The 1980s was a glorious time for science fiction. Of course there the bevy of A-list movies that changed the landscape of the genre, and of cinema in general, ever after. But on top of that were all the knock-off and exploitation sci-fi movies that were close enough in makeup to some of those tentpole titles, but which didn’t have nearly the budget nor the effects to fully realize their premises. But that’s what makes them fun! B-science fiction, often direct to video, was a genre all unto itself, and it’s this enjoyment that we hope to share with our new Alpha series, Streaming VHS.
Tuesday night at 8:30pm PT, you’ll be able to log onto Project Alpha and watch a different oft-forgotten sci-fi/action flick from the halcyon ’80s along with us, with live audio commentary by critics, fans, and sometimes even filmmakers themselves! You’ll get to watch a weird old movie and learn a thing or two at the same time.
Get ready, folks. This week’s movie is a genuine piece of direct-to-video ephemera from the halcyon horror days of the late ’80s. It’s the age-old story of a boy, his sister, a cute girl, and a cursed television that plays a zombie movie and causes the living dead to enter our world. You know, (to quote Dan Casey) THAT old chestnut. It’s auteur Robert Scott’s magnum opus, The Video Dead, a strange mixture of comedy, haunted house, and straight-up zombie carnage.
Have a look!
Looks insane, right? That’s what you get at Streaming VHS! Joining me for this edition is none other than Onyx the Fortuitous himself, Andrew Bowser! Together we’ll get all up in the low-budget beauty, with trivia and observations aplenty.
It all begins Tuesday, December 6, at 8:30pm PT. And if you can’t watch live, no worries! The whole thing will be available on Alpha’s VOD the following day, as part of your subscription. Like so many Deadites, we want you to join us!
Image: Manson Internation
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He writes the weekly look at weird or obscure films in Schlock & Awe. Follow him on Twitter!
