Redemption video label – First incarnation 1993 to 1998/9

When I came up with the idea for Redemption in 1992 I knew absolutely nothing about film distribution or how to license a film. I had raised about £10K and, through a contact at the BFI, had been able to license five films; Mask of Satan, Lisa and the Devil, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore, Killer Nun and Salon Kitty. That had pretty much used up all of the cash so I was still working fulltime in publishing.

I then managed to get a distributor, a company called RTM, so in theory, was all set to go but I needed a brand and a look for the label and that was something I did know about.

I chose the name Redemption because my own film, Visions of Ecstasy, had been banned for blasphemy and it seemed appropriate. Its banning had also pushed me sideways in that I came to the conclusion that if I couldn’t make my own films then I could at least release the films I liked.

I started by creating the magazine The Redeemer, a sort of posh fanzine which the Guardian called a ‘Death Vogue for the Nineties’, which would act as a not too subtle publicity driver for Redemption. I then set about creating a branded design for the sleeves. With no money, I couldn’t afford to advertise so I needed the sleeves to do everything, essentially I needed them to make an impact and most importantly of all encourage retailers to rack them together thereby creating a mini ‘Redemption section’ which would, in turn, attract customers.

The sleeves had to, like book jackets, make people judge a film by its cover.

RED 001
Mask of Satan

RED 002
Lisa and the Devil

RED 003
’tis a pity she’s a whore

RED 004
salon kitty

RED 005
Killer Nun

RED 006
Venus in Furs

RETN 007
Succubus

RETN 008
The Vampire Bat

RETN 009
Requiem for a Vampire

RTN 010
Vampyr

RETN 011
M

RETN 012
Nosferatu

RETN 013
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari

RETN 014
White Zombie

RETN 015
Deep Red

RETN 016
Virgin Witch

RETN 017
Haxan

RETN 018
Le Frisson des Vampires

RETN 019
Baron Blood

RETN 020
La Vampire Nue

RETN 021
Mark of the Devil

RETN 022
Cannibal Man

RETN 023
Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

RETN 024
Flavia the Heretic

RETN 025
Five Dolls for an August Moon

RETN 026
The Living Dead Girl

RETN 027
Bay of Blood

RETN 028
Female Vampire

RETN 029
Virgin Among the Living Dead

RETN 030
The Awful Dr. Orlof

RETN 031
Tender and Perverse Emmanuelle

RETN 032
Demoniacs

RETN 033
Fascination

RETN 034
Le Viol du Vampire

RETN 035
Sadisterotica

RETN 036
Tombs of the Blind Dead

RETN 037
Return of the Evil Dead

RETN 038
Bare Behind Bars

RETN 039
Kiss Me Monster

RETN 040
Sadomania

RETN 041
The Phantom Carriage

RETN 042
Martin

RETN 043
The Crazies

RETN 044
Season of the Witch

RETN 045
The Monestry of Sendomir

RETN 046
Story of a Cloistered Nun

RETN 047
The Cat’s Victims

RETN 048
Black Candles

RETN 049
The Night Evelyn Rose from the Grave

RETN 050
Clive’s Barkers Salome and The Forbidden

RETN 051
Bloodstained Shadow

RETN 052
The Nuns of Saint Archangel

RETN 053
What Have You Done to Solange?

RETN 054
The Black Cat

RETN 055
The Cursed Medallion

RETN 056
Stagefright

RETN 057
The Other Hell

RETN 058
The Revenge of the Living Dead Girls

RETN 059
Crazy Desires of a Murderer

RETN 060 (Side 1)
Devil’s Nightmare

RETN 060 (Side 2)
Devil’s. Nightmare

RETN 061
House of Whipcord

RETN 062
Witchfinder General

RETN 063
Frightmare

RETN 064
The Bloody Judge

RETN 065
Torso

RETN 066
Vampyros Lesbos

RETN 066
Vampyros Lesbos
Special Edition

RETN 066
Vampyros Lesbos Special Edition

RETN 067
She Killed in Ecstasy

RETN 068
Laurin

RETN 069
Egon Schiele – Excess and Punishment

RETN 070
The Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion

RETN 071
What Have They Done to Your Daughters?

RETN 072
The Case of the Girl in the Yellow Pyjamas

RETN 073
In the Folds of the Flesh

RETN 074
The Fifth Cord

RETN 075
Night of the Doomed

RETN 076
Who Saw Her Die?

RETN 077
My Dear Killer

RETN 078
Curse of the Vampire

RETN 079
Footprints on the Moon (Le Orme)

RETN 080
Behind Convent Walls

RETN 080 Alternate
Behind Convent Walls

RETN 081
Don’t Deliver Us From Evil