Slashback Video

I’m not sure exactly what to say about this one, it was a bit like that Spider-man meme when I was like wait, that’s me? I walked into my own dream.

This is your video store? You do this too?

When I first went into Slasher World it was on Mikhail’s recommendation, and I wasn’t exactly sure what it was. I was initially attracted by this little Michael Myers Bobble Head doll behind a fence, I was thinking it similar to him behind the bush.

But then I look up and there’s a life-size Michael Myers on the porch of his house, albeit looking a bit thinner and confused.

I started thinking this was interesting, similar to something Tim had been talking to me about earlier this year. Next to Michael was Freddie Krueger on the porch of Nancy’s house—I was again seeing dioramas everywhere. These sets are a bit cookie cutter, but work for a photo-op—I do want to keep the socials out of bava.studio to be honest. The kids want it, but they don’t know the horror, the horror. Anyway, I was still not sure what the space was—something I’m used to with bava.studio.

Continuing to walk around I found a few shelves of over-priced VHS tapes—I got a nice copy of The Hills Have Eyes and Scanners, as well as a sub-par Blood Beach and I loved the whole thing.

Still unsure what to make of it all, we continued to the cashier and its there we learned the entire back of the space is an exhibit dedicated to an old school VHS store. Déjà vu! It was not only like walking into my Trento office (although awesomer), it was really similar to Reclaim Video, the once video store converted to the entrance of Reclaim Arcade,. Only difference is this one is dedicated entirely to horror films to keep with the space’s theme. I’m not gonna lie, it was pretty awesome, and part of me feels like I’m vindicated—Tim and I were bringing this to the folks of Fredericksburg years before it hit Melrose—and it was run by a robot! 🙂 The whole thing is pretty brilliant, and custom made for my interests—how insane is that?

It’s weird to see this stuff and not feel like I’m somehow part of a zeitgeist, however silly. The shared spirit of imagining media from another time and reflecting on its own particular design nuances is very satisfying, and as soon as I walked into this exhibit I was on the other side of the experience and I never get enough of that treat. So here’s a quick video walk-through and a bunch of photos with details from the shop.

The cashier area was a site to behold, the “I Love My VCR” sticker suggests the presence of Josh Schafer, a.k.a Lunch Meat, not sure but it feels like a project he might be behind.

I love the Jason and Leatherface Atari 2600 cartridges, both movies really had games for that console and I wonder if those are the actual cartridges—I never saw one of those. There is also The Crazies poster that I have in my basement, as well as a larger format Creepshow 2 poster, that I have a smaller version of in bava.studio.

You can almost see the They Live poster off to the right. They had two video games, but not original cabinets (that was a ding in the grade book) but playing Ghosts and Goblins and Splatterhouse.

But in the end it is all about the tapes:

And tapes:

And tapes:

And tapes:

They’re so beautiful!

I mean Slasher World even had a stuffed ermine on their walls…

Just like bava.studio:

What are the chances? I felt seen thanks for recommending we go in there, Mikhail, that was a total trip 🙂