Nostalgia Kinky

Arrow Home Video injects a strong dose of Gen-X nostalgia with its new 4K and Blu-ray limited edition releases of Joe Dante’s cult favorite, Innerspace (1987). Arriving via a colorful new director-approved restoration with both archival and new extras, Innerspace is still an infectiously delightful film these decades later. It is available to order directly from Arrow or here in the States from MVD.

Critic Andrea Subissati sums up my reaction to seeing Innerspace for the first time since I was a kid in the opening to their essay found in Arrow’s excellent limited booklet:

“It’s a funny thing to be an adult and learn that a movie you loved as a kid was considered a bomb upon release.”

And, yeah, totally. I saw Innerspace at the theater with my parents when I was in my early teens. Later, I must have seen it countless times on VHS and TV, but, like Andrea, I’m shocked to discover that Innerspace indeed wasn’t a hit, making me, I guess, one of the lucky kids who actually did see it on the big screen? That’s wild. I still recall the spring weekend in Newburgh, Indiana, well, seeing this at my local favorite theater I recently wrote about in my Anora piece.

Actually, since I can tell this is going to be a more personal piece, let me get this out the way.
I’m an OG Meg Ryan fan.
Do you understand?
Let me explain.
Outside of her debut in Rich and Famous, I saw all the early Meg Ryan features theatrically.
My young ass was in the seats for this queen.
I saw Armed and Dangerous.
I saw The Presidio.
Yes, even Amityville 3D.
I was there opening weekend for When Harry Met Sally.
I was there when it happened.
I was there when everyone caught up.
I’ll be there when everyone else catches back up.
Do you understand?
In fact, the only Meg Ryan film I didn’t see theatrically all the way up to a decade later is, ironically, a personal favorite, the rather haunting Promised Land (1988).
So, needless to say,
Meg Ryan is one, my major lifelong film people.
And, I sure recall her in Innerspace.
Boy, do I ever.
It is absolutely CRAZY that Meg’s role here almost went to Kate Capshaw, and thank God Joe Dante held to his guns. Meg Ryan steals every scene she’s in the most delightful way possible, and I don’t think Innerspace would have the same cult following without her. It remains the best film of her pre-stardom career.

That out the way.

Everyone here is great.
Cast wise, Innerspace is close to perfect.
Innerspace isn’t perhaps as fantastic as Joe Dante classics like The Howling (1981) or Gremlins (1985), but this Oscar winning special-effects sci-fi comedy has so much charm and warmth on its own. It is a hard film to resist, as a kid or as an adult. I even like Meg Ryan’s ex-husband as the star here, and I typically can’t watch him onscreen or off. But he’s perfect here, fresh off The Right Stuff and looking very much the type of flyboy who’d volunteer to get shrunk to microscopic size.

Even better is Martin Short, who Dante also had to fight for.
Look, Innerspace loses either Meg or Martin and we’re not talking about it today.

Thankfully, Martin Short did not get fired, and he is wonderful here, proving himself as a master of physical comedy. Again, this entire ensemble is all in very fine form, much as they are throughout Dante’s filmography.

Joe Dante’s best are more multi-layered than most note. Films like The Howling, Gremlins and The Burbs have much to say about American culture and consumerism. Innerspace doesn’t have all that much to say about America or much else. It’s just a funny little summer sci-fi comic with any hint of Dante’s usual transgression removed. With a two-hour runtime that flies by, Innerspace is massively entertaining. And massively entertaining might be the best thing someone can say about Innerspace and, in the case of this nonsensical science fiction film, that is more than enough.

Arrow’s restoration of Innerspace from the original 35mm negative looks and sounds positively swell. Joining this lovely-looking presentation of Innerspace are several archival and extremely cool never-before-seen supplements, courtesy of Joe Dante. Archival-wise, we get an older commentary track featuring Dante and several other figures from the film, as well as the usual amount of promotional material.

Where this new 4K of Innerspace really shines is in never-before-seen home movies of ILM at work on their Oscar-winning effects as well as incredible footage taken on set. Taken together, these run nearly an hour, and they are such incredible finds. We also get a new commentary with film critic Drew McWeeny, a bulky limited booklet featuring new essays from critics Charlie Brigden, Michael Doyle, Josh Nelson, Jessica Scott and Andrea Subissati and, best of all, a terrific new hour-long look at the making of Innerspace. All in all, Arrow has loaded up this collection with nearly a full work day’s worth of extras.
You’ll want to call in.

Innerspace deserved to be a hit upon release. The fact that this little cult film that could still manages to delight four decades later is delightful in itself. Joe Dante made more important films than Innerspace before and after, but I’m not sure he ever made a better feel-good movie.
Innerspace is charming, funny, and totally recommended.

As for Meg Ryan. 1987 turned out to be a rough year at the box-office for the young actress, as both Innerspace and the eerie coming of age film Promised Land both failed at the box office. She’d spend one more year forced to slum it in two lame thrillers, D.O.A. and The Presidio. Just over two years after Innerspace quickly disappeared from American theaters, Meg Ryan appeared as Sally Albright in the great American Romantic Comedy of the eighties.

-Jeremy Richey, August, 2026-