They came from beyond the stars. They crave your blood. And they’re hungry for brains. It’s Ed Wood by way of Mel Brooks!
Let’s get this out of the way: Vampire Zombies… from Space! is exactly the kind of movie that knows the word “subtle” and throws it out an airlock. Directed by Michael Stasko, this 2024 love letter to drive-in delirium smashes together bloodsuckers, brain-eaters, and flying saucers like a kid mashing action figures together on a shag carpet. Shot in glossy black-and-white and framed like a lost 1957 atomic panic cheapie, it’s proudly ridiculous — and the Blu-ray from Cleopatra Entertainment leans all the way into that radioactive cheese.
Now, the story — and I use that word with affection — is pure pulp stew. A quiet 1950s town gets smacked with an alien invasion that somehow also involves vampirism and zombie contagion, because why pick one flavor of apocalypse when you can dump the whole drive-in menu on the grill? The plot barrels forward on panic speeches, lab-coat exposition, and a rotating parade of monsters who look like they were assembled from Halloween clearance bins and sheer determination. It’s less about narrative logic and more about escalation: more fangs, more fog, more screaming under suspiciously theatrical lighting.
The cast commits like they’re playing it straight in 1958, which is half the fun. The heroes square their shoulders and bark dialogue like they’re auditioning for a Cold War propaganda reel, while the villains leer and shuffle with glorious, graveyard gusto. There’s a beautiful grime to the whole project — not in production value, which is slick — but in spirit. It feels like it crawled out of a sticky-floored grindhouse with popcorn stuck to its boots. The ridiculousness isn’t accidental; it’s weaponized. This movie knows it’s trash cinema, and it wears that trash like a rhinestone-studded badge of honor.
Visually, this disc looks sharp. Almost too sharp. The 1.85:1 transfer is crisp, with deep blacks and clean contrast that really show off the retro lighting and rubbery creature chaos. It’s the kind of image quality that makes you appreciate how carefully this thing was crafted — even if part of you kind of wanted it to look like it was discovered in a moldy film can behind a bowling alley. Still, the clarity lets the gags, costumes, and bug-eyed performances pop in all their bug-eyed glory.
Audio-wise, everything is loud, proud, and appropriately melodramatic. The dialogue is clear (important when characters are shouting about alien invasions and undead outbreaks), and the score swells with that big, wink-wink sci-fi bombast. You can tell this wasn’t slapped together; it’s a modern production wearing a thrift-store ’50s costume, and the Blu-ray presentation keeps the joke intact without flattening it.
Where this release really earns its cult-collector stripes is in the extras. There’s a commentary track with Stasko and company that feels more like you’re hanging out after a midnight screening than sitting through film school analysis. Interviews and behind-the-scenes pieces add to the scrappy charm, and genre royalty like Lloyd Kaufman popping up just feels right. It’s the kind of bonus material that understands its audience: people who own multiple shelves labeled “Weird Stuff.”
Beam it up… if you dare.
Home Video Distributor: Cleopatra
Available on Blu-ray - January 20, 2026
Screen Formats: 1.85:1
Subtitles: English SH
Audio: English 5.1 Surround; 2.0 Stereo
Discs: Blu-ray Disc; single disc
Region Encoding: Locked to Region A
It’s 1957. The Cold War is heating up… and so are the corpses. When a mysterious flying saucer streaks across the night sky and crash-lands near a quiet American town, the locals brace for little green men. What they get instead is something far worse: bloodthirsty vampires, shambling zombies, and a full-blown alien invasion that threatens to turn Main Street into a midnight buffet.
As scientists scramble for answers and square-jawed heroes load up their ray guns, humanity faces its most unholy triple threat yet. Directed by Michael Stasko, Vampire Zombies… from Space! is a loving, loud, and deliciously demented tribute to the drive-in creature features of the atomic age. Shot in striking black-and-white and packed with practical monster mayhem, this retro riot mashes up sci-fi paranoia and horror hysteria with tongue planted firmly in cheek.
Video
Cleopatra Entertainment beams Vampire Zombies… from Space! onto Blu-ray like it just crash-landed from a radioactive drive-in double feature, and the presentation is slick in all the right ways. The black-and-white image is crisp and clean, framed at 1.85:1 with deep shadows and bright highlights that really sell the retro ’50s sci-fi aesthetic without burying the modern craftsmanship.
Audio
Audio is clear and punchy, with dialogue that cuts through the chaos and a score that swells with atomic-age melodrama. Everything is loud, proud, and appropriately melodramatic. The dialogue is clear (important when characters are shouting about alien invasions and undead outbreaks), and the score swells with that big, wink-wink sci-fi bombast.
You can tell this wasn’t slapped together; it’s a modern production wearing a thrift-store ’50s costume, and the Blu-ray presentation keeps the joke intact without flattening it.
Supplements:
Loaded with out-of-this-world extras including commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and appearances from cult legend Lloyd Kaufman, this Blu-ray release is a must-own for fans of rubber monsters, flying saucers, and gloriously gooey B-movie madness.
Commentary:
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Thankfully, there is a lively commentary from director Michael Stasko!
Special Features:
Here’s what you’re digging into once the saucer lands:
- Audio Commentary with director Michael Stasko and key cast/crew — equal parts production stories and drive-in enthusiasm.
- Behind-the-Scenes Featurette — a look at how the retro monsters, sets, and atomic-age vibe were pulled together.
- Cast & Crew Interviews — including appearances from cult icon Lloyd Kaufman and horror veteran Judith O'Dea.
- Making-of Segments spotlighting practical effects and creature design.
- Trailers & Promotional Materials
- Photo Gallery / Stills Archive
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Composite Blu-ray Grade
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MPAA Rating: Unrated.
Runtime: 98 mins
Director: Michael Stasko
Writer: Jakob Skrzypa; Alex Forman; Michael Stasko
Cast: Lloyd Kaufman; Judith O'Dea; Craig Gloster
Genre: Comedy | Sci-fi
Tagline: A Batty New Comedy That's Guaranteed to Suck
Memorable Movie Quote:
Theatrical Distributor: Cleopatra Entertainment
Official Site:
Release Date: January 20, 2026
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: January 20, 2026
Synopsis: In 1957, the small town of Marlow is under attack by: see title
