When moviegoers think of iconic horror director John Carpenter, Halloween, The Thing, or Escape From New York will instantly come to mind. However, one of his more unique and thrilling films came in the form of 1998’s Vampires. This vampire horror western wasn’t a critical hit when it was initially released, but like most of Carpenter’s vast filmography, it has gained a blood-soaked cult following thanks to things like its physical media releases. Now, the genre-centric boutique label Scream Factory is finally giving Vampires the 4K treatment.

Announced by Scream Factory this week, Vampires will be getting a 4K/Blu-ray combo pack on January 21, 2025. The film will come with two bite-worthy editions. This would be the normal combo pack Collector’s Edition for $35.99 USD alongside a killer version that comes with two additional posters and an exclusive slipcover. The normal slip features the original poster artwork, while the exclusive has new artwork from the CRP Group. The artwork on both slips is the same on the posters. This edition will be $39.98 USD.

Scream Factory originally released a collector’s edition Blu-ray of Vampires back in 2019. All the special features from that release will be on the 4K, including interviews with Carpenter, Producer Sandy King Carpenter and Cinematographer Garry B. Kibbe in “Time To Kill Some Vampires” and an interview with actor James Woods in “Jack The Vampire Slayer.” There’s no word on what new special features will be included, but the new 4K scan is from Vampires’ original camera negative. Scream Factory has spent the last half decade putting most of Carpenter’s films in 4K. This has included Halloween, Escape From New York, The Fog and They Live.

What Is ‘Vampires’ About?

Vampires follows vampire slayer Jack Crow (Woods), who leads an elite team of hunters known as “Team Crow.” However, that all goes by the wayside when Jack’s team gets slaughtered by a group of vampires led by the villainous kingpin Valek (Thomas Ian Griffith) in the New Mexico desert. It’s up to Jack, alongside his team's lone survivor Montoya (Daniel Baldwin), to get revenge and put these blood-suckers back where they came from.

While there have been an endless number of vampire films in the last 100 years, Carpenter’s signature atmosphere and the western setting gave this particular nightmare a thrilling appeal. That’s despite what Rotten Tomatoes would say with its 43% critic and 47% audience ratings. It may never be in the same conversation as Halloween or The Thing, but Vampires' blending of the gothic horror story with a very sun-soaked genre was a bold choice that has helped the film stand out almost 30 years later. It would also be one of the last films Carpenter would end up directing.

Can You Stream ‘Vampires’?

Vampires is currently unavailable on traditional streaming services, but you can rent it on most paid VOD platforms like Fandango at Home for around $4. You can also pre-order both 4K Blu-ray versions on Scream Factory’s website now. The trailer can be viewed below.