Lost In The 80s is the first in a series of releases preserving media thought lost, pulled from the brink of extinction by Terror Vision.

Between the ages of 13 and 18, filmmaker Joe Zaso made four movies with his family and friends. On foot, by mail and by phone the young director marketed his creations to area video stores, earning shelf space among commercial studio tapes. Once rental stores fell by the wayside, Zaso’s movies were relegated to tape trading and bootleg circles where their legend continued to grow…

After more than 30 years in relative obscurity, these movies — Screambook, Screambook II, Maligno and It’s Only A Movie — are making their worldwide physical media debut from Terror Vision!

If you’re a fan of DIY and SOV fare, these films are for you, serving up ambitious regional cinema that inspires and delights with its boundary-free storytelling. Loaded with insightful commentaries and interviews, Lost In the 80s is an adventure in creative exploration and a throwback to the pioneering days of movies made at home. These 4 films are transferred from the original master tapes from Zaso’s personal archive. Quality is rough but enjoyment will be maximized.

Screambook (1984 – 80 mins): This is Joe Zaso’s first feature film and a shameless homage to Creepshow which was Joe’s favorite movie at the time. An a bickering middle-aged couple explores a comic book called Screambook. Its five gruesome tales of horror include vengeful families, monster teachers, monster students, evil toys come to life and even the wrath of a thousand worms (actually 40 pounds of spaghetti).

Screambook II (1985 – 74 mins): More tales to be found in the comic book known as Screambook as we begin in a video shop with a very odd desk clerk. The four weird and wild tales offer monster cats, vengeful spouses, adultering and avenging couples, a birthday party that goes supernaturally wild, and the backroom horrors of an undertaker.

Maligno (1986 – 93 mins): Think Phenomena meets Eyes of Laura Mars by way of an ABC Afterschool Special! This teen-made giallo follows young Susan Galligan as she enrolls in a new school and before long, she discovers numerous girls from the school have been disappearing without a trace. She begins to fear the worst because as it happens but Susan is mysteriously clairvoyant and her murderous “visions” set her on a path to solve a horrific mystery.

It’s Only A Movie (1989 – 100 mins): The first possession musical and a grab bag of everything, BUT the kitchen sink.  A movie crew sets up shop at the mysterious and supposedly empty estate of Bosco Manor. But soon, they discover they’re not alone as demonic doings and musical numbers splash onto the scene in this epic which Variety called, “…well-meaning.”

Special features include commentary with Joe for all 4 films, interviews with Zaso, Tim Frey, the cast and crew, It’s Only A Movie in black and white, isolated scores and newly created captions.

I think Joe is one of the most interesting people around — check out the interview we did — and I can’t wait for this. You can buy it from Terror Vision or get it direct from Joe, who will autograph it for you!