024.


1. America’s Deadliest Home Video (1993)

Jack Perez’s pioneer POV thriller may not be that well known these days, but this obscure little gem is actually responsible for many Found Footage tropes that we now take for granted. Telling the story of an amateur cameraman who finds himself being kidnapped by a group of criminals during a road trip, this video diary from hell still holds up as a horrific example of grounded Found Footage.

While some questionable acting and convenient story beats sometimes break the carefully crafted immersion, America’s Deadliest Home Video stands out by not only being one of the first of its kind, but also by embracing its amateurish roots instead of being embarrassed by them.


Frogman, which actually was released on VHS, is now available on VOD outlets.

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