Arrow Video has announced its August batch of Blu-ray releases. Amongst them are
Flash Gordon,
Pitch Black, and
The Comic.
Flash Gordon
Synopsis: Super producer Dino De Laurentiis (Dune, Barbarella) brought Alex Raymond's beloved cartoon strip and the long running movie serial to the big screen with celebrated director Mike Hodges (Get Carter, Black Rainbow) at the helm, in a delirious space opera, where Flash is King of the Impossible!
Merciless Emperor Ming (Max von Sydow) decides to wreak havoc on Earth in a moment of cruel boredom. Boarding a rocket as a means of escape, star quarterback Flash Gordon (Sam J. Jones), Dale Arden (Melody Anderson) and Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) find themselves on Mongo. Taken prisoner Flash must save Dale from becoming Ming's concubine, avoid the amorous intentions of Ming's wicked daughter Aura (Ornella Muti) and unite the warring Kingdoms of Mongo.
With endlessly repeatable dialogue, inimitable camp style, the sonic stylings of Queen and a delightful band of characters and actors playing them it's no wonder Flash Gordon has become one of the most beloved sci-fi spectacles of its era with directors such as Edgar Wright, Taika Waititi and Seth MacFarlane paying tribute to it in their work.
CONTENT AND SPECIAL FEATURES
- Brand new 4K restoration by Studiocanal from the original camera negative approved by director Mike Hodges
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Optional 5.1 and 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master audio
- Booklet featuring new writing on the film by critics and film historians including Neil Snowdon, Dennis Cozzalio, John-Paul Checkett, A.K. Benedict, and Kat Ellinger illustrated with original stills
- Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork
- Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions, alternative posters and promotional images
- Limited Edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
DISC ONE FLASH GORDON & SPECIAL FEATURES (4K BLU-RAY)
- Archival audio commentary with Mike Hodges
- Archival audio commentary with Brian Blessed
- Interviews with actors Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Brian Blessed, Queen icon Brian May, composer Howard Blake, and poster designer Renato Casaro
- Behind the Scenes of Flash Gordon an archival documentary on the making of the film
- Archival interviews with Mike Hodges, screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., comic book artist Alex Ross
- Lost in Space: Nic Roeg's Flash Gordon a new documentary program exploring the version Roeg (The Man Who Fell to Earth) had originally planned to make with producer Dino De Laurentiis
- Gremlin's Finest Hour an episode from the animated Flash Gordon TV show written by J. Michael Reaves from November 1982
- Deleted scenes and original endings prop collector Bob Lindenmayer discusses dropped sequences and sequel ideas
- 35th Anniversary Greenroom featurette Mike Hodges meets the cast for the first time since filming at the 35th anniversary reunion
- 35th Anniversary Reunion featurette the cast and crew discuss Flash Gordon
- Entertainment Earth on Flash Gordon merchandise
- Storyboards gallery
- Stills gallery
- Original Trailer
- Easter Eggs
DISC TWO LIFE AFTER FLASH & SPECIAL FEATURES [LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE] (BLU-RAY)
- 2017 feature length documentary by filmmaker Lisa Downs on the rollercoaster life of Sam J. Jones since his role in Flash Gordon, featuring the main cast and crew as well as a host of fans including Stan Lee, Robert Rodriguez, Mark Millar and more!
- Sam J. Jones a variety of interviews and featurettes including coverage of a script read from the Chattanooga Film Festival, Sam discussing his career in Mexico, his "prayer walk", and more
- Melody Paintings Extended actress Melody Anderson talks about her love of painting and talks about various pieces displayed in her home
- Topol a variety of interviews with the actor on his collections, awards and charity work
- Brian Blessed the actor recounts amusing stories about Flash Gordon
- Late, Great Wyngarde actor Peter Wyngarde discusses his experiences filming Flash Gordon and his relationship with Mike Hodges
- Deep Roy the actor raps about ambition and recounts an amusing story about Eastbound & Down
- Alex Ross Talks Early Art the artist talks about Flash Gordon and the many pieces of art he created for it from childhood to modern day
- Tell Me More About the This Man Houdini actor Rich Fuller and Jason Lenzi, founder of toy brand Bif Bang Pow, discuss a scene from Flash Gordon
- Comic Con early draft A featurette looking at the phenomenon that is Comic Con, featuring interviews with attendees and a host of regular talent including Sam J. Jones, Rich Fulton, Jason Mewes, Michael Rooker, Claudia Wells, and more
- Interview with Lisa Downs the director of Life After Flash explores her motivation to make the film and experiences during the production
- Life After Flash on the Road a variety of featurettes on the film travelling to various festivals and production including Q&A excerpts with the Flash Gordon cast, behind-the-scenes footage, Kickstarter funding video
- Trailer
U.S. STREET DATE: AUGUST 18.
Flash Gordon 4K Blu-ray Standard Edition
- Brand new 4K restoration by Studiocanal from the original camera negative approved by director Mike Hodges
- 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Optional 5.1 and 2.0 stereo DTS-HD Master audio
- Archival audio commentary with Mike Hodges
- Archival audio commentary with Brian Blessed
- Interviews with actors Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Brian Blessed, Queen icon Brian May, composer Howard Blake, and poster designer Renato Casaro
- Behind the Scenes of Flash Gordon an archival documentary on the making of the film
- Archival interviews with Mike Hodges, screenwriter Lorenzo Semple Jr., comic book artist Alex Ross
- Lost in Space: Nic Roeg's Flash Gordon a new documentary program exploring the version Roeg (The Man Who Fell to Earth) had originally planned to make with producer Dino De Laurentiis
- Gremlin's Finest Hour an episode from the animated Flash Gordon TV show written by J. Michael Reaves from November 1982
- Deleted scenes and original endings prop collector Bob Lindenmayer discusses dropped sequences and sequel ideas
- 35th Anniversary Greenroom featurette Mike Hodges meets the cast for the first time since filming at the 35th anniversary reunion
- 35th Anniversary Reunion featurette the cast and crew discuss Flash Gordon
- Entertainment Earth on Flash Gordon merchandise
- Storyboards gallery
- Stills gallery
- Original Trailer
- Easter Eggs
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
U.S. STREET DATE: AUGUST 18.
The Comic
Synopsis: Stand-up comedy can be a cut-throat business, but in Sam Coex's world, it's downright murder
From the annals of bizarre cinema comes perhaps the most bizarre one of them all 1985's The Comic!
In a dystopian police state reality of indeterminate time and place, orange bouffant-haired comedian Sam Coex is eager for his big break. Realizing that desperate times call for even more desperate measures, he slits the throat of his rival Joey Myers, leaving the way clear for him to carve his own niche on the comedy circuit. But success can be a fickle and fleeting mistress, and Sam soon finds his career on a downward turn when he falls foul of the powers that be.
Filled with more dry ice and lighting gels than an '80s stadium rock concert, The Comic is a barmy, baffling and beguiling cinematic oddity shot on 35mm film in an alternate dimension. If you ever wanted to know the answer to the eternal conundrum "How does Pinocchio make love?" then this is the one for you!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new introduction with actor Steve Munroe
- Newly-filmed interview with actor Steve Munroe
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil
- First pressing only: Collector's booklet featuring additional cast/crew interviews
STREET DATE: AUGUST 25.
Pitch Black 4K Blu-ray
Synopsis: A sci-fi/horror sleeper hit that birthed a franchise and launched the career of a new action movie icon, Pitch Black holds its own today as a nerve-shredding creature-feature in which the monsters outside finally meet their match against a monster within.
When an intergalactic transport ship crashes on a remote desert planet with no sign of help on the horizon, the survivors, led by Fry (Radha Mitchell), band together to find a way back home. Among the passengers is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted murderer being transported by marshal Johns (Cole Hauser) and now freed of his chains and on the loose. But as a solar eclipse plunges the planet into total darkness, a threat even worse than Riddick reveals itself, and the last humans standing may have to form an uneasy truce with the cunning fugitive (whose eyes have been surgically altered to see in the dark) to last the long night.
Boasting crackerjack direction and a whip-smart script by David Twohy, as well as a star-making performance by Diesel, Riddick's first outing is freshly unleashed in an illuminating, brand new 4K restoration, with hours of exclusive bonus content.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director's Cuts of the film, approved by director David Twohy
- 4K (2160p) 4K Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
- Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround on both cuts
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
- Archive commentary with director David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser
- Archive commentary with director David Twohy, producer Tom Engelman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang
- Nightfall: The Making of Pitch Black, a newly filmed interview with director/co-writer David Twohy
- Black Box: Jackie's Journey, a newly filmed interview with actor Rhiana Griffith
- Black Box: Shazza's Last Stand, a newly filmed interview with actor Claudia Black
- Black Box: Bleach Bypassed, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer David Eggby
- Black Box: Cryo-Locked, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang
- Black Box: Primal Sounds, a newly filmed interview with composer Graeme Revell
- The Making of Pitch Black, a short behind-the-scenes featurette
- Pitch Black Raw, a comparison between early CG tests and the final footage
- Additional behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film
- 2004 archive bonus features, including an introduction by Twohy, A View Into The Dark, and Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia
- Johns' Chase Log, a short prequel narrated by Cole Hauser detailing the character's hunt for Riddick
- The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (in 16:9 widescreen with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio), an animated short film directed by Peter Chung that acts as a bridgepoint between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, featuring vocal performances by Vin Diesel, Keith David and Rhiana Griffith reprising their roles
- Dark Fury bonus features including Bridging The Gap, Peter Chung: The Mind of an Animator, A View Into The Light, and a "pre-animation" version of the film
- Slam City, a motion comic from the film's official website
- Into Pitch Black, a TV special offering an alternative non-canon glimpse into what happened before and after the events of the film
- Raveworld: Pitch Black Event, footage of a dance music event held to promote the film
- Theatrical trailers, plus trailers for the two sequels and video game
- Image galleries
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned "night" and "day" artwork by Luke Preece
- First pressing only: Collectors' booklet featuring new writing by Simon Ward on the film's creature designs (including a new interview with creature designer Patrick Tatopolous), original production notes and information from the film's official website, and an archive interview with Vin Diesel from Starlog magazine; plus collectable O-card with "night" variant artwork by Luke Preece
U.S. STREET DATE: AUGUST 18.
UK STREET DATE: AUGUST 17.
Black Test Car + The Black Report
Synopsis: Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast) helms a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry in his 1962 landmark Black Test Car, which launched a series of similarly themed "Black" films.
In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest "Pioneer" car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, The Last Emperor) heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato's spy, and find out what they can about the competitor's familiar-looking new model.
Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Black Test Car is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up The Black Report, also directed by Masumura.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio on both films
- Optional newly translated English subtitles on both films
- Newly recorded critical appreciation by Jonathan Rosenbaum
- Theatrical trailers for both films
- Image galleries for both films
- Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
- First pressing only: Illustrated collector's booklet with new writing on the films by Mark Downing Roberts
U.S. STREET DATE: AUGUST 25.
UK STREET DATE: AUGUST 24.
Gamera: The Complete Collection
Synopsis: The original hero in a half-shell returns! For the first time ever worldwide, all twelve tales of the adventures of everyone's favourite titanic terrapin are collected together in one deluxe Blu-ray boxset. This limited edition collectors' set traces the decades-long evolution of Gamera, from the "friend of all children" in his more light-hearted earlier films, to the Guardian of the Universe in the groundbreaking 1990s reboot series, often hailed as three of the best kaiju films ever made.
CONTENT AND TECHNICAL SPECS:
- Limited collectors' edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, fully illustrated by Matt Frank
- All twelve uncut original Japanese versions of the films in high definition, with lossless Japanese and English audio
- 4K restorations of the critically acclaimed Heisei trilogy (Gamera the Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris)
- Hours of new and archive bonus features, expert commentaries (including August Ragone, David Kalat, and Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski), interviews with cast and crew, and the worldwide Blu-ray premiere of Gammera The Invincible (the American theatrical version of the first film)
- Hardback 120-page comic book including a full-color reprint of the four-issue Gamera comic series originally released by Dark Horse Comics in 1996, and the first-ever English-language printing of the prequel comic "The Last Hope" by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh
- Perfect-bound 80-page book including a new retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias, kaiju X-ray
U.S. STREET DATE: JULY 28.
UK STREET DATE: JULY 27.