Compared to the 70s or 80s, the 90s were a time of major transition for home entertainment. By the end of the decade, VHS was out and DVD was in. Along with this change came the loss of VHS cover art. When it comes to horror movies, old VHS covers are revered by genre fans.
The style of these covers changed a lot in the 90s, as artists transitioned from paper and pen to computers and photography. Instead of uniquely peculiar art, production companies insisted the covers for their films spotlight the biggest stars. Despite this, some 90s VHS covers retained the visual power of their predecessors. This list showcases 10 of the best.
In The Mouth Of Madness (1994)
John Carpenter's tribute to the work of seminal horror author H.P. Lovecraft tells the story of famed horror novelist named Sutter Cane and the private investigator hired to track him down. Sam Neill plays the investigator, John Trent, and Jürgen Prochnow plays Cane.
The time-lapsed, multi-exposure cover for the film features John Trent's screaming face extending from an open book. The cover also uses Carpenter's signature font, one made famous by the Halloween franchise.
A Cat In The Brain (1990)
A movie from one of the masters of Italian slashers, Lucio Fulci, A Cat in the Brain is one of his final works. Fulci stars as a fictionalized version of himself in this meta account of an anguished horror filmmaker.
While it's simple, the VHS cover is a catchy piece of visual mayhem that represents the psychological turmoil depicted in the movie. It also pays homage to graphic artist Saul Bass, the man responsible for multiple Alfred Hitchcock movie posters.
The Dark Half (1993)
The creepy and gothic cover for George Romero's adaptation of Stephen King's novel gets its point across without overdoing it. The Dark Half stars Timothy Hutton as a writer who publishes works under two pen names.
As Thad Beaumont, Hutton's character publishes complex literary novels. As George Stark, he writes popular thrillers. The film takes off when George Stark takes physical form and begins tormenting Thad Beaumont.
Two Evil Eyes (1990)
Two horror geniuses joined forces to make this film. George Romero and Dario Argento each direct a different tale inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's works. The VHS cover for the movie looks like the cover for an early 1980s paranormal suspense novel.
Like the cover, the film harkens back to classic horror. Romero's film stars Adrienne Barbeau, and Argento's film stars Harvey Keitel. The former is a retelling of "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar," and the latter is based on "The Black Cat."
Head Of The Family (1996)
A comedic B-horror film that doesn't take itself very seriously, A Head in the Brain stars a Southern family of mutant siblings. Born as quintuplets, the Stackpools are not normal humans. Instead, each sibling possesses a distinctive trait that makes them a total person only when together.
The brain, Myron, is honored on the VHS cover: an oversized head with hands that control his mechanical wheelchair. Myron psychically rules over his brothers and sisters with nefarious ends in mind.
Ticks (1993)
Taking queues from creature features of yesteryears, the ridiculous cover for Ticks takes tick-phobia to the next level. Clint Howard plays a marijuana grower who experiments with steroids in order to make his plants grow faster. The run-off from his weed farm causes all the local ticks to mutate.
An unsuspecting ground of young campers come into the picture, where they are quickly taken out by the gigantic pests. The movie also stars Seth Green and Peter Scolari.
Shadowzone (1990)
The terror that takes shape on the cover of Shadowzone is a hybrid rip-off of the creatures in the films it claims to outdo: Alien and The Thing. But the alien invader in this film will never approach a Xenomorph.
Shadowzone's plot also steals from classic science fiction and horror mash-ups. Scientists experimenting with sleep discover a portal to a parallel universe. From within the portal, an ET comes forth, haunting sleep study patients in their dreams.
Dead Alive (1987)
Released outside the United States as Braindead, this gorefest is an early feature from Peter Jackson - yes, that Peter Jackson. Its iconic VHS cover art is a throwback to classic zombie films. It also hints at the excessive body horror to come for anyone who presses play.
In Dead Alive, set in Jackson's homeland New Zealand, a rabid rat-monkey sets off an unfortunate chain of events that turns residents of a small town into ravenous, frothy-mouthed zombies.
Crystal Force (1990)
There's a lot happening in the VHS cover for Crystal Force, a New Age nightmare for a new decade. The crystal that serves as the centerpiece for the art here is also the centerpiece of the movie.
When Hope's husband John dies, an old man approaches her at his funeral. Hope believes he's a kind mourner. In reality, he's a demonic pariah who has targeted the grieving widow as a life force to be channeled into his dark arts.
Dr. Giggles (1992)
The green lasers emanating from his eyes should be enough to tell anyone Dr. Giggles is a madman. This slasher film stars Larry Drake as the titular villain, the son of a murderous doctor who breaks out of a mental asylum and continues his father's life work.
With his outlandish laugh, Dr. Giggles stalks the residents of a fictional town named Moorehigh, ending their lives in brutal ways.