Nov 18 2008
Double Feature Vols. 2&3: Continental Video Double Features!
As mentioned previously, some “perfect” double features are often pre-packaged on one DVD or VHS. This was certainly a novelty in the mid-1980s when Continental Video released two videos that contained double features; one of these is an example of a good pair of horror movies (The Slayer and Fred Olen Ray’s Scalps), and the other is an odd-coupling (The Executioner II and Frozen Scream).
The first double feature is an strange one, combining an action film (The Executioner II, an imitation of the Death Wish films) promoted as a sequel to The Executioner and a unique horror film about a ghoulish army of undead people eager to recruit (Frozen Scream). One common factor in both films is that they both star Renee Harmon. Otherwise, they are merely two films consecutively placed on one videotape.
The second double feature is more appealing, as The Slayer and Scalps, two relatively unknown - yet wonderful - shockers, are paired together in what is now a very collectible videocassette. The first film, The Slayer, is about two married couples who go on an island vacation just off the coast of Georgia. The island is only inhabited by a few people…..and an entity that won’t let the living stay that way. Scalps, which follows the slasher formula a bit more closely, involves a group of graduate students out on a field trip to the desert. They begin to dig for Native American artifacts, but anger the soul of a priest of black magic; he possesses one of the students, who then goes on a killing spree.
Some of the films that were presented in Continental’s double features appear to have been cut to 75 minutes to fit both films on a T-160 videotape. Both videos are packaged in glossy, oversized display boxes. They bear a “movie marquee” showcasing the titles of the films contained within, accompanied by a single shot from each movie and taglines. Both are branded by “2 Films - 1 Cassette - $49.99″ in the lower-left-hand corner; this was done in order to entice video store owners at a time when videos priced for the rental market often retailed for $69.99 and up. This artwork also capitalized on the then-dying drive-in theater and grindhouse industry.
These videos are not easy to find, and sometimes carry a high price tag online. If they are found at a reasonable price, an uninterrupted evening of horror/exploitation home cinema can bring one back to a bygone era where such a novelty has been forgotten.
Ahhh, the Magical double feature on one awesome obscure video cassette. Despite they wanted nearly $100 for each video cassette, Continental was the only video distribution that offered the double features! I wish I could find some of these at the bottom of a bargain barrel at a mom and pop video store! If you do find these, let me know.
How many Continental videos are there or Wizard videos are there to cure the blues?