Kinski on AMERICAN PICKERS (Sorta)

One of my new favorite tv shows is The History Channel's AMERICAN PICKERS. I've long been a fan of junk and this show satisfies my inner picker (one of my dream jobs at one time) without the clutter that once accompanied my weekly trips to estate sales, auctions, flea markets, garage sales and thrift stores.

If you've never seen the show it centers on Mike and Frank, two pickers from the Midwest and owners of Antique Archaeology who travel the backroads of America in search of junk. The show chronicles their efforts as they meet folks who have yards, barns and buildings filled with everything from old bicycles and signs to tin toys and more.

During a recent episode the pair ended up sorting through the collection of a man whose family ran a drive-in located in Georgia during the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. With an estimated 5000 posters located in the boxes, stacks and bins, what are the odds that the first thing they'd pick up would be... a one-sheet for THE NAUGHTY CHEERLEADER starring Barbi Benton and our man Klaus Kinski?!

Eurospy Poster-Gasm (and Bonus VHS-Gasm)

I spend a lot of time in my office here at home. Probably a good six hours or so a day, even more when I get immersed in a big project like I'm working on now. So I decided that while I've loved assembling my Kinski Kollection I haven't really been appreciating it. Sure, I have a few pieces loitering on my bookshelf but I thought it might be fun – and help me push the Kinski guide along – if the mass of DVDs and VHS tapes, along with the magazines and a few choice collectibles, were on display for me to see each day.

Hauling everything out and rearranging my bookshelf was a start, but I realized that I have so much Kinski stuff that's not on commercial DVD that I needed to replace my slimline cases and low-rent CD-style jewel cases with custom DVD cases.

Admittedly, finding poster artwork for some of these flicks, like THE PLEASURE GIRLS or MAN, PRIDE, VENGEANCE is easier said than done. But I had a fair amount of success last night and even stumbled upon two art archives that should appeal to a few of you trashers.

First up is this Eurospy Poster Collection. The guy who houses it -- David J Deal -- wrote a Eurospy Guide as well as a 70s TV horror movie book. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you can find the links to some Komissar X and Jerry Cotton posters, too. But it was the Eurospy collection I found most inspiring!

And for those of us who remember the good old days of standing in the video store and drinking in the trashy, goofy, stoopid, lurid and fun VHS box art, you can spend hours at CoverBrowser.com. I immediately recognized tons of flicks that I passed up back in the day, only to realize now that those boxes houses Eurotrash classics I've come to know and love.

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Awesome CIRCUS OF FEAR Poster on eBay

This is one of those days where I wish I had a spare $300 laying around to blow on Klaus-abilia. Check out this great poster for the krimi CIRCUS OF FEAR starring Christopher Lee, Eddi Arent and Kinski up for sale on eBay. Even though Klaus has a fairly small supporting role in the flick the poster captures him perfectly as a cigarette-smoking hooligan involved in a heist. The role may be small but it's one of my favorite Klaus Kameos and the poster is just awesome...

On Display

Currently on display in our living room... great Turkish COBRA VERDE poster with a fantastic painting of Klaus on it.

Recent Acquisitions

Been a little slow here lately. Blame my recent trip to Seattle and some client projects that have kept me from adding much in the way of reviews. That hasn't kept me from picking up some cool stuff on eBay, though.

I've recently become very fond of Belgian theatrical posters thanks to their smaller-than-normal size and relative affordability. Check out these recent additions to Kasa Kinski...

I'm not a huge fan of FITZCARRALDO, though I am looking forward to checking out BURDEN OF DREAMS one of these days. I do love this artwork, though, and also have the soundtrack LP with the same image.

Don't believe the poster. Kinski's role in HIS NAME WAS KING is strictly that of a supporting character.

Great artwork with John Garko (as Sartana) and Kinski – as the wonderfully-named bounty hunter Hot Dead – on opposite sides of the poster. The two stars and THE GREAT SILENCE's Frank Wolf do their best to elevate I AM SARTANA, YOUR ANGEL OF DEATH (or YOUR GRAVEDIGGER) to the level of, say, THE PRICE OF DEATH, but it just ain't happening.

Evil Never Looked So Good...

Still working on some new reviews and articles for the site but since I've received some e-mails asking for more I thought I'd start sharing some of the great items in my Klaus Kollection. Here's one of my latest additions, a fantastic Belgian poster for the new-to-DVD flick CHURCHILL'S LEOPARDS. (BTW, I should be reviewing this one in the next couple weeks as my copy from Xploited Cinema is on its way.)

Anyway, I picked this guy and another Belgian Klaus poster up at eBay thanks to a tip from David Z over at TOMB IT MAY CONCERN. Check it out...

NOSSY IN VENICE Day 1: Turkish Poster

Expect a number of NOSFERATU IN VENICE posts over the next few days. At The Eurotrash Paradise we have a monthly feature called The Twisted Video Book Club or TVBC for short, in which a member picks a Eurotrash flick for discussion. November is my month and in memory of the anniversary of Kinski's death (coming up in 10 days) we'll be discussing NOSFERATU IN VENICE.

I'm really looking forward to watching this one again. My first viewing of this, Kinski's penultimate film, was via a 837th generation Greek VHS that barely got a grade of "watchable". Recently, though, I upgraded to a copy of the widescreen Japanese laserdisc which features English dubbing and (supposedly) more gore than other prints that have surfaced.

To get you warmed up for some NOSSY IN VENICE talk here's a look at what I believe is a Turkish one-sheet for the flick. Here it's retitled DRACULA and there's an obvious bikini top painted on the one-time topless chick on the left.

More to come tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Virtual Kinski Box Art Gallery

Like the LP, the lost art of the VHS cover is, indeed, a lost art. DVD covers are often shoddy montages of scenes from the film whereas VHS covers tended to replicate – or create their own – dramatic posters.

And nobody's face lends itself to interpretation like the one and only Klaus Kinski. Check out Scarecrow Video's "Virtual Gallery" of Kinski VHS box cover art (there is a DVD cover or two thrown in there) and you might get an idea why this guy is so captivating, even if he's only in the flick for five minutes.