R.I.P Video 98

Five years ago, just a few months before moving to California, I found myself rediscovering a beloved video store in my hometown Panama City, Florida. If you're a longtime reader you may remember that this became somewhat of an event. I was buying out some crappy dvds from the diminishing Movie Gallery's of Bay County and discovered that the Mom and Pop Video shop I frequented during my adolescence was still "thriving". They were however switching from VHS to DVD /BRD. Their tapes weren't exactly cheap, around $5 a piece and at the time I had no real sense of their worth. All I knew was that I knew they'd be gone soon and I wanted them. So many self-realizations and elements of my personality were formed with the discoveries made in that store. The staleness and dingy carpet felt like forever. They certainly smelled like forever. But of course, it wouldn't last. Video 98's days were surely numbered, as are all rental stores of this ilk.

I just arrived back in town from a visit home and in doing so I had to check in on all my old favorite haunts, most of which are gone or so different that they might as well be gone. The most upsetting of which was inevitable closing of Video 98.

Video 98 circa 2010

The remains of Video 98 today. Even the sky has lost it's color.



Whatever that business is, I bitterly wish them failure. I don't have much to add except that this was a sanctuary - seeing it again felt kind of stupidly Cinema Paradisio-esque, as did my whole trip. A sad and scary 'can never go back' feeling that makes me feel uncomfortably adult and vulnerable. So consider this a belated funeral procession for the late Video 98.


To read some of my old 'Video 98 Collection' review, click here.

the Video 98 Collection part 8: Lola (1969)

I went into this this movie expecting something really pervy and salacious. It struck me as being a comical spin on Lolita, which isn't completely off, but not exactly accurate either. Charles Bronson plays Scott Wardman, a pornographic American novelist living in London. He's having a rather juvenile relationship with a barely 16 year old girl, Lola, played by a young Susan George (Straw Dogs, and a great episode of the Persuaders, "the Gold Napoleon"). Lola's parents find out about their affair because she stupidly writes about it in her diary and leaves it around the house for her mother (Honor Blackman) to discover.

Which is Unlikely Scenario # 1, What kind of teenage girl documents her sexual escapades? Let alone her ILLEGAL ones.

Her parents are of course outraged and threatening him with legal action. As Lola tells him this he responds like your typical self centered middle aged bachelor who should have known better. He blames her and takes no responsibility for his actions. Despite his selfish lust that he's mistaken for love, men like this don't seem to realise the mental and emotional damage they could cause a young girl by allowing themselves to lose their wits when encountering a pretty face and body that's off limits.  Or maybe they just don't care? In this case I think I'm taking it a little seriously. This movie makes light of a taboo and I guess that's the point. Amidst all of this, his visa expires and he's soon to be deported back to America. So what do they do?

Unlikely Scenario #2, they decide to get married. She suggests it and pouts when he brushes it off as maybe not the smartest idea. So like a father and a spoiled child, she gets her way. They decide to move back to America where his family and publisher are. He doesn't bother telling his parents so as soon as they arrive, the Mother and Father are greeted by a mini-skirt clad child bride, making this Unlikely Scenario # 3. They decide to stay with his parents for a while, sleeping on the living room floor outside the shared bathroom. Bronson gets arrested for punching a cop (of all things to get arrested for in this movie). During this time, Lola decide she can't take living with his mother anymore and goes out to find an apartment of their own. When his publisher tells him, he's actually proud of her because she wasn't willing to stick around to listen to his mother cry. Sounds to me like his mother has a lot to cry about.

When he gets out of jail and heads for his new apartment, she's not only having a loud party, but she hasn't even informed the doorman that she has a husband. When he insists the doorman call up and ask her, distracted and being a general retard, she says no! Possibly, Unlikely Scenario # 4, but at this point I've lost track. The whole movie is an Unlikely Scenario.

It was hard not hating this girl. She was completely annoying and acted more like a 10 year old than a 16 year old. Playing with dolls and flopping around like a giant long legged kid. Then again, I remember being 16 and naive, thinking I was "in love" with dorks and losers I should have never dated in the first place. That's kind of apart of being 16. He , being the ADULT, should have known better. He should have had the foresight to see that this was a big mistake. If he really loved her he wouldn't want to ruin her life by making her try too grow up so fast. Their relationship was doomed to fail from the beginning, only a fool or a teenager (same thing) couldn't see that. Annoying or not, the whole situation was his fault and I'm glad she irritated the shit out of him.

If anything this movie is a PSA for why NOT to do this! This was Richard Donnor's second movie, after Salt and Pepper. He would of course go on to make the Omen, Superman 1&2, the Goonies, and Ladyhawke. I also discovered that he directed one of my all time afterschool specials, Sarah T. - Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic starring Linda Blair. Lola (aka Twinky, and my favorite alternate title "the Statutory Affair") isn't a complete misfire but it is lagging in believability. It had some humorous moments and some of the cuts were interesting, but for the most part you're wondering where the hell they're going with this. You're waiting for the proverbial train to wreck. And so it does, and it's still not completely satisfying. It's not amongst any of the actors' or director's best work, but it's worth a look for curiosity's sake. It's mockable and I can dig that.

The Video 98 Collection Part 7: The Mines of Kilimanjaro (1986)

I almost forgot to review this one! It was just that forgettable. One of the many low budget Italian Indiana Jones rip-offs. Which is partially entirely the reason I wanted to see it. Confusingly, the character who looks and acts like Indiana Jones is killed in the first 10 minutes. The "hero", Dr. Barclay, steps in to find out why his friend was murdered. This guy is a total fop. He's a geek and has no screen presence for a roll like this. I expect my Harrison Ford-a-likes to be rugged, or least resemble Ford is some way, be it looks or behavior. Tobias Hoesl had no character at all. He was practically sleep walking through the whole movie.

Based on some scribblings by the Professor, Dr. Barclay heads to Africa to investigate the murder and pick-up where he left off on a hunt for some big ass diamonds. Our bad guys are the high light of this terrible mistake. A German guy that looks like Heino, and a painfully over the top racially stereo typed "Chinese" guy with a fu manchu moustache who's obviously a fat Italian man.

They're all after the diamonds, the movie is set in the 30's, there are Nazi's, etc, etc.  Nothing really exciting happens. I felt bored throughout this entire movie. The cool holographic box was the selling point. I 'm only reviewing it because I said I would when I listed my Video 98 findings. I've gotten some new stuff since then from there, but I won't be making any promises about reviewing those for this precise reason.


Luigi Ceccarelli did the music. He also did the scores for Women's Prison Massacre and Violence in a Women's Prison. For some reason Franco Bixio owns the copyright to the score, which I thought was kind of strange.

This movie doesn't have enough going for it to give a second look. From what I've read there are other more entertaining Italian Indiana Jones rip-offs, such as Hunters of the Golden Cobra and Ark of the Sun God. Other than a sparkley box and a few laughable costume choices, this is an all around disappointing video find that's already found itself a cozy spot on my shelf to collect dust for an eternity.

The Video 98 Collection Part 6: Arizona Heat (1988)

My significant other has a peculiar obsession with Michael Parks. Because of this I've been exposed to more Then Came Bronson then I'd like. On the bright side I've also had the joys of experiencing some of the most hilariously shitty pieces of shitty hilarity ever to grace my VCR. Today's feature, the absolutely craptastic disasterpiece: Arizona Heat.

What in the hell was this filmmaker thinking?? Parks plays a tough cop who doesn't play by the rules (naturally), which is exactly why his chief loves him so much. He gets the job done by any means necessary. So they keep reminding us but in reality what you're seeing is this ASSHOLE go around fucking shit up, screwing any willing participant (including a mother daughter team, G R O S S), getting himself and other cops shot and being a rude insulting prick in the mean time. I promise you, folks, you will have NO empathy for this guy. He's absolutely horrible. Since he's hot tempered the chief decided to pair him up with a sexy lesbian cop played by Denise Crosby. Not realising she's gay he goes out of his way to try and get in her pants by telling her what worthless cop she is. They've been assigned to solve a string of cop killings, the chief thinks that the broad might soften up Parks and curb his violent nature. Not so much. I couldn't help but notice that he does no investigating or "policing" whatsoever. Once he's teamed up with Crosby he just sulks around and puts all his energy into trying to get her in bed. When he finds out that she's a lesbian HOL-Y-SHIT. He throws a bitch fit to end all bitch fits. He goes to the chief OUTRAGED screaming things like "You KNEW she was a dyke when you teamed her up with me!". Completely sincere and never with the slightest sign of remorse. NEVER, not in the end, not after the case is solved and she's saved his ass, not EVER. He continues being a bigoted detestable jerk-off for the duration of this painfully wonderful movie.

Considering it follows the basic cheesy male/female cop team up 80's formula there's the obvious "sexual tension". Which I find to be really absurd. She doesn't hate him nearly enough. At one point he sleeps with her girlfriend, FILMS IT, and when she confronts him about it he tries to rape her in a shower.

Did I mention that this movie is so predictable that you know who the killer is within 5 minutes? Did I mention the cheesy video toaster lightning bolts? The resolution in this movie is non-existent. Michael Parks' character is comically chauvinistic. So much so that you're rooting for the killer.

This movie is reprehensible garbage and has earned it's way into the bad movie hall of fame in MY HEART! It's tacky, offensive and delivers MANY laugh out loud moments. This, my friends, is the crowning jewel in my Video 98 finds so far.

The Video 98 Collection Part 5: Tales Of Ordinary Madness (1981)

I have a confession to make. I've never really been able to get into Bukowski. Granted, I never tried very hard but I always found his drunkenness off-putting. I'm not one of those people who sees anything admirable in being a debaucherous bum. So basically, I have a hard time being able to look at his work objectively because I find him to be a disgusting abusive alcoholic. He's obviously a great writer, I get that, but I find it totally unrelatable and unreadable for me personally. Movies, however, are completely different. I've seen some awfully rough and rowdy flicks that are also unrelatable but being a visual medium makes it much easier to take in. That's how I feel about Bukowski movie adaptations in general. I've liked pretty much every one I've seen because it's fun to watch a crazy person do crazy things.

Ben Gazzara plays Charles Serking, an unemployed writer who spends most of his days drinking and fornicating. He feels up 12 year old midgets and stalks trashy women at the bus stop. Susan Tyrrell makes a refreshing appearance in this movie as Vera, a crazy loon (like Tyrrell does best) who just happen to enjoy men stalking her, following her home and basically raping her. She fakes passing out several times and screams in pain when she's actually enjoying herself. Then she gets her final kicks telling him she's going to make him some steak and eggs and calling the police while he's in the bathtub having him arrested for "sexual violence". This is one of many gross liaisons Serking has. My favorite being when after he's had sex with a fat woman he tries to shove his head inside her to re-enter the womb.

Serking meets a beautiful prostitute (the stunning Ornella Muti) who is extremely self destructive. Not in the get drunk to the point of puking on yourself way that he is. Inserting sharp things in her face, slashing herself with broken glass and even pinning her vagina shut with a giant safety pin. He develops feeling for her, this is the kind of woman that inspires his writing and personal sensibilities. It's of course a momentary obsession. Such masochistic people aren't really capable of much more than unhealthy obsessions. As you would imagine, this "relationship" is doomed for both failure and emotional and physical disaster.

Italian Euro-sleaze-mesiter Marco Ferreri (of La Grande Bouffe fame) directed this lurid adaptation of Bukowski's short stories. It has a much more serious tone than say, Barfly. Drenched in eroticism and melancholy, this movie certainly has an Italian flair. Gazzara did a wonderful job portraying the self deprecating writer, but Susan Tyrrell still reigns supreme is saving this movie from depressing awkwardness with her usual (and all too brief) charismatic psycho-freak-out.

Don't worry, she's just acting.

This was one of the other few videos that I wasn't aware had a DVD release now. Had I know I probably would have passed it up and just rented it from Netflix. I didn't enjoy quite as much as Barfly, but it's still one of the best entries (arguably thee best) to Bukowski's film adaptations and is totally worth checking out for it's sheer perverted weirdness. Lord know I'm guilty for wanting to see a bit of that every now and then.

The Video 98 Collection Part 4: Nukie (1988)

Considering the cult followings of bad horror, action and sci-fi movies, I always wondered why there wasn't as much attention on bad kid's movies. Sure, certain classics get acknowledged like Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, but what about the thousands of other kids movies, ALL decades that break the boundaries of crappiness. I always felt that kids movies offered a certain naive charm and raw imagination that that you won't find from other genres of "bad movies". The 80's seem to be a time where terrible children's movies were being made left and right to compete with all of the amazing family films coming out. There was a huge market for that stuff, cheap knock-offs of Dark Crystal and the Never Ending Story were a'plenty. I particularly love (just about) anything put out by Moon Beam, Full Moon's line of "family films". They're great because you get the people who make the Puppet Master puppets and Robot Jox creating cute dragons and tiny dinosaurs. For the record, Nukie is NOT a Moon Beam film. I'm almost off subject here. This is more along the lines of E.T. in Africa. Nukie is a wretched, forgotten piece of crap that I'm happy to have finally seen it.

Two space brothers find themselves in the earth's stratosphere and get split up (somehow) one winding up in Florida and the other in Africa. In the states "Miko" has been captured and is having experiments done on him by the government. In Africa, poor little retarded Nukie is wandering around aimlessly talking to giraffes. The first half of this movie is primarily watching Miko be tortured and having to listen to these two scream eachother's name on a loop for 15 minute intervals. It's like they forgot to write dialogue for those scenes so they just improvised in post production.

 

There are a bunch of pointless characters that really aren't even worth mentioning.There was ZERO character development and I wouldn't even know how to go about describing their parts, because none of them really mattered at all. There was an unnecessary Nun played by Glynis Johns who was token washed up celebrity. She was never even in the same shot as Nukie.

                                                                                                   

Nukie always seems to have really nasty sinus issues.

There's also a sensitive computer named E.D.D.I. who helps Miko find his way back to Nukie.

I couldn't have said it better myself, E.D.D.I.

Well, this is turning out to be a bad review for a bad movie. Now I can cross it off of my list. Seriously. It was actually on my list!...

See?

I'm not sure why I used this as an example of kids movies that should have followings. It's an atrocity! Probably because for some reason I had really been wanting to see it! It's about as good as Badi, the Turkish ET. I think I'm going to take a little break from my Video 98 marathon for a day or two. I need something really good to wash the "nukie" out of my mouth.

The Video 98 Collection Part 3: Robot Holocaust (1986)

When buying VHS there are many things to consider. First and foremost, is it out of print? If the answer is "yes", the price is right and you're in the market of trading, it probably is a wise investment. That is, if you have absolutely no standards, like me. But there are other selling points that make the deal ever so much sweeter. After being completely distracted by the EPIC cover. I overlooked the company that puts it out. So I was thrilled to see this beautiful sight upon starting the video...

If you're unfamiliar with this logo, you have no idea what you're missing out on! I always know that when I see the Wizard logo I'm in for some great fun! Even if the movie ends up sucking, those covers are irreplaceable. Nothing compares!

Robot Holocaust is a post apocalyptic movie of the "warrior" genre with lots of hand puppets and bad robot masks. The plot is obviously a Star Wars rip-off. I kept thinking that the music sounded familiar. I looked it up and it turns out the score was stolen from various Richard Band compositions, primarily from Laser Blast. Not to discredit the genius of the Bands, but it's pretty low when you're movie sucks so bad you're stealing music from Full Moon productions.

Set in the future, the air supply is now being controlled by an ominous robot called "the Dark One". Certain people are immune to the toxic fumes but most are under the thumb of the ruler. A scientist invents a potion/serum/something that they're never quite clear about that makes the air breathable. To assure that he maintains control, the Dark One kidnaps the scientist to force him to confess his secret. The scientist has a daughter who rounds up a group of bad actors warriors to save him.

The Dark One is never really seen, but we do have a woman with a thick European accent staggering through the role of nemesis. Valaria ended up being my favorite character. We're introduced to her through a mystical sequences of fog and interpretive dance. It was at this moment that I realize that the extent of the props and special effects were courtesy of Spencers Gifts ™.

"High Five!"

As the warriors travel, they meets a group of femme-nazis who capture men, cut out their tongues, rape them for mating purposes then kill them. The leader challenges one of the fellas to a battle, she loses then decides to come along and be the token asshole. They also decide to bring a tongueless "mute" who was next to be executed along with them. I might also mention that they have their own robot. A cheap C3PO imitation who is supposed to deliver some kind of comic relief, but really just kind of distracts from the real humor: the movie itself. They face many challenges along the way, including a tunnel full bucked tooth worm hand puppets...

Doesn't look like that's his first time with a face full of phallus

The only gore in the movie. However, these are not the only Freudian symbols in the movie! At first glance I totally misinterpreted what this was supposed to be...

I'm still not really sure.

C-crappy-O isn't sure either.

Dorque Torque, knows the secret being the weinerific wonderland that is "Robot Holocaust", but he's not telling. He wanted me to find out myself through research after the movie.

Why the hell were these guys even in this movie?

What more is there to say really?! It Robot Holocaust for Christ's sake! The only other thing this director, Tim Kinkaid,  is "famous" for is Mutant Hunt and Breeders... Oh yeah and A SHIT LOAD OF GAY PORN! There are many reasons why I love this movie. It reminds me of some craptastic straight to video mistakes that I've loved for years, like Shredder Orpheus and Roller Blade. It's sure to become a favorite of this very particular brand of "sucky". Something about the Mall-bought costumes, the boiler room sets and the actual effort that was put into this movie to make it entertaining is honorable really. Besides just making fun of it, it's really not too bad! It follows the formula well enough and relies on hand made effects and sheer ingenuity to carry out this trashsterpiece. If that isn't reason enough to see this movie, then perhaps this is...

So with that being said I'll leave you with one final image. The one that we-the-viewers are left with at the end of the movie.

Hope that doesn't spoil it for you too much.

Goodnight!

The Video 98 Collection Part 2: Uncle Sam (1997)

File this one under "Shoulda seen A LONG time ago!" When this came out I remember thinking it looked terrible, and really...I was right. Somewhere between being my 12 year old self and becoming my 18 year old self  I realized that I could really be missing out on something here. What I couldn't know at that tender young age is what the transition from "straight to video" to "straight to DVD" was really going to mean. Although I appreciate a rot got Asylum Mockbuster every now and again, straight to DVD just doesn't quite have the same finesse (or lack of?) as straight to video did. Not only that, between those five years I discovered a few things.

A. William Lustig is AWESOME and to be trusted.

B. I LOVE a slasher movie with a gimmick!

I miss gimmicks like this! I miss straight to video gimmicks like Jack Frost (no, not the Michael Keaton one, the carrot-penis-raping snowman one), the Night of the Dribbler, I even miss Witchcraft and it's obscene amount of pointless sequels. Only upon reflection can I truly see what the 90's (and late 80's) had to offer me.

I've been wanting to watch this on the 4th of July for the past few years. I never thought to look and see if it had a DVD release. I took for grant it that like so many other crapsterpieces, it would still be collecting dust in video stores across the Country. I didn't get to see it in time for the 4th this year, but since I'm only a few days late and I'm still feeling the annoyance of the three day weekend that has totally messed up my shipment schedule, I don't think it's too late to celebrate the right way.

A sadistic soldier comes back from the dead and goes on a killing spree. It's never quite clear how he comes back, I think his nephew's blind patriotism has something to do with it though. Much in the style of Lustig's other horror classics, there's lots of senseless violence in rapid session. Boy does this movie have a cast! Timothy Bottoms, Bo Hopkins, Isaac Hayes, PJ Soles and Robert Forster (who's death is by firecracker!). Written by Larry Cohen. This movie couldn't disappoint if it tried! And it does try, make no mistake about that. It still manages to maintain steady enjoyment. I think I expected a little more from the title character himself, but it's still a decent slasher movie start to finish. It's hard not to have high expectations when you've waited a long time to see something. Even when it's something like this! It's no Maniac (but what is really?) or Maniac Copy for that matter but it's a worthy addition to Lustig's filmography and my home video collection!

This ended up being one of the few I bought at Video 98 yesterday that did have a release and not only that it was on Netflix the whole time! I thought I'd checked before but I must have made a false assumption. If that's not crazy enough I also came to this shocking realization...

Uncle Sam on BLUE RAY?!?! I guess I underestimated the cult following of this 1997 William Lustig classic movie.

The Video 98 Collection Part 1: The Lost Idol (1990)

Isn't is sad when a curiosity you've had about a movie for years is snuffed out anti-climatically by disappointment? I actually bought this movie for an Ex years ago. It was kind of a gag gift. I don't exactly remember the circumstances around it's discovery but I was spending a lot of time on Amazon searching for cheap used videos with awesome covers. I made some interesting discoveries during this period. I never got around to seeing it before we broke up and have often wondered what sort of bedlam Mr. Erik Estrada had in store for me. I swear to God, I hadn't thought about this movie in years until last night! After I watched Virgins from Hell, suddenly I remembered this and yearned to see it post-haste. I even thought about ordering another used copy on Amazon. Little did I know that the next freaking day I'd be watching it!

Thanks to Video 98, my itch was scratched... although I think it might scab up a little. Some satisfaction occurred. What we have here is a half baked Vietnam/Golden idol heist movie with an uninteresting storyline and not-funny bad acting with so-so violence. There's really not much to say about the Lost Idol and that deeply saddens me. Between the inside joke revolving around how ridiculous it looks, thinking about it last night and actually FINDING it today, the actual watching of the movie was the least exciting part. Perhaps if I'd been in a crowd and imbibements were involved? I'm also a bit disenchanted because this is a Thai produced movie and with that in mind I expected MUCH more madness! This is a movie that SHOULD be sensational garbage but what it really does is stagnate between "mediocre" and "boring".

C'est la vie, ya can't win 'em all!

Video 98, I love you...

Like many movie fanatics I often find myself obsessively even sometimes unconsciously shopping for movies. I'm always behind at least a hundred movies and I don't really ever see myself catching up. It's all grist in the mill! Even when I'm broke or I slow down for a bit, it's a time consuming hobby and inevitably I'll be watching one of my movies and a something about it will stand out enough for me to do some research. As soon as the wheels are in motion I've discovered ten new movies that I must stop everything for. Because of this debilitating obsession I've always had a hard time saving money. I never really care much about that though. Money comes and goes but trivial movie knowledge is something you have to work at.

Like a record collector who's come across an estate sale or gets lucky at a thrift because someone's old relative has died and not knowing what else they do with it, they donate a priceless sixty year old record collection. Sometimes fate smiles upon you. Lately since Movie Gallery is going out of business I've been stocking up on all kinds of cheap stuff. Having tapped out the one by my house I decided to venture to the far regions of the County to visit one that I've only been in once, years ago when they were liquidating their VHS. I found a few things, nothing too notable (until I review them perhaps) but I couldn't get this other video store out of my head that's basically in the same parking lot. Video 98, one of the last Mom and Pop video stores in the area. I was thinking about all of the fun times I had renting movies there. Things like Gor, Electric Dreams, Flesh Gordon Meets the Cosmic Cheerleaders, the Ripper (with Tom Savini), the Creeps, Prehysteria and lots of other schlocky goodness that brought me and my friends much enjoyment over the years. I rented Blood Feast in a big porno box from there the first time I saw it! I also saw Naked Lunch and Body Bags there. As I'm wading through dumb modern DVD releases I couldn't help but be overwhelmed with nostalgia. I started to think about how long it's been since I've made really good video scores! I still frequent thrifts, and I find things every now and again, but it's rare that I have so much good stuff to choose from that it's overwhelming. In fact the only time this ever happens is when an old Mom and Pop shop starts to liquidate their VHS. Although this is a terribly sad event, it's also kind of exciting. A lot of people don't care for VHS anymore so now it's time for we collectors to preserve these relics, and of course enjoy them to the fullest! I decided I had to swing into Video 98, not with the intent to rent, it's way too far to make that trip twice in one week, but to see how they were holding up. A part of me feared that when I turned that corner to the back lot that I'd be looking at an empty building, but alas! They were open and thriving!

We went in and nothing had changed. Same set up, same little old Vietnamese lady behind the counter, all is well in the Universe! Right off the bat I asked "do you sell videos now or are you still just renting?" and my ears filled with the sound of 1,000 angels singing ... "yes, all of our videos are for sale for $5". I know what you're thinking, $5 is kinda steep, but a lot of these movies have never been in print on DVD. This place is literally an untapped goldmine. It's more than I'd like to spend, but it's a reasonable price for certain things I can't otherwise get unless I either buy it used on Amazon (in which case I'd spend the same or more + shipping) or from a bootleg website, and I try to avoid that IF I can. Plus it's nice just to be able to grab something from the shelf, from THE SOURCE in which I originally saw it as a CHILD and own it outright. I'm sure you have (or had) a place like this growing up.

I don't have the advantage that most people do of having the internet on my phone. Had I been able to look titles up, I could have ensured the purchase of hard-to-find stuff only. I had to guess based on my knowledge of this-n-that. I fared pretty well though, of the nine movies I bought only three ended up having DVD releases and they were still films I consider to be worth $5. To mark this occasion I decided to review these nine movies in honor of Video 98. Soon I'll be moving away from here and although I'm sure there are plenty of Mom n' Pops in California, they won't be MY Mom n' Pops. I've reaped from the benefits of this small town for 24 years and now it's almost all tapped out and it's time for me to press on.

I contemplated not listing these until I review them but that doesn't really make any sense. I'll write them in parts and link them back here as I make time intermittently between other movies. I might even continue later on when I've caught up and I feel like I need another video store fix.

Here's a list of the nine movies...

the Lost Idol (1990)
Headless Eyes (1971)
Robot Holocaust (1986)
Lola (1970)
the Mines of Kilimanjaro (1986)
Nukie (1988)
Uncle Sam (1997)
Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981)
Arizona Heat (1988)

Stay tuned because I've already watched the first and I'm ready to write this review!