Laughing out loud at the video store

[Dano]

I just got back from the video store where the kid working the register must think I'm nuts.  I saw TWO video covers that made me laugh out loud.

The first:  "Outrage" on the new release shelf.  The cover says: "One man is taking back the streets...  BY HIMSELF!"  The picture is of Rob Lowe of all people standing in the middle of a ghetto with a gun trying to look really really tough.  It just doesn't work for the 80s pretty boy (I was too young, did Charles Bronson used to star in teen comedies and get write-ups in Tiger Beat?).  I would also think that fans of his political fantasy show "The West Wing" will be confused seeing him in a vigilante justice flick.

The second: "Scream 3."  The next time you're at a video store check out the video cover for this.  Notice the pained look of desperation on Neve Campbell's face.  You can almost hear her weep: "Is this it?  Is THIS my career???"

Settled on "Frailty" and "Dog Soldiers."  

Anyone else ever find themselves cracking up in the video store when they see a certain video cover?

[Creepozoid]

Box art has become a lost art to say the least. I've seen great posterf or many DTV horror flicks and the box covers the studios pick look so gay. check out the DAGON cover. Man is that lame or what?

[AndyC]

Box art is rapidly becoming a lost art.

What I really hate is when classic movies that had decent box art are re-released with crappy new covers that looked like some kid slapped them together on a home PC. Why is this necessary?

Would you rather have the original box art for Army of Darkness, or a cheesy title slapped over a still from the movie?

I just bought a new DVD of Hercules in New York that has a later picture of Arnold, just a generic front double biceps shot, superimposed over a New York skyline from the late 90s.

[Scottie]

I do this all the time where I get my movies. The place down the street from me has been open for the past 20 years, so they have movie from back when they first opened up, meaning lots of old horror movies with big boxes, and action mvies from the 80's I've never even dreamed of imagining. Here's a couple horror and sci-fi movies that really took the cake.

-2000 Maniacs (biiiig box)
-Project Metalbeast
-A*P*E
-Robot Monster (I think it's the Rhino version. Made to look bad I guess)
-Robo C.H.I.C. (Yes I HAVE seen that awful, awful, AWFUL movie. The review on this site is dead on)
-NightForce (80's action looking to the max)
-Gore-Met Zombie Chef From Hell (Ahahaaaahahahaaa!!!!)
-Microwave Massacre
-The Mad Butcher
-Shocking Asia

I could go on for another 20 titles if i could take my computer to the video store down the street, and sit down in the aisles, but I can't so that is what I come up with from the top of my head.

-Scott-

[mr. henry]

i got a kick out of a "Munchies" dvd on the NEW releases shelf...

-mr. henry

[Neville]

Whenever I visit the local videostore with my friends I have this recurrent joke, to propose the lamest movie I can find, usually Dolph Lundgren or Christopher Lambert stuff. This always ends in big laughs. Also remember myself laughing out loud when I saw a video-sequel of Dallas which promised the return of J.R. The cover design made it look like a horror film, with abandoned oil machinery and the shadow of J.R. and his hat superimposed. Another time I laughed at a Eddie Murphy paper manequin - somebody had beheaded it.

[Squishy]

Ugh, I actually saw "Outrage" on telly. Lowe reports some spoiled preppie punks to the cops for vandalizing cars, and their revenge tit-for-tat keeps escalating until Lowe's pregnant wife is endangered yadda yadda yadda. How bad? Let me just say this: the otherwise-by-the-numbers script requires the leader of the punks to go out of his way to incriminate himself--twice--and the finale suggests that police will release a man just involved (as a key player) in an armed hostage situation to WALK HOME from the crime scene. Nobody's "taking back the streets;" it's just Lowe versus The Good Son and his henchnerds. I'd actually recommend it, as it is wincingly funny-bad and otherwise wholly unengaging of one's emotions (try as it might).

[Dano]

So basically it's "Straw Dogs" meets "Beverly Hills 90210"?

That's even funnier than the picture on the DVD case.  I just might rent this one someday.  After all, the video store is between my house and my favorite bar.