Back in the ’80s a new subgenre of Horror emerged in the form of little monsters. You had your gremlins, critters, munchies, but also your friendly little ghoulies. Ghoulies, originally making their big screen debut in the 1985 feature by the same title, was naturally pooh-poohed by critics; because most would not know a good time if it hit them in the face. Anyway, the original Ghoulies hit 350 movie theaters, fared relatively decently, and spawned not one, but three sequels! The first of these, Ghoulies II, holds a special place in the hearts of many youth of the era.
Theatrically released in 1987, in the fall of 1988 it made its way to video stores… and that is where it excelled. Featuring the impossible to ignore poster art and/or VHS cover of two ghoulies in a toilet (one sitting in the bowl, and the other emerging from the tank above), the tagline of “They’ll Get Yours In The End” immediately made any juvenile giggle. Overall a fun ride, not meant to be taken too seriously much like the original Ghoulies, the two films have been released in various formats through the years; including combined together on DVD back in 2003 domestically in the US market.
Now in 2023, MVD Visual will present Ghoulies and Ghoulies II on two brand new individual Blu-Rays released on September 12th. Both a part of The MVD Rewind Collection, Ghoulies II is presented in a 2K restoration (prepared on behalf of MGM), includes a retro ’80s video store slipcase, and a really nice miniature film poster. Now, it should be pointed out to some it might be a bit of a letdown that Ghoulies II is not being offered in 4K. It might also be a let down that it is not being presented in the uncut R-rated edition (something which is presently only available on a 2017 Australian release). Two factors that some dedicated fans are agonizing over, all is not lost, because MVD has reported they are working diligently to put together future release of Ghoulies II in 4K at some point in the future.
Until that time, MVD gift you Ghoulies II in this really nice single disc collector’s edition. Some might be thinking – why would I purchase this Blu-ray with the potential of a 4K release sometime in the foreseeable future? A valid argument, perhaps those interested in a 4K release best hold off. However, there are still many who do not have 4K players, so a Blu-ray edition fits their needs just fine. That in mind, the 2K transfer is solid, and the special features are well worth it, because most only own Ghoulies II in the ’03 MGM double feature DVD format… and that was pretty barebones. For this MVD Rewind Collection you have interviews, More Toilets, More Terror: The Making of Ghoulies II, plus more. So, in this respect, while yes, this new release is not in 4K, and it does not offer the R-rated cut, it still is the most complete edition of Ghoulies II to hit the market in North America ever.
A nicely put together package, done with care and attention to detail, Cryptic Rock gives The MVD Rewind Collection release of Ghoulies II 4 out of 5 stars.
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