School is back in session this September and Arrow Video is offering a syllabus of international cinema that any film professor will skip as they break out the popular warhorses once more. If you cared about movies, you’ve already seen the movies about bicycle thieves, sad street urchins and Japanese warriors and probably own the Blu-rays. But if you don’t care about class credits, why not explore the rarely explored films from around the globe? You take a cinema class because you either want to watch a bunch of great movies or you need a nap because your dorm mate can’t stop texting with their brand new soul mate. Arrow Video is going to be your extra cool professor this year with movies from Italy, Japan and England. There’s a bit of obscure classic Hollywood. Finally you get a bit of American indie. That’s much more exciting than that 9 hour Soviet epic about the glory of wheat. So what is coming?
The Hills Have Eyes 2 is Wes Craven returning to the desert to see what has happened to his mutant cannibal family. Two of the characters from the previous film have to head back to the area because their dirt bike team needs to attend a rally to promote their break through competition gas mix. Well for those people who say, “What could go wrong,” everything does go wrong. Pluto (Michael Berryman) returns with a new member of the family to greet the dirt bike kids to a little desert hospitality. If you’re a fan of teenagers getting snuffed in the wastelands, this is your kinda movie. The film also features the legendary moment when a dog gets a flashback. Many people view this as Wes Craven doing a quick cash grab with the film, but ultimately he was just trying to get a project after the failure of Deadly Blessings and Swamp Thing at the box office. The sequel helped him get Nightmare On Elm Street going and revive his fortunes.
Who Saw Her Die? is proof that George Lazenby doesn’t deserve to be mocked for walking out of the James Bond role after only appearing in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Soon after stepping away from Bond, Lazenby showed up in Venice to play the lead in this Giallo film. He’s a divorced artist who is happy when his daughter comes to visit. But things go bad quick when she turns up dead. Even with all his sorrow, he can’t wait for the police to investigate so he hits the streets and canals looking for the killer. This is one of the top giallos from time and Lazenby is part of the reason. He lost a lot of weight so he doesn’t look like a spy with a license to kill. He’s just a dad who needs to find the person that could kill his only child. Director Aldo Lado made the perfect film to double feature with his previous Short Night of Glass Dolls.
In the Aftermath is what happened when Roger Corman got the rights to a Japanese animated film that didn’t seem so commercial to release back in mid-80s. The anime in question was Angel’s Egg by Mamoru Oshii’s (i>Ghost In The Shell). Corman had to do something with the film so he had Carl Colpaert (The Crew) direct live action footage of a post-apocalyptic world that could be linked with the animation.
Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II put England back on the horror map after the demise of Hammer and Amicus in the ’70s. Author Clive Barker adapted his story about the Cenobites that rip the flesh off those who dare open their puzzle box in search of a new level of pleasure. Barker’s Pinhead (Douglas Bradley) immediately positioned himself with the horror icons of the ’80s such as Jason, Michael and Freddie. The first two films are the best in the series. Barker directed the first and wrote the story for the sequel. The first film is about a family who discovers whatever happened to their globetrotting uncle. The second digs a little deeper into Pinhead’s origins.
The Major and the Minor was the first film directed by Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity). Ginger Rogers gets to play a character that doesn’t have to constantly dance across the screen. This is a comedy where she fools Ray Milland (The Lost Weekend) into thinking she’s an underaged girl. It’s rather unusual in tone and rarely gets mentioned during your film instructor’s lecture on Billy Wilder that you’ll sleep through.
Here’s the press release from Arrow Video with all the bonus features on the Blu-rays:
New from Arrow Video US and Arrow Academy US
THE HILLS HAVE EYES 2 [Blu-ray] (9/17)
WHO SAW HER DIE? [Blu-ray] (9/17)
IN THE AFTERMATH [Blu-ray] (9/24)
HELLRAISER [Blu-ray] (9/24)
HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II [Blu-ray] (9/24)
THE MAJOR AND THE MINOR [Blu-ray] (9/24)
via MVD Entertainment Group
In September, Arrow Celebrates Mutants, Cenobites and the Apocalypse
With September fast approaching it means Spooky Season is right around the corner, and Spooky Season always calls for an all-out horror celebration. Arrow has you covered with a fun selection of new horror tiles hitting Blu-ray shelves in September that should help get those horror marathons all planned out. And to make sure all the bases are covered, a non-horror release has been added to the mix as well.
The frighteningly fun fall begins on September 17th with two releases. First up is Wes Craven’s The Hills Have Eyes Part II. While not quite the success of the groundbreaking first film, this early ’80s sequel is a down-and-dirty B-grade flick that genre fans have grown to appreciate more of the years. As far as films with dog flashbacks go, The Hills Have Eyes Part II may very well be the best. The second release hitting stands on September 17th is Alan Lado’s classic giallo, Who Saw Her Die? George Lazenby and Anita Strindberg star as parents that search the streets of Venice hoping to find the black-veiled killer that murder their daughter. The film has received much praise for its style, which author Danny Shipka compared favorably to Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. Who Saw Her Die? features a new 2K restoration from the original 35mm camera negative.
September 24th is a busy day as Arrow releases four new titles, beginning with a pair of Clive Barker classics. Roger Ebert famously declared 1987’s Hellraiser to have a “bankruptcy of imagination,” but that didn’t stop horror hounds everywhere from cherishing this undisputed masterpiece. Doug Bradley dons the needles for the first time as Pinhead in this mad tale about puzzles, cenobites, and a sadomasochistic underworld. In the film’s sequel, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, we are taken deep into the depths of hell as Barker’s universe of depravity is further explored. Both films hit Blu-ray shelves with brand new 2K restorations approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon.
Also coming on the 24th of September is In the Aftermath, a film unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. In looking to make his debut feature, director Carl Colpaert re-purposed footage from an older anime, shot some live-action footage and created a haunting post-apocalyptic look at Earth. This stunning film is now presented with the 2K restoration it deserves.
The month’s final release, also hitting shelves on the 24th, is Billy Wilder’s The Major and the Minor. Ginger Rogers disguises herself as a child to save money on a train ticket, a decidedly genius move that nearly comes crashing down when she decides to smoke. She hides out in the compartment of Ray Milland and hijinks ensue. The film is noticeable for being Wilder’s first as a director in America and it essentially kick started his illustrious career.
The Hills Have Eyes 2 [Limited Edition]
The hills are once again alive with the sound of screaming in Wes Craven’s hugely entertaining follow-up to his own groundbreaking 1977 The Hills Have Eyes. A motocross team on their way to trial a new super-fuel head out across the desert lead by Rachel, who, unbeknownst to the rest of the group, is a survivor of the cannibal clan which menaced the Carter family several years before. Opting to take an ill-advised shortcut across the desert, the busload of youngsters drive straight into the path of the remnants of Rachel’s demented cannibal kin – the menacing Pluto, and a hulking, blood-hungry brute by the name of The Reaper. Made by Wes Craven immediately prior to his smash-hit A Nightmare on Elm Street, The Hills Have Eyes Part II diverges from the grim tone of its predecessor in favour of fun action-horror thrills and spills replete with mutants, motorbikes, and – oh yes – dog flashbacks!
Bonus Materials
Brand new audio commentary with The Hysteria Continues
Blood, Sand, and Fire: The Making of The Hills Have Eyes Part II – brand new making-of documentary featuring interviews with actor Michael Berryman, actress Janus Blythe, production designer Dominick Bruno, composer Harry Manfredini and unit production ma
Stills gallery
Original Theatrical Trailer
6 Postcards
Reversible fold-out Poster
Sales Points
Limited to 3000 units
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper
Original uncompressed mono audio
Limited Edition 40-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Amanda Reyes and an archival set visit from Fangoria
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
BLU-RAY
SRP: 49.95 (NEW PRICE)
Street Date: 09/17/19
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Run Time: 86 mins
Who Saw Her Die?
Former Bond star George Lazenby (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Man from Hong Kong) headlines this classic giallo directed by Aldo Lado (Short Night of Glass Dolls, Night Train Murders) ¬-as compelling for its haunting atmosphere, twists and turns as for its parallels with another great Venetian horror/thriller – Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now. Sculptor Franco Serpieri (Lazenby) welcomes Roberta (Nicoletta Elmi, Deep Red) – his young daughter from a failed marriage – to Venice, unaware that a disturbed child-killer is stalking the city’s canals. When Roberta’s body is found floating face-down in the river, the lives of Franco and his estranged wife Elizabeth (Anita Strindberg, The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail) are ripped asunder. Desperate for vengeance, Franco turns detective in a bid to track down his daughter’s killer, and in the process unearths shocking evidence of depravity and corruption which implicates some of the most respected figures in Venetian society. Released at the height of the giallo boom, this gripping mystery thriller boasts some of the most iconic names associated with the genre on both sides of the camera. Co-starring Dominique Boschero (The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire) and Adolfo Celi (Thunderball), and featuring one of the all-time greatest scores from maestro Ennio Morricone (What Have You Done to Solange?), Who Saw Her Die? thrills anew in its high definition debut.
Bonus Materials
Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
New audio commentary by author and critic Travis Crawford
I Saw Her Die, a new video interview with director Aldo Lado
Nicoletta, Child of Darkness, a new video interview with actress Nicoletta Elmi
Once Upon a Time in Venice, a new video interview with co-writer Francesco Barilli
Giallo in Venice, a new video interview with author and critic Michael Mackenzie
Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
Poster and fotobusta gallery
Brand new 2K restoration of the full-length Italian version of the film from the original 35mm camera negative
High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation
Uncompressed mono 1.0 LPCM audio
Original English and Italian soundtracks, titles and credits
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Haunt Love’BLU-RAY
SRP: 39.95
Street Date: 09/17/19
Genre: Horror
Language: Italian
Run Time: 90 mins
In The Aftermath
Following in the footsteps of Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich, Roger Corman protégé Carl Colpaert (The Crew) made his directorial debut by combining repurposed excerpts from a foreign film – in this case, Mamoru Oshii’s (Ghost In The Shell) spellbinding 1985 anime Angel’s Egg – with new live-action footage shot in America. The result is In The Aftermath, a haunting post-apocalyptic vision like no other. In a radiation-soaked wasteland, two surviving soldiers, Frank and Goose, search for essential supplies amid the rubble. After a violent confrontation, Frank is haunted by visions of an angelic young girl holding a giant egg, herself a refugee from another world altogether. Could the egg be the key to saving both their worlds? A unique mash-up of 1980s B-movie nuclear paranoia and hauntingly lyrical animation, In The Aftermath is presented in a stunning new restoration that highlights Oshii’s visionary genius and Colpaert’s low-budget ingenuity.
Bonus Materials
Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
Presented on High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p)
Original uncompressed stereo PCM audio
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
The Path To Aftermath, a newly filmed interview with producer Tom Dugan
Apocalypse Then, a newly filmed interview with star Tony Markes
Before The Aftermath: The Influence of Angel’s Egg, a new appreciation of Mamoru Oshii’s original film by anime expert Andrew Osmond (author of Arrow Books’ Ghost In The Shell)
Still and poster gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Corey Brickley
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: booklet featuring essay on the film by Jon Towlson
BLU-RAY
SRP: 39.95
Street Date: 09/24/19
Genre: Drama
Language: English
Run Time: 72 mins
Hellraiser
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.
Bonus Materials
Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
High Definition Blu-rayTM (1080p) 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 – ex-Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost was
Hellraiser: Resurrection – vintage featurette including interviews with 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
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles VranckxBLU-RAY
SRP: 39.95
Street Date: 09/24/19
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Run Time: 93 mins
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Picking up right where Hellraiser left off, Hellbound: Hellraiser II expands upon the terrifying universe created in Clive Barker’s original film – taking the story into the very depths of Hell itself. Having escaped the clutches of Pinhead and the demonic Cenobites, Kirsty Cotton (Ashley Laurence) awakens to finds herself detained at the Channard Institute, a hospital for the mentally ill. But her torments are far from over – the chief doctor at the institute is determined to unleash the powers of Hell to achieve his own twisted ends. Hellbound: Hellraiser II is one of the most celebrated horror sequels of all time, offering a vision that is both more gruesome and fantastical than its predecessor.
Bonus Materials
Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
High Definition Blu-rayTM (1080p) 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 director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins
Audio commentary with Randel, Atkins and actress Ashley Laurence
Leviathan: The Story of Hellbound: Hellraiser II – brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellbound, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members
Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound – actor Sean Chapman talks about reprising the role of Frank Cotton in the first Hellraiser sequel
Surgeon Scene – the legendary excised sequence
Lost in the Labyrinth – vintage featurette including interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others
Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound: Hellraiser II
On-set interview with Clive Barker
On-set interviews with cast and crew
Behind-the-Scenes Footage
Rare and unseen storyboards
Draft Screenplay [BD-ROM content]
Trailers and TV Spots
Image Gallery
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx4
BLU-RAY
SRP: 39.95
Street Date: 09/24/19
Genre: Horror
Language: English
Run Time: 99 mins
The Major And The Minor
From one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed auteurs, Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard), comes the charming comedy classic The Major and the Minor. Legendary actress and dancer Ginger Rogers (Monkey Business) stars as Susan Applegate, a struggling young woman who pretends to be an 11-year old girl in order to buy a half-price train ticket. Fleeing the conductors, she hides in the compartment of Major Philip Kirby (Ray Milland, The Big Clock, The Pyjama Girl Case). The Major believes Susan is a child and takes her under his wing, but when they arrive at the military academy where Kirby teaches, his fiancée (Rita Johnson) grows suspicious of Susan’s ruse… Co-written by Wilder and Charles Brackett (Hold Back the Dawn), The Major and the Minor assumes the guise of a light romance narrative in order to cleverly explore themes of identity and deception. Wilder’s American debut is presented here for the first time in stunning High Definition, with a selection of illuminating extras.
Bonus Materials
High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation transferred from original film elements
Uncompressed Mono 1.0 PCM audio soundtrack
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
New audio commentary by film scholar Adrian Martin
Half Fare Please!, a newly filmed video appreciation by film critic Neil Sinyard
Archival interview with Ray Milland
Rare hour-long radio adaptation from 1943 starring Ginger Rogers and Ray Milland
Image gallery
Original trailer
Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
FIRST PRESSING ONLY: COLLECTOR’S BOOKLET WITH ESSAY BY RONALD BERGAN
BLU-RAY
SRP: 39.95
Street Date: 09/24/19
Genre: Comedy
Language: English
Run Time: 100 mins
