Picture Credit: Netflix
Hard to believe, but it’s officially been a decade since we first grabbed our walkie-talkies, hopped on our BMX bikes, and rode into Hawkins, Indiana. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Stranger Things, Netflix has just dropped a massive surprise for fans: a brand-new “VHS Special Edition” of the iconic first season.
If you’re looking for the ultimate excuse for a rewatch on the 10th Anniversary (and you’re not waiting for your complete series deluxe edition boxset that’s coming out on July 27th), this might just be it. Here is everything you need to know about the new release, plus a few other exciting Stranger Things additions we’ve spotted hitting the platform.
What is the Stranger Things: VHS Special Edition?
Taking the show’s 1980s nostalgia to the absolute max, Netflix hasn’t just re-uploaded the original 2016 episodes. Instead, they’ve given the entire 8-episode first season a complete retro visual and audio overhaul.
According to the official synopsis on the Netflix platform, this new version invites fans to:
“Rewind and relive the first season with a video store vibe that’s glitchy, grainy and gloriously vintage — just like you’d have rented it in 1983.”
Instead of crystal-clear 4K HDR, expect tracking lines, slight color bleeding, CRT monitor distortion, and that warm, fuzzy audio crackle you’d get from a well-worn tape rented straight from Family Video. It’s the exact same “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers” that hooked us ten years ago, but presented exactly as it would have looked if you had watched it in Mike Wheeler’s basement.
All eight episodes have been uploaded in this format.
VHS Version of Stranger Things
Netflix kicked off the 10th Anniversary of season 1 this morning with a special new poster that includes art across all five seasons and we’re expecting a few more treats throughout the day with rumored announcements including the release date for Stranger Things: Tales from ’85 and some news regarding the taping of The First Shadow. Don’t expect any big spin-off news, though, we hear it’s still a little too early.
The show also notably just picked up 7 Emmy nominations for its final season.
The Stranger Things: VHS Special Edition is available to stream globally right now. Will you be rewatching Season 1 with the retro VHS filter turned on? Let us know in the comments below!
