Arrow Video Releases Monstrous Movie Mayhem this May
Arrow Video’s offerings to the shlock gods for the month of May run the gamut, but the one thing all these movie releases have in common is a membership to the Cult of Weird.
Read on to get all the juicy giblets, Horror Fans….
May sees the release of a fantastic slate of cult cinema from Arrow Video, with a healthy mix of giallo, cult crime and gore to keep fans happy.
First comes The Climber, starring cult actor Joe Dallesandro (Flesh for Frankenstein, Blood for Dracula). The Climber is a prime example of Italian crime cinema and follows the rise and fall of Dallesandro’s small-time drug dealer, Aldo. Filled with brawls, fistfights, shootouts and explosions, this is an excellent action-thriller. The other big crime release of May is Cops vs Thugs, Kinji Fukasaku‘s masterpiece and one of the greatest films to come out of 1970s Japan. Echoing other great crime films, Cops vs Thugs is set in a world where there is no honor among thieves – or cops for that matter – and personal honor and duty among friends means everything. Wolf Guy, meanwhile, sees Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba star as a lycanthropic detective who uses his wolfish powers to solve crimes. One of the rarest and most sought after films from Japan’s Toei Studio, Wolf Guy is pure 1970s with violence, action, nudity, and a psychedelic score.
For gorehounds, May also sees the arrival of two grisly Limited Edition classics. Brain Damage is Frank Henenlotter‘s bad taste head trip that follows parasitic Elmer (voiced by late night TV horror host, John Zacherley) and his ability to induce euphoric hallucinations in the people he comes across. However, his trips come with a nasty side effect and leave the victims scouring the streets for Elmer’s favourite food – brains! – resulting in some of the best bad taste gags in cinematic history. Later in the month, Evil Ed gets a Dual Format Special EDition release. This ode to the splatter flicks of the 1980s unfolds gore scene after gore scene as a mild-mannered film tech loses his grip on reality after being forced to watch hours of grisly film footage. The result is a smorgasbord of flying limbs, exploding heads, busty babes and creepy creatures! A must for splatter fans everywhere.
BRAIN DAMAGE Limited Edition [Blu-ray + DVD] (May 9th)
IT’S A HEADACHE FROM HELL!
From Frank Henenlotter, the man behind such cult horror favourites as Basket Case and Frankenhooker, comes Brain Damage – the ultimate head-trip, now finally on Blu-ray!
Meet Elmer. He’s your local, friendly parasite with the ability to induce euphoric hallucinations in his hosts. But these LSD-like trips come with a hefty price tag. When young Brian comes under Elmer’s addictive spell, it’s not long before he finds himself scouring the city streets in search of his parasite’s preferred food source – brains!
Featuring late TV horror host John Zacherley as the voice of Elmer, Brain Damage boasts some of the most astonishing bad taste gore-gags ever realized, including the notorious “brain-pulling sequence” and a blow-job that ends with a distinctly unconventional climax.
FEATURES
– High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
– Original Mono and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Isolated Score
– Brand new audio commentary by writer-director Frank Henenlotter
– Listen to the Light: The Making of Brain Damage – brand new documentary featuring interviews with actor Rick Herbst, producer Edgar Ievins, editor James Kwei, first assistant director Gregory Lamberson, visual effects supervisor Al Magliochetti and makeup artist Dan Frye
– The Effects of Brain Damage – FX artist and creator of “Elmer” Gabe Bartalos looks back at his iconic effects work on the film
– Animating Elmer – featurette looking at the contributions of visual effects supervisor Al Magliochetti
– Karen Ogle: A Look Back – stills photographer, script supervisor and assistant editor Karen Ogle recalls her fond memories of working on Brain Damage
– Elmer’s Turf: The NYC Locations of Brain Damage – featurette revisiting the film’s original shooting locations
– Tasty Memories: A Brain Damage Obsession – an interview with superfan Adam Skinner
– Brain Damage Q&A with Frank Henenlotter recorded at the 2016 Offscreen Film Festival
– Image Galleries
– Original Theatrical Trailer
– Bygone Behemoth – animated short by Harry Chaskin, featuring a brief appearance by John Zacherle in his final onscreen credit
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sara Deck
– Limited Edition O-card with exclusive artwork
– Collector’s Booklet with new writing on the film by Michael Gingold, illustrated with original archive stills and posters
SPECS
SKU: AV090
UPC: 760137992882
Street Date: 05/09/17
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Cult
Run Time: 86 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1988
Director: Frank Henenlotter
Actors: Rick Hearst, Jennifer Lowry, Theo Barnes
Territory: US
Language: English
Product details and hi res cover art, can be found HERE
Pre-order at the MVD SHOP or on Amazon
THE CLIMBER [Blu-ray + DVD] (May 16th)
After shooting cult favorites Flesh for Frankenstein and Blood for Dracula in Europe, Joe Dallesandro spent much of the seventies making movies on the continent. In France, he worked with auteurs like Louis Malle and Walerian Borowczyk, and in Italy he starred in all manner of genre fare from poliziotteschi (Savage Three, Season for Assassins) to nunsploitation (Killer Nun).
The Climber follows in the tradition of gangster classics such as The Public Enemy and Scarface as it charts the rise and inevitable fall of small-time smuggler Aldo (Dallesandro). Beaten and abandoned by the local gang boss after he tries to skim off some profits for himself, Aldo forms his own group of misfits in order to exact revenge…
Written and directed by Pasquale Squitieri (Gang War in Naples, I Am the Law), The Climber is a prime example of Italian crime cinema – a high-octane action-thriller full of brawls, fistfights, shootouts and explosions!
FEATURES
– Brand new 4K restoration of the film from the original negative
– High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
– Original Italian soundtrack in uncompressed PCM mono with optional newly-translated English subtitles
– Alternative English-language soundtrack with optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
– Little Joe’s Adventures in Europe, a brand-new interview with Joe Dallesandro on his numerous European film appearances during the 1970s and early 1980s
– Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Roberto Curti, author of Italian Crime Filmography, 1968-1980
SPECS
SKU: AV089
UPC: 760137992783
Street Date: 05/16/17
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Action/Adventure
Run Time: 102 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1975
Director: Pasquale Squitieri
Actors: Joe Dallesandro, Stefania Casini, Benito Artesi
Territory: US
Language: Italian
Product details and hi res cover art, can be found HERE
Pre-order at the MVD SHOP or on Amazon
COPS VS THUGS [Blu-ray + DVD] (May 23rd)
Considered by many to be director Kinji Fukasaku’s greatest single-film achievement in the yakuza genre, Cops vs Thugs was made at the height of popularity of Toei Studios’ jitsuroku boom: realistic, modern crime movies based on true stories taken from contemporary headlines. Returning to the screen after completing their Battles Without Honor and Humanity series together, Fukasaku joined forces once again with screenwriter Kazuo Kasahara, composer Toshiaki Tsushima and star Bunta Sugawara to create one of the crowning achievements of his career, and a hard-boiled classic which is still ranked as one of the best Japanese films of the 1970s.
It’s 1963 in the southern Japanese city of Kurashima, and tough-as-nails detective Kuno (Sugawara) oversees a detente between the warring Kawade and Ohara gangs. Best friends with Ohara lieutenant Hirotani (Hiroki Matsukata), he understands that there are no clear lines in the underworld, and that everything is colored a different shade of gray. But when random violence interrupts the peace and an ambitious, by-the-books lieutenant (Tatsuo Umemiya) comes to town, Kuno’s fragile alliance begins to crumble. Greedy bosses and politicians alike seize the opportunity to wipe out their enemies, and Kuno faces the painful choice of pledging allegiance to his badge and keeping a promise to his brother. Echoing the great crime films of Sidney Lumet and Jean-Pierre Melville, in Fukasaku’s world, there’s no honor among thieves or lawmen alike, and the only thing that matters is personal honor and duty among friends.
Kasahara’s shattering screenplay and Fukasaku’s dynamic direction support an all-star, ensemble cast to create one of the most exciting, and deeply moving films about cops and criminals ever made.
FEATURES
– High Definition digital transfer
– High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
– Original uncompressed mono audio
– Optional English subtitles
– Beyond the Film: Cops vs Thugs, a new video appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane
– A new visual essay on cops & criminals in Fukasaku’s works by film scholar Tom Mes
– Theatrical trailer
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ian MacEwan
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Patrick Macias
SPECS
SKU: AV091
UPC: 760137992981
Street Date: 05/23/17
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Cult
Run Time: 100 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1975
Director: Kinji Fukasaku
Actors: Bunta Sugawara
Territory: US
Language: Japanese
Product details and hi res cover art, can be found HERE
Pre-order at the MVD SHOP or on Amazon
WOLF GUY [Blu-ray + DVD] (May 23rd)
Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba is a martial arts “manimal” in the ultra-70’s, 100% bizarre mixture of horror, action and sci-fi that is Wolf Guy, one of the rarest and most sought-after cult films produced by Japan’s Toei Studio. Based on a manga by Kazumasa Hirai (creator of 8 Man), and never before released outside of Japan, it’s a genre film classic waiting to be discovered and a completely unclassifiable trip into phantasmagoric funk.
Chiba stars as Akira Inugami, the only survivor of a clan of ancient werewolves who relies on his supernatural powers to solve mysterious crimes. After a series of bloody killings perpetrated by an unseen force, Inugami uncovers a conspiracy involving a murdered cabaret singer, corrupt politicians, and a plot by the J-CIA to harvest his blood in order to steal his lycanthropic powers! At the same time, Inugami also discovers the truth behind his family heritage, and that he may not be the last of his kind.
Directed by B-movie genius Kazuhiko Yamaguchi (Sister Streetfighter, Wandering Ginza Butterfly, Karate Bear Fighter), Wolf Guy truly is one-of-a-kind, with Chiba in full effect as the part-man, part-wolf, all-karate action hero and a collection of familiar 1970’s Toei actors in support. Violence, action, nudity, real surgical footage, and a psychedelic musical score all work together to create an unforgettable trip to the heights of Japanese cinematic weirdness.
FEATURES
– High Definition digital transfer
– Original uncompressed mono audio
– New optional English subtitle translation
– New video interview with actor Shinichi “Sonny” Chiba
– New video interview with director Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
– New video interview with producer Tatsu Yoshida
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Wes Benscoter
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Patrick Macias and a history of Japanese monster movie mashups by Jasper Sharp
SPECS
SKU: AV088
UPC: 760137985785
Street Date: 04/25/17
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Cult
Run Time: 86 mins
Number of Discs: 2
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1975
Director: Kazuhiko Yamaguchi
Actors: Sonny Chiba
Territory: US
Language: Japanese
Product details and hi res cover art, can be found HERE
Pre-order at the MVD SHOP or on Amazon
EVIL ED Limited Edition [Blu-ray + DVD] (May 30th)
WHEN HIS MIND BLOWS, ANYTHING GOES!
A blood-soaked love letter to the splatter films of the ’80s, video rental favorite Evil Ed returns in a brand-new Special EDition featuring an extended cut of the feature and hours of stomach-churning bonus features!
Mild-mannered film technician Edward enjoys his job. That is, until he finds himself transferred from his regular post to the “Splatter and Gore department”, where he’s forced to edit hours upon hours of grisly video nasty footage. Traumatized by the onscreen violence, Ed starts to lose his grip on reality – with ghastly (and bloody) consequences…
Owing a debt to films such as The Evil Dead, Re-animator and the early splatter classics of Peter Jackson, Evil Ed is a veritable smorgasbord of flying limbs, exploding heads, busty babes and creepy creatures!
3-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
– Two versions of the film!
– Original Stereo and 5.1 Audio Options
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
– Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
– Collector’s booklet with new writing on the film
DISCS 1 & 2 (BLU-RAY + DVD) – THE SPECIAL ED-ITION CUT
– World premiere of the newly-extended version of the feature [95 min]
– Keep ‘Em Heads Rollin’ – making-of documentary
– Reconstructing Edward – featurette on the creation of the Special EDition cut
– Deleted scenes
– Bloopers
– Teasers and Trailers
– Still Gallery
DISC 3 (BLU-RAY) – THE ORIGINAL CUT [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE]
– Original Cut [93 mins]
– Lost in Brainland – never-before-seen extended 3 hour version of the making-of documentary
– PLUS OTHER SURPRISES!!!
SPECS
SKU: AV092
UPC: 760137993087
Street Date: 05/30/17
Label: Arrow Video
Genre: Cult
Run Time: 95 mins
Number of Discs: 3
Audio: STEREO
Year of Production: 1995
Director: Anders Jacobsson
Actors: Johan Rudebeck, Olof Rhodin, Gert Fylking
Territory: US
Language: English
Product details and hi res cover art, can be found HERE
Pre-order at the MVD SHOP or on Amazon
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