Wandering amidst the colorful chaos of hundreds of VHS cardboard boxes in video stores used to be one of the simple pleasures of life for cinephiles in the ’80s and ’90s. But unless you live in beautiful Bend, Oregon, as I fortunately do, where the last remaining Blockbuster Video on the planet resides, those fond memories are a thing of the past in the congested instant-access world of 24-7 streaming.
Strangely enough, the old-school VHS format is being resurrected in certain collector circles for rare films, and vintage tapes with their vivid box artwork are hot ticket items at conventions and fan events. Joining this nostalgic resurgence of analog interest and perfectly aligning with the throwback appeal of director Fede Alvarez’s “Alien: Romulus,” 20th Century Studios has just offered up a cool limited-edition VHS of the frightening sci-fi interquel on Dec. 3, 2024, for home video purists.
This new “Alien: Romulus” prize represents the first significant VHS release in nearly two decades, and the first by Disney in almost thirty years. It’s a fully-functioning VHS tape produced in small quantities to help honor the 45th anniversary of the “Alien” franchise that first hatched in theaters back in 1979. “Romulus” is presented in a standard 4:3 aspect ratio tastefully panned-and-scanned, and comes packaged in a retro vintage-style cardboard sleeve emblazoned with killer exclusive cover art by acclaimed artist Matt Ferguson, who’s also revealed the wide-screen source poster.
One tiny touch that makes this release even more relatable to folks of a certain age is the attention to detail in its box design, complete with a faded yellow “Limited Release” sticker that we all recall from the past. Let’s hope this rare “Alien: Romulus” VHS release will further ignite a new wave of interest in the vintage format that was the mainstay of home entertainment technology for nearly three decades.
Alvarez first announced this rare product back in October during a special Beyond Fest partnered screening of “Alien: Romulus” at the Aero Theater in Los Angeles.
“That’s the way I discovered these films, ‘Alien’ and ‘Aliens,'”Alvarez revealed in an interview with Men’s Journal. “I discovered them via VHS. So, this is a very special way to watch them as well, being able to pause and rewind and see something you missed. That’s something that has its own value. Not only is it coming out on streaming, but it’s coming out on December 3 on Blu-ray and VHS. I wanted to make sure that we reach that perfect vibe of the experience of watching a movie, that, for me, is on VHS and at home. I was so happy that the studio was glad – with the madness of all these years after the last release on VHS – to put another studio movie out on VHS.”
“I know there’s gonna be a group of friends that are gonna pull out their VHS or old TV and play it that way, and it really puts tears in your eyes when you watch it that way,” he continues. “It just takes you back to that cozy feeling of Friday night in the early nineties or late eighties where you rent a movie, you know, put it in the VHS, watch it, knowing that it was gonna be a one-off because they have to return it the next day. It was such a unique moment. Watch it once, you give it back, and it really makes it timeless. Once you watch it through the format of VHS it’s not a movie made in 2024 anymore. It’s a movie that came from nowhere, right? It came from a timeless time. I think that is so magical.”
“Alien: Romulus” limited-edition VHS release is available now. If you don’t happen to have a VHS player knocking around in 2024, it’s also available to stream on Hulu (or Disney+ in the UK).
