Rare Horror DVDs
One might think that rare horror DVDs would be unusual, especially since it's such a relatively new technology. But the reality is that some horror DVDs are produced in small quantities. In fact, some of them are produced in intentionally small quantities, as collectors' editions and so on. You can consider this page a collector's guide to rare and/or out of print horror movies on DVD.
Out of Print Horror DVDs - OOP Horror DVDs
The most common example of a rare horror DVD is one that's out of print. That means that it's no longer being printed, and it also means that most normal retailers, like Amazon, no longer stock copies of it. The best place to find rare or out of print horror movies on DVD is via eBay. If you're not looking for a specific movie, you can just type in the following search string: "rare oop dvds." The "OOP" stands for out-of-print. It's pointless to type in the word "horror" in addition to those other phrases, because eBay sellers often list out of print DVD's that might be of interest to horror fans without including the word in their description or title.
Below, I'll take a look at some specific out of print and rare horror DVD's that you might consider collecting.
Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula
Criterion
released a DVD edition of Flesh for Frankenstein in December of 1998.
It's been out of print for a long time. Flesh for Frankenstein wasn't
actually directed by Andy
Warhol--he was just the producer;
Paul Morrissey
directed.
Udo
Kier is one of the stars featured in this camp horror classic.
I've never seen Flesh for Frankenstein for sale for less than $33, and the description for that one indicated that the DVD itself had several scuffs. A collectible, like-new edition of this DVD will probably cost at least $40 or $50, but you might get lucky on eBay sometime.
Blood for Dracula was released by Criterion on the same date. Like Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula is directed by Paul Morrissey and features Udo Kier as one of the stars. The two movies are equally campy, but they have dramatically different looks. You can expect to find copies of Blood for Dracula in the same kind of price range as Flesh for Frankenstein.
Rob Zombie's Halloween - Unrated Director's Cut - Autographed by Rob Zombie
The autographed limited edition of Rob Zombie's Halloween was limited to less than 1000 copies. Even though I hated the movie, I thought it was appropriate to include it on this list, as it's a rare collectible that sells for as much as $500 or more on eBay. This would make a great gift for someone who actually liked the movie, or for Rob Zombie completists.
Terminator 2 - T2 The Ultimate Edition
If you can find an unopened and brand new copy of T2: The Ultimate Edition, you should consider picking it up to add to your collection. I know it's not exactly a horror movie, but it does feature a cyborg-ish monster similar to Frankenstein's monster, and I don't know any horror fans who dislike the first two Terminator movies. The Ultimate Edition is the one that comes in the steel case. I've seen it sell for over $200 on eBay.
Rawhead Rex
This 1999 Irish horror movie is based on a story by Clive Barker. I recently saw a collectible out of print DVD edition of Rawhead Rex on eBay for $199. I also saw some copies of Rawhead Rex for sale on Amazon, with prices starting at $109 or so.
The Alien Anthology Blu-Ray
Sideshow Collectibles produced a limited edition of 5000 boxed sets that includes Alien, Aliens, Alien 3, and Alien: Resurrection. The packaging includes a blue glowing egg. The retail price on this when it came out was close to $300, but I've seen it available on eBay for $200, so I guess it's got limited appeal to collectors.
The Evil Dead and The Evil Dead 2: The Book of the Dead Boxed Set
It's easy enough to find affordable copies of both The Evil Dead and its sequel, The Evil Dead 2: The Book of the Dead on DVD. But there was a big boxed set edition which contained both movies which is relatively rare and hard to find, and you find that one selling on eBay for $199+. Sam Raimi must be so proud.