In our latest Blu-ray roundup, we cover a handful of exciting new releases ranging from blockbusters like the recent Ghostbusters: Afterlife and a 30th-anniversary of Wayne’s World to cult favourites including an elaborate 2-disc release of Phantom of the Mall, the influential martial arts classic The Chinese Boxer, and more.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Sony)

While Ghostbusters: Afterlife has its issues (read our full review here), fans of the film (and Ghostbusters completists) will survey want to add this new Blu-ray release to their collection. Also available on a 4K UHD disc (and as part of an extremely cool looking 4K box set that also includes the first two films in a light-up replica ghost trap), the Blu-ray edition features an incredible audio/video presentation and a smattering of extras to sweeten the deal.

With a great cast including Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and a star-making performance from Mckenna Grace, Ghostbusters: Afterlife transposes the big city insanity of the earlier films to a rural setting, with a cast of teens mingling with some very familiar faces to combat the return of an old foe.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife features about an hour of bonus interviews and behind-the-scenes featurettes, including Summoning the Spirit: Making Ghostbusters: Afterlife, a featurette with director Jason Reitman leading viewers through the inception and production of the film, and We Got One! Easter Eggs Revealed, a dive into the various Easter eggs throughout the film that viewers may have missed on the first go-around. Additional featurettes include explorations on the film’s props, special effects, a focus on the Ecto-1, a deleted scene, a look back at the original film with the cast and crew, and more.

My Stepmother is an Alien (Arrow Video)

A staple on HBO back in the late ’80s and ’90s, the 1988 goofy sci-fi comedy My Stepmother is an Alien has now crash-landed onto Blu-ray courtesy of the depraved minds over at Arrow Video.

Directed by Richard Benjamin (The Money Pit), the film revolves around an alien being (Kim Basinger) sent to Earth to explore a cosmic disturbance accidentally created by a widowed scientist named Steven Mills (Dan Aykroyd). Landing on Earth with only a tentacled fellow alien named Bag in her possession (which she keeps in her…bag), Celeste stumbles onto a party and soon meets Steven, who falls head over heels for this beautiful “woman” who seemingly has no understanding of basic human interactions.

What follows is a lackluster comedy as Celeste learns about love and sex from Steven (eww), while also trying to grow close to his suspicious teenage daughter Jessie (played by a young Alyson Hannigan, later of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame). Between munching on batteries, Celeste tries to blend into her new human existence while stealthily trying to push Steven to recreate the radar mistake that disrupted her planet so she can return home.

While the humour rarely works and the general idea of a naive alien learning about sex from late ’80s Dan Aykroyd is fairly unsettling, My Stepmother is an Alien does have a certain quirky charm, especially for those who grew up seeing the film repeatedly on cable.

Extras include Cosmetic Encounters: Directing My Stepmother is An Alien, an interview with Richard Benjamin, an audio commentary by critic Bryan Reesman, and a booklet featuring an easy on the film by author Amanda Reyes (first pressing only). Your mileage will vary with this one, but if you have a soft spot for silly ’80s sci-fi nostalgia you could do worse than killing a Saturday afternoon with My Stepmother is an Alien.

Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge (Arrow Video)

Speaking of goofball ’80s movies, released just a year after My Stepmother is an Alien, 1989’s Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge is a peculiarly titled horror-comedy that transposes the concept of The Phantom of the Opera to an ’80s mall.

Eric (Derek Rydall) is believed to have been killed in a tragic fire inside his family’s home, leaving his girlfriend Melody (Kari Whitman) heartbroken. A year later, a sprawling mall now stands on the grounds of Eric’s former home, housing a masked figure within its walls that begins stalking and brutally murdering the mall’s developers.

Given that the movie’s very title never tries to hide the fact, it’s no surprise that Eric is back, and wants…revenge! Unlike many ’80s slashers, Phantom of the Mall has a knowing wink about it that adds some lightness to balance out its slate of brutal kills. We get a supporting role from a young Pauly Shore (already in his full Weasel mode, buddy), some elaborate set pieces (including a death-defying ceiling swing through the mall), and just the right amount of self-awareness to make this stand out from the countless slashers of the period.

Arrow Video has elected to bring Phantom of the Mall back to life with a lavish 2-disc limited edition box set including four (!) versions of the film (one of which will require some online sleuthing in order to unlock). The special features include Shop ‘Til You Drop: The Making of Phantom of the Mall, a new 42-minute feature on the film’s troubled production including interviews with the cast and crew, three commentaries on the theatrical cut (one featuring director Richard Friedman, one with critics Ewan Cant and Amanda Reyes, and a third featuring interviews with composer Stacy Widelitz and associate producer Robert J. Koster), deleted scenes, a 60-page book with essays by Daniel K. Budnik and Amanda Reyes, and more.

Punk fans, in particular, will get a kick out of The Vandals Go to the Mall, a new video interview with Vandals guitarist Joe Escalante who takes viewers through the origins of the band and how they came to write the film’s decidedly non-PC theme song.

Arrow Video’s release of The Phantom of the Mall is overkill in the best way; you get multiple cuts of the film, in-depth extras, and incredible packaging including a fold-out poster and postcards. Best of all, the theatrical cut of the film features a new 2K scan, which is by far the best this film has ever looked. A perfect late-night movie to pair with some friends and cheap beer, fans (and new converts) should get more than their money’s worth with this package.

The Chinese Boxer (88 Films)

Following the recent release of Arrow Video’s massive 10-film Shaw Scope box set in December, 88 Films also has a couple of classic Shaw Brothers martial arts action releases on tap, including The Chinese Boxer from 1970. Written, starring, and directed by Jimmy Wang Yu (One-Armed Swordsman), The Chinese Boxer is a classic revenge tale that has been an influence on the likes of everyone from Bruce Lee to Quentin Tarantino.

The film stars Jimmy Wang Yu as Lei Ming, a martial arts student who vows revenge on a gang of Japanese fighters after they violently attack his boxing school. With an emphasis on brutal and straightforward fighting techniques as opposed to the more mystical-based Hong Kong action films of the time, The Chinese Boxer is a beautifully shot and visceral film that has lost none of its punch in the half-century since it was first unleaded on audiences.

The Chinese Boxer comes to Blu-ray in an impressive new edition from 88 Films and is one of the company’s welcome first titles also released for the North American market. In addition to a striking transfer, Mandarin and English soundtrack options and newly-translated subtitles,  extras include a commentary track from film critic Samm Deighan, an interview with star Wong Ching, and more.

If you want to delve into the wide world of Shaw Brothers films without committing to the massive Arrow Video box set, The Chinese Boxer is a great entry point. If you act fast, you can still grab the limited edition that also includes a slip-cover, a fold-out poster, and a thick booklet including an essay on the film by Andrew Graves.

Wayne’s World Steelbook (Paramount)

Just in time for the 30th-anniversary of Wayne’s World (“No way!”), Paramount is celebrating the big-screen debut of Wayne and Garth with a new steelbook release of the classic 1992 comedy. While many of the Saturday Night live spinoff movies from the ’90s haven’t aged particularly well (no shade to It’s Pat: The Movie), Wayne’s World remains endlessly rewatchable and quotable three decades after its initial release.

Wayne (Mike Myers) and Garth (Dana Carvey) shine in all their headbanging hockey-playing glory on this new Blu-ray edition. The transfer looks considerably better than the film has ever looked on streaming, and this version features the extras from the previous home video releases of the film including a commentary track with director Penelope Spheeris and a vintage making-of feature with plenty of backstory on the film’s production.

With this isn’t the features-heavy anniversary edition some fans may have hoped for, the eye-catching steelbook cover (festooned with catchphrases from the film) makes this a worthy purchase for all Wayne’s World fans. The film also serves as a great tribute to the late rocker Meat Loaf, who makes a memorable appearance here as a club doorman named Tiny. Party on!