To pin down the exact date would be difficult, but I remember where I was (a video store) and who I was with (Mike). At that age, the rentals completely depended on who was with me - comedy or TV and weird stuff would usually be picked with other friends. With Mike, though, we'd wander over to the Horror section. While there was the name or "known" titles, my instincts looking for the strange (a trait I carried over from Bloomington) was something he adjusted to pretty quick. Our definition of "good" didn't even exist. Something in each title would be worth it, and with unknown Horror titles, you know and they know the cover art will be key.
Sometimes it is artwork, sometimes a photo that has either nothing to do with the plot or isn't even in the film at all. That's all it takes to get the rental and now the wonder begins. Will it actually be good? Will it be bad/good? Will it be ok but include once specific scene that's worth it? Is a woman topless? There will be something, somewhere, worth our effort.
Fast forward. Beyond Donovan's store (which had many, many more unknown titles). The late, lamented FEARnet was a glorious place that did not discriminate (for better or worse) on the content. There were some titles we'd air that, honestly, didn't fit the genres at all. Some, at best, should have been left behind. The difference was the intended audience simply wouldn't let that happen. The loyalty of the Horror audience is genuine and strong, so even at my advanced age, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that titles I've never heard of (and, upon researching, were little-seen) received a Blu-Ray transfer with all sorts of goodies. The audience won't let it die.
It turns out there are more titles I've never heard of. A LOT of titles. So much so, that when Bleeding Skull released a list of "The 50 Best Trash-Horror films of the 1980's" I knew I had an assignment. The moment I sent it to Drew, he felt the same way. And so, in the coming months, he and I will review the titles from #50 to #1. How will we feel (besides fortified)? Will we watch something and find a hidden gem? Will either of us find one that we think is dog dung, all things aside? There's only one way to find out. Look at the cover art once again, pick it up off the shelf, and walk toward the counter. It's a couple bucks, nothing more. You have a few days to let the tape sit on top of the machine before you press play, and then...
