For years, the movie distribution system was easy to map -- movies were seen in movie theaters. Then, when television became a household staple, movies would run on TV long after they had been shown in movie houses. For some movies, such as The Wizard of Oz or Gone with the Wind, watching them on TV was an annual event. Then, home video burst onto the scene and changed everything. Suddenly, movies would regularly be available not long after their theatrical run (and some went straight to video) and for years, this was the norm. Recently, things have changed again. Now, some movies can be viewed via pay-per-view or on HDNET before they hit theaters. One such movie was Monsters, a movie which deserves to be seen anyway possible.

Monsters takes place in an alternate version of our world where a NASA space probe, which was sent to look for evidence of extraterrestrial life, crashes near the U.S.-Mexico border. Following this, giant aliens began to appear in this region, which quickly became a quarantined zone. Andrew Kaulder (Scoot McNairy), a photographer, is in Mexico covering the devastation. He is contacted by his editor and told that the daughter of the owner of the newspaper for which he works is in the area and that he's to escort her back to America. Reluctantly, Andrew picks up Samantha Wynden (Whitney Able) from a hospital and they board a train heading north. However, an obstruction stops a train and the restless Andrew insists that they find another way. This move proves to be a foolish one and the two travelers soon learn that they will have to go through the quarantine zone to reach the U.S.

Following the great tradition of horror movies, Writer/Director Gareth Edwards has decided to make us wait to see the monsters. We get glimpses in news footage, but it's not until halfway through the film that we get a good look at them, in a scene which is clearly a homage to Jurassic Park. However, while we wait to see the aliens, we do get to see the damage which they've caused. Seeing damaged buildings or boats and planes where they shouldn't be demonstrates the power of the creatures and certainly piques our curiosity. Monsters isn't a horror movie in the classic sense, but Edwards certainly sets up a sense of tension and doom as we see the devastation caused by the creatures and the way in which it has effected the locals. That being said, the scenes in which the aliens do appear definitely have suspense.

Against the backdrop of a foreign land infested with giant octopus monsters, Monsters also explores the relationship between Andrew and Sam. The movie doesn't break much new ground here, as we've seen this story before where a couple are forced to travel together and therefore, get to know one another. The danger involved in their trip puts a twist on this old chestnut, and the question stops being, "Will they ever like each other?" to "Will they survive?".

Something which is unique with Monsters is how it was made. Edwards took his two actors and a crew of four to Central America and shot the movie in a definite DIY fashion. Having a background in visual effects, Edwards shot a lot of master footage, and inserted fake signs, murals, and of course, the monsters in later. The effects here are pretty seamless, especially the signs, and they never interfere with the movie's realistic feel.

To be fair, Monsters is a bit slow at times, and watching it again, you note how many long dialogue scenes there are. Still, this doesn't detract from the fascinating nature in which the movie was made or the unease when those tentacles first appear.

Monsters teaches us the treachery of Mexican prostitutes on Blu-ray Disc courtesy of Magnolia Home Entertainment. The film has been letterboxed at 2.35:1 and the Disc contains an AVC 1080p HD transfer which runs at an average of 20 Mbps. The image is sharp and clear, showing only mild grain at times. Given that the movie was shot on digital equipment, I would guess that some of this grain has been enhanced to keep the film's gritty look. There are no defects from the source material. The movie has a slightly blown out look, but the colors remain true. The nighttime scenes get very dark, but Edwards keeps the important action visible. The Disc carries a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track which runs at 48 kHz and an average of 5.0 Mbps. The track provides clear dialogue and sound effects. The stereo effects are quite good, most notably those which illustrate sounds happening off-screen. The surround sound is excellent during the alien scenes, and we hear their cries coming from all around us. These same scenes provide great subwoofer effects, mostly coming from the creatures thunderous walking.

The Monsters Blu-ray Disc contains a wide assortment of extras. We begin with an AUDIO COMMENTARY with Writer/Director Gareth Edwards, Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able. The Disc contains four DELETED AND EXTENDED SCENES which run about 20 minutes. Despite the length, we only get more dialogue here, and the bulk of this is taken up by a long scene in which Andrew and Sam talk in a motel room. "Behind the Scenes of Monsters" (69 minutes) is an incredibly in-depth featurette which closely follows the cast and crew through the making of the movie. The most fascinating thing here is the small amount of people which made the movie and the true DIY spirit which permeated the project. The entire piece follows the production and while we see how editing was done on location, we don't see any post-production or incorporation of the visual effects. "Monsters: The Edit" (22 minutes) has Edwards and Editor Colin Goudie describing how the 100 hours of footage was edited into a movie. Edwards stated that he would have to trim an hour scene down to two minutes. "Visual Effects" (35 minutes) shows how the effects were inserted into the live footage. Edwards describes his background in effects and how he approached this project. We also get to see some monster test footage and concept art. Probably the most fascinating thing here is getting an idea of how many fake signs were inserted into the movie. "Interview with Gareth Edwards" (44 minutes) has the director talking at length about his career and the making of Monsters (much of this feels repeated from the earlier extras). "Interview with Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able" (28 minutes) has the two actors discussing how they got involved with the film and what the production was like. "New York Comic Con Discussion with Gareth Edwards" (5 minutes) has the director introducing the film in front of an audience. "HDNet: A Look at Monsters" (5 minutes) is a brief EPK for the film.