The Corner Penthouse

Looking for a last minute holiday gift for your video-loving family or friends? Well, let me run down a few items that have come out in the past few months that would be perfect for the person who loves niche B-movies that were popular in the VHS era. Mill Creek Entertainment's Retro VHS Style series has packaging designed to look like the VHS videocassettes of the 1980s and 1990s. I have reviewed several other titles in the series. Let's take a quick look at the latest titles in the series...

The vintage-looking VHS-inspired slipsleeve, with faux wear and tear, and fake "rental stickers" on it, is designed to give the appearance of a videocassette being pulled out from the right side, complete with tape label side on the right spine. The VHS-style artwork may be based on the original U.S. or U.K. VHS box art, or bear a similarity to it, using the same or similar photos, but in a different orientation. The case artwork underneath is different, either made in a modern style, or perhaps sticking closer to the original theatrical movie poster. The VHS-style slipsleeve may only be available for a limited time.

All of the following titles have already been released and are available for purchase from Amazon at the links provided. The Corner Penthouse will earn a very tiny commission for your purchase using these links.


Casual Sex? (1988)
• BUY IT: Blu-ray
• VIDEOS: Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: Who says sex in the '80s isn't a laughing matter? Certainly not the ready-for-anything Stacy (Lea Thompson) or her somewhat repressed friend Melissa (Victoria Jackson). They're two very contemporary women reluctantly confronting today's changing social and sexual attitudes. Determined to develop a deep and meaningful relationship with a man not afraid to make a commitment, Stacy and Melissa take a vacation at a plush health resort where they hope romance will bloom. Unfortunately, they are continually confronted by men who wilt at the thought of anything other than casual sex. With songs by Buster Poindexter, Dan Harman and Gladys Knight, the all-too-true comedy may not offer any solutions to the problems of being single in the '80s, but it does offer a lighter look at what happens in the dark.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: None.
• NOTES: This is the only film directed by Genevieve Robert, Ivan Reitman's wife, and the mother of Ghostbusters: Afterlife director Jason Reitman. It should be noted that Universal's old DVD includes some deleted scenes, an alternate ending, and a trailer; none of which are on this Blu-ray. The back of the case for Universal's old Blu-ray mentions the deleted scenes and alternate ending, but I don't know if it has the trailer, too. I do know that it doesn't have the cool VHS slipsleeve.


Kull the Conqueror (1997)
• BUY IT: Blu-ray
• VIDEOS: Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: Action superstar Kevin Sorbo (Hercules: The Legendary Journeys) slams evil as Kull, The Conqueror, a fearless barbarian warrior, who through skill and bravery, becomes king. Worshiped by his subjects for his mercy, adored by the beautiful fortuneteller Zerata (Karina Lombard) for his valour, Kull quickly becomes the mortal enemy of the forces of darkness, led by the villainous Akivasha (Tia Carrere).
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer (1:13).


Renegades (1989)
• BUY IT: Blu-ray
• VIDEOS: Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips star in this modern-day action-adventure as mavericks who join forces to bust the city's biggest crime ring. Unconventional undercover cop Buster McHenry (Sutherland) infiltrates a gang of criminals by joining in a jewelry heist. The attempt fails, but the gang manages to steal a rare weapon from a nearby American Indian exhibit. Deserted by the gang and now hunted by the police, McHenry reluctantly joins forces with Hank Storm (Phillips), and Indian who's come to the city to recover the sacred lance. Their whirlwind trail propels the team through a wild car chase, a harrowing rooftop gunfight and a perilous run on top of a subway car. It's a fast-paced action that leads to a fiery climax in this exciting climax in this exciting film from director Jack Sholder (The Hidden).
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer (1:31).
• NOTES: A reunion of Kiefer Sutherland and Lou Diamond Phillips, stars of Young Guns (1988) and later Young Guns II (1990).


Splitting Heirs (1993)
• BUY IT: Blu-ray
• VIDEOS: Trailer
• SYNOPSIS: From the warped and wacky mind of Monty Python alum Eric Idol comes a wickedly funny case of mistaken identity. Idle stars with Rick Moranis, Barbara Hershey and John Cleese in this madcap romp the Los Angeles Times dubbed "irreverent, fun to watch...a killer!" At a wild party during the '60s, baby Thomas Henry Butterfly Rainbow Peace (a.k.a. the 15th Duke of Bournemouth) is accidentally "misplaced" by his rich hippie mum and dad. When the wrong baby is claimed, the real heir winds up being raised by a poor Pakistani family, while the "heir apparent" grows up in America with a silver spoon in his mouth. Once Tommy Patel (Idle) learns that he, not Henry Martin (Moranis) is the true Duke of Bournemouth, he'll do anything to get back what he's lost! Fortunately for Henry, Tommy's a pretty inept assassin. Unfortunately for them both, Tommy's seedy lawyer Shad grind (Cleese) is a tad more adept! Add to the mix a scandalous, nymophomaniacal duchess (Hershey), a gorgeous golddigger (Catherine Zeta Jones), plus a host of assorted loonies, and you have a Pythonesque cavalcade of silliness.
• SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer (2:04).

EXCITING NEWS! The Retro VHS Style series will continue in 2022 with more titles released in February 2022, one of which is Side Out (1990).


The "Retro VHS Style" series includes the following Blu-ray releases, which are being listed in chronological movie order, and not the order they are being released onto Blu-ray. Some titles below may not have been released yet.


All of these items were provided by Mill Creek Entertainment for review on this site.