NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Vinegar Syndrome Labs Blu-ray (March 2025): Vinegar Syndrome Labs have transferred Montgomery Tully's The Terrornauts to Blu-ray. It is cited as being from a "Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative". Back in 2014, we reviewed the Network PAL DVD, HERE, that had both re-release and longer theatrical cuts. This new 1080P is a huge upgrade - and only offers the theatrical version. Shot by Geoffrey Faithfull (Village of the Damned, The Lavender Hill Mob, First Man into Space, Corridors of Blood,) The Terrornauts operates on a shoestring budget - discussed in the extras - evident in its rudimentary visuals. The spacecraft and station sets - cardboard walls, blinking lights - are charmingly cheap, with matte paintings and miniatures adding a retro sci-fi vibe. Costumes range from Burke’s tweedy suits to the alien’s skeletal robe, blending mundane and fantastical with a B-movie flair. The HD presentation showcases the modest effects and occasional close-ups exceptionally well. You have to think this clean, bright, image is as close to new as we're likely to get. Flesh tones warm and lime greens and purples glow with an endearing campy quality on the Blu-ray. Overall - massive video upgrade.

NOTE: We have added 54 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE.

On their Blu-ray, Vinegar Syndrome Labs use a DTS-HD Master dual-mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. It's clean with modest depth. The Terrornauts has a Don Banks (Die, Monster Die, Captain Clegg, Rasputin the Mad Monk, The Evil of Frankenstein, The Reptile, The Mummy's Shroud, The Brigand of Kandahar, Nightmare, Torture Garden) score - which is a highlight, mixing jazzy brass with eerie theremin-like tones - a nod to classic sci-fi soundtracks (The Day the Earth Stood Still). It shifts from upbeat curiosity in the lab to dissonant tension in space, though budget limits its complexity. Sound effects - beeping consoles, whooshing teleportation - are stock but effective, amplifying the film’s pulpy energy. Dialogue, delivered with British restraint or comic exaggeration, carries a dry wit, with Hayes’s ad-libs adding spontaneity. The audio is consistent via the lossless. Vinegar Syndrome Labs offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'A' Blu-ray.

The Vinegar Syndrome Labs Blu-ray offers a new commentary by author and film historian Brian Hannan (The Magnificent '60s: The 100 Most Popular Films of a Revolutionary Decade.) He runs the blog The Magnificent 60s, where he explores films from that decade with a focus on narrative, production history, and cultural impact. Hannan’s style is detail-oriented and anecdote-rich, often blending meticulous research with a passion for uncovering overlooked aspects of classic movies. His expertise in the era of The Terrornauts - a period he’s deeply familiar with - makes him an ideal commentator. He delves into the film’s origins as an Amicus production, its adaptation from Murray Leinster’s The Wailing Asteroid, noting how John Brunner’s script distilled the novel’s cosmic scope into a tighter, quirkier tale, and the decision to pair it with They Came from Beyond Space as a double bill in 1967. It's a very thorough, well-researched, commentary - he offers a scholarly lens on a film often dismissed as minor. Also included is "Subotsky the Trailblazer" a 22 1/2 minute interview with writer/film critic Kim Newman (The Definitive Guide to Horror Movies) who does a deep dive into Milton Subotsky’s contributions as co-founder of Amicus Productions and the creative force behind The Terrornauts. Newman explores Subotsky’s passion for science fiction, a departure from Amicus’ horror anthology bread-and-butter (Dr. Terror's House of Horrors, Torture Garden, The House That Dripped Blood, Asylum.) Discussion involves Subotsky's hands-on role as producer (and uncredited co-writer,) and his vision for family-friendly sci-fi in the 1960s. Newman contextualizes the film within the British sci-fi landscape - think Doctor Who (Subotsky produced the Cushing Dalek - Doctor Who And The Daleks, Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.)There is also an 8-minute archival interview with Peter Musgrave, the editor of The Terrornauts, entitled Budget Cuts. He has credits like The House in Marsh Road (1960) and The Blood Beast Terror (1968), and discusses the challenges of cutting a low-budget sci-fi film - stitching together static observatory scenes with the chaotic alien station sequences. He touches on working with director Montgomery Tully’s fast-paced style, managing the film’s rudimentary effects (e.g., teleportation dissolves, creature shots) etc. Also included is an 8-minute archival interview with Production Manager Ted Wallis entitled "Managing on a Budget". It spotlights the production manager for The Terrornauts. Wallis recounts the logistical hurdles of producing a sci-fi film on a shoestring budget (estimated at £87,000.) There are details on coordinating the Shepperton Studios shoot, managing the cast and executing the film’s ambitious set-pieces. It’s a quick but illuminating peek into the production’s mechanics, complementing Musgrave’s editing focus with a broader operational lens. Overall - Newman’s "Subotsky the Trailblazer" is the standout, offering a contemporary, critical take on the film’s context and Subotsky’s legacy, while the shorter Musgrave and Wallis interviews provide archival, firsthand accounts of its creation.  

Montgomery Tully's The Terrornauts was adapted from Murray Leinster’s 1960 novel The Wailing Asteroid by screenwriter John Brunner. The film's ensemble cast’s chemistry leans on British stereotypes - stiff scientist, plucky assistant, bumbling bureaucrat, quirky commoner - creating a makeshift family thrust into cosmic chaos. The Terrornauts, with its plywood-and-rubber quirks, is a minor entry in 1960s Brit sci-fi, overshadowed by bigger contemporaries (Val Guest's The Day the Earth Caught Fire, Joseph Losey's The Damned, Roy Ward Baker's Quatermass and the Pit,) but its campy sincerity has earned a cult following. Released in 1967, it reflects Britain’s sci-fi boom, spurred by Doctor Who and Hammer’s output, but lacks their polish. Zena Marshall (as Sandy Lund but better known as Miss Taro, a Eurasian double agent in Dr. No) is sadly underutilized beyond support. The Terrornauts is best enjoyed in modern viewing as a nostalgic snapshot of Britain’s 60's sci-fi whimsy, where tea and telescopes blend with the constellations and fending off aliens. Vinegar Syndrome Labs go the extra mile with their Blu-ray that has a massive a/v upgrade, expert commentary and three interviews. Easy pickings for fans of the era and genre.

Gary Tooze