Arrow Video Announces May Releases
HomeArrow Video Announces May Releases
Posted February 24, 2023 07:00 PM by Webmaster
Arrow Video has announced its May batch of Blu-ray releases. They are: Blackhat (2015), The Last Starfighter (1984), Hand of Death (1976), The Beta Test (2021), and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
Blackhat 4K Blu-ray
Description: Michael Mann (Thief, Collateral), the acclaimed auteur celebrated for his action panache and commitment to cinematic realism, turns his hand to depicting the high-stakes world of global cybercrime in Blackhat, a contemporary, ripped-from-the-headlines twist on the espionage thriller.
Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers, Extraction) stars as Nick Hathaway, a gifted hacker currently serving a lengthy prison sentence. When a Hong Kong nuclear plant goes into meltdown after its security is penetrated, Chinese army cybersecurity captain Chen Dawai (Leehom Wang, Lust, Caution) offers his old college roommate a deal: help identify and apprehend the culprit in exchange for his own freedom. What follows is a frenetic, globe-trotting race against time to avert disaster, fraught with hidden agendas and ever-shifting loyalties.
Praised for its unusually accurate portrayal of cybersecurity, Blackhat boasts an impressive international cast, including Tang Wei (Decision to Leave), Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Yorick van Wageningen (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and showcases one of cinema's finest filmmakers bringing the skills he honed during a long and storied career to bear on a distinctly 21st-century phenomenon.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
UK STREET DATE: MAY 29.
Blackhat
Special Features and Technical Specs:
UK STREET DATE: MAY 29.
Hand of Death
Description: When Golden Harvest first released Hand of Death in 1976, no-one paid much attention to the names of writer/director Wu Yu-sheng, third-billed actor Chen Yuen-lung or fight choreographer Hung Chin-pao in the opening credits. Within a decade, however, each of those men had changed the course of Hong Kong action filmmaking forever, under the names they are best known under to this day: John Woo, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
After a traitor of the Shaolin temple, Shih Shao-Feng (James Tien, The Big Boss), has eliminated thousands of his former colleagues in exchange for power from the Manchus under the Qing dynasty, a surviving master of Shaolin, Yun Fei (Tan Tao-Liang), is tasked with the mission of bringing Shih to justice. In order to defeat Shih's overwhelmingly large army - led by the ruthless Tu Qing (Sammo Hung) - Yun Fei will need to team up with a skilled blacksmith (Jackie Chan) and a reluctant swordsman to beat the odds and avenge his fallen brothers.
With early signs of John Woo's affinity for brotherly bonding amidst heroic bloodshed, and featuring one of Jackie Chan's earliest speaking roles after proving his mettle as a stuntman, Hand of Death is an old school hard-hitting kung fu gem (with a dash of wuxia) that any fan of classic Hong Kong cinema needs in their collection!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
The Last Starfighter 4K Blu-ray
Special Features and Technical Specs:
The Beta Test
Description: Eyes Wide Shut meets Office Space, The Player and Black Mirror in The Beta Test, the acclaimed thriller from Jim Cummings, creator of Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow.
A ruthless, manipulative, and soon-to-be married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter inviting him to an anonymous sexual encounter. After some uncertainty he accepts, but euphoria turns to paranoia as he becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lies, infidelity and murder.
Strikingly shot and with pitch-perfect performances that will make you squirm in your seat, The Beta Test is a stylish, scathing satire of preening toxic masculinity, the dangers of technology, and the hollowness of Hollywood success.
Two-Disc Special Features and Technical Specs:
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray
Description: Considered unfilmable for decades, Hunter S. Thompson's literary landmark of psychedelic excess finally met its cinematic match in anarchic visionary director Terry Gilliam (Twelve Monkeys) and two no-holds-barred star performances by Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.
Raoul Duke (Depp) and his volatile Samoan attorney Dr. Gonzo (del Toro) are en route to Las Vegas, ostensibly on a banal journalistic assignment, but the suitcase full of psychoactive narcotics in their possession tells another story. Beset by bats, horny lizards and runaway hotel carpet upon their arrival, the pair plunge deeper into the pharmaceutically enhanced neon underbelly of the City of Sin on a chemically charged savage journey to the heart of the American Dream.
Flashback to Gilliam and Thompson's trip of a lifetime with this 4K restoration, accompanied by an outstanding selection of bonus material delving into the history of the film and the original book.
Two-Disc Special Features and Technical Specs:
Blackhat 4K Blu-ray
Description: Michael Mann (Thief, Collateral), the acclaimed auteur celebrated for his action panache and commitment to cinematic realism, turns his hand to depicting the high-stakes world of global cybercrime in Blackhat, a contemporary, ripped-from-the-headlines twist on the espionage thriller.
Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers, Extraction) stars as Nick Hathaway, a gifted hacker currently serving a lengthy prison sentence. When a Hong Kong nuclear plant goes into meltdown after its security is penetrated, Chinese army cybersecurity captain Chen Dawai (Leehom Wang, Lust, Caution) offers his old college roommate a deal: help identify and apprehend the culprit in exchange for his own freedom. What follows is a frenetic, globe-trotting race against time to avert disaster, fraught with hidden agendas and ever-shifting loyalties.
Praised for its unusually accurate portrayal of cybersecurity, Blackhat boasts an impressive international cast, including Tang Wei (Decision to Leave), Viola Davis (The Woman King) and Yorick van Wageningen (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and showcases one of cinema's finest filmmakers bringing the skills he honed during a long and storied career to bear on a distinctly 21st-century phenomenon.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- High Definition presentations of both the US and international versions of the film
- Original lossless 5.1 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
- Firewall - brand new video interview with cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh
- Zero Day Threat - brand new video interview with production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas
- The Cyber Threat, On Location Around the World and Creating Reality - three archival behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of the film
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Andrew Graves
- Limited Edition slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
UK STREET DATE: MAY 29.
Blackhat
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- High Definition presentations of both the US and international versions of the film
- Original lossless 5.1 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
- Firewall - brand new video interview with cinematographer Stuart Dryburgh
- Zero Day Threat - brand new video interview with production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas
- The Cyber Threat, On Location Around the World and Creating Reality - three archival behind-the-scenes featurettes on the making of the film
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Andrew Graves
- Limited Edition slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Doug John Miller
UK STREET DATE: MAY 29.
Hand of Death
Description: When Golden Harvest first released Hand of Death in 1976, no-one paid much attention to the names of writer/director Wu Yu-sheng, third-billed actor Chen Yuen-lung or fight choreographer Hung Chin-pao in the opening credits. Within a decade, however, each of those men had changed the course of Hong Kong action filmmaking forever, under the names they are best known under to this day: John Woo, Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.
After a traitor of the Shaolin temple, Shih Shao-Feng (James Tien, The Big Boss), has eliminated thousands of his former colleagues in exchange for power from the Manchus under the Qing dynasty, a surviving master of Shaolin, Yun Fei (Tan Tao-Liang), is tasked with the mission of bringing Shih to justice. In order to defeat Shih's overwhelmingly large army - led by the ruthless Tu Qing (Sammo Hung) - Yun Fei will need to team up with a skilled blacksmith (Jackie Chan) and a reluctant swordsman to beat the odds and avenge his fallen brothers.
With early signs of John Woo's affinity for brotherly bonding amidst heroic bloodshed, and featuring one of Jackie Chan's earliest speaking roles after proving his mettle as a stuntman, Hand of Death is an old school hard-hitting kung fu gem (with a dash of wuxia) that any fan of classic Hong Kong cinema needs in their collection!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- 2K RESTORATION from original film elements by Fortune Star
- Original lossless Mandarin and English mono, plus Cantonese stereo and 5.1 remixes in Mandarin and English
- Optional English subtitles
- Brand new feature commentary by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth
- From Hong Kong to Hollywood, an archive featurette on John Woo's early career, including interviews with Woo, Chow Yun-fat and Peter Lau
- Never-before-seen archive interview with star Tan Tao-Liang, filmed by his former student Michael Worth
- Archive interview with co-star Sammo Hung
- Alternate credits sequence, as Countdown to Kung Fu
- Trailer gallery
- Image gallery
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
- Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing by film programmer William Blaik
- Limited Edition slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
The Last Starfighter 4K Blu-ray
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 4K RESTORATION by Arrow Films from the original camera negative
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Uncompressed 2.0 stereo, 5.1 DTS-HD MA and 4.1 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with star Lance Guest and his son Jackson Guest
- Audio commentary with Mike White of The Projection Booth podcast
- Archival audio commentary with director Nick Castle and production designer Ron Cobb
- Maggie's Memories: Revisiting The Last Starfighter - interview with actor Catherine Mary Stewart
- Into the Starscape: Composing The Last Starfighter - interview with composer Craig Safan
- Incredible Odds: Writing The Last Starfighter - interview with screenwriter Jonathan Betuel
- Interstellar Hit-Beast: Creating the Special Effects - interview with special effects supervisor Kevin Pike
- Excalibur Test: Inside Digital Productions - interview with sci-fi author Greg Bear on Digital Productions, the company responsible for the CGI in The Last Starfighter
- Greetings Starfighter! Inside the Arcade Game - an interview with arcade game collector Estil Vance on reconstructing the Starfighter game
- Heroes of the Screen - archival featurette
- Crossing the Frontier: The Making of The Last Starfighter - archival 4-part documentary
- Image galleries
- Theatrical and teaser trailers
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Ferguson
- Collector's booklet featuring writing by Amanda Reyes and sci-fi author Greg Bear's Omni magazine article on Digital Productions, the company responsible for the CGI in The Last Starfighter
- Limited Edition slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Matt Ferguson
The Beta Test
Description: Eyes Wide Shut meets Office Space, The Player and Black Mirror in The Beta Test, the acclaimed thriller from Jim Cummings, creator of Thunder Road and The Wolf of Snow Hollow.
A ruthless, manipulative, and soon-to-be married Hollywood agent receives a mysterious letter inviting him to an anonymous sexual encounter. After some uncertainty he accepts, but euphoria turns to paranoia as he becomes ensnared in a sinister world of lies, infidelity and murder.
Strikingly shot and with pitch-perfect performances that will make you squirm in your seat, The Beta Test is a stylish, scathing satire of preening toxic masculinity, the dangers of technology, and the hollowness of Hollywood success.
Two-Disc Special Features and Technical Specs:
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Original lossless 5.1 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Exclusive bonus disc of short films
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Anton Bitel
- Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork options and Limited Edition slipcover
- Audio commentary by directors Jim Cummings & PJ McCabe
- Sex, Lies & Purple Envelopes, a visual essay by author and film scholar Alexandra Heller Nicholas
- Trapped. Hiding. Boom, a visual essay by author and critic Guy Adams
- The Making of The Beta Test
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- A two and a half hour collection of short films from the Sundance Award-winning filmmakers behind The Beta Test including: Cory Comes to Christmas, Parent Teacher, The Stop, Marty Loves Katie, Native Stand Up, The Robbery and Us Funny
- Also includes a look behind the scenes and two hilarious short 'documentaries' about attending the Sundance Film Festival in 2016 and 2017
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas 4K Blu-ray
Description: Considered unfilmable for decades, Hunter S. Thompson's literary landmark of psychedelic excess finally met its cinematic match in anarchic visionary director Terry Gilliam (Twelve Monkeys) and two no-holds-barred star performances by Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.
Raoul Duke (Depp) and his volatile Samoan attorney Dr. Gonzo (del Toro) are en route to Las Vegas, ostensibly on a banal journalistic assignment, but the suitcase full of psychoactive narcotics in their possession tells another story. Beset by bats, horny lizards and runaway hotel carpet upon their arrival, the pair plunge deeper into the pharmaceutically enhanced neon underbelly of the City of Sin on a chemically charged savage journey to the heart of the American Dream.
Flashback to Gilliam and Thompson's trip of a lifetime with this 4K restoration, accompanied by an outstanding selection of bonus material delving into the history of the film and the original book.
Two-Disc Special Features and Technical Specs:
- 4K RESTORATION from the original negative approved by Terry Gilliam
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Original 5.1 & 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio
- Optional subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Feature commentary by Terry Gilliam, moderated by Phil Stubbs
- Savage: Finding The American Nightmare, an appreciation by film historian Ian Christie
- The Gonzo Papers, an interview with producer Laila Nabulsi
- Grim Memories & Bad Flashbacks, an interview with star Benicio del Toro
- Ignore This Terrible Drug: The Art and Style of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a featurette including interviews with cinematographer Nicola Pecorini, production designer Alex McDowall, costume designer Julie Weiss and editor Lesley Walker
- Four deleted scenes with optional commentary by Gilliam, including the excised prologue A Dress Pattern
- Spotlight on Location, an original promotional featurette featuring interviews with Gilliam, Depp and del Toro
- Behind the scenes 'B-roll' footage and additional EPK interviews with Gilliam, Depp and del Toro
- Theatrical trailers and TV spots
- Extensive image galleries, including original production designs, storyboards and production stills
- Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork choices
- Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing on the film by Roger Keen and original production notes
- Limited Edition slipcover featuring Ralph Steadman's classic illustration Bats Over Barstow
