VHS OF THE WEEK: Robocop - The Future of Law Enforcement

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1991

Back in the '80s we would get cartoons based on 'R' rated movies, and more often than not, the cartoons were great. Where else would you get to see Rambo take on a ninja other than in Rambo: The Force of Freedom? In Robocop's case, Marvel produced a comic series based on the cyborg cop along with his very own animated show. A few of the episodes were released onto VHS under the 'Marvel Video' banner.

Out of the Robocop series, 'Man in the Iron Suit' is one of the better - and thematically darker - episodes. Well worth a viewing! The video box also presents us with some nice artwork of Robocop in action. Note Robocop's cylon-like visor!

Chiller Theatre: Halloween 1996

The spring Chiller Theatre is going on this very weekend, so it's only fitting that we glance back at one of their past conventions. We've featured the Halloween 1996 program. Continue below to find out who the 'Special Guest Stars' were for that year and what the schedule of events looked like.

Featured Comic: Detective Comics #671

Published in February 1994, Detective Comics #671 featured Batman going up against an assortment of Hollywood monsters. In reality, these "monsters" were just thugs dressed in costume (under the employ of the Joker no less). 

VHS OF THE WEEK: Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1992

One of the best Star Trek specials to ever be released!

Advertising Wasteland: Super 8 Home Movies

1970's advertisement for Super 8 home movies on 200' reels. Each featured around 12 minutes worth of selected scenes, edited down to form a somewhat coherent 'film'. Available were the original five Planet of the Apes films, Rodan, The Giant Behemoth, Godzilla vs. The Thing, Ghidrah: The Three Headed Monster, Battles of Ghidrah, and Return of Captain Marvel.

The Chucky Hotline

A while back we covered the Freddy Hotline that existed in the late '80s.  It was a 900 number where fans could "talk" to A Nightmare on Elm Street's Freddy Krueger. That must have been somewhat of a success, because by 1991 Chucky from the Child's Play films had his very own 900 number!

Featured Model Kit: Monarch's Ghost of Castel Mare

 

Released by Monarch, The Ghost of Castel Mare is a stunning plastic model kit with exceptional detail and a bounty of accessories.  

VHS OF THE WEEK: Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1991

"Godzilla meets his cosmic double," the back of the VHS cover states not once, but twice! We'll technically it's his mechanical double, because the Big-G takes on MechaGodzilla in this outing. In the early '90s a number of other VHS companies had labeled this film with its correct title, "Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla." United American Video Corporation mixed things up a bit, which may have confused buyers. Back in 1991 people weren't frequenting the internet, so for an uncertain G-fan, Godzilla vs. The Cosmic Monster may have very well sounded like a different film from Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla, only to find out when they got the VHS home that it was the same movie! The generic description on the back of the box doesn't help matters and one can't put too much stock in an United American VHS cover (back in February we posted their misleading box art for Godzilla vs. Megalon). However, they nailed the cover here, which is nothing short of fantastic.

Back in the early-to-mid '90s this VHS was found in a bargain section of a video store for $2 (brand new at the time, too!). What's truly amazing is that the film is in SP mode, meaning that it's the best quality one could have had on VHS.

Featured Comic: Marvel Team-Up #93

This May 1980 issue of Marvel Team-Up had Spider-Man joining forces with the Werewolf (from Marvel's Werewolf By Night title), to combat Tatterdemalion - a sinister criminal who could manipulate his ragged clothing as if the cloth itself were alive! Horror of horrors!

"He's Back" (The Man Behind The Mask) 45 Rpm Record

Alice Cooper's He's Back (The Man Behind The Mask) served as the theme song to Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. The single was released in 1986 as a 45 rpm record. Side A featured the title song while side B was comprised of a 1976 live recording of Billion Dollar Babies.

He's Back would also end up as the last track on Alice Cooper's Constrictor album, along with Teenage Frankenstein, which had been been featured in Jason Lives. The only Alice Cooper song that was heard in the film to never get a legitimate album release was Hard Rock Summer - though it would eventually make it out on the 4-disc CD box set, The Life and Crimes of Alice Cooper.

Comic Book Rewind: Jason vs. Leatherface

Back in 1995 TOPPS Comics released a 3-issue mini-series featuring Friday the 13th's Jason Voorhees locked in mortal (immortal?) combat with Leatherface from A Texas Chainsaw Massacre. While not the popular Freddy vs. Jason monster-bash everyone had been waiting for, Jason vs. Leatherface actually plays out better than New Line's 2003 film did. 

VHS OF THE WEEK: Saturday the 14th

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1983

There's a Friday the 13th coming up this week, but once Saturday rolls around all of the camp counselor slaughtering fun is over, right? Not so...the real fun begins with Saturday the 14th, a horror/comedy that really has nothing to do with spoofing any of the Friday the 13th films. Even so, it's still a great horror movie parody. A sequel titled Saturday the 14th: Part II (of course) was also released.

Comic Book Rewind: When Jason Went To Hell

By the early '90s Paramount was no longer running the Friday the 13th franchise, having sold off the character's rights to New Line Cinema. Not wasting much time, Jason Goes To Hell: The Final Friday was pushed into production. New Line had been notorious for financially milking the Nightmare on Elm Street franchise with marketing tie-ins, so it was only natural that they would do the same with Friday the 13th. Lo and behold, a comic book adaptation of Jason Goes To Hell hit the stands in '93. 

Featured Model Kit: The Gunslinger from Westworld

This built-and-painted resin model kit depicts 'the gunslinger' robot (played by the indomitable Yul Brynner) in the 1973 film, Westworld.

Planet of the Apes Action Figures (2002 Release)

Originally released by Medicom Toys in Japan, these highly detailed Planet of the Apes action figures made it over to North America back in 2002. 

VHS OF THE WEEK: Predator 2

VHS RELEASE DATE: 1991

Usually VHS covers were to be admired for their artwork, however, when FOX Video released Predator 2 onto Home Video they went with a simple, yet effective, shot of a cityscape and a tag-line from the original movie poster.