Editorial: The Straight to Video Generation

We all know the big names in horror; most are memorable to everyone, whether they are fans or not. Some movies were destined to be mass-produced. Some movies, however, never hit the theaters. These are movies I love, and I cherish the moments from the “old days” where there was a good chance you were gonna find some awesome straight-to-video release. In the 90s, horror took a different course. We had blockbusters such as the Scream franchise, but if you look past the glamour and overexposure, there was so much better put out at the time. We were coveted by movies that would never be shown at a place that sells stale popcorn and overpriced candy.

Why was straight-to-video such a big deal? Because if you had an appetite for horror, you were going to have to familiarize yourself with these movies, because there wasn’t any other hope. Deep in the underground we were given slashers who kill at the sight of boobs, it could also get pretty raunchy. Before Misty Mundae made the scene, we were ready for it. However; she turned horror into raunchy softcore porn, it was a really weird time for the horror industry. However there indie movies always existed, the best, and the worst of them.

Finding Fortune At the Video Store

You had to take that extra step for a straight-to-video movie that was going to be hit or miss. The movies you had to read the back cover of just to see if it was worth watching. Most times, you weren’t gonna be let down with a bloody mess and cheesy gore. The acting in these movies was terrible, just like they were supposed to be. Troma had a pretty strong grip on the independent horror scene. Everyone wanted to go over the top more and more with the movies they pushed out for us. Horror was rampant in the 90’s, it just didn’t exist to big Hollywood.

Starting Point

A lot of A-list actors got their start one movies you have never heard of, 90% of them are horror movies. It doesn’t matter how big a celebrity gets, they got their start somewhere. Unfortunately, we don’t have any horror streaming platforms that offer these movies. They are just forgotten in time. However, I have a lot of good memories with movies no one has ever heard of. These are movies that inspired you to stick with horror movies. The whole genre is different now. Everyone wants to win awards, no one is doing anything for just the fun of it.

You used to be able to tell the mood of the movie just by the terrible acting, it made you want to see that person die in a horrible way. Horror is easy to follow when you have no expectation. Instead of Jordan Peele movies that are holding the genre hostage, however, we have seen a giant rise of independent horror with movies like Terrifier 3 and yet another Scream movie. These movies shaped my love for horror in a different way and made me fall in love all over again. Horror is such a broad genre, anyone can make what they want with a few simple rules. Go direct that movie with your phone, it makes watching so much more worth it.

What are your favorite straight to video hidden gems? Tell us in the comments!