When a yard sale score turns out to be cursed, the unlucky shoppers get more than they bargained for!When a yard sale score turns out to be cursed, the unlucky shoppers get more than they bargained for!When a yard sale score turns out to be cursed, the unlucky shoppers get more than they bargained for!
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Did you know
- TriviaThe character of Jacob Cobb (TapeHead) was originally created for a cartoon series called "Roger and Evil's Video Store Adventures" that never got past the development stage. The original character design was much sillier, including a giant buck tooth and an overly large gut.
Featured review
If you liked the short, you'll like the full film
And if you haven't seen the short, check it out, it's free on youtube!
Tapehead is sort of a throwback slasher film, very clearly inspired by many late nights its creators had watching class '80s slasher films on VHS. However, it does something I've been wanting to see more of in these throwback slasher films, which is why I say "sort of" - a lot of modern throwback slashers try to pretend that they're a "lost film" from the 80s, making a period piece set back then with costumes, hair, set dressing, etc that try (and typically fail) to make themselves appear like they really were filmed in the 80s.
Tapehead, on the other hand, wears its heart on its sleeve as being a love letter to those movies that was clearly not just made in the 2020s but also set in the present day. VHS tapes play a central role in the film, and they aren't the hot new technology, they're antiques, objects of nostalgia. There's discussion of the difficulty of getting VHS tapes to play on modern televisions. There's a conversation that reminds me of ones I listened to in the early days of the vinyl revival, discussing whether there really is a merit to the quirks and foibles of older media that isn't just nostalgia.
The film itself is a lot of fun (though thinking about physical media, this isn't actually a "film" since it was recorded on digital - just like many old VHS movies weren't "films" because they were recorded on video). The movie isn't bogged down with references to older movies or trying to be too clever, and instead just gives us fun, original characters, some great kills, and some really enjoyable camerawork.
If you like obscure old slashers like Slaughterhouse (1987), crazy lighting like Creepshow (1982), or love letters to classic horror movies like the V/H/S series, you owe it to yourself to check this out. The one caveat I would give is that this is very much a sequel, so watch the short film first. Which is actually a good thing - you can figure out if you like it before buying the full movie! The full movie is a step up in quality in nearly every way over the short film, yet they are similar enough that I confidently assert that if you like one you'll like the other.
Tapehead is sort of a throwback slasher film, very clearly inspired by many late nights its creators had watching class '80s slasher films on VHS. However, it does something I've been wanting to see more of in these throwback slasher films, which is why I say "sort of" - a lot of modern throwback slashers try to pretend that they're a "lost film" from the 80s, making a period piece set back then with costumes, hair, set dressing, etc that try (and typically fail) to make themselves appear like they really were filmed in the 80s.
Tapehead, on the other hand, wears its heart on its sleeve as being a love letter to those movies that was clearly not just made in the 2020s but also set in the present day. VHS tapes play a central role in the film, and they aren't the hot new technology, they're antiques, objects of nostalgia. There's discussion of the difficulty of getting VHS tapes to play on modern televisions. There's a conversation that reminds me of ones I listened to in the early days of the vinyl revival, discussing whether there really is a merit to the quirks and foibles of older media that isn't just nostalgia.
The film itself is a lot of fun (though thinking about physical media, this isn't actually a "film" since it was recorded on digital - just like many old VHS movies weren't "films" because they were recorded on video). The movie isn't bogged down with references to older movies or trying to be too clever, and instead just gives us fun, original characters, some great kills, and some really enjoyable camerawork.
If you like obscure old slashers like Slaughterhouse (1987), crazy lighting like Creepshow (1982), or love letters to classic horror movies like the V/H/S series, you owe it to yourself to check this out. The one caveat I would give is that this is very much a sequel, so watch the short film first. Which is actually a good thing - you can figure out if you like it before buying the full movie! The full movie is a step up in quality in nearly every way over the short film, yet they are similar enough that I confidently assert that if you like one you'll like the other.
helpful•31
- bgaesop
- Jun 11, 2023
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- $7,000 (estimated)
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Top Gap
By what name was TapeHead - The Return of Jacob Cobb (2023) officially released in Canada in English?
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