’80s Horror Alive And Well In ‘The Barn’: Watch For It On DVD … And VHS?
The ’80s horror craze was considered a Golden Age for Hollywood horror films. Spearheaded by the 1980 slasher Friday the 13th, a wave of gruesome goodies came at audiences offering increasingly more grotesque fair filled with sex and violence.
The genre really proliferated on the VHS format as more and more people sought the latest scares on home video.
The Barn is a horror film that hopes to tap into that sense of nostalgia, and it’s doing something cool with its IndieGogo campaign to accomplish the task.
For a $50 donation, donors will get access to a “big box” VHS version of the film. Children of the Reagan Era, who remember ’80s horror films, will know exactly why this is cool.
So many of those classic scary flicks had an oversized case that fit awkwardly (but gloriously) on a shelf. The Barn will recreate this gorgeous look with the VHS display shown above.
Surprisingly, this isn’t the first time that modern horror films have sought to do such a thing. Justin Russell’s slasher movie throwback The Sleeper attempted it with a limited edition release in 2012.
Here’s a neat unboxing of the VHS.
In the case of The Sleeper, the VHS was limited to just 500 copies. Expect something similar with The Barn.
As for the plot of The Barn, it’s very much an ’80s horror film even though it was made in the modern era. Here’s the synopsis via Fangoria.
“It’s Halloween 1989, and best friends Sam and Josh are trying to enjoy what’s left of their final Devil’s Night before graduating high school. But trouble arises when the two pals and a group of friends take a detour on their way to a rock concert, finding an old abandoned barn and awakening the evil inside. Now it’s up to Sam and Josh to find a way to protect their friends and defeat the creatures that lurk within the barn.”
The producers are seeking a $15,000 goal for “finishing costs,” and are already about 56 percent of the way there as of this post.
If you’d like to take a look at it — and really, you should — here’s the Fangoria trailer for your enjoyment.
https://youtu.be/4l_BnNOsaB8
In addition to the VHS version of the film, fans will also get access to other incentives, like an 11×17 alternate poster design by Vultra Video, Cubee Figures of The Boogeyman, Hallowed Jack and The Candycorn Scarecrow, a digital download of The Barn video game, one’s name in the end credits, Lost Mysteries wallpaper, a mention on Twitter and Facebook, and a bonus digital download of “Harvest,” from Rebel Flesh. (This is an original song from the film.)
The DVD version of the film is available to $20 donors.
Do you think ’80s horror is in need of a comeback? Will you be checking out The Barn when it drops later this year? Sound off in the comments section.
[Image of ’80s horror VHS art via IndieGogo, linked above]
