Disney, 20th Century, and Sony just did something that major studios haven’t done in two decades: Released a brand new film on VHS. Boutique physical media labels and collectors online have been selling new movies on VHS for a while, and occasionally a smaller indie studio like A24 will put a specific movie out on tape. When it comes to the big studios, though, there hasn’t been an official VHS release since A History of Violence back in 2006.
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That changed this month with the home debut of Alien: Romulus. In honor of the success that Alien found on VHS back in the ’80s and ’90s, the team behind Romulus wanted to produce a nostalgic replica that movie fans could appreciate. So Disney (whose physical media now runs through Sony) put out a very limited release of Alien: Romulus on VHS. The preorders sold out quickly and now the only way to find an official copy is to look for resellers online, so you’ll likely pay a bit of a premium.
As someone who does collect and still watch VHS tapes in the year 2024, this news absolutely floored me. It was so exciting to think about such a beloved media format making a comeback right now, even if it’s only for a single limited release. Disney graciously sent a copy my way so I could check it out and write up my thoughts on the first major VHS release in almost 20 years. So let’s break down both the good and bad that come with this monumental physical media moment.
The Good
Alien: Romulus is a movie that looks awesome in the highest quality formats (IMAX, 4K UHD), which made it feel like an odd candidate for release on a physical format that isn’t known for offering great picture or sound. A lot of the nostalgic appeal for VHS comes from its distinct look and feel. I was surprised at just how naturally Romulus appears on the tape, truly feeling like an Alien successor from the Blockbuster era.
Yes, the effects and style are much different than what Ridley Scott utilized in 1979, but it captures the same vibe. The tint and the fuzz and everything you remember loving on a tape don’t take away from the picture, but instead allow the picture to enhance the format a bit.
One important thing to note is that I did watch the Alien: Romulus tape on square CRT TV (the bulky, non-widescreen sets you used to find in every living room across the country), so it was the full VHS experience, warts and all. Hooking up a VCR to a modern TV with an HDMI adapter results in something stuck in limbo between new technology and nostalgia, creating an experience that most VHS collectors don’t prefer.
As far as the tape itself goes, there was no issue with the production. There was some question about how a company that hasn’t produced VHS in years would handle the format, and everything came out great. The case is especially appealing, donned with some great art that you would’ve seen at the video store 30 years ago.
Perhaps the coolest thing about the Alien: Romulus VHS is just how quickly it sold. Yes, there were a ton of resellers buying copies, but that’s because there is clearly a lot of interest in the format amongst physical media fans and collectors. That kind of success could easily pave the way for other limited releases like this in the future.
The Bad
The biggest issue with the Alien: Romulus VHS release is its affordability and accessibility. Releases like these are always going to be limited — there won’t ever be a mass-produced VHS tape sent out to brick-and-mortar retailers again. But there was definitely not enough product to match the demand amongst physical media collectors and Alien fans. The tape’s price only made that issue more frustrating.
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This was obviously going to cost a little more than a VHS used to, but $60 is a real tough pill to swallow for a tape. You can buy the 4K disc for half of that. Yes, this is more of a collector’s item than something someone is going to watch regularly, but that’s still a good chunk more than a lot of folks are going to be comfortable with. As excited as I was for the prospect of a new VHS (especially for a film I loved), I likely wouldn’t have bought a copy for that price.
While there’s no actual problem with the Alien: Romulus tape itself, there are a couple of tiny nitpicks that I wished were different — and I know most fans of the VHS would agree. The VHS is presented in widescreen format, which makes total sense, given that this is how almost every film is shot and released. Keeping it widescreen makes for a much smaller picture on the old CRT TVs, but it allows for everything to be seen at once.
The problem is that this release was supposed to be about the nostalgia. It would’ve been awesome to see the picture converted to a more traditional home media aspect ratio. If you’re aiming for nostalgia, really give us nostalgia. Go one step further and give us that “formatted to fit your TV screen” nonsense we grew up on.
In the same vein, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed to find there are no commercials on the tape. Commercials were a staple of the VHS. Anyone who grew up on tapes can probably recite specific movie trailers verbatim, because they played at the start of their favorite movies. A small part of me hoped that there would be a couple of retro-style trailers for upcoming Disney and 20th Century titles on the Romulus VHS. Instead, the tape kicks off immediately with the studio logos at the start of the movie.
I get it, these are nitpicky things that are ultimately non-issues. I just think doing a highly publicized, limited edition VHS release in the modern entertainment landscape is an excuse to really go all out. Does that mean a little more work? Sure, but how many times is this really going to happen? Deliver the ultimate VHS experience while you have the opportunity.
The Bottom Line
All in all, it’s hard to complain about much with this tape — at least as far as this VHS collector is concerned. You weren’t going to buy an Alien: Romulus VHS if you didn’t have some familiarity with the format (or don’t plan on doing anything with it but displaying it on a shelf). So it doesn’t make sense to compare the picture or sound quality to a Blu-ray or streaming.
You know what you’re getting into with a VHS. Romulus doesn’t give you everything you might want, but it does deliver everything a VHS release needs. It’s really just remarkable (and still very surprising) that this release happened at all.
Kudos to whoever had the idea, I hope you got a big, fat raise.
