Fred Dekker directed only two movies during the ’80s, The Monster Squad and Night of the Creeps. While neither did particularly well at the box office, these two films were the unlikely beneficiaries of the video revolution, being passed around among horror junkies and subsequently attaining cult status. But despite the boost they received from the rise of VHS, DVD wasn’t as forgiving. The Monster Squad regularly topped many film fans’ lists of neglected films until its release two years ago. Now the prophecy will finally be fulfilled and Night of the Creeps will finally get its due with a special edition to be released near Halloween.

Night of the Creeps is a throwback to ’50s sci-fi creature features, with parasitic alien slugs landing on Earth and taking over the puny minds of the students at a local college. I rewatched Night of the Creeps not long ago, and while it didn’t hold up as well as previous viewings years ago, it was still worth it for Tom Atkins’ portrayal of Detective Ray Cameron alone, quite possibly that titan’s greatest role. Has anyone else been yearning for this companion to The Monster Squad? And if Night Of The Creeps is hitting DVD, what else is left to release?