Cult Favourite ‘Street Trash’ Gets First Ever 4K Upgrade

Lightbulb Film Distribution has confirmed a new 4K UHD Collector’s Edition release of Street Trash, bringing J. Michael Muro’s 1987 cult horror back into circulation with a fresh restoration and an extensive package of newly produced extras. The release is scheduled for 27 April, alongside a digital rollout, with a limited physical edition capped at 2,000 units.

Shot on a modest budget estimated at $100,000, Street Trash has long held a reputation within cult cinema circles for its distinctive practical effects and its role in shaping what later became known as the “melt movie” subgenre. The film follows a group of individuals living on the margins in Brooklyn, whose lives are disrupted by a contaminated liquor known as Tenafly Viper, triggering grotesque physical consequences for anyone who consumes it.

The new edition has been restored from the original camera negative, presenting the film in 4K UHD for the first time. Lightbulb’s release arrives as part of a broader trend of boutique distributors revisiting cult titles with high-end restorations aimed at collectors and genre enthusiasts. The packaging reflects that positioning, with the Blu-ray housed in a retro-styled VHS box designed to echo the film’s original home video era.

Illustrator Graham Humphreys has created new artwork and printed inserts exclusively for the release, while additional content includes more than five hours of supplementary material. Among the extras are newly recorded audio commentaries and previously unseen featurettes curated for this edition, with contributions from filmmaker Jason Impey.

The release will also be supported by a limited series of theatrical screenings across the UK and Ireland in May, offering audiences the opportunity to revisit the film in a cinema setting. Confirmed venues include the Prince Charles Cinema in London, CultPlex in Manchester and Broadway Cinema in Nottingham, all of which have built reputations for programming repertory and cult screenings.

Street Trash remains a notable example of low-budget genre filmmaking from the late 1980s, with its practical effects work and offbeat tone contributing to its continued visibility within horror retrospectives and midnight movie programming. The upcoming release reflects sustained demand for physical media editions that combine restoration work with curated archival material.

The 4K UHD Collector’s Edition of Street Trash will be available from 27 April, with digital access launching on the same date. Pre-order your copy here: amzn.to/48oz2em

Street Trash trailer