As summer winds down, Arrow Video turn up the heat with their Blu-ray and 4K UHD releases. First off we get two scoops of Italian Giallo goodness. The 4K UHD of The Cat O’Nine Tails brings director Dario Argento’s fearful vision to a higher resolution. This is the third of his animal Giallo trilogy from when he finally made the genre a box office favorite in the early ’70s. He has Karl Malden (The Streets of San Francisco) as a blind crossword puzzle designer caught up in a murder. He teams up with a reporter (The Valley of Gwangi‘s James Franciscus) to expose the killer before they end up on the morgue slab. The Sergio Martino Collection brings together three of the Giallo movie made by the renowned Italian director. Martino has finally gotten a proper reception in America with his key films released unbutchered by shady distributors. He is one of the prime directors of the genre and these three films are great. The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail is about killings in the jet set. Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key is about things going wrong at a country estate. The Suspicious Death of a Minor has a cop investigates a murder that implicates many rich and powerful figures. Martino is one of these figures they don’t teach in International Cinema classes, but you need to discover him.

Over the last few months Arrow Video has been importing the films of Japanese director Yasuzô Masumura. His Giants and Toys and Irezumi were engrossing in different ways. Blind Beast is a messed up masterpiece. A model gets kidnapped by a blind artist that wants to use her for his sculptures. The artist has a giant workshop that’s covered in statues of different female parts. This is all about art, obsession and control. You won’t be hearing about a major studio wanting to remake Blind Beast anytime soon. Also coming up is The Brotherhood of Satan about a small town with a dark secret. This came out during the time when we all feared our sweet neighbors were sacrificing pets and loved ones to the Devil. What makes this film unique is the producers are L.Q. Jones (The Wild Bunch) and Alvy Moore (The Wild One). Yes, the guy who played Hank Kimball, the county agent on Green Acres was making a film about a Devil worshiping cult that’s abducting children. This is a fun ’70s does of Satanic Panic with Strother Martin leading the Unholy group.

The final big thing is a 4K UHD of David Lynch’s Dune. Before you watch the new version coming to theaters in October, take a trip back when we first visited the planet of The Spice. The film has aged well over the years with Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides being an iconic figure in science fiction to the cool kids. Plus you get a young Sting as a villain. Along with the upgrade in resolution so you can see the Sandworms more clearly, there’s dozens of bonus features. The boxset comes out in various formats including a Steelbook. Here’s the press release from Arrow Video with all the details:

The Sergio Martino Collection Collecting three of the finest giallo thrillers from legendary filmmaker Sergio Martino List Price: $99.95   One of Italian cinema’s most celebrated and prolific filmmakers, Sergio Martino worked across a range of genres, but is arguably best known for his giallo thrillers. This collection brings together three of his finest. In The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, recently widowed Lisa Baumer is summoned to Athens to collect her husband’s generous life insurance policy, but soon discovers others are willing to kill to get their hands on it. In the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, abrasive drunk Oliviero amuses himself by holding drunken orgies and abusing his long-suffering wife… but when a series of grisly murders shakes the local community, Oliviero finds himself in the frame. Finally, The Suspicious Death of a Minor combines giallo and crime thriller tropes as undercover cop Paolo pursues the Milanese criminal outfit responsible for the brutal murder of an underage prostitute, but finds himself up against a killer-for-hire who’s bumping off witnesses before they have a chance to talk. Featuring sensational casts of genre stalwarts, including Edwige Fenech, George Hilton, Anita Strindberg and Luigi Pistilli, with scripts by giallo master Ernesto Gastaldi and sensuous scores by maestro Bruno Nicolai, this is an essential collection for any Italian cult cinema fan. Bonus Materials SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: Three films from Sergio Martino: The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key, and The Suspicious Death of a Minor, restored in 2K from the original camera negative High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation for all films Original uncompressed mono Italian and English audio tracks Optional English subtitles for Italian audio and English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for English audio Newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach THE CASE OF THE SCORPION’S TAIL: Audio commentary with writer Ernesto Gastaldi, moderated by filmmaker Federico Caddeo (in Italian with English subtitles) Under the Sign of the Scorpion – an interview with star George Hilton The Scorpion Tales – an interview with director Sergio Martino Jet Set Giallo – an analysis Sergio Martino’s films by Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film The Case of the Screenwriter Auteur – a video essay by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films Theatrical trailer Image gallery Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon YOUR VICE IS A LOCKED ROOM AND ONLY I HAVE THE KEY: Through the Keyhole – an interview with director Sergio Martino Unveiling the Vice – making-of retrospective featuring interviews with Martino, star Edwige Fenech and screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi Dolls of Flesh and Blood: The Gialli of Sergio Martino – a visual essay by Michael Mackenzie exploring the director’s unique contributions to the giallo genre The Strange Vices of Ms. Fenech – film historian Justin Harries on the Your Vice actress’ prolific career Eli Roth on Your Vice and the genius of Martino Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR: Audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films Violent Milan – an interview with co-writer/director Sergio Martino Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon

The Cat O’ Nine Tails UHD Limited Edition Caught between the truth and a murderer’s hand! List Price: $59.95  Following the success of his debut feature, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, distributor Titanus tasked writer/director Dario Argento with delivering a follow-up in short order. The resulting film, granted a greatly enhanced budget and heralded in its US marketing campaign as “nine times more suspenseful” than its predecessor, was The Cat O’ Nine Tails. When a break-in occurs at a secretive genetics institute, blind puzzle-maker Franco Arnò (Karl Malden, Patton, One-Eyed Jacks), who overheard an attempt to blackmail one of the institute’s scientists shortly before the robbery, teams up with intrepid reporter Carlo Giordani (James Franciscus, Beneath the Planet of the Apes) to crack the case. But before long the bodies begin to pile up and the two amateur sleuths find their own lives imperiled in their search for the truth. And worse still, Lori (Cinzia De Carolis, Cannibal Apocalypse), Franco’s young niece, may also be in killer’s sights… This second entry in the so-called “Animal Trilogy” found Argento further refining his distinctive style and cementing his reputation as the master of the giallo thriller. Co-starring Catherine Spaak (Il Sorpasso) and Rada Rassimov (Baron Blood), and featuring another nerve-jangling score by the great Ennio Morricone (The Bird with the Crystal Plumage, The Good, The Bad and the Ugly), The Cat O’ Nine Tails remains one of Argento’s most suspenseful and underrated films. Bonus Materials New 4K restoration from the original negative by Arrow Films 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack Audio commentary by critics Alan Jones and Kim Newman Nine Lives, an interview with co-writer/director Dario Argento The Writer O’ Many Tales, an interview with co-writer Dardano Sacchetti Child Star, an interview with actress Cinzia De Carolis Giallo in Turin, an interview with production manager Angelo Iacono Script pages for the lost original ending, translated into English for the first time Original Italian, international and US theatrical trailers Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring an original essay on the film by Dario Argento, and writing by Barry Forshaw, Troy Howarth and Howard Hughes Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring originally and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative

Blind Beast The masterpiece of the Japanese New Wave is a sensual study in surreal slaughter! List Price: $39.95  Blind Beast is a grotesque portrait of the bizarre relationship between a blind sculptor and his captive muse, adapted from a short story from Japan’s foremost master of the macabre, Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, The Black Lizard, Caterpillar). An artist’s model, Aki (Mako Midori), is abducted, and awakens in a dark warehouse studio whose walls are decorated with outsized women’s body parts – eyes, lips, legs and breasts – and dominated by two recumbent giant statues of male and female nudes. Her kidnapper introduces himself as Michio (Eiji Funakoshi), a blind sculptor whom she had witnessed previously at an exhibition in which she featured intently caressing a statue of her naked torso. Michio announces his intention of using her to sculpt the perfect female form. At first defiant, she eventually succumbs to his intense fixation on her body and finds herself drawn into his sightless world, in which touch is everything. Blind Beast is a masterpiece of erotic horror that explores the all-encompassing and overwhelming relationship between the artist and his art and the obsessive closed world that the artist inhabits, with maestro director Yasuzō Masumura (Giants and Toys, Irezumi) conjuring up a hallucinogenic dreamworld in which sensual and creative urges combine with a feverish intensity. Bonus Materials High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio Optional English subtitles Brand new audio commentary by Asian cinema scholar Earl Jackson Newly filmed introduction by Japanese cinema expert Tony Rayns Blind Beast: Masumura the Supersensualist, a brand new visual essay by Japanese literature and visual studies scholar Seth Jacobowitz Original Trailer Image Gallery Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Virginie Sélavy

Dune (Limited Edition)

A World Beyond Your Dreams. A Film Beyond Your Imagination. David Lynch’s Masterpiece Fully Restored in 4K.

• List Price: $59.95    

Following a notorious aborted attempt by Alejandro Jodorowsky in the 1970s, Frank Herbert’s bestselling sci-fi epic Dune finally made it to the big screen as the third film by emerging surrealist wunderkind David Lynch, featuring an all-star cast that includes several of Lynch’s regular collaborators. The year is 10,191, and four planets are embroiled in a secret plot to wrest control of the Spice Melange, the most precious substance in the universe and found only on the planet Arrakis. A feud between two powerful dynasties, House Atreides and House Harkonnen, is manipulated from afar by ruling powers that conspire to keep their grip on the spice. As the two families clash on Arrakis, Duke Atreides’ son Paul (Kyle MacLachlan, in his screen debut) finds himself at the center of an intergalactic war and an ancient prophecy that could change the galaxy forever. Though its initial reception ensured that Lynch largely eschewed mainstream filmmaking for the rest of his career, Dune has since been rightly re-evaluated as one of the most startlingly original and visionary science fiction films of the 1980s. Its astonishing production design and visual effects can now be appreciated anew in this spellbinding 4K restoration, accompanied by hours of comprehensive bonus features.

Bonus Materials

• 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative
• 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by Andrew Nette, Christian McCrea and Charlie Brigden
• Large fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dániel Taylor
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dániel Taylor
• DISC ONE – FEATURE & EXTRAS (4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY)
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original uncompressed stereo audio and DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by film historian Paul M. Sammon
• Brand new audio commentary by Mike White of The Projection Booth podcast
• Impressions of Dune, a 2003 documentary on the making of the film, featuring interviews with star Kyle MacLachlan, producer Raffaella de Laurentiis, cinematographer Freddie Francis, editor Antony Gibbs and many others
• Designing Dune, a 2005 featurette looking back at the work of production designer Anthony Masters
• Dune FX, a 2005 featurette exploring the special effects in the film
• Dune Models & Miniatures, a 2005 featurette focusing on the model effects in the film
• Dune Costumes, a 2005 featurette looking at the elaborate costume designs seen in the film
• Eleven deleted scenes from the film, with a 2005 introduction by Raffaella de Laurentiis
• Destination Dune, a 1983 featurette originally produced to promote the film at conventions and publicity events
• Theatrical trailers and TV spots
• Extensive image galleries, including hundreds of still photos
• DISC TWO – BONUS DISC (BLU-RAY)
• Beyond Imagination: Merchandising Dune, a brand new featurette exploring the merchandise created to promote the film, featuring toy collector/producer Brian Sillman (The Toys That Made Us)
• Prophecy Fulfilled: Scoring Dune, a brand new featurette on the film’s music score, featuring interviews with Toto guitarist Steve Lukather, Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, and film music historian Tim Greiving
• Brand new interview with make-up effects artist Giannetto de Rossi, filmed in 2020
• Archive interview with production coordinator Golda Offenheim, filmed in 2003
• Archive interview with star Paul Smith, filmed in 2008
• Archive interview with make-up effects artist Christopher Tucker
• *** EXTRAS STILL IN PRODUCTION AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE ***

The Brotherhood Of Satan

The Prince Of Darkness Arises From The Bowels Of The Earth!

• List Price: $39.95   

A small rural town and a family of outsiders, both trapped in the demonic grip of… The Brotherhood of Satan! Recently widowed Ben, his glamourous girlfriend Nicky and his small daughter K.T. are on a road trip across the Southwest, which comes to a screeching halt when they witness an accident. Heading to the nearby isolated desert town of Hillsboro to report it to the Sheriff (played by Jones), they are met with a hostile reaction from the locals, who are gripped by paranoia and fear due to a series of gruesome deaths, as well as the mysterious disappearance of eleven of the community’s children. As the bodies continue to pile up around them, Ben and his family find themselves joining the sheriff, a local priest and the town’s enigmatic physician Doc Duncan (Strother Martin, Cool Hand Luke) in the midst of a mystery that points towards a deadly satanic cult… Produced by Alvy Moore and L.Q. Jones, a veteran character actor best known for his work with Sam Peckinpah, The Brotherhood of Satan is an atmospheric and chilling tale of terror that provides a crucial missing link between Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Devil’s Rain (1975) in the cycle of turn-of-the-seventies shockers involving sinister devil-worshipping cults lurking within the dark shadows of modern-day America.

Bonus Materials

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed mono audio
• Optional English subtitles
• Brand new audio commentary by writers Kim Newman and Sean Hogan
• Satanic Panic: How the 1970s Conjured the Brotherhood of Satan, a brand new visual essay by David Flint
• The Children of Satan, exclusive new interview with actors Jonathan Erickson Eisley and Alyson Moore
• Original Trailers and TV and Radio Spots
• Image Gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Richard Wells
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Johnny Mains and Brad Stevens