As Summer cools into Fall, September is looking dangerous thanks to four releases from Arrow Video. First up is the remake of Friday The 13th in 4K UHD. You’ll see all the slashing at Camp Crystal Lake in higher resolution. The boxset has the theatrical release along with a longer killer cut. This is the right way to celebrate the 15th anniversary of 13th. Also getting a 4K UHD upgrade is Sergio Martino’s Torso. While this is considered a Giallo by many, the tale of an unknown killer stalking college girls can also be considered a trailblazer in slasher films such as the original Friday the 13th. The Chronicles of Riddick gets a 20th anniversary 4K UHD. The sequel to Pitch Black shows us more of Riddick’s futuristic world. The boxset contains both the director’s cut and the theatrical version. Kinji Fukasaku was one of the great directors of gangster films and we’re getting more of his work with The Threat. A family’s charming life is thrown into a nightmare when two prison escapees drop by for a visit. Even though it’s getting chill at night, you might want to keep the windows locked when watching these four home video releases. Here’s the press release from Arrow Video:

New from Arrow Video US

 Friday the 13th

[Limited Edition]

[4K UHD]

9/17/24

Torso

[Limited Edition]

[4K UHD]

9/17/24

Chronicles of Riddick

[Limited Edition]

[4K UHD]

[Blu-ray]

9/17/24

The Threat 

[Limited Edition]

[Blu-ray]

9/24/24

via MVD Entertainment Group

Friday The 13th (2009) [Limited Edition] A group of young adults visit a boarded up campsite named Crystal Lake and encounter the deadly Jason Voorhees in this remake of the horror classic! In 2003, director Marcus Nispel made a lasting impression on horror fans with his box-office-topping remake The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Six years later, he turned his camera to another slasher icon, none other than the hulking masked killer Jason Voorhees, in his gore-soaked remake of Friday the 13th. A group of oblivious teenagers choose Camp Crystal Lake as the destination for a weekend getaway. Among them, the young Clay Miller (Jared Padalecki, Supernatural) is not looking for fun and frolics, but for his sister Whitney who disappeared around the lake six weeks earlier. The trip turns into a waking nightmare as the bloodthirsty Jason emerges from the shadows, wielding a deadly machete and out for blood. Cut off from civilization, these youths discover too late that Crystal Lake bears the scars of a violent past as they uncover the terrifying events that spurred the masked killer’s quest for violent vengeance. Nispel’s taut direction and the stunning cinematography by Daniel Pearl – whose credits include the original Texas Chain Saw Massacre as well as the remake – bring a fresh and terrifying new perspective to the infamous hockey-masked maniac, sure to bring chills and thrills to even hardened horror veterans! Bonus Materials 4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS Two cuts of the film, the Theatrical Cut (97 mins) and the extended Killer Cut (105 mins) Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin Limited edition Greetings from Crystal Lake Postcard Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Matt Konopka and Alexandra West Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin DISC ONE: THEATRICAL CUT 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary by director Marcus Nispel Brand new audio commentary by writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon Brand new interview with director Marcus Nispel Brand new interview with writers Mark Swift and Damian Shannon Brand new interview with cinematographer Daniel Pearl A Killer New Beginning, an exclusive video essay about why horror fans shouldn’t fear remakes, what 2009’s Friday the 13th remake gets right, and why the film serves as a perfect template for future franchise remakes by film critic Matt Donato Excerpts from the Terror Trivia Track The Rebirth of Jason Voorhees archival featurette Hacking Back / Slashing Forward archival featurette The 7 Best Kills archival featurette Deleted scenes Original teaser, trailer and TV spots Electronic press kit Image gallery DISC TWO: KILLER CUT 4K (2160p) Ultra HD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Killer Cut Original 5.1 DTSHD Master Audio sound Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing Brand new audio commentary by film critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson

Director Sergio Martino’s suspenseful and brutal giallo, Torso, arrives on Sept 17th in a 4K UHD Limited Edition, featuring a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative from Arrow Films. 

Torso [Limited Edition]

A hooded killer with a hacksaw stalks college coeds in this Giallo from director Sergio Martino (Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key).

A talented and versatile journeyman, director Sergio Martino (The Case of the Scorpion’s Tail, Your Vice is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key) lent his talents to multiple genres across his long and varied career, but is undoubtedly best known for his giallo thrillers from the early 70s. Among the most highly acclaimed of these, 1973’s Torso revels in the genre’s time-honored traditions while simultaneously laying the groundwork for the modern slasher movie.

A sex maniac is prowling the streets of Perugia, targeting the picturesque university town’s female students. Alarmed at the plummeting life expectancy of the student body, Jane (Suzy Kendall, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage) and her three friends elope to a secluded country villa – only to discover that, far from having left the terror behind, they’ve brought it with them!

Also known as Carnal Violence, Torso was released in Italy towards the end of the giallo boom before enjoying a second life on the American grindhouse circuit. Co-starring Tina Aumont (Salon Kitty) and Luc Merenda (The Violent Professionals), the film finds its director at the top of his game, delivering copious levels of violence, sleaze, and one of the tensest cat-and-mouse games ever committed to celluloid!

Bonus Materials

• Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original camera negative
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray™ presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the 94-minute Italian and 90-minute English-language export versions of the film
• Restored original lossless Italian and English mono soundtracks*
• Original Italian and English front and end titles and insert shots
• Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Audio commentary by Kat Ellinger, author of All the Colours of Sergio Martino
• All the Colors of Terror – interview with co-writer/director Sergio Martino
• The Discreet Charm of the Genre – interview with actor Luc Merenda
• Dial S for Suspense – interview with co-writer Ernesto Gastaldi
• Women in Blood – interview with filmmaker Federica Martino, daughter of Sergio Martino
• Saturating the Screen – interview with Mikel J. Koven, author of La Dolce Morte: Vernacular Cinema and the Italian Giallo Film
• 2017 Abertoir International Horror Festival Q&A with Sergio Martino
• Alternate opening and closing credits from the US release
• Italian and English theatrical trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Adrian Smith and Howard Hughes
• * The English audio track on the original, longer cut has some portions of English audio missing. English audio for these sections was either never recorded or has been lost. These are presented with Italian audio, subtitled in English.

On September 17th, the sci-fi action film Chronicles of Riddick gets a brand new upgrade in the form of a 3-disc 4K UHD and Blu-ray Limited Edition, featuring fresh 4K restorations of the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts of the film, approved by director David Twohy.

The Chronicles Of Riddick [Limited Edition]

In the sequel to the smash hit “Pitch Black” galactic criminal Riddick (Vin Diesel) attempts to elude capture and face an invading empire.

Following the sleeper success of their breakthrough sci-fi/horror smash Pitch Black, writer-director David Twohy and star Vin Diesel reunited for 2004’s action-packed The Chronicles of Riddick, an expansive and ambitious sequel that took their eponymous antihero to the farthest reaches of the galaxy.

Riddick (Diesel) is an intergalactic fugitive whose dark past catches up with him when he is lured out of hiding by Imam (Keith David, The Thing), another survivor of the planet of horrors they barely escaped from five years earlier. Now out of the shadows, Riddick is identified by an ethereal emissary (Academy Award winner Dame Judi Dench) as the descendant of an ancient race of warriors who may be the universe’s last hope against the Necromongers, an evil army of fanatics intent on bending the world to their will. As enemies close in on all sides, including the ruthless Lord Marshal (Colm Feore, Thor) and his scheming lieutenant Vaako (Karl Urban, The Boys), Riddick finds himself a reluctant saviour of the cosmos, with only his razor-sharp wits and cunning killer instinct standing in the way of total annihilation.

At long last, Twohy and Diesel’s hard-hitting outer-space epic has been restored in glorious 4K, with hours of incisive bonus features exploring every detail of this densely-constructed and masterfully-executed mythology.

Bonus Materials

• 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• Brand new 4K restorations by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts of the film, approved by David Twohy
• Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio on both cuts, plus remixed Dolby Atmos for the Theatrical Cut
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
• Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Dan Mumford
• Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Walter Chaw, original production notes and the ‘Chronicles Compendium’, an overview of the characters and planets featured in the film
• DISC ONE
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut from the original negative
• Ambition on Another Scale: Chronicling a Blockbuster Sequel, a brand-new feature-length documentary on the film, featuring interviews with writer-director David Twohy, actors Keith David and Linus Roache, storyboard artist Brian Murray, and many others
• Realizing Riddick, a new interview with Twohy on the creation of the character
• Back to Black, a new interview with Murray on his continuing work within the Riddick saga
• Chronicles of a Cult Film Celebrity, a new interview with David on the role of Imam
• Theatrical trailers
• DISC TWO
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Director’s Cut
• Archive audio commentary by David Twohy and Vin Diesel
• Archive audio commentary by Twohy and co-stars Karl Urban and Alexa Davelos
• Archive introduction by Twohy
• Creation of New Mecca, an archive featurette focusing on the world and characters of Helion Prime
• Riddick Rises, an archive featurette focusing on the prison planet of Crematoria
• Keep What You Kill, an archive featurette focusing on the world of the Necromongers
• Visual Effects Revealed, an archive featurette focusing on the VFX
• Interactive Production Calendar, a series of short, candid videos filmed throughout shooting
• Production Vignettes, a series of short behind-the-scenes segments
• Three deleted scenes
• Virtual Guide to the Chronicles of Riddick, a series of short animated segments explaining the world of the film
• Toombs’ Chase Log, a short film narrated by Nick Chinlund in character
• A guided tour of the set by Vin Diesel, along with 360-degree panoramic views of eight sets from the film
• On-set interviews with Twohy, Diesel, Dench, Urban, Colm Feore, Alexa Davelos, Thandiwe Newton and producer Scott Kroopf
• Promotional interviews with Twohy, Diesel, Newton, Urban, Davelos and Feore
• Easter egg
• DISC THREE (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) of the Theatrical Cut in the alternate 1.78:1 aspect ratio
• Escape from Butcher Bay, a compilation of cutscenes from the acclaimed tie-in video game
• The Lowdown, a television special produced to promote the film’s original release

On September 24th, Battle Royale director Kinji Fukasaku’s classic thriller The Threat makes its U.S. debut in a Blu-ray Limited Edition.  

The Threat [Limited Edition]

A just married ordinary man and his family are held hostage by three thugs who force him to do something dangerous for them in this classic thriller.

The Threat is a gritty crime drama in the vein of Kurosawa’s High and Low, set against the backdrop of a rapidly modernizing Japan that has left many of its citizens behind.

Misawa (Rentarō Mikuni; Fugitive from the Past, Vengeance is Mine) appears to lead a charmed life, the very model of Japan’s post-war economic miracle. His position as the account manager of a prestigious advertising agency is enough to pay the mortgage on the spacious modern house he shares with his wife (Masumi Harukawa, Intentions of Murder) and their two young boys, kitted out with all the latest mod-cons. Then one day, the fragility of his existence is revealed when two violent jail-breakers turn up on his doorstep seeking refuge and threatening to embroil Misawa in their criminal activities.

Arrow Video presents this little-seen early masterpiece from Kinji Fukasaku, the future director of Battles without Honor and Humanity and Battle Royale, for the very first time outside of its own country in a stunning new transfer.

Bonus Materials

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original uncompressed mono audio
• Optional newly translated English subtitles
• Brand new audio commentary by Japanese film expert Tom Mes
• Warning Warning Danger Danger, a brand new 20-minute video appreciation by critic and Japanese film specialist Mark Schilling
• Original theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Hayley Scanlon
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella