Toy Robot Video has me wound up for October with two films about different kind of pursuits. First is Watchers. This is a creepy film about a laboratory exploding and only two experiments escaping. One is an extra smart dog while the other is a murderous version of Bigfoot that plucks out the eyes of its targets. The movie stars Corey Haim (The Lost Boys) as the teenager who adopts the sweet dog. What he doesn’t know is the Bigfoot monster is coming for the dog. Even worse for Corey is that Michael Ironside (Scanners) is also looking for him and the dog. I recently spoke with Michael Ironside at a con over the summer. I’ll include a few pictures of him at the end of this post.
The second film is Manhunt from Japan. Ken Takakura (Mr. Baseball) is a lawful guy who finds himself being framed as a criminal. He must escape police custody to solve who is organizing this conspiracy against him. He is all over Japan in this journey to cleaning his name. The film was a massive success in China and changed pop culture around the Great Wall.
Here’s the press release from Toy Robot Video:
Toy Robot Video’s October Slate Features
a Chilling Sci-Fi/Horror and a Mystery/Thriller Blockbuster
Watchers and Manhunt Make Their North American
Blu-ray Debuts
Watchers
10/20
Manhunt
10/20
On October 20, a new breed of terror arrives when Watchers makes its North American debut on Blu-ray. Based on the bestselling novel by Dean R. Koontz, the film unleashes a deadly game of survival involving classified experiments, government secrets, and something far more dangerous than anyone expects.
After an explosion destroys a remote scientific laboratory, two surviving classified biological research experiments flee into the woods. One is a highly intelligent golden retriever. The other is a vicious, hairy beast designated an OXCOM (Outside Experimental Combat Mammal). The National Security Organization sends agents Lem Johnson (Michael Ironside, Top Gun, Starship Troopers) and Cliff Soams (Blu Mankuma, 2012) to exterminate both creatures without revealing their true nature. When the OXCOM kills a rancher, local cops suspect a grizzly bear or Sasquatch attack, but Lem Johnson will do whatever it takes to keep the truth a secret. Meanwhile, Travis Cornell (Corey Haim, The Lost Boys) adopts the golden retriever and together they embark on a battle for survival.
Looking better than ever with a new restoration and color work, the film also stars Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210), Don S. Davis (Twin Peaks), Lala Sloatman (Dream a Little Dream), and Barbara Williams (Inventing the Abbotts).
The bonus features include brand-new interviews with director Jon Hess and cast members Michael Ironside, Lala Sloatman, and Barbara Williams, the original theatrical trailer, a stills gallery, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono audio, and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Watch the trailer for Watchers here:
Also on October 20, the Japanese cross-country crime epic Manhunt makes its North American debut on Blu-ray. Director Junya Sato’s film became a massive success in China, reportedly drawing more than 800 million moviegoers.
Tokyo prosecutor Fuyuto Morioka (Ken Takakura, Golgo 13, Black Rain) finds himself in police custody after a woman accuses him of robbery, only for things to get worse when a man also claims to have been victimized by Morioka on the same night. With no solid alibi, the prosecutor is taken home, where police uncover the stolen loot. The law-abiding prosecutor escapes custody and goes on the run to uncover the conspiracy against him, while Detective Yamura (Yoshio Harada, Lady Snowblood 2: Love Song of Vengeance) chases him across Japan. When Morioka begins to investigate who might want to see him locked up, he uncovers a dark web of corruption involving a dangerous mind-controlling drug developed by a sinister pharmaceutical company. A star-studded blockbuster featuring some of Japan’s most familiar actors, including Kunie Tanaka, Ryo Ikebe and Ko Nishimura, Manhunt was a surprise box-office smash, inspiring a 2017 remake by John Woo, and is now presented in a brand-new restoration.
The bonus features include a brand-new audio commentary by Jasper Sharp and Amber T., a brand-new introduction with Japanese film specialist Mark Schilling, a discussion of the film and its production by Junya Sato biographers Masaaki Nomura and Tatsuya Masuto, two text essays, “Scaling The (Great) Wall to Freedom” and “Believing in Ken Takakura,” the original theatrical trailer, a stills gallery, DTS-HD MA 2.0 Mono Japanese audio, and optional English subtitles.
Watch the trailer for Manhunt here:
About Toy Robot Video
Launching in September 2026, Toy Robot Video is a new subsidiary home entertainment label from Arrow Films, aiming to incorporate more mainstream film content and genres into its slate. Maintaining the company’s commitment to premium curation and presentation, Toy Robot Video’s fun and accessible approach will celebrate film and entertainment in all its forms to both new and nostalgic audiences alike.
and here’s Michael Ironside from Galaxycon:
Michael Ironside confirmed that he was golfing buddies with Powers Boothe.
