Charles Band, who currently runs Full Moon Features, started Wizard Video in 1980 and was a pioneer in the early days of the home video market. He specialized in horror flicks, and was responsible for first bringing titles like Halloween, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I Spit on Your Grave to the home market.
During a recent warehouse cleaning, Band discovered a treasure trove of original, mint-condition VHS boxes. These are not the typical cardboard slipcovers most people think about when they think of VHS boxes (those of us old enough to remember VHS.) These are oversized boxes - some cardboard, some plastic clamshell boxes - that had a brief run in the early 1980s before everyone moved to the cheaper, smaller cardboard sleeves.
Band is now releasing these original cases with authentic VHS reproductions of the movies inside. Rolling out four a month for the next nine months, some of the films haven't been available in any form for decades. Each film is limited to just a few hundred copies, with numbered spines and covers signed by Band. The first wave of videos is available now for $50 each.
Band also discovered original cases for Atari 2600 video games Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Halloween; releases for these planned for later in the year.
The full lineup is as follows. For more info and to purchase, visit WizardVideoCollection.com
FEBRUARY 12
RETURN OF THE ZOMBIES
TRAUMA
OASIS OF THE ZOMBIES
DEMONIAC
MARCH 12
A VIRGIN AMONG THE LIVING DEAD
FEAR
BREEDERS
HEADLESS EYES
APRIL
I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE
BLOOD CASTLE
MANDINGA
TORMENTOR
MAY
ZOMBIE
MONSTER HUNTER
SPACE VAMPIRES
THE SCREAMING DEAD
JUNE
SS EXPERIMENT
DREAMANIAC
SAVAGE ISLAND
EROTIKILL
JULY
ZOMBIE LAKE
SPACE ZOMBIES
ZOMBIETHON
BEST OF SEX & VIOLENCE
AUG
FILMGORE
HELLTRAIN
POSSESSOR
FAMOUS T&A
SEPT
THE INVISIBLE DEAD
BEAST
THE MISS NUDE AMERICA CONTEST
FIEND
OCT
FRAULEIN DEVIL
WHITE SLAVE
ESCAPE
PARASITE