Name that movie!
February 22, 2021 3:05 PM Subscribe
I can't think of the name of a particular movie, but I remember the box the VHS tape came in.
I managed a video store from 1988-2003, and the name of a movie we had at the store at that time has completely escaped me. This may be one of those needle in a haystack things, but hopefully someone's brain is as random as mine, and can pinpoint what the movie was.
What I know/remember:
- It was a horror movie
- It feels like it was from a sub-Troma level studio that pumped out horror movies essentially every week, which tells you the quality this movie displayed
- It was a ripoff of Toxic Avenger, or at least stuck closely to "horrible accident turns person into monster" sort of theme
The detail that keeps me thinking about this movie, though, is the box it was sleeved in. It was a black box, with the outline of the creature and the name of the movie in, I think, sort of slime green (may have also been red), with the monster in raised relief on the front of the box. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: Press a button on the side of the box, and the monster's eyes lit up as red LED lights.
It's hinky as hell by 2021 standards, sure, but for a VHS box in the late 80's/early 90's, it was groundbreaking - no box did that. I wish I could tell you it was secretly a good movie, but it absolutely is/was not - but for the life of me, after all this time I can't remember the name of it, no matter how vividly I remember the box.
So there's your haystack. Anyone have a lead on the needle?
I managed a video store from 1988-2003, and the name of a movie we had at the store at that time has completely escaped me. This may be one of those needle in a haystack things, but hopefully someone's brain is as random as mine, and can pinpoint what the movie was.
What I know/remember:
- It was a horror movie
- It feels like it was from a sub-Troma level studio that pumped out horror movies essentially every week, which tells you the quality this movie displayed
- It was a ripoff of Toxic Avenger, or at least stuck closely to "horrible accident turns person into monster" sort of theme
The detail that keeps me thinking about this movie, though, is the box it was sleeved in. It was a black box, with the outline of the creature and the name of the movie in, I think, sort of slime green (may have also been red), with the monster in raised relief on the front of the box. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: Press a button on the side of the box, and the monster's eyes lit up as red LED lights.
It's hinky as hell by 2021 standards, sure, but for a VHS box in the late 80's/early 90's, it was groundbreaking - no box did that. I wish I could tell you it was secretly a good movie, but it absolutely is/was not - but for the life of me, after all this time I can't remember the name of it, no matter how vividly I remember the box.
So there's your haystack. Anyone have a lead on the needle?
Response by poster: BINGO!!!!!!!
The one I was thinking of was actually Dead Pit, from bgrebs' link, but your link got me there, dgeiser13! Thanks to both of you!
posted by pdb at 3:27 PM on February 22, 2021
The one I was thinking of was actually Dead Pit, from bgrebs' link, but your link got me there, dgeiser13! Thanks to both of you!
posted by pdb at 3:27 PM on February 22, 2021
I am so glad this was quickly solved because after your description, it was killing me because I definitely encountered that box as well and it was killing me.
posted by General Malaise at 4:23 PM on February 22, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by General Malaise at 4:23 PM on February 22, 2021 [3 favorites]
it was killing me because I definitely encountered that box as well and it was killing me.
Sure sounds like a horror movie.
posted by vrakatar at 4:53 PM on February 22, 2021 [8 favorites]
Sure sounds like a horror movie.
posted by vrakatar at 4:53 PM on February 22, 2021 [8 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
Imperial Home Entertainment 3D Light-up Cover for METAMORPHOSIS VHS in action!
posted by dgeiser13 at 3:19 PM on February 22, 2021