I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Video Violence is one of those SOV horror films, the ones that started popping up all over during the late '80s. For the most part they went unnoticed, and for good reason; most of them completely stunk. Yet where ever there is bad, there is good. Or at least moderately enjoyable. And that is where this film is, it's good enough to warrant a play through, but most people probably won't enjoy this film.Steve Emory has recently taken over a video store, and soon begins receiving these strange VHS'. The home videos contain scenes of murder and gore. Steve then begins noticing that the townsfolk only rent the horror films; and then one of his employees goes missing! He tries to get the help from the local police department, but they're so incompetent they can't even use a VCR! Finally, he unravels the mystery; the entire town has been in on it, producing and starring in their own snuff films. Unfortunately for Steve and his wife, Rachael, they're going to be starring in the next one! I find the plot to be pretty good, perhaps a better writer could have made something great out of it, but for what it is, it works. The acting isn't that great, but most of these movies tend not to have good acting. The biggest problem this movie has going for it is that many scenes tend to drag on for too long, slowing down the movie. The gore scenes are pretty good, although some are bad... To the point where they're hilarious. I recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys cheap and cheesy horror; it may not be great, and most people might want to turn it off from the start, but any fan of low budget horror can find some enjoyment in it.

Satire on our desire for the closest form of graphic bloodletting and violent carnage as possible has a NYC couple, Steven and Rachel Emory(real life married actors Art & Jackie Neill) discovering that their new town is a haven for snuff connoisseurs. These psychos, mainly loonies Eli(Uke) who grinningly hosts and camera-operator Howard(Bart Sumner), often leave their video recordings of the live murders of innocent travelers in the rental store of Steven's and as he(..and a frightened Rachel) seeks to put an end to such sickening shenanigans, finds that almost everyone(..if not everyone)is in on the sadistic misdeeds.You know perhaps video is a proper medium for a tale on the creation of snuff films, with director Gary Cohen, who is actually a pleasant and charming enough fellow on his interview for this film's DVD release, exploring the joyous nature of those who partake in slowly killing hitchhikers or lost traveling innocents just passing through. The violent gore effects are cheap and cheesy, but rather impressive if one considers the limited funds available. Head and arm sliced from the body. An ice pick slowly inserted in a victim's breast. A woman's near-entire leg being hacked from her body. You know if one really thinks about the plot, it can kind of provide an unsettling feeling..that idea that you happen to come across such deranged people as Eli and Howard who know jack squat about you, but are willing to stab you with a knife or remove your legs slowly with a machete just for the hell of it, laughing their asses off with such glee at your horror and torment. Cohen uses his film as a vehicle to explore such sadism and how seemingly normal citizens(..perhaps representing the kind of rental customers he himself had when Cohen was renting videos in the 80's)could enjoy such evil antics on screen. I think fans of horror who recall renting videos back in the 80's will have a time warp trip seeing the movie posters and VHS tape boxes lining the shelves in 1987. Disregarding the acting, performed by no-names, amateur production values, and rather poor camera-work(..and the loud piano used producing the score), horror fans with tastes for such an unpleasant storyline might dig "Video Violence." There's an especially disturbing film sent to the Emory's titled, The Vampire and his Bride, which depicts an unfortunate actress suckered into a video production not knowing that her stomach would be torn open by a knife with her guts removed by a local would-be actor portraying a blood-sucker.

Alright....so the story was kind of goofy.....so the movie was filmed with a home video camera....so the actors were wooden...WHO CARES??? Did you not see the video box?? I didn't expect much when I rented this...and that is what i got. If you have 90 minutes to spare, than rent this piece of crap. It's really kind of funny. The '80's styles are funny enough...but what really got me was the fact that the main characters were SHOCKED that everyone in town actually OWNED a VCR! The times they are a'changing....

Alright, I hafta give it to you folks straight. This movie is no good. Just plain rotten. Even by my standards, and I've endured 100's of hours of crap films at least. Here goes:shot on camcorder? check actors recruited from local laundromat? check ketchup gore and mannequin appendages? check. unbearably long? check. takes itself very seriously? check. bad time guaranteed? oh check.Forget Ed Wood, H.G. Lewis, Joel Reed, all them guys.. Gary Cohen puts em all to shame with this garbage. I can recommend it only for the true cinema masochist. Alternates to watching this film:give yourslf a thousand paper cuts. on your tongue. and then wash it all down with tobasco.treat yourself to a corn syrup enema.shoot yourself in the face.Any one of these activities is preferable to enduring this wretched, bloated corpse of a video for a second time. The first time was bad enough..Go rent it.