Home Video (VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, 4k)

Releasing just two years after Jurassic Park, Twister enlisted George Lucas’ Industrial Light & Magic for its boundary-pushing visual effects, but there was also a heavy – and most welcome – reliance on practical and tangible set pieces. Had it released any earlier, then the visuals may not have convinced to the fullest extent, but had it released much later then use of CGI would have been a great deal more widespread. With that, the movie cemented its position in history by becoming the first-ever DVD release, signifying a change of technological advancements for viewers.

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Although it wouldn’t launch commercially in the United States until March 1997 with a day-one unveiling of 32 titles including Tim Burton’s Batman, Martin Scorsese’s Goodfellas, George Miller’s Mad Max sequel The Road Warrior, classic buddy caper Lethal Weapon, and Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, DVDs had hit the shelves in Japan in November 1996.

There were only four launch day titles available on the other side of the world, and Twister was one of them. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Eraser, Harrison Ford’s The Fugitive, and John Badham’s Point of No Return – the remake of Luc Besson’s La Femme Nikita – were the other three, giving de Bont’s tornado-tastic spectacular its fascinating place in the history books.