Arrow Video Gives You A Piece Of The Action in 4K

Kick off March in style with John Woo’s hyperkinetic masterpiece Hard Boiled on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Limited Edition Blu-ray, courtesy of Arrow. 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 culminated in 1992 with the release of Hard Boiled, the hyperviolent exemplar of the Heroic Bloodshed genre. A fiery coalescence of electrifying performances (led by the iconic 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 features. The lavish two-disc releases feature a reversible sleeve featuring original artwork, a double-sided foldout poster, a collectors’ booklet and six postcard-sized art cards.

Next up is the ultimate in terror, Salem’s Lot on Limited Edition 4K UHD. Directed by Tobe Hooper, who gave us The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Poltergeist, this is the mini-series that scarred a generation. Based on Stephen King’s all-time classic of small town terror. Salem’s Lot has a population of just two thousand and thirteen, but it’s falling fast! With 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, plus much more.

More chills  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, the film’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.

 John Frankenheimer’s brilliantly tense Black Sunday, on Limited Edition Blu-ray coming in March. 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, 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  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.

Also in March, may the schwartz be with you, Mel Brooks  Spaceballs is released on Limited Edition 4K. In 1987, Brooks comedy 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.

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.

Finally  the month bring us , 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.

Calvaire Limited Edition Blu-ray 2nd March

Travelling cabaret singer Marc Stevens (Laurent Lucas) finds himself stranded when his van breaks down in a remote mountain region in France, but is rescued by local innkeeper Mr. Bartel (Jackie Berroyer) who offers to help Marc fix his van and give him shelter for the night. But Bartel is fragile and unstable, and Marc reminds him of his long lost wife. Soon, Bartel is refusing to let Marc leave. With his van sabotaged and no means of calling for help, Marc’s ordeal is about to begin…

Black Sunday Limited Edition Blu-ray 9th March

Robert Shaw (Jaws, The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) stars as Major Kabakov, an Israeli agent attempting to avert a terrorist atrocity on US soil. The weapon: a blimp laced with explosives and piloted by Michael Lander (Bruce Dern, Silent Running), a troubled Vietnam vet driven to strike back against the nation he believes has betrayed him. The target: the Orange Bowl stadium, Miami. What follows is a nail-biting race against time culminating in a spectacular aerial climax that will determine the fate of 80,000 spectators.

Spaceballs Limited Edition 4K UHD 16th March

When the evil Dark Helmet (Rick Moranis, Ghostbusters) plots to steal the air supply of peaceful planet Druidia, it’s up to roguish space pilot Lone Starr (Bill Pullman, Independence Day), his sidekick Barf (John Candy, Planes, Trains and Automobiles), and the resourceful Princess Vespa (Daphne Zuniga) to save the galaxy – and deliver laughs light-years wide.

Hard Boiled Limited Edition 4K UHD 30th March

Iconic actor Chow Yun-Fat (City on Fire) stars as Tequila, a gung-ho cop working to bring down Johnny Wong (Anthony Wong, Infernal Affairs), the villainous triad boss who maintains a stranglehold on Hong Kong’s illegal gun trade. Johnny attempts to recruit Ah-Long (Tony Leung, Bullet in the Head), an assassin from a rival syndicate, just as the insubordinate Tequila gets taken off the case. Taking justice into his own hands, Tequila tracks Ah-Long down and uncovers an intricate web of deception that threatens to boil over into all-out war.

Also available on: Limited Edition Blu-ray

The Birthday Limited Edition 4K UHD 16th March

Painfully awkward Norman Forrester (Feldman) chooses the opulent birthday party of his girlfriend Alison’s (Erica Prior) wealthy father (Jack Taylor, Conan the Barbarian) as the perfect moment to propose. But between bizarre encounters with guests and unnervingly polite hotel staff, Norman stumbles into a nightmarish occult conspiracy that threatens not just his relationship but the fate of the world itself.

Also available on: Limited Edition Blu-ray

Eiichi Kudo’s Samurai Revolution Trilogy Limited Edition Blu-ray 30th March

Beginning in 1963 with 13 Assassins (remade in 2010 by Takashi Miike), followed by The Great Killing in 1964 and 11 Samurai in 1967, the Samurai Revolution trilogy depicts the rot at the heart of the Tokugawa shogunate: despotic lords oppress their people and abuse their power with impunity, loyalty to the Shogun is valued above compassion and righteousness, and samurai have shed any trace of nobility in favor of their own self-interest, which they pursue with gleeful cruelty. Each film portrays a group of honorable samurai driven to plan the political assassination of a corrupt lord, hoping to light the fuse that will eventually destroy the regime. But the rebels must understand the fatal consequences of their mission. Should the Shogun falter, then their lives and the entire samurai class will be forfeit.

Salem’s Lot Limited Edition 4K UHD 30th March

Author Ben Mears (David Soul) returns to the town of Salem’s Lot after 25 years to write about the Marsten House, an old mansion with a bad reputation that has haunted the writer since childhood. But the sleepy town of Ben’s youth is beginning to change. There’s an antiques store about to open, run by the mysterious Richard Straker (James Mason) and his unseen partner Mr. Barlow (Reggie Nalder), and they’re living in the Marsten House. A series of deaths and disappearances leads Ben to believe that a vampire is feeding on the town. But how can he stop them, and will anyone believe him?