As his appearance in the SXSW documentary on the VHS phenomenon (REWIND THIS!) draws near, Full Moon Pictures’ Charles Band has gone clamshell crazy, unearthing a warehouse worth of original Wizard Video oversized VHS packaging for cult and obscure horror flicks. Beginning next week is a nine-month sale of said boxes for (and duped copies of) titles like DEMONIAC, HEADLESS EYES, ZOMBIE, I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE, TRAUMA and much, much more.

As the announcement tells it, over a span of 3-4 years, Wizard Video published eighty titles in the large-format boxes. Thirty-five years after the packaging’s popularity died out, Band and his excavation team uncovered the original big VHS boxes of thirty-six of these rare titles in mint condition, between two hundred to four hundred copies per title.

I’ve bolded boxes, because in case of any confusion, the next piece of the release reads “Each box will be hand-numbered on the spine and autographed by Charles Band and will include an authentically duplicated VHS copy.” Further, and once again, “Beginning February 12th and for every month thereafter four of these 36 Wizard Video big box VHS cassettes will go on sale. They will contain the original program newly duplicated on VHS in a black clam shell which will be in the original box. Each original box will be numbered based on quantities found (IE x180 original boxes were found of RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES so therefore the numbers will start at 01/180, then 02/180 and all the way thru 180/180) and each box will be signed by Charles Band.”

Whether $50 for a vintage VHS case and a newly duped cassette is worth it is up to you, the collector. I suspect many will appreciate and cherish the history and décor of such, but it’s best to be as clear as possible here. You can see Band's history of Wizard Video and his outlining of the plan below. 

February 12 sees RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES, TRAUMA, OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES and DEMONIAC up for grabs. In the weeks and months to come after, you’ll find FEAR, A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD, BLOOD CASTLE, SPACE VAMPIRES and PARASITE all available. You can find the entire list of films and dates at Wizard Video Collection. 

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