Customer Reviews

Video Violence 1 & 2

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Please, pick up this DVD. If you're a fan of low-budget consumer camcorder shot movies from the 80s (and especially if you tried to make them) you'll love it. Video Violence 1 is actually a great movie, with a great story. It centers around a small community with a secret that gets "exposed" when someone returns the wrong video to the local video rental store. Pretty neat! Acting is above average for most lower budget flicks from this time. PLUS, there are tons of shots of the interior of an awesome video rental store with big box rentals. Now that's already a part of americana's past. Video Violence 2 is not quite the thriller that part 1 is, but it has it's moments. It's a much more humerous sequel. Still good, though.
Pick it up and have a pizza party!

I've never heard of these movies until I saw a guy that goes by the name, "Coolduder", and I just had to have it. The acting is a bot cheesy, but what can you expect, it's a great low budget movie, that is surprisingly entertaining, this is a MUST OWN for movie goers :)

I found VIDEO VIOLENCE, a shot-on-video horror movie from 1987, to have an interesting social commentary in its depiction of a small town obsessed with making their own "splatter" films. We live in a time where people are videotaping things like tornadoes, fights, and stunt attempts; the Internet, and YouTube in particular, has made it easier for people to achieve some kind of recognition. Watching VIDEO VIOLENCE today, it's not hard to find parallels between the storyline and what's happening with the Internet today. The sequel, which takes the splatter to public-access television, further exemplifies this point, especially the commercials. Intentionally or not, VIDEO VIOLENCE is right up there with THE RUNNING MAN (of the same year) and David Cronenberg's VIDEODROME as a strangely prophetic depiction of the lengths people will go to see sex and violence.

Gary P. Cohen states in the interview that this movie came about after a mother entered the video store where he worked (with a 5 year-old daughter in tow, no less) and rented I DISMEMBER MAMA. The mother asked if it had any nudity, and Cohen said that he didn't know but it had violence. The mother said that as long as it had no nudity, it would be acceptable for kids to watch. (There's a re-enactment of that moment in VIDEO VIOLENCE.) This also adds a satirical element in that it takes on the concerns of most people that violent movies cause people to commit violent acts. (The "Pizza Boy" scene in VIDEO VIOLENCE 2 furthers this point.) If one were to remake VIDEO VIOLENCE, it would make for an interesting satire on the Internet era and how people are affected by it.

I had no experience with "SOV" horror films before watching Video Violence, but I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with it. The gore effects are excellent, and in a world obsessed with CGI nowadays, it's always good to see practical gore effects done so well. For the most part, it's a fairly light-hearted and over the top little movie, but there are a few scenes which are genuinelly unnerving. The acting is OK-(highlights include The Sheriff and Eli) and although the script has a few plotholes, you really have to overlook them for this sort of movie. Also worth getting purely to see the inside of a 80's video store, which I really enjoyed seeing, and will give many viewers a great sense of nostalgia. It also has one of the coolest opening music themes of all time. However, I must say the movie does overstay its welcome a little, clocking in at over 95 minutes.

3.5 out of 5

The other film on the DVD is Video Violence 2. Which I did not like at all. The whole thing felt so pointless and didn't really have a plot. The gore effects weren't as impressive either. The scene with the sheriff and his electric chair was the sole highlight in the whole film. At least it only goes for 75 minutes.

1 out of 5

Video Violence 1 has a good story to it and well executed. I love seeing a video store with vhs tapes, something I grew up with. It has lots of gore and the meat slicer part was probably one of the best scenes i've seen in awhile. After seeing many horror fans rave about this, I can see why. A must own for horror buffs.

Video Violence 2 is one of those sequels that takes what people enjoyed from part one and shows it more. Homer and Eli now have there own tv show and it's pretty entertaining and sick. It's not as good as part one but still very fun to watch.

Overall, a must have for any horror fan. Two great movies for one low price and plenty of gore.

First off, this movie is for people only who like low low budget 80's films. I don't mean B-movie that's campy and cheese funny, no This is below that! When I popped this movie in my DVD player, I was expecting low budget, somewhat of a production and some kind of ok acting and plot. But instead what I got was a headache. Yes. The film was shot with a 1979 old A** camcorder. The film looks like a 1978 high school class project! I am not exaggerating one bit. The ONLY way I suggest this movie is if you like old camcorders or want an example how to make your first film at 18yrs old