Arrow Video New Releases Will Be A ‘Summer Of Legends’
Arrow Video shows no signs of cooling off as summer continues, with the release of a horror anthology from two genre masters, the definitive edition of a sci-fi classic on 4K ULTRA HD, the world Blu-ray debuts of a superb Japanese thriller and a newly unearthed UK cult oddity, and a stunning boxset of iconic creature features.
The fantastic selection of films include hours of new and archived bonus features, expert commentaries, never-before-seen cuts of the films, as well as collector’s booklets with incisive writing on the filmmakers, and luxurious packaging and brand new artwork.
At the end of July, brace yourself for Creepshow 2, where Titans of terror George A. Romero and Stephen King deliver yet another selection of blood-curdling tales in the follow-up to the 1982 horror classic. Retaining the same EC comic book flavor that made the original such a hit, Creepshow 2 is a standout horror anthology directed by long-time Romero collaborator Michael Gornick.
Kicking off August in fine and history-making style is Arrow’s first ever UK 4K UHD release, with the sci-fi/horror Pitch Black, the sleeper hit that birthed a franchise and launched the career of action movie icon Vin Diesel. Pitch Black holds its own today as a nerve-shredding creature-feature in which the monsters outside finally meet their match against a monster within. Boasting crackerjack direction and a whip-smart script by David Twohy, as well as a star-making performance by Diesel, Riddick’s first outing is freshly unleashed in an illuminating, brand new 4K restoration, in breathtaking UHD, with hours of exclusive bonus content.
Then comes Black Test Car, from Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast), a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry. Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Black Test Car is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up The Black Report, also directed by Masumura.
Next in August, from the annals of bizarre cinema comes perhaps the most bizarre one of them all – 1985’s The Comic! Filled with more dry ice and lighting gels than an ’80s stadium rock concert, The Comic is a barmy, baffling and beguiling cinematic oddity shot on 35mm film in an alternate dimension. If you ever wanted to know the answer to the eternal conundrum “How does Pinocchio make love?” then this is the one for you!
Finally, Gamera: The Complete Collection – for the first time ever worldwide, Arrow Video has collected together all twelve tales of the adventures of everyone’s favourite titanic terrapin, in one deluxe Blu-ray box set. The Japanese icon first appeared onscreen in 1965, and gave homegrown creature-feature favourite Godzilla a run for his money. This deluxe, limited edition collectors’ set comes in beautiful special edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, with 8 Blu-ray discs, 4K restorations of the critically acclaimed Heisei trilogy, a lavish 120-page hardback comic book, as well as a perfect-bound 80-page book featuring a new retrospective on the series.
Creepshow 2 13th July 2020
On Limited Edition Blu-ray, including exclusive Arrow store variant.
In “Old Chief Wood’nhead”, a group of young hoodlums face retribution from an unlikely source after looting a local hardware store. Meanwhile, “The Raft” sees a group of horny teens wishing they’d read the warning signs first before taking a dip in a remote lake. Finally, an uptight businesswoman finds herself with some unwanted company following a hit-and-run incident in “The Hitch-hiker”.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 1.0, Stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Creepshow 2: Pinfall – Limited Edition Booklet featuring the never-before-seen comic adaptation of the unfilmed Creepshow 2 segment “Pinfall” by artist Jason Mayoh
• Audio Commentary with director Michael Gornick
• Poncho’s Last Ride – a brand new interview with actor Daniel Beer
• The Road to Dover – a brand new interview with actor Tom Wright
• Screenplay for a Sequel – an interview with screenwriter George A. Romero
• Tales from the Creep – an interview with actor and make-up artist Tom Savini
• Nightmares in Foam Rubber – archive featurette on the special effects of Creepshow 2, including interviews with FX artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
• My Friend Rick – Berger on his special effects mentor Rick Baker
• Behind-the-Scenes Footage
• Image Gallery
• Trailers & TV Spots
• Original Screenplay (BD-ROM Content)
• Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mike Saputo
Pitch Black 17th August 2020
On UHD 4K and Blu-ray
When an intergalactic transport ship crashes on a remote desert planet with no sign of help on the horizon, the survivors, led by Fry (Radha Mitchell), band together to find a way back home. Among the passengers is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted murderer being transported by marshal Johns (Cole Hauser) – and now freed of his chains and on the loose. But as a solar eclipse plunges the planet into total darkness, a threat even worse than Riddick reveals itself, and the last humans standing may have to form an uneasy truce with the cunning fugitive (whose eyes have been surgically altered to see in the dark) to last the long night.
ULTRA HD 4K BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts of the film, approved by director David Twohy
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround on both cuts
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
• Archive commentary with director David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser
• Archive commentary with director David Twohy, producer Tom Engelman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang
• Nightfall: The Making of Pitch Black, a newly filmed interview with director/co-writer David Twohy
• Black Box: Jackie’s Journey, a newly filmed interview with actor Rhiana Griffith
• Black Box: Shazza’s Last Stand, a newly filmed interview with actor Claudia Black
• Black Box: Bleach Bypassed, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer David Eggby
• Black Box: Cryo-Locked, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang
• Black Box: Primal Sounds, a newly filmed interview with composer Graeme Revell
• The Making of Pitch Black, a short behind-the-scenes featurette
• Pitch Black Raw, a comparison between early CG tests and the final footage
• Additional behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film
• 2004 archive bonus features, including an introduction by Twohy, A View Into The Dark, and Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia
• Johns’ Chase Log, a short prequel narrated by Cole Hauser detailing the character’s hunt for Riddick
• The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (in 16:9 widescreen with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio), an animated short film directed by Peter Chung that acts as a bridgepoint between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, featuring vocal performances by Vin Diesel, Keith David and Rhiana Griffith reprising their roles
• Dark Fury bonus features including Bridging The Gap, Peter Chung: The Mind of an Animator, A View Into The Light, and a “pre-animation” version of the film
• Slam City, a motion comic from the film’s official website
• Into Pitch Black, a TV special offering an alternative non-canon glimpse into what happened before and after the events of the film
• Raveworld: Pitch Black Event, footage of a dance music event held to promote the film
• Theatrical trailers, plus trailers for the two sequels and video game
• Image galleries
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned “night” and “day” artwork by Luke Preece
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Simon Ward on the film’s creature designs (including a new interview with creature designer Patrick Tatopolous), original production notes and information from the film’s official website, and an archive interview with Vin Diesel from Starlog magazine; plus collectable O-card with “night” variant artwork by Luke Preece
Black Test Car/Black Report
On Blu-ray, 24 August 2020
In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the 
Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest “Pioneer” car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato’s spy, and find out what they can about the competitor’s familiar-looking new model.
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
• High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation of Black Test Car and The Black Report
• Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio on both films
• Optional newly translated English subtitles on both films
• Newly recorded critical appreciation by Jonathan Rosenbaum
• Theatrical trailers for both films
• Image galleries for both films
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing on the films by Mark Downing Roberts
The Comic 24 Aug 2020
On Limited Edition Blu-ray and Blu-ray
Stand-up comedy can be a cut-throat business, but in Sam Coex’s world, it’s downright murder… In a dystopian police state reality of indeterminate time and place, orange bouffant-haired comedian Coex is eager for his big break. Realising that desperate times call for even more desperate measures, he slits the throat of his rival Joey Myers, leaving the way clear for him to carve his own niche on the comedy circuit. But success can be a fickle and fleeting mistress, and Sam soon finds his career on a downward turn when he falls foul of the powers that be.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new introduction with actor Steve Munroe
• Newly-filmed interview with actor Steve Munroe
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil
• EXCLUSIVE O-card with alternate design by The Twins of Evil
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring additional cast/crew interviews
SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new introduction with actor Steve Munroe
• Newly-filmed interview with actor Steve Munroe
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring additional cast/crew interviews
Gamera: The Complete Collection
On Limited Edition Blu-ray Boxset, 17 August 2020
This deluxe, limited edition collectors’ set traces the decades-long evolution of Gamera, from the “friend of all children” in his more light-hearted earlier films, to the Guardian of the Universe in the groundbreaking 1990s reboot series, often hailed as three of the best kaiju films ever made. The films included are: Gamera the Giant Monster, Gamera vs. Barugon, Gamera vs. Gyaos, Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera vs. Zigra, Gamera Super Monster, Gamera Guardian of the Universe, Attack of Legion, Revenge of Iris and Gamera the Brave.
LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Limited collectors’ edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, fully illustrated by Matt Frank
• All twelve uncut original Japanese versions of the films in high definition, with lossless Japanese and English audio
• 4K restorations of the critically acclaimed Heisei trilogy (Gamera the Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris)
• Hours of new and archive bonus features, expert commentaries (including August Ragone, David Kalat, and Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski), interviews with cast and crew, and the worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Gammera The Invincible (the American theatrical version of the first film)
• Hardback 120-page comic book including a full-color reprint of the four-issue Gamera comic series originally released by Dark Horse Comics in 1996, and the first-ever English-language printing of the prequel comic “The Last Hope” by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh
• Perfect-bound 80-page book including a new retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias, kaiju X-ray illustrations by Jolyon Yates, and much more!
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
About the Author
