Tuesday, April 15, 2014

ARROW VIDEO SUMMER TITLES: SISTERS, THE 'BURBS, VINCENT PRICE, PORKY'S AND MORE!



UK distributor Arrow Video have quite a summer line-up so far beginning with a Blu-ray release of Brian De Palma's seminal psycho-thriller SISTERS (1973) starring Margot Kiddo. The label has been illing it with a long string of De Palma releases this past year and I am pleased to see this streak continue. Vncent Price also continues to get the deluxe treatment with Blu-rays of THEATRE OF BLOOD (1973), THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961) and both of the classic DR. PHIBES films on a 2-disc set. Scream Factory released a sweet 4-disc Vincent Price Collection last year on Blu-ray but this is a first-time on Blu-ray release for PHIBES sequel and my favorite price feature THEATRE OF BLOOD!

Then we have the eighties actioner DELTA FORCE (1986) with bad-asses Chick Norris and Lee Marvin, Philip Mora's creature feature THE BEAST WITHIN (1982) and comedy cult-classics PORKY's (1982) and THE 'BURBS (1986) - many of these are also available as Steelbook editions!

Checkout the artwork, extras and pre-orders below. Which is your most anticipated Arrow Video titles of the Summer? 



SISTERS (1973) 

Release Date: April 28th  2014
Format: Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD
Starring: Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, Charles Durning
Directed by: Brian De Palma

Synopsis: WHAT THE DEVIL HATH JOINED TOGETHER LET NO MAN CUT ASUNDER!

Before 1973, Brian De Palma was impossible to pigeonhole: he made comedies, political satires and openly experimental pieces. But with Sisters (originally released as Blood Sisters in the UK) he turned to the suspense thriller and discovered his natural home - and a style that would lead directly to later masterpieces like Carrie, Dressed to Kill and Blow Out.

When Danielle (Margot Kidder) meets potential boyfriend Philip (Lisle Wilson) after appearing on the TV show Peeping Toms (a nod to the Michael Powell shocker), she invites him home, only to attract the ire of her twin sister Dominique. From across the courtyard, Rear Window style, reporter Grace (Jennifer Salt) witnesses Philip being murdered by one of the twins - but the police find no body or any physical evidence. Naturally, Grace takes things into her own hands, and discovers more about the sisters’ relationship than she bargained for…

Strongly influenced by Alfred Hitchcock and Roman Polanski, and with a score by the great Bernard Herrmann (Citizen Kane, Psycho), Sisters was the first true “Brian De Palma” film.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Brand new High Definition digital transfer
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation
- Original Mono audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray)
- What the Devil Hath Joined Together: Brian De Palma’s Sisters – A visual essay by author Justin Humphreys
- All new interviews with co-writer Louisa Rose, actress Jennifer Salt, editor Paul Hirsch and unit manager Jeffrey Hayes
- The De Palma Digest – a film-by-film guide to the director’s career by critic Mike Sutton
- Archive audio interview with star William Finley (excerpt)
- Theatrical Trailer
- Gallery of Sisters promotional material from around the world
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author Kier-La Janisse (House of Psychotic Women) as well as -Brian De Palma’s original 1973 Village Voice essay on working with composer Bernard Herrmann and a contemporary interview with De Palma on making Sisters, and the 1966 Life magazine article that inspired the film.

DETAILS: 

Region: B/2
Rating: 15
Cat No: FCD919
Duration: 93 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Audio: Mono
Colour: Colour




THEATRE OF BLOOD (1973) 

Release Date: May 5th  2014
Format: Blu-ray
Starring: Vincent Price, Diana Rigg, Ian Hendry
Directed by: Douglas Hickox

Synopsis: VINCENT PRICE HAS RESERVED A SEAT FOR YOU IN THE “THEATRE OF BLOOD”



It’s never been tougher to be a critic than in THEATRE OF BLOOD, one of the greatest horror comedies of all time. Vincent Price gives a career best performance as Edward Lionhart, a veteran Shakespearean actor who, when passed over for the coveted Critic’s Circle award for Best Actor takes deadly revenge on the critics who snubbed him.

With one of the greatest ensemble casts ever assembled for a horror film including Diana Rigg, Harry Andrews, Jack Hawkins and Arthur Lowe, THEATRE OF BLOOD is an dementedly funny and deliciously macabre cult classic.




SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Limited Edition SteelBook packaging
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM
- Original uncompressed mono PCM audio
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with The League of Gentlemen, Jeremy Dyson, Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith
- A Priceless Potboiler: Victoria Price discusses Theatre of Blood
- A Fearful Thespian: an interview with David Del Valle
- Staged Reaction: an interview with star Madeleine Smith
- A Harmony for Horror: an interview with composer Michael J. Lewis
-Original Trailer
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic Cleaver Patterson and a reproduction of original press book material, illustrated with original archive stills

DETAILS:
Region: B
Rating: 15
Duration: 104 mins
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audio: Mono





THE DELTA FORCE (1986) 

Release Date: May 5th 2014
Format: Blu-ray
Starring: Chuck Norris, Lee Marvin, Martin Balsam
Directed by: Menahem Golan

Synopsis: THE HIJACK....THE ORDEAL....THE RESCUE..
.
Cannon Films are known for producing some of the most enjoyable and eccentric action flicks of the ’80s – but The Delta Force, which boasts scenes of Chuck Norris flying through the air on a missile-mounted motorbike, surely stands as one of their most entertaining efforts.

American Travel Ways Flight 282 has been hijacked by a group of terrorists claiming to represent the New World Revolutionary Organisation. The Delta Force, under the leadership of Captain Scott McCoy (Chuck Norris), is called in to handle the situation. Still smarting from an ill-fated hostage rescue mission several years prior, this elite squad of special forces are determined to succeed in their mission this time – and assert the might of the American military once and for all.

Drawing on a number of true-life terrorist incidents for inspiration, most notably the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847, The Delta Force is a non-stop thrill ride which culminates in one of the most explosive action flick finales of all time. With Chuck Norris on hand to provide the muscle and gravelly-voiced Lee Marvin (The Killers) in his last ever screen role, The Delta Force is one mission you can’t afford not to accept.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM<
- Original uncompressed 2.0 PCM stereo Audio
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Genre Hijackers: Mark Hartley on Cannon Films – The filmmaker discusses the explosive legacy of Golan and Globus
- Chuck Norris Scribe: An Interview with writer James Bruner
- May The Delta Force Be With You! - An interview with Commandant Christian Prouteau, founder of the French GIGN and instructor of the first Delta Force
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author John Kenneth Muir and a contemporary article on Cannon Films, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

DETAILS: 

Region: B
Rating: 15
Cat No: FCD921
Duration: 129 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audio: 2.0 PCM Stereo
Colour: Colour

THE BEAST WITHIN (1982) 

Release Date: May 12th 2014
Format: Dual Format Blu-ray + DVD
Starring: Ronny Cox, Bibi Besch, Paul Clemens
Directed by: Philippe Mora

Synopsis: KILL ME, PLEASE KILL ME… BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

Late one full moonlit night, a woman stands alone on the roadside waiting for her husband to return to their broken-down car. All of a sudden she’s pounced upon, dragged into the dark woods and savaged by a barely-glimpsed assailant. But this is only the beginning of the terror in The Beast Within…

Seventeen years on, and the devoted parents of teenager Michael are at their wits’ end. Their son lies in a hospital bed, his body wracked by a mysterious illness. With doctors unable to offer any diagnosis, Michael’s desperate parents are forced to seek out the answer themselves – by digging up traumatic past events and confronting the true nature of their son’s conception.

The Beast Within stands apart from other creature features due to its decidedly grim tone – the scenes in which the monster violates his victims proved too strong for some critics – and standout transformation sequence to rival the likes of An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Add to that strong lead performances from Paul Clemens and Ronny Cox (Deliverance, RoboCop), alongside a stunning score by the late, great Les Baxter, and you have yourself one absolute beast of a monster movie!

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM - available uncut in the UK for the first time!
- Original stereo 2.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray) 
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing 
- New audio commentary with director Philippe Mora moderated by author Calum Waddell 
- I Was a Teenage Cicada: The Making of The Beast Within - An in-depth look back at Philippe Mora’s creature feature classic featuring new interviews with writer Tom Holland, actors Paul Clemens, John Dennis Johnston, Katherine Moffat and effects wizard Garry Elmendorf 
- Storyboarding The Beast – An all-new animated featurette in which Philippe Mora discusses the film’s journey from storyboard to screen 
- Image Gallery – Including rare production stills from the private collection of star Paul Clemens plus new photographs of various special effects props 
- Original Trailer 
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach 
- Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lee Gambin, author of Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film plus a contemporary article on the film’s production, all illustrated with original stills and artwork.

Region: 2/B
Rating: 18
Cat No: FCD922
Duration: 98 mins
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: Stereo 2.0
Colour: Colour

THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM (1961) 

Release Date: May19th  2014
Format: Blu-ray
Starring: Vincent Price, Barbara Steele, John Kerr
Directed by: Roger Corman

Synopsis: THE GREATEST TERROR TALE EVER TOLD!

A horse-drawn carriage pulls up on a deserted beach. A sombre figure dismounts and gazes up towards his destination – a foreboding cliff-top castle perched high above the crashing waves. Thus the perfect Gothic scene is set for Pit and the Pendulum, the second of Roger Corman’s celebrated Poe adaptations once again starring the ever-reliable Vincent Price (The Fall of the House of Usher, Theatre of Blood) alongside the bewitching Barbara Steele (Black Sunday).

Having learned of the sudden death of his sister Elizabeth (Steele), Francis Barnard (John Kerr) sets out to the castle of his brother-in-law, Nicholas Medina, to uncover the cause of her untimely demise. A distraught, grief-stricken Nicholas (Price) can offer only the vaguest explanations as to Elizabeth’s death – at first citing “something in her blood”, but later asserting that she quite literally “died of fright”. What sort of unspeakable horrors are buried within the walls of this castle that could cause one’s heart to stop so? With Francis determined to get to the bottom of this mystery, the terrible truth will not stay buried for long.

Right from its brooding kaleidoscopic opening titles, Pit and Pendulum draws you into its world of cobwebs, secret passageways and dusty suits of armour. All the necessary elements are present and correct and, along with one of Vincent Price’s most tortured performances, make Pit and the Pendulum every inch the Gothic masterpiece.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM
- Original uncompressed Mono PCM Audio
- Optional Isolated Music and Effects Track
- Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with director and producer Roger Corman
- Audio commentary by critic Tim Lucas
- Behind the Swinging Blade – A new documentary on the making of The Pit and the Pendulum featuring Roger Corman, star Barbara Steele, Vincent Price’s daughter Victoria Price and more!
- Added TV Sequence – Shot in 1968 to pad out the film for the longer TV time slot, this scene features star Luana Anders
- An Evening of Edgar Allan Poe with Vincent Price [52 mins] – Price reads a selection of Poe’s classic stories before a live audience, including The Tell-Tale Heart, The Sphinx, The Cask of Amontillado and The Pit and the Pendulum (with optional English SDH)
- Original Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Gothic Horror author Jonathan Rigby, illustrated with original archive stills and posters

DETAILS: 

Region: B
Rating: 12
Duration: 81
Language: English
Subtitles: English SDH
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audio: Mono PCM
Colour: Colour

PORKY'S (1982) 

Release Date: May 26th 2014
Format: Blu-ray
Starring: Dan Monahan, Mark Herrier, Wyatt Knight
Directed by: Bob Clark

Synopsis: YOU’LL BE GLAD YOU CAME!

Long before American Pie and Superbad came the original and best sex comedy. A firm favourite of teen movie fans, Porky’s introduced audiences to Kim Cattrall (Police Academy, Big Trouble in Little China) and made an absolute killing at the box-office.

It’s 1954 and the sex-obsessed boys of Angel Beach High School are looking to get laid. Porky’s is their destination, local nightclub and whorehouse. Only its redneck owner has other plans, as does his sheriff brother. Will Meat, Mickey, Tommy and the other guys in the gang get their own back? And will the barely-endowed Pee Wee finally lose his virginity?

Having established his credentials as one of Canada’s top horror filmmakers with the likes of Black Christmas and Dead of Night, Bob Clark took an unexpected turn into the world of the teenage sex comedy and inadvertently made the most successful Canadian motion picture of all time, an honor it still holds today.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Limited Edition SteelBook packaging
- New High Definition digital transfer
- Newly created exclusive content
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film, archive content and more!
- More to be announced closer to the release date

DETAILS:
Region: B
THE COMPLETE DR. PHIBES (1971-1972) 

Release Date: June 9th 2014

Synopsis: “Nine killed her, nine shall die, nine eternities in doom!”

Horror legend Vincent Price (The Fall of the House of Usher, Theatre of Blood) is Dr. Phibes, former musician, current murderer. Seeking revenge from the medical staff that left his wife for dead, he sets about knocking them off one-by-one in a series of elaborate murders based upon a Ten Plagues of Egypt. Death by bats, by boils, by blood and more await the nurse and surgeons who failed to save the life of the beloved Victoria Regina Phibes!

A camp classic, The Abominable Dr. Phibes sets itself apart from the seventies horror crowd with its knowing humour and art deco sets, and also prefigures the Saw movies with its increasingly fiendish set of murder devices.

Pairing the original film with sequel Dr. Phibes Rises Again, The Complete Dr. Phibes provides viewers with a double diabolical dose of macabre thrills and black comedy.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
- New High Definition digital transfer
- Newly created exclusive content
- Deluxe Edition Collector’s box featuring original artwork
- 100-page Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film, archive content and more!
- More to be announced closer to the release date

DETAILS:
Region: B


THE 'BURBS (1989) 

Release Date: June 23rd 2014
Format: Blu-ray
Starring: Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher
Directed by: Joe Dante

Synopsis: HE’S A MAN OF PEACE IN A SAVAGE LAND… SUBURBIA.

The films of director Joe Dante have taken us to some strange places – a mysterious Chinatown antique store in Gremlins; a secluded resort populated by werewolves in The Howling; even deep inside the human body in Innerspace. But now he takes us to the strangest place of all – surburbia!

Family man Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) is looking forward to a week of putting his feet up at
home in the quiet, leafy cul-de-sac of Mayfield Place. But his plans are scuppered by the arrival of new next-door neighbours, The Klopeks, whose behaviour and habits are more than just a little kooky. But things go from kooky to downright sinister when local old boy Walter disappears, leading Ray and his buddies to suspect their new neighbours of killing and eating him! Sure, the Klopeks are a strange bunch what with their digging up the backyard in the middle of the night – but they’re not devil-worshipping cannibal killers… are they?

If you’re looking for a knowing slice of tongue-in-cheek terror then look no further than The ’Burbs. A standout horror comedy from a director who has given us more than his fair share of fun frighteners, The ’Burbs assembles a superb cast including Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern, Carrie Fisher and Corey Feldman in a tall tale of small-town terror. You’ll never look at those eccentric neighbours in the same way again!


SPECIAL FEATURES:
- Limited Edition SteelBook packaging
- New High Definition digital transfer
- Newly created exclusive content
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film, archive content and more!
- More to be announced closer to the release date

DETAILS:

Region B