As per usual, VHS Hell will make Mystic Festival an audiovisual hell on earth, screening films so bad they’re brilliant. A Filipino crime film with self-proclaimed ninjas? On the menu. A cult classic about bloodthirsty puppets? Well, of course. A sci-fi horror that feels like the worst kind of acid trip? Your wish is our command!
Last year, we managed to trap the creature in the basement – but it has escaped! This year, VHS Hell will make mush of your brain matter in Drizzly Grizzly, after the scheduled Mystic Talks. The detailed screening schedule will be published ahead of the festival. However, what we can share today is what you can expect to see. VHS Hell 2026 will feature three full-length pictures – Xtro, Puppet Master, and Double Edge – interspersed with the glorious junkyard of Trash Treats, i.e. film clips, commercials, and trailers, including a series of teasers for Asian horror films.
Xtro, dir. Harry Bromley Davenport, 1982, 84 minutes
If E.T. had a child with Alien that would later wind up in London and fall in with some sketchy crowds, then that child would most likely be Xtro. Get ready for a niche science fiction horror film which was banned for years in the UK and whose plot has more holes than dialogue – but with its evocative, traditional special effects, it sure is a whole lot of fun. Actually, no, one cannot possibly be ready for this…
Puppet Master, dir. David Schmoeller, 1989, 90 minutes
An absolute cult classic. The biggest hit of Charles Bond’s producing career, it went on to spawn fourteen sequels and crossover films. Puppets, animated by a mysterious ancient Egyptian spell, protect the secret of their maker, Toulon. Nosiness warrants death. Once again, humanity learns that evil comes even in the smallest sizes. Pinhead, Leech Woman, Tunneler and their merry bunch will make sure that you remember that secrets are sacred.
Double Edge, dir. Teddy Page, 1985, 86 minutes
A Filipino love letter to the oeuvre of Sylvester Stallone and ninja warriors, all in one film. In this insane action film, Romano Kristoff plays Mark, an ultra-tough cop without scruples, but with a hell of an ambition. When he’s on the clock, no criminal in the Philippines can rest easy. And what does Mark do off the clock? Still fights crime, but as a ninja vigilante! Low budget, questionable filmmaking talents, chases and shoot-outs – what more could a B-movie afficionado ask for?
VHS Hell poster: Tomasz Kaczkowski