Special edition? I'm sure it was 1991. I was unemployed and had to save up for it!

So apparently the 1989 edition actually was the first VHS release for Aliens in the UK:

Wonder why it took them three years to release it?

That's interesting, thanks. Where had you seen the film before?

Simon, that's a really good point about the novelty of home video at the time. However, there were definitely less popular movies than Aliens released on VHS to retail at the time, so I'm still slightly surprised they waited so long.

Might start that video libraries thread soon.

Maybe they held off until Alien3 was announced/released?

Ahh, now, the reason less popular films were readily available when many bigger titles were not was because the major studios were still testing the market and independant distributors saw an opening and started releasing whatever films they could get their hands on (as had been the case several years earlier with rentals). So yeah there were a few big titles you could purchase in the late 80s, but not that many as the major studios were slow on the uptake (some slower than others I might add).

Indeed, the first proper retail VHS tapes didn't emerge until 1984 and were basically a collection of old kids cartoons and westerns, which were exclusive to Woolworths (anyone remember those old Video Collection titles?) The only other way to purchase a video film would be to buy a rental version from places like WHSmiths or HMV, which would be priced anywhere from £25 - £80 and bear in mind thats 80s money we're talking about, so £80 was worth a lot more back then.

But anyway, it was the late 80s when things started to change, the major studios started releasing their back catalogues onto tape and it then became customary for films to find their way onto rental about 6 months after release at the cinema and then another 6 months after that to find their way onto sell-through. I seem to recall it was a few years after that that, around 1991, that companies realised that the REAL money in home video was in retail and started releasing tapes for sale or hire simultaneously.

Obviously, there's a lot we take for granted these days regarding the availability of films, but it was those Halcyon days that shaped the current home video market and it took a while for film studios to adapt to the publics demands and we arrived at the system we currently have!



That's my speciality

Special edition? I'm sure it was 1991. I was unemployed and had to save up for it

Do you remember how much you paid?

I purchased Aliens on VHS in 1987, when it was very first released period, though that was here in the U.S. At that time, they were only released as rental VHS, but I purchased a brand new copy from a rental house that ordered an extra copy for me. It was $99. Yea, very expensive. At the time, it was so worth it to me.

Totally worth it.

I got the special edition laser disc set for around $100 for my birthday. Circa 1991?

I hope that it's still at my parents' house, though I'm not holding my breath.

Thanks for the explanation, that makes sense. Really interesting how the home video market evolved. How much do you think the spread of bootleg VHS copies also factored into this whole situation?