February is the month of love with Valentine’s Day smack in the middle of it. What greater love can a Physical Media Lover experience than two movies coming to Blu-ray from Arrow Video. Fear Is the Key is getting revived. While the movie has plenty of stars, the biggest reason to watch the film is the work of stunt coordinator Carey Loftin. He’s the car sequence visionary behind Bullit, Vanishing Point and The French Connection. The Shaolin Plot also has an amazing stunt coordinator although in this case Sammo Hung is also one of the stars. The film has him on a quest to steal the books with all the moves for Shaolin and Wu Tang. The Blu-rays for Fear Is the Key and The Shaolin Plot come out the day before Valentine’s Day so cancel that dinner with your loved ones and prepare for a double feature of fast cars and flying fists.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New from Arrow Video US
Fear is the Key [Limited Edition]
2/13/24
The Shaolin Plot [Limited Edition]
2/13/24
via MVD Entertainment Group
| Arrow Video Celebrates Valentine’s Day with a Riveting Crime Thriller and an Action-Packed Martial Arts Masterpiece! |
| Arriving on February 13th is the unique action/crime thriller Fear is the Key, based on a novel by Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare), and featuring car-chase choreography by the legendary Carey Loftin (French Connection, Vanishing Point, Bullitt). The story offers surprising twists at every turn, including an assassination, an unexpected witness, a kidnapping, and an intricate conspiracy with millions of dollars at its center. Director Michael Tuchner brings MacLean’s complex international espionage bestseller to life. The film stars Barry Newman, Suzy Kendall, John Vernon, Dolph Sweet, and Sir Ben Kingsley in his feature film debut. The Blu-ray special features include a new audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger; a visual essay, featurettes and interviews; the theatrical trailer; a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh; a double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh; and an illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing by filmmaker and critic Sean Hogan. The Shaolin Plot kicks Valentine’s Day into high gear with a 2K restoration from the original film elements. The film stars Sammo Hung in his final collaboration with directing legend and mentor Huang Feng. With only the Shaolin and Wu-Tang missing from his collection of martial arts manuals, Prince Daglen (Chan Sing) concocts a plan to steal both with the aid of a vicious agent (Hung). But Daglen didn’t count on the heroics of the surviving Shaolin and Wu-Tang warriors (Casanova Wong, Kwan Yung Moon, and James Tien) to thwart his plot. Intrigue, double-crossing, and feats of heroism all culminate in one of the greatest action film finales ever. Filmmaker Huang Feng is one of the most influential martial arts filmmakers in the world and was instrumental in the careers of John Woo (Hardboiled, Face/Off) and Stanley Tong (Supercop, Rumble in the Bronx).The Blu-ray special features include a commentary by martial arts film experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth; commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema; alternate English credits; the original theatrical trailers; a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady; a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady; and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Peter Glagowski. |
Fear Is The Key: Limited Edition
John Talbot (Barry Newman) enacts an elaborate plan, including kidnapping an oil heiress, in a bid to bring his wife’s and child’s killer to justice.
From bestselling author Alistair MacLean (The Guns of Navarone, Where Eagles Dare) comes a pulse pounding, rip-roaring rampage of revenge starring Barry Newman, the king of existential cool who had previously put the pedal to the metal in Vanishing Point. Mysterious drifter John Talbot (Newman) arrives in a small Louisiana town, picks a fight with local police and gets arrested. In court it is revealed he’s wanted for a number of violent crimes, but nothing is quite what it seems. Staging a daring escape, Talbot abducts seemingly random spectator Sarah Ruthven (Suzy Kendall) and hits the road at high speed for a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns: a crashed airplane, a sleazy private investigator, criminal enforcers, and an oil millionaire. It’s a journey toward truth and vengeance and Talbot won’t hit the brakes until he gets there. Director Michael Tuchner (Villain) delivers a crackerjack crime-thriller packed with great performances (including Ben Kingsley in his first movie role), an unforgettable score by Roy Budd (Get Carter), and stunt sequences coordinated by the legendary Carey Loftin (Bullit, Vanishing Point, The French Connection). Fear Is the Key is a white-knuckle winner that demands to be seen!
Media
Bonus Materials
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original lossless mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- New audio commentary by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger
- A Different Kind of Spy Game, a new visual essay by film critic and author Scout Tafoya
- Fear in the Key of Budd, a new appreciation of composer Roy Budd and his score for Fear Is the Key by film and music historian Neil Brand
- Bayou to Bray, an archive featurette in which crew members look back on the making of the film
- Producing the Action, an archive interview with associate producer Gavrik Losey
- Theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh
- Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh
- Illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing by filmmaker and critic Sean Hogan
The Shaolin Plot: Limited Edition
Daglen uses his power to steal martial arts manuals to further his evil deeds but little Tiger along with students of Wu Tang try to stop him.
In 1977, fight choreographer Sammo Hung made one last film under his mentor, director Huang Feng (Lady Whirlwind, Hapkido) before graduating to the director’s chair himself with The Iron-Fisted Monk. That film was the rarely-seen martial arts ensemble thriller The Shaolin Plot, which sees the pair reunite with Hong Kong heavy Chan Sing (New Fist of Fury). Prince Daglen (Sing) is hellbent on completing his comprehensive collection of Chinese martial arts manuals and mastering each form against his opponents. With only two manuals left to obtain, he sends his most dangerous henchman, a renegade monk (Hung) armed with two golden cymbals acting as flying guillotines, to steal the manual of Wu-Tang. To steal the sacred texts of Shaolin, however, the wicked Daglen will have to infiltrate the temple himself. The stage is set for a clash between Daglen, his cronies and surviving Wu-Tang student Little Tiger (James Tien, The Big Boss), alongside a lethal duo of Shaolin warrior monks (Casanova Wong, Warriors Two and Kwan Yung Moon, My Young Auntie). Based on a story by legendary storyteller Ni Kuang (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin), The Shaolin Plot is a classic tale of martial arts intrigue and deception, combining the incoming new wave of action with the old, resulting in one of the most overlooked and underrated kung fu classics from one of the most prolific Hong Kong film studios of all time!
Media
Bonus Materials
- 2K restoration from the original film elements by Fortune Star
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original lossless Mandarin and English mono options
- Optional English subtitles
- Commentary by martial arts film experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
- Commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema
- Alternate English credits
- Original theatrical trailers
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Peter Glagowski
