Connect with us

News

Travel Back to The VCR Age of Horror at SLASHBACK VIDEO!

Published

on

The internet has made movie accessibility a breeze. If you want to find a movie to watch, you got Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, and all manner of streaming sites on top of Amazon ordering and local Red Box rentals. But it didn’t always used to be this way. Back in the day, the best way to find a specific movie, especially a horror movie, was to visit your local video store. Walking those hallowed aisles of VHS and later DVD divided by genre, alphabetical order, and new releases. Those days, and most video stores have gone the way of the dodo, though. Blockbuster all but a myth. But what if I were to tell you there was a place to witness the video rental days of old, complete with art pieces and other goodies? Then let’s take a trip down to SLASHBACK VIDEO!

An art installation event in Burbank, California located at the Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum, and presented alongside Blumhouse’s Ryan Turek with support by genre companies like Fright-Rags, Creepy Co., Waxwork Records, Phantom Carriage, and Mixtape Massacre. With that kind of pedigree, you know it’s a good time.

Visiting the store myself, it was like travelling to a wonderful alternate universe where not only video stores still existed, but there was an entire store devoted to the horror label. All across from another exhibit revolving around Ben Cooper Vintage Halloween Masks and costumes. There are dozens of rare and collectible genre titles to look at (but not physically touch) such as A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, HELLRAISER, and FRIDAY THE 13th, to obscure and gonzo titles like THE KEEP, STAGE FRIGHT, and SOLE SURVIVOR (The Slashback Video Pick of the Month). Slashback Video operates as a true art gallery for the video era. As so many movies tantalized with simple things like cover art and memorable titles.

The setting decorated with all things genre related and from the time long past. With inflatable promo items for THE CHILDREN OF THE CORN III: URBAN HARVEST and even JAWS: THE REVENGE. A small TV plays round the clock horror movies (I was lucky to see them play ARMY OF DARKNESS on a loop.) As well, there were several custom art pieces such as movie posters and VHS boxes featuring pop up monsters and items. All of which are for sale to video connoisseurs.

One of my favorite galleries was the ‘New Releases’ aisle. Featuring VHS versions of modern horror with retro overtones such as THE FINAL GIRLS and BEYOND THE GATES. As well as a multitude of faux VHS tapes made by artist/writer/comedian, Rob Schrab. Featuring ludicrously awesome titles and cover art like TREE-ANIMATOR, SHARK HOTEL, and CANNIBAL AIRLINES among many more.

 

And on top of everything else: They have a working SPLATTER HOUSE arcade cabinet with a quarter per play!

And yet, there is so much left to discover down the magnetic tape rabbit hole. So, if you’re in the Los Angeles area, and want to relive the golden age of horror rentals, or even give a history lesson to someone while looking at some kick-ass art, check out Slashback Video!

 

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Part Concert, Part Horror Movie M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Trap’ Trailer Released

Published

on

In true Shyamalan form, he sets his film Trap inside a social situation where we aren’t sure what is going on. Hopefully, there is a twist at the end. Furthermore, we hope it’s better than the one in his divisive 2021 movie Old.

The trailer seemingly gives away a lot, but, as in the past, you can’t rely on his trailers because they are often red herrings and you are being gaslit to think a certain way. For instance, his movie Knock at the Cabin was completely different than what the trailer implied and if you hadn’t read the book on which the film is based it was still like going in blind.

The plot for Trap is being dubbed an “experience” and we aren’t quite sure what that means. If we were to guess based on the trailer, it’s a concert movie wrapped around a horror mystery. There are original songs performed by Saleka, who plays Lady Raven, a kind of Taylor Swift/Lady Gaga hybrid. They have even set up a Lady Raven website to further the illusion.

Here is the fresh trailer:

According to the synopsis, a father takes his daughter to one of Lady Raven’s jam-packed concerts, “where they realize they’re at the center of a dark and sinister event.”

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, Trap stars Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills and Allison Pill. The film is produced by Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock and M. Night Shyamalan. The executive producer is Steven Schneider.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

News

Woman Brings Corpse Into Bank To Sign Loan Papers

Published

on

Warning: This is a disturbing story.

You have to be pretty desperate for money to do what this Brazilian woman did at the bank to get a loan. She wheeled in a fresh corpse to endorse the contract and she seemingly thought the bank employees wouldn’t notice. They did.

This weird and disturbing story comes via ScreenGeek an entertainment digital publication. They write that a woman identified as Erika de Souza Vieira Nunes pushed a man she identified as her uncle into the bank pleading with him to sign loan papers for $3,400. 

If you’re squeamish or easily triggered, be aware that the video captured of the situation is disturbing. 

Latin America’s largest commercial network, TV Globo, reported on the crime, and according to ScreenGeek this is what Nunes says in Portuguese during the attempted transaction. 

“Uncle, are you paying attention? You must sign [the loan contract]. If you don’t sign, there’s no way, as I cannot sign on your behalf!”

She then adds: “Sign so you can spare me further headaches; I can’t bear it any longer.” 

At first we thought this might be a hoax, but according to Brazilian police, the uncle, 68-year-old Paulo Roberto Braga had passed away earlier that day.

 “She attempted to feign his signature for the loan. He entered the bank already deceased,” Police Chief Fábio Luiz said in an interview with TV Globo. “Our priority is to continue investigating to identify other family members and gather more information regarding this loan.”

If convicted Nunes could be facing jail time on charges of fraud, embezzlement, and desecration of a corpse.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading