It Came From the Video Aisle!

I’ll admit, I approached *It Came From the Video Aisle!* with a mix of nostalgia and skepticism—how much could one really say about a studio best known for *Puppet Master* and *Trancers*? Turns out, *a lot*. Dave Jay’s research is exhaustive but never exhausting, balancing deep cuts (like the financial gymnastics behind *Castle Freak*) with broader insights into how Full Moon exploited the video store boom. The book’s strength lies in its oral-history style, weaving together interviews with actors, directors, and Band himself into a tapestry that’s equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking. You’ll laugh at the absurdity of a studio that greenlit *Killer Eye* (a movie about, yes, a killer eye) and wince at the exploitative contracts that left creators in the lurch. Eric Bodrero’s narration is a standout—his timing is impeccable, especially when delivering the book’s more outrageous anecdotes (like the time a prop monster caught fire mid-shoot). That said, the audiobook isn’t without flaws. The sheer volume of film titles and names can feel overwhelming at times, and a few chapters drag when delving into Full Moon’s later, less iconic years. The production is clean, though I’d have loved a bonus track of archival interviews or even a fake VHS-style intro to lean into the theme. Still, for fans of ’90s genre cinema, this is catnip: a warts-and-all celebration of an era when creativity (and desperation) birthed some of the weirdest, most wonderful films ever made. Just be prepared to pause frequently to queue up the movies it mentions—you *will* want to watch them all over again.