List of tapes/films destroyed by Red Letter Media
editRed Letter Media have a long history of destroying DVD and VHS copies of films and other visual media. For example, in 2011 prior to reviewing the film Thor, Mike Stoklasa hits a VHS tape called "Sing Along with Frank Woehrle" with a hammer, destroying the tape in the process.[1]
VHS tapes are an inherently difficult form of media to preserve and archive[citation needed] [...] in the interests of completeness, films that were damaged or destroyed by insertion into a VCR are included here. While not destroyed by Red Letter Media per se, these tapes can be considered broken, damaged or destroyed after their insertion into VHS players.
Best of the Worst
edit| Episode | Tape/DVD Destroyed | Method of Destruction | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best of the Worst: The Vindicator, Cyber Tracker, Robot Jox, and R.O.T.O.R. | Class of 1999 II (1994) | Inadvertent destruction, tape fell apart after insertion into VCR, film is also cut in half by a circular saw | [2] |
| Cyber Tracker (1994) | Disc placed on the end of a drill, and then hit against a cinder block. | ||
| Best of the Worst: Robo-C.H.I.C., Alien Seed, and Yor: The Hunter from the Future | Alien Seed (1989) | Frozen in ice, then a sledgehammer is dropped on it. | [3] |
| Best of the Worst: Ghetto Blaster, Terror in Beverly Hills, and Killing American Style | Ghetto Blaster (1989) | Fallen upon in a failed 1980's style breakdance routine. (Special note, the tape was largely undamaged.) | [4] |
| Best of the Worst: High Voltage, Death Spa, and Space Mutiny | Space Mutiny (1988) | Shot in a John Woo style pastiche of the winning film High Voltage (1997). | [5] |
| Best of the Worst: The Item, The Crawlers, and Blood Lock | The Item (1999) | Tape is grilled on a barbeque. | [6] |
| Best of the Worst: Blood Debts, The Tomb, and Undefeatable | The Tomb (1986) | The reels from the tape are removed and then placed into the tape in reverse. (Special note, prior to the review portion of the episode, Rich Evans damages Blood Debts (1985) and the reels from that tape are transferred into another, unknown tape - meaning that a second tape was destroyed collaterally.) | [7] |
| Best of the Worst: Lady Terminator, Lost in Dinosaur World, and Low Blow | Lost in Dinosaur World (1993) | Melted by a clothes iron | [8] |
| Best of the Worst: Future War, The Jar, and White Fire | The Jar (1984) | Tape is dissolved in acetone - prior to this, the tape was also hit against the table. | [9] |
| The Love Butcher (1975) | This film was originally to be viewed in the place of The Jar, however, the tape was in poor physical condition and could not be viewed and it caused the VHS player to be rendered inoperable. | ||
| Best of the Worst: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, Killer Workout, and Mystics in Bali | Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) | Stepped on by the "ghost" of Rich Evans. (Several other unidentified other VHS tapes are also damaged/destroyed in the process.) | [10] |
| Best of the Worst: Order of the Black Eagle, Wired to Kill, and Raiders of Atlantis | Raiders of Atlantis (1983) | Placed on an RC car and "cut" by a piece of string tied taught between two model trees (in a pastiche of a stunt in the film.) | [11] |
| Best of the Worst: Parole Violators, Future Force, and Geteven | Parole Violators (1994), Future Force (1989), GetEven (1993) | All three films are piled upon each other and then pounded by a fist in order to combine the films into "an über movie" named "Parole Force Violators: Even." | [12] |
| Best of the Worst: Scary or Die, Chopping Mall, Exorcist II: The Heretic | Scary or Die (2012) | Chopped with an axe | [13] |
| Best of the Worst: RepliGATOR, Johnson Family Christmas Dinner, and Alligator | The Legend of Gator Face (1996) | "Accidentally" stepped on and broken by hand | [14] |
| Repligator (1996) | Stomped on. (Special note, several other, unidentified tapes are destroyed by Rich Evans in a fit of rage) | ||
| Best of the Worst: Carnosaur 2, The Skateboard Kid 2, and Future Zone | Future Zone (1990), The Skateboard Kid 2 (1994), Carnosaur 2 (1995) | All three films were destroyed by a gorilla-suited member of Red Letter Media, smashing the tapes with bones, in the style of 2001: A Space Odyssey | [15] |
| Best of the Worst: Night of the Lepus, Zombie 3, and Silk | Silk (1986) | "Lazily" stepped on and then snapped in half | [16] |
| Best of the Worst: Carnivore, HauntedWeen, and Black Roses | Carnivore (2000), HauntedWeen (1991), Black Roses (1988) | All three films are stolen by a haunted scarecrow | [17] |
| Best of the Worst: Jack-O, Rock n' Roll Nightmare, and Shark Exorcist | Shark Exorcist (2015) | Thrown into a lake, DVD is then "eaten" by a CGI shark. | [18] |
| Best of the Worst: Bad Movie Scavenger Hunt | Her Name is Cat (1998) | Tape caused the VHS player to shut down automatically and could not be viewed | [19] |
| Best of the Worst: Twin Dragon Encounter, American Rickshaw, and Infested | Twin Dragon Encounter (1986) | Tape is cut in half with a saw. | [20] |
| Best of the Worst: LA Wars, Unmasking the Idol, and Robowoman | Robowoman (2019) | Injected with a serum by a mad scientist. | [21] |
| Best of the Worst: Halloween Spooktacular 2021 | Dorm of the Dead (2007) | DVD is blindly thrown around the set, in the style of Don't Panic (1987) (a film featured in the same episode). The film is unsuccessfully thrown into a television fireplace. | [22] |
| Best of the Worst: Christmas 2021 | Feeders 2: Slay Bells (1998), Fay's 12 Days of Christmas (1995), Safety Awareness of Forklift Equipment (unknown), Santa with Muscles (1996) | Hit with a shovel prior to burial in the woods | [23] |
| Best of the Worst: Bad Movie Scavenger Hunt Too | American Cyborg: Steel Warrior (1993) | Tape broke inside the VCR and could not be played. | [24] |
| Ultra Warrior (1990) | Punched repeatedly, and then cut in half with a circular saw in a pastiche of the film Blood Freak (1972) featured in the same episode |
Wheel of the Worst
edit| Episode | Tape/DVD Destroyed | Method of Destruction | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wheel of the Worst #5 | Cleared for Takeoff! (1994) | Tape was glued to a Styrofoam model plane, thrown from a ladder into burning rags. | [25] |
| Wheel of the Worst #6 | American Flatulators (1995) | Hit with a sledgehammer, baseball bat, axe, kicked and stomped on. Filmed in the style of and intercut with footage from Un Chien Andalou. | [26] |
| Wheel of the Worst #7 | How to Become a Teenage Ninja (1990) | Destroyed by frequent special guest Len Kabasinski in a martial arts montage, tape cut in half by blade. | [27] |
| Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #11 | How to Seduce Women Through Hypnosis (1992) | Set on fire and burned | [28] |
| Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst 13 | Traveling with Ooga Booga: On Trains, Trucks and Airplanes (1992), Dr Misterio's Patented Video Almanac of Fun Vol. 2 (unknown), Bear Attacks (unknown), The Best of Just Kidding: Rude Pranks and Dirty Gags (1998), A Nightmare on Drug Street (1989) | Lined up like bowling pins and then hit with a bowling ball; all tapes are stacked horizontally and one of the balls is dropped on them, smashing them. | [29] |
| Wheel of the Worst #15 | Hangin' with Leo! (unknown) | Smashed repeatedly against a table | [30] |
| Best of the Worst Episode 78 | Experience the Freedom of the Naturist Lifestyle (1992), Orgasmic Birth: The Best-Kept Secret (2008), Aggregate Training for the Safety Impaired (2003) | Hit with a Corky doll | [31] |
| Wheel of the Worst #20 | Energy & Me - Billy B and PLT (unknown) | A safe is dropped on the tape, destroying both the tapes and the Wheel of the Worst | [32] |
| Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #21 | Massaging the Elderly: Geriatric Massage with Dietrich W. Miseler (unknown) | Stood on by Rich Evans in a pastiche of Turtle Dreams (1983) (featured in the same episode.) | [33] |
| Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #24 | Carman: The Standard (1993) | Thrown into a "filthy closet" in reference to the track America Again, and then doused with water | [34] |
Plinketto
edit| Episode | Tape/DVD Destroyed | Method of Destruction | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best of the Worst: Plinketto #1 | Deathstalker (1983), Dr Butcher MD (1980) | Both tapes are thrown against the titular Plinketto board. | [35] |
| Best of the Worst: Plinketto #2 | Mutant Species (1995) | In a pastiche of, and with footage from, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Skin of Evil; the tape is "killed by a tar monster" in place of Denise Crosby's character Tasha Yar (who starred in Mutant Species). | [36] |
| Best of the Worst: Plinketto #4 | Feeders (1996) | Buried in a time capsule to be opened in the year 5017. | [37] |
| Best of the Worst: Plinketto #5 | Princess Warrior (1989) | Nailed with a nail gun and hacked with a sword. Both weapons were featured in the other films reviewed in the episode (Nail Gun Massacre (1986) and Deathstalker II (1987)) | [38] |
Black Spine
edit| Episode | Tape Destroyed | Method of Destruction | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best of the Worst: Black Spine Junka 2 | Dancin' Grannies Mature Fitness for Beginners (unknown) | Tape is incidentally destroyed after placement into the VCR | [39] |
| Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Black Spine Plinketto | SCAIHS: New Member Orientation 1996-1997 (unknown) | Tape is broken accidentally after being dropped onto the table. | [40] |
| Arranging a Funeral (What Really Happens) (unknown) | Tape breaks while playing in VCR (incidental destruction) | ||
| Best of the Worst: Black Spine Raffle | "Training Gun Dogs with Dellar Smith" (possibly "Training Gun Dogs with Delmar Smith") (unknown) | Thrown to the ground | [41] |
Nukie
editOn the 30th December 2022, Red Letter Media uploaded a video onto their YouTube channel showing them destroy over 100 copies of the film Nukie in a wood chipper.[42] All but one of the Nukie tapes were destroyed, which was then auctioned off on eBay for charity (St Jude Children's Research Hospital and Wisconsin Humane Society.)[42] The tape was sold for $80,600.[43]
References
edit- ^ Red Letter Media (2015). Half in the Bag Episode 9: Summer Movie Catch-up (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2013). Best of the Worst: The Vindicator, Cyber Tracker, Robot Jox, and R.O.T.O.R. (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: Robo=C.H.I.C., Alien Seed, and Yor: The Hunter from the Future (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-07.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: Ghetto Blaster, Terror in Beverly Hills, and Killing American Style (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: High Voltage, Death Spa, and Space Mutiny (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin]]. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: The Item, The Crawlers, and Blood Lock (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2015). Best of the Worst: Blood Debts, The Tomb, and Undefeatable (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin]]. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2015). Best of the Worst: Lady Terminator, Lost in Dinosaur World, and Low Blow (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-04.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2015). Best of the Worst: Future War, The Jar, and White Fire (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2015). Best of the Worst: Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park, Killer Workout, and Mystics in Bali (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Order of the Black Eagle, Wired to Kill, and Raiders of Atlantis (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-22.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Parole Violators, Future Force, and Geteven (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-26.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Scary or Die, Chopping Mall, Exorcist II: The Heretic (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: RepliGATOR, Johnson Family Christmas Dinner, and Alligator (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2013-03-19.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2017). Best of the Worst: Carnosaur 2, The Skateboard Kid 2, and Future Zone (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2018). Best of the Worst: Night of the Lepus, Zombie 3, and Silk (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2018). Best of the Worst: Carnivore, HauntedWeen, and Black Roses (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2019). Best of the Worst: Jack-O, Rock n' Roll Nightmare, and Shark Exorcist (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2020). Best of the Worst Bad Movie Scavenger Hunt (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2020). Best of the Worst: Twin Dragon Encounter, American Rickshaw, and Infested (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2021). Best of the Worst: LA Wars, Unmasking the Idol, and Robowoman (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2021). Best of the Worst: Halloween Spooktacular 2021 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-23.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2021). Best of the Worst: Christmas 2021 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2022). Best of the Worst: Bad Movie Scavenger Hunt Too (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #5 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #6 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2014). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #7 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-19.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #11 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst 13 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2017). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #15 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2019). Best of the Worst Episode 78 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2019). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #20 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2020). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #21 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2023). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Worst #24 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Plinketto #1 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2016). Best of the Worst: Plinketto #2 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2017). Best of the Worst: Plinketto #4 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2018). Best of the Worst: Plinketto #5 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2013-01-31.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2020). Best of the Worst: Black Spine Junka 2 (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-02.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2021). Best of the Worst: Wheel of the Black Spine Plinketto (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-29.
- ^ Red Letter Media (2021). Best of the Worst: Black Spine Raffle (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-02-27.
- ^ a b Red Letter Media (2022). We Finally Watched Nukie: The VHS Grading Video (YouTube video). Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
- ^ Lloyd, Andrew (2023). "YouTubers said they destroyed over 100 VHS tapes of an obscure 1987 movie to increase the value of their final copy. They sold it on eBay for $80,600". insider.com. Insider. Retrieved 2023-01-20.