🎥 VHS Vault: The Horror Show (1989)

They tried to electrocute "Meat Cleaver" Max. It didn't work. Now he's REALLY burned!

This one pretty much went toe-to-toe with Stephen King, hitting theaters just a week after Pet Sematary (1989). I chose to see The Horror Show on the big screen, and later, on repeat through worn-out VHS viewings.

Some tapes you pull off the shelf are pure nightmare fuel, and this one’s no exception. Also known as House III, The Horror Show (1989) is a late-’80s slasher that mixes haunted-house chills with the Freddy-style supernatural killer craze.

The result? A strange but memorable VHS gem that still sparks debate among horror fans decades later.

🎬 VHS Vault Fact File

• Title: The Horror Show (House III)

• Year: 1989

• Director: James Isaac

• Starring: Lance Henriksen, Brion James, Rita Taggart

• Tagline: “He’s just been electrocuted… now he’s back from the dead.”

• Plot: Detective Lucas McCarthy finally brings down sadistic killer “Meat Cleaver Max” Jenke. But after Max fries in the electric chair, his spirit returns to torment McCarthy’s home and family in a twisted, supernatural revenge spree.

Watch the official trailer for The Horror Show:

📼 Watch It

⚡ Face the electric chair again. The Horror Show is available for streaming or purchase on Amazon Prime Video.

⏪ Rewind or Fast Forward?

Rewind if you love:

• Creepy late-’80s body horror effects

• Brion James chewing the scenery as a sadistic villain

• VHS-era atmosphere dripping with neon and nightmares

Fast Forward if you prefer:

• Coherent franchises (House III barely connects to the other films)

• A straight-laced slasher without surreal dream-logic

• Modern pacing over slow-burn supernatural horror

The Horror Show might not be top-shelf ’80s horror, but it’s a wild rental that deserves a spin, especially if you like your killers larger than life and your VHS tapes a little warped.

🎥 VHS Vault: Dr. Giggles (1992)

“The doctor is in… and out of his mind.”

There’s nothing subtle about Dr. Giggles. A bloody, tongue-in-cheek slasher that leans hard into medical puns, Larry Drake’s maniacal performance keeps this early ’90s cult oddity pulsing long after its initial release. With scalpels, syringes, and surgical saws at the ready, the good doctor ensures no patient leaves his care alive.

Darkly humorous, inventive with kills, and steeped in camp, Dr. Giggles proves that the slasher formula still had plenty of room for creativity in the early ’90s. Its outrageous premise and memorable villain make it a standout on any VHS shelf.

Return to the operating table. Dr. Giggles is ready to make house calls.

🎬 Vault Fact File

• Release Date: October 23, 1992

• Director: Manny Coto

• Starring: Larry Drake, Holly Marie Combs, Cliff De Young, Glenn Quinn

• Tagline: “He makes house calls.”

• Budget: $7 million

• Box Office Gross: $8.4 million

• Fun Fact: First film produced under the Largo Entertainment and Dark Horse Comics collaboration.

• Notable Effect: A custom oversized mouth prop was used to shoot a POV kill scene from inside a character’s mouth. 

• Filming Location: Portland, Oregon

• Cult Status: Gained a following through VHS rentals and late-night cable, becoming a cult classic among horror fans.

📼 Watch It

Dr. Giggles is available for streaming or purchase on Amazon Prime Video. Get ready to join the doctor for some gruesome house calls.

⏪ Rewind or Fast Forward?

Rewind if you love over-the-top early ’90s slashers with campy humor and inventive kills. Fast forward if gruesome surgical gags and maniacal laughs aren’t your thing, but you might miss Larry Drake at his unhinged best.

The official trailer for Dr. Giggles: