In the world of cinema there is not always immediately a successful return for a film. Whether it be lack of promotion, poorly rolled out releases, or simply bad timing in the market, an unsuccessful box office drawing does not determine a film’s worth. This is especially the case with The Monster Squad which was released to theaters in August of 1987 by TriStar Pictures to ultimately stale returns.
However, when Vestron Video released it to VHS and Beta in February of 1988, The Monster Squad slowly began to strike the interest of many who browsed the shelves of their local video store. Something that most kids from the ‘80s know, love, and talk about as one of their favorite films, oddly enough, it would not be until 2007 (nearly 20 years later) that the film would ever make the jump to DVD. Nearly forgotten, like countless other ‘80s films, it was ultimately the swell of fan admiration that revived The Monster Squad, thus making it the classic film it is today.
Taking a closer look at the second life of The Monster Squad, you can turn to the film’s cast reunion in 2006 which includes a brief return to limited theaters as a focal point. Thereafter came the Lionsgate 2007 DVD, followed by 2009’s Blu-ray release, leading up to 2018’s documentary film Wolfman’s Got Nards. Really an inspiring story of how a dedicated fanbase can stimulate a film’s relevance, the only sad part is, with all the merchandising of ’80s films, you still will find yourself extremely hard pressed to find any The Monster Squad memorabilia out there. Anyway, with the DVD out for many years, the Blu-ray since out of print, and the film available to stream on several platforms, many fans would absolutely love to see it in a 4K format. Well, granting that wish, Kino Lorber (An international film distribution company based in New York City) have released The Monster Squad in a brand-new 4K Ultra HD set.
Released just prior to the holiday season, on November 28, 2023, the new Kino Lorber edition is complete as a 3-disc set; offering The Monster Squad on 4K disc, as well as on a Blu-ray, plus the 2018 documentary Wolfman’s Got Nards on Blu-ray too. A grand collection, the extras include the aforementioned 2018 documentary (actually written and directed by film star André Gower), The Monster Squad Forever documentary, plus much more, such as the 1986 interview with Tom Noonan “A Conversation with Frankenstein,” as well as audio commentaries. Really everything a fan could ask for in one package, the most exciting aspect here has to be the 4K presentation of the film.
Given to you as 4K Scan from the 35mm original camera negative, the imagery is hands down the most pristine ever put out of The Monster Squad. Clarified, bright, and featuring more color, it is the film like you have never seen it before. Beyond this A+ transfer, the set also includes a very nice slipcover with newly commissioned art that is a lovely rendition of the original film poster. And if you are one who also wants to have that original artwork, you can just flip the artwork of the set itself to experience it on the other side.
Overall, you could not ask for anything more than what Kino Lorber has put together for this 4K edition of The Monster Squad. Well-done, covering all corners based on what content is available, Cryptic Rock gives The Monster Squad 4K set 5 out of 5 stars.
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