At a time when Sony still plans to stop releasing video games on disc for its PlayStation consoles by the start of 2028, it sure is nice to see some physical media distributors still value ownership and sweet packaging. Recently, Rough Cut Video opened pre-orders for a Blu-ray re-release of Jon Hess’ 1988 monster horror film Watchers. The upcoming release features a classic poster art cover, bonus features, a slick version of the original film, and more.
Koontz’s classic tale gets an upgrade
They were created in a top-secret government laboratory, enhanced by genetic masterminds, given superior intelligence, and bred to be the perfect weapons. Now they are on the loose,” says the film’s description. In Watchers, based on the best-selling thriller suspense novel by Dean Koontz, Corey Haim stars as Travis Cornell, who befriends a stray golden retriever. Little does he know that this extraordinary dog is about to lead him on the most terrifying adventure.
Bonus Features
The upcoming Watchers Blu-ray hails from Toy Robot Video and includes the following bonus features:
- NEW Interview with director Jon Hess
- NEW Interview with actor Michael Ironside
- NEW Interview with actress Lala Sloatman
- NEW Interview with actress Barbara Williams
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Stills Gallery
As JoBlo’s Andrew Hatfield noted in a retrospective last year, “While the film spawned 3 sequels and should have worked with its cast and source material, and was in the right time frame for the ingredients to gel, it falls flat. The movie is a long watch at only 86 minutes, even with unhinged Michael Ironside and some fun gore effects. I’m sure it has a ton of fans out there, but it is rightfully forgotten over time. I’d still love to see a big box set Blu-ray release for the sake of preservation, but the book is far superior and will be recommended much more often as one of horror’s best writers’ best entries. Watchers could have been fun, but it drops the ball while the book still mostly holds up, even with some stale caricatures and scenarios that we’ve seen before. The choice between which Watchers to watch is an easy one, and you should keep the film version as an Outsider.”
Are you a Watchers fan? Let us know in the comments section below. Watchers comes to Blu-ray on October 20, 2026.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed