Watchers might not be a good movie. But I love it unconditionally. I’d read the book, and was excited to hear that Corey Haim was starring in the lead role.
It felt like someone had made Watchers just for me. And I’ve held onto this mutant monster dog thriller for nearly forty years now. So of course I’m excited that it’s finally getting a boutique Blu-ray release with new extras.
Some movies stick with you long after the VHS tape has become infected with mold and no longer rewinds. For me, Watchers is one of those movies. The 1988 creature feature starring Corey Haim has finally arrived on Blu-ray from Toy Robot Video, and this new release gives fans a chance to revisit a wonderfully odd slice of ’80s horror with a collection of new interviews that I can’t wait to watch.
Based on Dean Koontz’s novel, Watchers follows Travis Cornell (Haim), a teenager who takes in a stray golden retriever and discovers the dog is far more intelligent than he could have imagined. The animal has escaped from a secret government laboratory, but he isn’t the only thing on the loose. A vicious genetically engineered creature is hunting him, while government operative Lem Johnson (Michael Ironside) is determined to track down the escaped experiment.
It’s a ridiculous setup in the best possible way, and I have a real soft spot for this creature feature. Haim brings an appealing sincerity to Travis that helps sell the relationship at the center of the story. He plays the character as a kid who discovers a remarkable dog and refuses to abandon him, even when the situation becomes increasingly dangerous. Haim had a natural screen presence that made him easy to root for, and Watchers gives him a role where that warmth matters. Sadly, it was his last real role as a teen heartthrob before drug use completely consumed his career at the time.
Naturally, for me, the dog is the real scene-stealer. Known as Furface in the film, the golden retriever was actually named Sandy. The character’s extraordinary intelligence drives the plot, but the movie’s charm comes from the connection between Travis and his canine companion. Their scenes together give the story its heart, even as the monster carnage gets increasingly nasty around them. Sandy makes Furface feel like a character rather than a special effect with four legs, and that’s a big part of why the movie has stayed with me.
Toy Robot Video’s new Blu-ray arrived on October 20, making this a particularly welcome release for anyone who has been waiting to add the film to their collection. The disc includes new interviews with director Jon Hess and three members of the cast, and one of them has me especially curious.
Lala Sloatman, who plays Tracey, was dating Haim around this period. The two also appeared together in Dream a Little Dream the following year, and their relationship lasted on and off during the late ’80s. That makes Sloatman’s new interview particularly intriguing. She knew Haim beyond their work together, so I’m eager to hear her memories of making Watchers and that chapter of their lives. Haim’s story has often been discussed through the difficulties he faced later on, and hearing from someone who knew him at the time is a major reason I’m looking forward to this release.
The disc also features Michael Ironside, whose performance as the ruthless Lem gives the film a human threat to go along with its engineered monster. I’m equally interested in hearing from Hess about the production and from Barbara Williams, who plays Travis’s mother, Nora.
Special Features Include:
- “Between Dogs and Monsters”: New interview with director Jon Hess
- “The Agent Experiment”: New interview with actor Michael Ironside
- “Working with Kids and Animals”: New interview with actress Barbara Williams
- “They’re Watching!”: New interview with actress Lala Sloatman
- Original theatrical trailer
- TV spot
- Stills gallery
There’s also a nice physical extra for collectors: the package appears to include two postcards, one featuring Haim with Furface and another featuring Ironside. Those postcards aren’t listed among the disc’s bonus features, so they’re best treated as packaging extras rather than confirmed on-disc content. But you can see them in the promo artwork.
The Blu-ray presents the 91-minute film in widescreen with DTS-HD 2.0 mono audio. MVD Shop lists it for $22.72, reduced from $34.95, with shipping calculated at checkout. Right now, it looks like there are only 53 copies left. Are there 53 Watchers fans who even own a Blu-ray player? That’s a great question.
I’m happy to see Watchers getting this kind of attention. It’s a scrappy, strange ’80s movie with a memorable dog at its center, a young Corey Haim performance I’ve always enjoyed, and a supporting cast worth revisiting. The new interviews are the real draw for me, especially the chance to hear Sloatman reflect on her time with Haim. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a very good boy to revisit.
