New from Arrow Video US and Arrow Academy US
George Romero Between Night and Dawn Limited Edition [Dual Format] (11/14)
J.D.'s Revenge [Dual Format] (11/14)
Hellraiser [Limited Edition Steelbook] (11/14)
Animal Factory [Blu-ray] (11/28)
Zoology [Blu-ray and DVD] (11/14)
via MVD Entertainment Group
Pre-order at MVDshop.com or on Amazon
Winter chills just mean that it's November, and Arrow Video are set to heat things up with a George Romero box set, a blaxploitation chiller, classic horror in steelbook form, a modern-day Russian black comedy, and a cult thriller directed by Steve Buscemi! With plenty of lavish packaging and limited edition items, Christmas has come early for film collectors!
Legendary horror cinema innovator, George A Romero, is responsible for arguably the most influential zombie films of all time. But he doesn't just make undead epics, and the three films collected here in the box set George Romero Between Night and Dawn - There's Always Vanilla, Season of the Witch and The Crazies - showcase the versatility and dynamism of this American auteur. As well as the films there are Romero interviews and documentaries and much more.
Next is the stunning debut of of the blaxploitation favorite JD's Revenge, a story about a man possessed by the spirit of a murderous gangster. Featuring Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr (An Officer and a Gentleman), this is alternately tough and terrifying - a Blaxploitation gem waiting to be rediscovered.
Stephen King was once famously quoted as saying, "I have seen the future of horror...his name is Clive Barker." That future was realized in 1987 with the release of Barker's directorial debut Hellraiser. Introducing the world to the iconic Pinhead and his sadistic band of Cenobites, Hellraiser became an instant genre classic upon release and remains one of the most frighteningly original visions in horror. Now fans can own it in the form of an incredibly awesome steelbook with tons of extras.
The last of the Arrow Video titles for November is Animal Factory. Directed by Steve Buscemi, the film stars Willem Dafoe and Edward Furlong as they make their way through life inside a maximum security prison. This was Buscemi's second stint in the director's chair and sees him marshalling a formidable ensemble cast, for a powerful and sincere account of the men caught up in the penal system.
Finally, there is one release from Arrow Academy US - Zoology, an extraordinary film about a zoo worker who grows a tail, that proves that challenging, thought-provoking art house cinema is alive and well in the 21st century. In turns, disturbing, uplifting, and blackly comic, this is a challenging and irresistible contemporary fable, that deftly mixes the deadpan humour of Aki Kaurismäki with a poignant examination of social issues including loneliness and aging.
George Romero Between Night and Dawn Limited Edition [Dual Format] (11/14)
George Romero's name may be synonymous with the living dead subgenre, but his filmography is far richer and more varied than his reputation as "the zombie guy" would suggest. Following the breakout success of his debut feature Night of the Living Dead, the director would embark upon a series of projects which demonstrate a master filmmaker with more than mere gut-munching on his mind.
In There's Always Vanilla, young drifter Chris and beautiful model Lynn embark upon a tumultuous relationship which seems doomed from the outset. Season of the Witch (released theatrically as Hungry Wives) follows the exploits of Joan Mitchell - a housewife who seeks to escape the confines of her humdrum suburban existence through a flirtation with witchcraft. Lastly, The Crazies sees Romero returning to firmer horror territory as a small rural town finds itself in the grip of an infection which send its hosts into a violent, homicidal frenzy.
Taken together, these three films, made in the period between Romero's celebrated living dead outings Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead, serve to shine a light on the broader thematic concerns and auteurist leanings of a skilled craftsman too often pigeonholed within the genre.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard DVD presentations
- Original Mono Audio (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-rays)
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Reversible sleeve for each film featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
- Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring new writing on the films by Kat Ellinger, Kier-La Janisse and Heather Drain
THERE'S ALWAYS VANILLA
- Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
- Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford
- Affair of the Heart: The Making of There's Always Vanilla - brand new documentary featuring interviews with producers John Russo and Russell Streiner, stars Judith Streiner and Richard - Ricci, and sound recordist Gary Streiner
- Digging Up the Dead - The Lost Films of George A. Romero - archive interview with Romero discussing his early films There's Always Vanilla and Season of the Witch
- Location Gallery with audio commentary by Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz
- Memorabilia Gallery
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
SEASON OF THE WITCH
- Brand new 4K restoration of the original theatrical version from the camera negative [90 mins]
- Alternate extended version [104 mins]
- Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford
- When Romero Met Del Toro - filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro in conversation with George Romero
- The Secret Life of Jack's Wife - archive interview with actress Jan White
- Alternate Opening Titles
- Location Gallery with audio commentary by Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz
Memorabilia Gallery
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
THE CRAZIES
- Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative
- Brand new audio commentary by Travis Crawford
- Romero Was Here: Locating The Crazies - Romero historian Lawrence DeVincentz takes us on a guided tour of Evans City, PA and the locations used in The Crazies
- Crazy for Lynn Lowry - cult star Lynn Lowry discusses her early career including her role in The Crazies
- Q&A with Lynn Lowry filmed at the 2016 Abertoir Film Festival
- Audio interview with producer Lee Hessel
- Behind-the-scenes footage with optional commentary by Lawrence DeVincentz
- Alternate Opening Titles
- Image Galleries
- Trailers & TV Spots
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly-commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx
J.D.'s Revenge [Dual Format] (11/14)
It wasn't long before the Blaxploitation boom moved into the horror market, bringing the world Blacula, Blackenstein, Abby (Blaxploitation's The Exorcist) and cult favorite J.D.'s Revenge.
Law student Ike is enjoying a night on the town with his friends when his life changes dramatically. Taking part in a nightclub hypnosis act, he becomes possessed with the spirit of a violent gangster murdered in the 1940s. Believing himself to be the reincarnation of murderous J.D., Ike launches a revenge campaign against those who had done 'him' wrong all those years ago...
Directed by Arthur Marks (Bucktown, Friday Foster) and starring Glynn Turman (Cooley High) and Academy Award-winner Louis Gossett Jr. (An Officer and a Gentleman), J.D.'s Revenge is a alternately tough and terrifying - a Blaxploitation gem waiting to be rediscovered!
Features
- Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements, produced by Arrow Films exclusively for this release
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original 1.0 mono sound
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- Brand new interview with producer-director Arthur Marks
- More interviews to be announced!
- Original theatrical trailer
- Arthur Marks trailer reel
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet containing new writing by Kim Newman, author of Nightmare Movies
Hellraiser [Limited Edition Steelbook] (11/14)
Stephen King was once famously quoted as saying, "I have seen the future of horror...his name is Clive Barker." That future was realized in 1987 with the release of Barker's directorial debut
Hellraiser.
Based on his own novella The Hellbound Heart, Barker's Hellraiser sees Larry (Andrew Robinson) and his wife Julia (Clare Higgins) move into their new home, unaware that something evil lurks beneath the floorboards of the dilapidated house - something that wants human blood...
Introducing the world to the iconic Pinhead and his sadistic band of Cenobites, Hellraiser became an instant genre classic upon release and remains one of the most frighteningly original visions in horror.
Features
- Limited Edition SteelBook featuring brand new Mondo artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin
- Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and Lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound
- English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with writer-director Clive Barker
- Audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence
- Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser - brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellraiser, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members
- Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser - actor Sean Chapman talks candidly about playing the character of Frank Cotton in Barker's original
- Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score - Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost was
- Hellraiser: Resurrection - vintage featurette including interviews with Clive Barker, actors Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence, special make-up effects artist Bob Keen and others
- Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser
- Original EPK featuring on-set interviews with cast and crew
- Draft Screenplays [BD-ROM content]
- Trailers and TV Spots
- Image Gallery
- New artwork by Mondo artist Matt Ryan Tobin
Animal Factory [Blu-ray and DVD] (11/28)
Troubled youth Ron Decker (Edward Furlong, American History X) is sentenced to a ten-year stint in the notorious San Quentin State Prison for a drug-dealing conviction. Inexperienced in the ways of prison life, he's taken under the wing of Earl Copen (Willem Dafoe, To Live and Die in LA), an experienced con with the entire prison in the palm of his hand - inmates and guards alike. But as Ron grows increasingly cocky in his privileged role as Earl's confidant, is he in danger of biting off more than he can chew with some of the jail's more volatile inhabitants?
Based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Eddie Bunker (Reservoir Dogs), Animal Factory was Steve Buscemi's (Lonesome Jim, Interview) second stint in the director's chair and sees him marshaling a formidable ensemble cast, including Bunker, Danny Trejo (Machete) and Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler), for a powerful and sincere account of the men caught up in the penal system and the deals they cut with each other, and themselves, in order to survive.
Features:
- High Definition digital transfer
- Lossless original 2.0 stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Interview with critic Barry Forshaw covering Eddie Bunker's varied career
- Audio commentary by novelist/co-writer/actor Eddie Bunker and co-producer/actor Danny Trejo
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jacob Phillips
First Pressing Only: Collector's booklet containing new writing on the film by Glenn Kenny
Zoology [Blu-ray and DVD] (11/14)
Writer-director Ivan I. Tverdovsky's prize-winning sophomore feature (Special Prize of the Jury at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Best Picture at Fantastic Fest) deftly mixes the deadpan humour of Aki Kaurismäki with a poignant examination of social issues including loneliness and aging.
Natasha is a middle-aged admin employee at a zoo where her female co-workers take pleasure in making fun of her. She lives with her God-fearing mother and leads a dull existence without prospects, until one day she grows a tail. Medical examinations follow where she meets Peter, a young radiologist and her dreary life is turned upside down.
Described as "Kafka meets Cronenberg" (Hollywood Reporter) Tverdovsky's film is a beautifully photographed portrait of Eastern Europe that recalls the recent New Romanian Cinema and features a brave and brilliant central performance from Natalya Pavlenkova.
Features
- High Definition 1080p Presentation
- Optional English Subtitles
- 5.1 DTS-HD MA surround sound
- Trailer
- More to be announced!
First Pressing Only: Illustrated collectors booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic and author Michael Brooke
