This March, Arrow Video proudly presents director John Woo’s hyperkinetic masterpiece Hard Boiled, on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Limited Edition Blu-ray.
In the 80s and 90s, Woo would cement his reputation as a master of action films with classics like A Better Tomorrow, The Killer and Bullet in the Head. This would culminate in 1992 with the release of Hard Boiled, the hyperviolent exemplar of the Heroic Bloodshed genre. A fiery coalescence of electrifying performances (led by Iconic actor Chow Yun-Fat), elaborate narrative and operatic gunfights, Hard Boiled has rightly been exalted as the undisputed champion of Hong Kong action films. This stunning restoration is exploding with extras, including a brand new commentary by Woo, as well as a host of brand new interviews, deleted scenes, an archival documentary and more. The lavish two-disc releases feature a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork, a double-sided foldout poster, a collectors’ booklet and six postcard-sized artcards.
Next in March, the ultimate in terror, Salem’s Lot on Limited Edition 4K UHD. From Tobe Hooper, director of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, comes the mini-series that scarred a generation. Based on Stephen King’s all-time classic of small town terror, welcome to Salem’s Lot: population two-thousand and thirteen, but falling fast! With a script by Paul Monash (producer of De Palma’s Carrie, writer of Peyton Place and The Friends of Eddie Coyle), and a superb cast that includes David Soul, James Mason and Reggie Nalder, Hooper breathes vivid life and chilling un-death into the characters of King’s novel. The children of the night await… in Salem’s Lot. The two-disc release features brand new 4K restorations of both the original two-part miniseries, and the shorter theatrical cut distributed internationally, a reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork options, a collectors’ perfect-bound booklet, a Salem’s Lot town sign sticker, and a double-sided foldout poster featuring two original artwork options.
More chills in March with Calvaire on Limited Edition Blu-ray. In the early 21st century, as European art and horror films began to push the boundaries of extremity and endurance, Calvaire emerged as one of the standout entries. A shattering debut from Belgian director Fabrice Du Welz, Calvaire’s ability to subvert genre and wrong-foot its audience marked the arrival of a major new talent. A terrifying, darkly comic tale that drew comparisons to Deliverance, Straw Dogs and The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Calvaire is a gripping, utterly involving thriller that will put you through the wringer. The release includes an intro and commentaries by the director as well as a short film, a brand new film critics commentary, a new appreciation of the film, a making of featurette and more, as well as a collector’s booklet.
Then in March, John Frankenheimer’s brilliantly tense Black Sunday, on Limited Edition Blu-ray. Throughout the 1970s, a wave of daring disaster movies gripped cinemagoers with their combination of bravura spectacle and “ripped from the headlines” plotlines. Among these, John Frankenheimer’s (The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin) Black Sunday endures to this day as among the cream of the crop. Adapted from the best-selling debut novel by Thomas Harris (The Silence of the Lambs) and featuring virtuoso performances by a cast headlined by Robert Shaw (Jaws, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three), Bruce Dern (Silent Running) and Marthe Keller (Marathon Man), Black Sunday is a nerve-shredding, best-in-class suspense thriller from a filmmaker at the top of his game. Included on the release is a profile of Frankenheimer and a collector’s booklet, as well as a reversible sleeve.
Also in March, may the schwartz be with you, as Spaceballs is released on Limited Edition 4K. In 1987, comedy legend Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) set his satirical sights on the sci-fi blockbusters of the era, resulting in Spaceballs – a deliriously funny send-up of Star Wars, Star Trek and every intergalactic adventure in between. Starring Rick Moranis (Ghostbusters), Bill Pullman (Independence Day), John Candy (Planes, Trains and Automobiles), and Daphne Zuniga (The Initiation) , packed with hysterical one-liners, gleeful sight gags and nods to every sci-fi trope imaginable, Spaceballs remains a riotous interstellar romp. Endlessly quotable and effortlessly rewatchable, it’s Brooks at his most irreverent – in this or any other galaxy. With an audio commentary by Brooks, Spaceballs: The Documentary, a John Candy retrospective, the release also comes with a poster and four character artcards.
Then in March, celebrate The Birthday on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Limited Edition Blu-ray. Unreleased for nearly twenty years, The Birthday has achieved near-mythic status among cult film enthusiasts. Shot on a single, meticulously designed location, Eugenio Mira’s deliriously offbeat dark comedy offers a career-best turn from Corey Feldman (The Lost Boys), playing wildly against type. Rediscovered at last, The Birthday blends screwball comedy, cosmic horror and feverish style into an unforgettable cinematic experience. Restored from the original negative, Arrow Video is proud to present this one-of-a-kind descent into madness in the release it’s always deserved. Extras include a fascinating commentary by Feldman and co-writer/director Mira, as well as archival behind-the-scenes footage, storyboards and rushes, and trailers.
Finally in March, Eiichi Kudo’s Samurai Revolution Trilogy releases on Limited Edition Blu-ray. Throughout Japanese cinema, the image of the noble samurai righting wrongs, katana in hand, remains a fixture of the jidaigeki genre, with the authoritarianism and corruption of the country’s medieval past often attenuated for the sake of spectacle and entertainment. But in the 1960s, director Eiichi Kudo’s Samurai Revolution trilogy shattered this idealised conception of the samurai, providing an authentic and scathing portrayal of Japan’s tyrannical past to question the social and political landscape of his day. Beginning in 1963 with 13 Assassins (remade in 2010 by Takashi Miike), followed by The Great Killing in 1964 and 11 Samurai in 1967, Eiichi Kudo masterfully deploys expressive black and white cinematography, spectacular swordfights and compelling performances to paint a rich visual and narrative tapestry, using each film to further explore questions of ethics and morality. Featuring a who’s who of iconic jidaigeki actors including Chiezo Kataoka (Bloody Spear at Mount Fuji), Ko Nishimura (Lady Snowblood), Kei Sato (Hara-Kiri) and Toru Abe (Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman), Kudo’s Samurai Revolution trilogy rank among the most important samurai films ever made and are a must-have for chanbara connoisseurs. With limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves, and an illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the films, the three-disc set includes brand new audio commentaries and video essays, as well as in-depth archival interviews.
For more information on these titles, visit the Arrow website.
Bloody Flicks 