Shot-on-Video Horror
In 1987 I owned two mom-and-pop video stores in New Jersey, right at the time that a few horror movies were being shot on U-matic and VHS videotape. Calling upon my theatre friends we set out to try our hands at SOV, and Video Violence was the result, followed by Captives and the sequel Video Violence 2. Who knew that 25 years later these three films would still have life, remastered on DVD and Blu-Ray, along with a vinyl record of the soundtrack, and would become cult-classics. In fact, original VHS versions of the movies—when available—command high prices on eBay, infinitely more than they cost to make! You can find them on Amazon, in many versions, and on the Internet.
Documentaries
MUSIC ON MAGIC MOUNTAIN is an award-winning documentary about St. John Terrill's theater-in-the-round-under-a-tent theater in Lambertville, NJ. It featured well-known stars in Broadway musicals, and later, the biggest name sin folk and rock music.
HALLOWEENVILLE, also shot in Lambertville, celebrates the insane over-the-top way this sleepy river town embraces the holiday.
DVD copies are available—inquire.
In 1986 and 1987 I owned two mom-and-pop video store. During that time I had the naive audacity to direct 3 shot-on-video horror films, right around the time SOV was catching on.They were created based on an incident explored in the first film (the gal with the baby renting a video) and we had a blast making them. And although we sent screeners to several horror film distributors, never in my wildest dreams did I think these movies would turn into cult classics, enjoying "big box" VHS releases, restored DVD editions, re-releases on VHS and DVD, boxed-sets, documentaries, brand new Blu Ray editions with a great many interviews and commentaries, screenings in actually movie theaters and drive-ins, many dedicated fans at convention spots, exhorbitant prices on eBay, Gordon Ovsiews original synth score on both vinyl and cassettes, and the oddest highlight of all - the videos can be seen on television on the TUBI network.
Who knew?