Film Details
Director: The film was directed by the controversial and visually distinctive filmmaker Ken Russell.
Plot: It is a fictionalized retelling of the famous "haunted summer" of 1816, when poets Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, along with Mary Godwin (later Mary Shelley, who would write Frankenstein), her stepsister Claire Clairmont, and Dr. John Polidori, gathered at a Swiss villa. They challenged each other to write horror stories, leading to the creation of two literary classics: Frankenstein and "The Vampyre."
Cast: The film stars a notable young cast, including Gabriel Byrne as Lord Byron, Julian Sands as Percy Bysshe Shelley, Natasha Richardson as Mary Shelley (in her film debut), and Timothy Spall as Dr. Polidori. 
VHS & Cover Art Notes
Distributor: The tape was distributed by Vestron Pictures (Vestron Video in the U.S.), a company known for releasing many cult classic horror films on video during the 1980s.
Cover Inspiration: The poster motif on the cover is explicitly based on the famous 1781 painting The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli, which is also referenced in the film itself
Behind the Scenes & Production
Natasha Richardson's film debut: This was the first feature film role for Natasha Richardson (who played Mary Shelley). Her mother, the famous actress Vanessa Redgrave, was so proud of her performance that she requested the film be shown at her daughter's memorial service.
A "second wind" for Russell: Director Ken Russell had been struggling to get projects financed. The financial success of 
Gothic
 (largely driven by video sales on Vestron) gave his career a "second wind" and secured him a three-picture contract.
The "cockroach" requirement: During casting discussions, Russell reportedly told actor Timothy Spall (who played Dr. Polidori), "This is where we track you dead... here's the art director to talk about the cockroaches coming out of your mouth". Spall had a cast made of his face to achieve the effect.
Shot in England: Although the film is set in a villa overlooking Lake Geneva, the interiors and most exteriors were filmed at Gaddesden Place and Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire, England, to keep the budget under two million pounds. 
Literary & Visual Trivia
Real-life source material for the bizarre: Some of the film's most surreal and disturbing imagery, such as eyes appearing in a character's breasts, was not Russell's invention but was actually taken directly from Percy Bysshe Shelley's personal diaries.
The TARDIS is hidden in the cover art: The film's poster and promotional material, like the one on your VHS cover, contain a subtle, hidden reference to the TARDIS from the British science-fiction show Doctor Who within the illustrated elements.
Frankenstein inspiration theory: The film explores the psycho-sexual theory that Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein was largely inspired by the trauma and nightmares following the loss of her baby, a critical approach explored by literary scholars.
Three films, one summer: The events of that famous "haunted summer" of 1816 were so compelling that two other films covering the exact same story were released shortly after 
Gothic
: Haunted Summer and Rowing with the Wind (both 1988). 
Music & Soundtrack
Thomas Dolby's orchestral debut: The moody score was written by the English new wave and synth-pop musician Thomas Dolby (famous for "She Blinded Me with Science"). It was his first attempt at writing orchestral music, and he said Russell "just wanted everything louder!"
Lawsuit over the name: Thomas Dolby's work on the film actually sparked a trademark lawsuit from the company Dolby Laboratories, who worried that consumers would mistakenly believe the musician "Thomas Dolby" had founded their company.