This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Robert Sammelin) is limited to 3,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
Welcome Vinegar Syndrome Labs (VSL) to the VS Sub-Label family! As with each of our sub-labels we are hoping to expand and defy expectations with the diversity of films we restore and release. As the name implies, VSL will serve as a kind of testing area for releasing genres and eras of film that one might not immediately expect to come from VS. The ultimate objective of VSL will be to see if these types of films will find an audience, and if so, pursue and release more of them…and even if not, still serve as a means of restoring more of the weird, rare, and unusual movies you might not expect from Vinegar Syndrome.
Scientist Joe Burke is determined to prove the existence of alien life and has set up a powerful radio telescope to look for signs. One night, after months of failure, he detects a clear but faint communication emerging from the deepest reaches of space. Excited by his findings, he rushes to his nearby research quarters. No sooner than arriving, the entire building, including its occupants, is lifted into space by a mysterious extraterrestrial force. After docking on a spacecraft, the frightened abductees realize that they have been selected to participate in a dangerous mission, the success of which will determine the fate and survival of Earth...
One of the strangest films to emerge from legendary British horror-focused company Amicus Productions, prolific quota-quickie director Montgomery Tully's (Fog for a Killer) penultimate film, THE TERRORNAUTS, is a delirious sci-fi fever dream of plywood spaceships and rubber & foam robots, which becomes increasingly hallucinogenic as it goes on. Featuring a cast of veteran stage and TV players, including Simon Oates (Doomwatch), Zena Marshall (Dr. No), Frank Forsyth (Tales from the Crypt), and Max Adrian (Dr. Terror's House of Horrors), Vinegar Syndrome Labs proudly brings this forgotten slice of 60s British B-movie making to Blu-ray for the first time, newly restored in 4K from its long-lost original 35mm camera negative and presented in the longest version ever featured on home video.
directed by: Montgomery Tully starring: Simon Oates, Zena Marshall, Charles Hawtrey, Patricia Hayes, Stanley Meadows 1967 / 77 min / 1.85:1 / English DTS-HD Master Audio Mono
Additional info:
Region A Blu-ray
Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
Commentary track with author and film historian Brian Hannan
"Subotsky the Trailblazer" (22 min) - an interview with writer/film critic Kim Newman
Archival interview with editor Peter Musgrave (8 min)
Archival interview with production manager Ted Wallis (7 min)
Reversible sleeve artwork
English SDH subtitles
Overall rating: 4.487654 / 5 from 162 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
The Terrornauts, a newly restored 4K Blu-ray release from Vinegar Syndrome Labs, is celebrated for its excellent transfer, fantastic appearance, and engaging sci-fi classic status. Customers appreciate the great extras and picture quality, though opinions on the effects vary.
Summary topics
Release Quality (10%): Customers raved about the release, describing it as excellent, cool, and a must own sci-fi!
Appearance (9%): It was highlighted by customers that the product 'looks great' and has a fantastic appearance.
Film Quality (27%): A significant amount of customers expressed satisfaction with the film, describing it as a great sci-fi classic.
Extra Features (6%): Customers expressed appreciation for the great extras included in the film, including interviews with the original cast and crew.
Transfer Quality (11%): Customers expressed satisfaction with the great transfer of the film, with many considering it the best transfer anywhere.
"The transfer looks great and the extras are pretty good." — Robert M.
"For it's time and since this is a low budget flick the effects were very charming and effective." — Bryan K.
"If you enjoy classic sci-fi and B-movies this will be a great watch." — Emiliano H.
Reviews
Terror Not, Enjoyable Yes
"A delightfully lo-fi sci-fi Amicus effort, that ultimately treads safely down the middle of the road. There’s a compelling mystery about scientists making contact with an alien race — and the best parts involve some fairly simple tests of character. Yet, there’s a polite British pace to it all — lots of coffee drinking and an impressively silly rubber monster. The scientists are all stern and good looking, especially raven-haired Zena Marshall. There’s also a silly accountant and salt-of-the-earth tea trolley girl (Patricia Hayes from Willow) for comedy relief. Overall, the restoration looks great —colors are vivid and flesh tones are warm. Kim Newman gives a spirited interview with an amazing bookshelf as his background"
— Francisco W. (3/5)
Good memories!
"Even if there's too much comedy and some parts are slow, it brings back good memories. The aliens look great but have very little screen time, which is a pity. Great title!"
— massimiliano m. (4/5)
British Sci-Fi
"The Terrornauts (1967) is one of those endearingly scrappy Amicus Productions efforts where big cosmic ideas collide with shoestring resources. The story follows a group of scientists whisked away to an alien outpost, forced to prove humanity’s worth through a series of tests. It’s classic pulp: space travel, mysterious civilizations, and existential stakes delivered with wide‑eyed sincerity. The film’s limitations are obvious—minimal sets, stiff acting, and effects that look like they were assembled from leftover props—but that’s part of its charm. There’s a genuine enthusiasm in how it tackles grand sci‑fi concepts, and its earnestness makes the rough edges feel more like features than flaws. It plays like a lost episode of Doctor Who stretched to feature length, complete with quirky humor and a sense of cosmic curiosity. For fans of vintage British sci‑fi, low‑budget space adventures, or Amicus oddities, The Terrornauts is a delightful relic: imperfect, imaginative, and unmistakably of its era."
— Tarek E. (3/5)
The Terrornauts
"A fun sci fi adventure from Amicus, camp as anything and reminiscent of old BBC Dr Who episodes. Charles Hawtrey is always amazing value"
— Ben S. (5/5)
Positively Terrifying
"The Terrornauts is delightfully cheesy British sci-fi, following scientist Dr. Joe Burke as he makes first contact with an alien civilization and gets swept into an unexpectedly bizarre adventure. While the film's low-budget effects and campy charm won't be for everyone, they're part of what makes it so entertaining. Vinegar Syndrome's restoration looks fantastic, with vibrant colors and impressive detail that give this obscure cult film its best home video presentation to date. The release is rounded out with a strong selection of extras, including a commentary, interviews, and archival featurettes that provide excellent background on the production and its creators."
— Jason K. (5/5)
Good Flick
"The slipcover is awesome, as always with anything VS or their awesome partner Labels release! It is a cool movie that was a lot of fun to watch! I always love the unique VS service of allowing you to stack as many movies as you like in your cart during any release period and ship them for free! The peerless VS restoration process was on full display with stellar sound and picture! Thank you, VS, for continuing to lovingly restore and release so many wonderful films from every conceivable genre! You are keeping physical media alive in this streaming world we now live in! Highly recommended!"
— Paul K. (4/5)
Low Budget Scifi
"I love these kind of movies. It reminds me of my childhood when my father was making me watch these weird SciFi with funny designs about how the world would be in the future. Toy guns, garbage can robots, and humans dressed as other species. LOVE IT!"
— Danny G. (4/5)
Just a great looking film
"While I wasn't a huge fan of the story (good but not great imo) I have to say this movie is one of the best looking of the era that I have seen. Just the set design and color schemes and filming it looks fantastic and this release really makes it all pop, I think its one of the best looking movies in my collection and definitely recommend getting."
— Dylan C. (5/5)
Nice upgrade for a charming clunker
"I saw this on VHS about 20yrs ago. It didn't do much for me, but I'm stupid so I figure, "I gotta get the Blu". This film definitely benefits from a clean, clear presentation. Those (underused) candy-colors really pop! An entire star of my rating is just for the restoration. This isn't my fave, but it's a relaxing ride into an almost-pre-Star Trek sci-fi. Glad this edition is on my shelf!"
— Isaac W. (4/5)
Great VS Offering of '60s Doctor Who-like SF Flick
"A scientist who believes he heard an alien signal as a boy hears it again when he becomes an astronomer. He raises funds to send a return signal, and soon his installation is whisked away by an alien spacecraft. He and his companions, 2 other scientists, an accountant, and a cleaning woman (the latter 2 for comic relief), are then tested like lab rats in a (funky) robot controlled installation. As they try to figure out why they've been kidnapped, the woman scientist is accidentally teleported to an alien planet (with pasted-on moons in the sky). By the time our hero follows with a blaster, the woman is about to be sacrificed by savage green aliens. Escaping that leads them to learn the true message left for them on the automated station, and their mission, which is humankind's last hope. This Amicus offering feels like a 1960s Doctor Who episode, but in glorious color. Vinegar Syndrome's print and transfer look great, but also show the often "toy boat" level of special FX. Still, a lot of stuff blows up in the end, and genre fans will enjoy this little oddball. VS provides some nice extras, too."
— Steve S. (5/5)
Q&A
More Items to Consider
Cart
0 Item(s)
Stay in the know!
Join our mailing list for updates on new releases, promotions & events.
