{"product_id":"video-nasty-mayhem-the-inside-story-of-vipco-9781911121701","title":"Video Nasty Mayhem: The Inside Story of VIPCO","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGreat Britain, the 1980s. VHS is rapidly becoming popular, and the more gory and violent the movies, the better. \u003c\/strong\u003eOne company has latched on to this trend quickly - selling and renting controversial films to the public. It is called the Video Instant Picture Company, a.k.a. VIPCO.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFounded and run by Michael Lee - Mike to his friends - this small independent video distributor would swiftly grow into a money-making machine and become synonymous with the so-called 'Video Nasties' scandal. Indeed, as VIPCO grew, Mike would become a millionaire, find his company raided by the police, nearly go broke, then resurface to trade in on the memory of the Nasties during the nineties and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVIPCO would give the iconic \u003cem\u003eZombie Flesh Eaters\u003c\/em\u003e its first-ever UK home video release, create the headline-grabbing artwork for \u003cem\u003eThe Driller Killer\u003c\/em\u003e, and produce the outlandish \u003cem\u003eSpookies\u003c\/em\u003e, amongst other notable achievements. Later, the company would gain notoriety for re-releasing some of the Nasties on sub-par DVDs and offering titles with shoddy video sleeves.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVIPCO would disappear from retailer shelves in 2007. It has now been over a decade since the firm's closure, and many of VIPCO's former titles have found welcome homes with other horror genre distributors, but VIPCO is still shrouded in mystery...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJames Simpson, a former writer for horror movie magazines and websites, reveals the real reason why the controversial VIPCO closed, as well as detailing its long and complex history. With insights from those who worked with Mike Lee, and those who worked for rival firms, \u003cem\u003eVideo Nasty Mayhem\u003c\/em\u003e opens the vault on VIPCO and finds there are plenty of surprises. The book also reviews more than 60 of VIPCO's films, offers a standalone chapter on cult director Lucio Fulci, highlights Mike Lee's turn at producing movies, and more. For anyone interested in the history of British film and distribution, Video Nasties, plus horror, cannibal and zombie movies, \u003cem\u003eVideo Nasty Mayhem\u003c\/em\u003e is a must-read!\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Dark River","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50368828506386,"sku":"9781911121701","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_837cc348-1870-46bf-8a8b-ca8f4f646260.jpg?v=1728515593","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/video-nasty-mayhem-the-inside-story-of-vipco-9781911121701","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}