Great VHS Box Art pt.3 "Another State of Mind"

So, right about when I decided to feature VHS covers here on this blog some other guy comes out with a book doing the same thing, and it gets mixed reviews, and I get discouraged 'cuz I thought I had an original idea... then came the Intellivision project and summer. Anyhow, I knew I'd get back into it again when I found a good one, and Dude's book got dissed for not including so many great covers like this one, so as you can see, I just had post pics from the VHS box cover for the great punk rock doucmentary film "Another State of Mind"



That's an impossibly young Mike Ness sitting on the bumper of the same beat up school bus featured in the film, and a logo that screams Ralph Steadman. The whole thing could be designed by the guy, who knows? This is going back to 1983, when it would be possible for Steadman to still be working more commercially. Whoever it was, this image represents the classic hardcore punk graphic style, with stark black and white contrasts offset by (in this case, two) swatches of muted, primal color. The effect is an intensity level that is through the roof, even though the subject is in repose. It's so simple and effective, and it works every time. I can't be a dick and not post the back cover for you.



If you're an aging punk rock fan like myself, the film is like a time machine back to the early eighties. It's also a compelling story featuring some great performances and interviews, a ton of optimism, and a sadly unique philosophy on life. This hasn't resurfaced on DVD to my knowledge, so buy whatever format you can find it on.