In what can only be described as a stroke of genius marketing β or perhaps a brutal reminder of how the past haunts us β 20th Century Studios is releasing Alien: Romulus on VHS tapes. Yes, you read that right, kids. VHS! For those born after 1998, thatβs a big, clunky plastic rectangle containing grainy footage and sound that makes you wonder if the alien is hissing at you or if itβs just the tape quality disintegrating in real-time. And no, there will be no bonus materials, because we canβt have nice things. π

But wait! For those of you from the TikTok generation scratching your heads wondering Β«VHS? Like, does that stand for Very Hot Stuff?Β», fear not. The package will include a manual explaining what a videotape is, how a VCR works, and why movies on these ancient relics look like theyβve been dragged through a swamp. The irony? Youβll probably have to YouTube how to use the manual. π€¦ββοΈ And good luck finding a VCR that isnβt a museum piece. At least the design by Matt Ferguson might be the only thing worth Instagramming. πΈ
Not to be outdone, the official soundtrack for Alien: Romulus will hit the market on β you guessed it β audio cassettes. The sweet, sweet sound of analog hiss! Because nothing complements a high-octane space horror flick like rewinding a tape with a pencil and praying it doesnβt unravel in your hands. π
If youβre lucky, you might even hear the soundtrack before the alien kills you. This retro campaign is apparently intended to kickstart a revival in VCR and audio player production across the U.S., because what better way to combat inflation and economic downturn than by dragging us back into the 1980s. πΈ
Collectors, of course, will love this. Nothing screams Β«exclusiveΒ» like a format thatβs been dead for 20 years. Who needs Blu-ray or 4K streaming when you can have a VHS that takes up half your shelf space and offers the visual clarity of a potato? πΌ But hey, nostalgia is a powerful drug, and we all know thereβs a dedicated group of fans somewhere eagerly dusting off their VCRs and Walkmans, ready to embrace this beautiful nightmare.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true callingβor at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
βοΈ ENTER THE LEGALIZER
Think the government has no idea what it's doing? Put your case before the Federal Case Terminal and find out.
