Upon its 2016 release, VHS Massacre: Cult Films and the Decline of Physical Media was very well received. The film won several accolades at the Telly Awards, WorldFest Houston, and the Miami International Science Fiction Film Festival. Since then, Tom Seymour and crew have noticed how history is being repeated in the streaming era. Much like movies were subject to censorship in the VHS era, independent filmmakers faced obstacles from large conglomerates today. Years after the original, Seymour decided to make a follow-up documentary showcasing the struggles of independent cinema. They got several interviewees from the first documentary and YouTube creators James Rolfe and Shawn C. Phillips. Once again, Troma picked up the distribution rights to the documentary and had its premiere in early 2020. In 2022, VHS Massacre Too made it to Blu-ray before premiering on Troma Now in 2023.
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Rating
Synopsis
The documentary starts with film critic/horror host John Bloom, aka Joe Bob Briggs, giving a history of film censorship. He goes over the Hays Code, first introduced in 1934, then the formation of the MPAA in 1968. Interestingly, he mentions how films like The Texas Chain-Saw Massacre are regarded as classics today but were trashed upon release. From there, we see how physical media has declined, thanks partly to Blockbuster excluding exploitation/independent films. Filmmakers Debbie Rochon, J.R. Bookwalter, and Lloyd Kaufman discuss how streaming has financially hurt them and other independents. Rochon and James Rolfe also share stories about the difficulty of supporting themselves while making a movie for no money. Lloyd Kaufman also talks about how even the term “independent cinema” has been co-opted by the major studios. To top it off, the filmmakers even visit the last Blockbuster in the country, located in Bend, Oregon.
Review
VHS Massacre Too significantly improved over its predecessor, even if the title is a bit of a misnomer. This documentary is about censorship and how changing times affect independent filmmakers, which was the first film briefly touched on. While the decline of physical media is covered, it’s not given as much attention as the original. The best parts of the documentary are hearing the stories of independent filmmakers dealing with bad distribution deals. Hearing Debbie Rochon’s story about trying to get her film Model Hunger released made me want to watch it. Another highlight is Joe Bob Briggs pointing out the news publications’ hypocrisy in giving exploitation filmmakers attention when they die. The New York Times won’t review Larry Cohen’s The Stuff, but they’ll write a loving obituary for him. It shows how people who willingly talk about exploitation movies today were ashamed of it before.
Including James Rolfe and Shawn C. Phillips is an interesting choice, but it also seems out of place. Nothing against Phillips, but Rolfe has much more experience behind the camera and understands the struggles more. The feel of the documentary is generally negative, but it offers suggestions for improving the state of independent cinema. It presents the idea that while independent cinema is dying, there are ways to take power away from the conglomerates. This documentary is also excellent for fans of exploitation cinema as it talks about how important these films are. Many classic exploitation movies shattered taboos and challenged how people think, which many of today’s mainstream movies fail to do. At 77 minutes, the documentary goes by quickly and doesn’t overstay its welcome, providing enough entertainment without dragging things out. Overall, VHS Massacre Too is an excellent documentary about censorship and truly independent cinema.
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