Arrow Video has announced its February batch of 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases. They are: .Com for Murder (2002), The Millionaires’ Express (1986), The Vagrant (1992), The Sisters Brothers (2018), and The Last Emperor (1987).
Description: Director of The Spider’s Stratagem, The Conformist, and Last Tango in Paris, Bernardo Bertolucci was one of the greats of Italian cinema. In 1987 his acclaimed epic The Last Emperor made with British producer Jeremy Thomas (Naked Lunch, Crash) swept the 60th Academy Awards winning nine Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director.
Following the life of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his birth in 1908 through his childhood in the fortress-like Forbidden City and his later misguided collaboration with the Japanese in World War II, The Last Emperor tells the history of China through the eyes of the man brought up to believe he was the country’s divine ruler.
Filmed on location in China, Bertolucci and Thomas were the first western filmmakers to be allowed access to previously forbidden locations. Together with a cast including John Lone, Joan Chen and Peter O’Toole, and director of photography Vittorio Storaro’s lushly evocative cinematography, they created a classic film of sweeping scope and delicate intimacy that stunned critics and audiences alike. The Last Emperor arrives in a brand new 4K restoration that will take your breath away.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE THEATRICAL VERSION OF THE FILM
- Original and extended versions of the film presented in their original aspect ratio of 2.39:1
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio, plus 5.1 audio option for theatrical version
- Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork options
- Eight double-sided postcard sized lobby card reproduction artcards
- Fold-out double-sided poster featuring two artwork options
- Illustrated collectors book featuring new writing by film critics Kat Ellinger and Philip Kemp, plus select archival material
DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY: THEATRICAL VERSION
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 and 5.1 audio options
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- First to Last: The Road to the Forbidden City, a new visual essay by film critic David Cairns exploring Bernardo Bertolucci’s career prior to The Last Emperor
- Open the Door, a new visual essay by film critics David Cairns & Fiona Watson in which they follow Bertolucci into the Forbidden City to explore in-depth The Last Emperor and the truth on which it is based
- Archive interview with director Bernardo Bertolucci
- Archive interview with star John Lone
- Archive interview with star Joan Chen
- Postcard from China, video footage shot by Bernardo Bertolucci while location scouting in China
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY: EXTENDED VERSION
- High Definition presentation
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
UK STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 13.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 4K RESTORATION OF THE THEATRICAL VERSION OF THE FILM
- Original and extended versions of the film presented in their original aspect ratio of 2.39:1
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio, plus 5.1 audio option for theatrical version
- Reversible sleeve featuring two artwork options
- Eight double-sided postcard sized lobby card reproduction artcards
- Fold-out double-sided poster featuring two artwork options
- Illustrated collectors book featuring new writing by film critics Kat Ellinger and Philip Kemp, plus select archival material
DISC ONE – BLU-RAY: THEATRICAL VERSION
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 and 5.1 audio options
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- First to Last: The Road to the Forbidden City, a new visual essay by film critic David Cairns exploring Bernardo Bertolucci’s career prior to The Last Emperor
- Open the Door, a new visual essay by film critics David Cairns & Fiona Watson in which they follow Bertolucci into the Forbidden City to explore in-depth The Last Emperor and the truth on which it is based
- Archive interview with director Bernardo Bertolucci
- Archive interview with star John Lone
- Archive interview with star Joan Chen
- Postcard from China, video footage shot by Bernardo Bertolucci while location scouting in China
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY: EXTENDED VERSION
- High Definition presentation
- Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
UK STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 13.
Description: In cyberspace, no one can hear you scream! This turn-of-the-millennium cyber psycho-thriller from Nico Mastorakis (Island of Death, Nightmare at Noon) showcases the usual gleeful eye for excess and inspired casting (including rock stars Roger Daltrey and Huey Lewis) one has come to expect from the cult director.
Nastassja Kinski (Cat People) stars as Sondra Brummel, a young woman confined to a wheelchair following a skiing accident, who decides to have a bit of fun on an internet dating site with her friend Misty (Nicollette Sheridan, The Sure Thing) while her architect boyfriend Ben (Daltrey, The Legacy) leaves her alone for the weekend in the high-tech intelligent mansion he has built for them. Online anonymity works both ways, however, as they discover when they invoke the ire of a young man going by the handle of “Werther” and find the virtual world violently intruding upon the real, knife in hand
Nico Mastorakis takes us to the dark side of the web in an audacious and vivacious retooling of classic Hitchcockian thrillers think Rear Windows 2000 meets Dial M for Mastorakis!
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- High Definition presentation
- Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and lossless stereo audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
- The Making of .com for Murder, a featurette on the making of the film
- .com for Murder: The Unknown Story, a new featurette in which producer-director Nico Mastorakis revisits the production
- Archive interviews with Roger Daltrey and Huey Lewis
- Original trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- First pressing only: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by David Flint
U.S. AND CANADA STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 7.
UK STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 6.
Description: All aboard for the all-star action-packed adventure of a lifetime as martial arts maestro Sammo Hung (Heart of Dragon) brings East and West crashing spectacularly together in Millionaires’ Express!
Sammo himself plays Ching Fong-tin, a former outlaw with a wild scheme to make amends with the citizens of his struggling hometown of Hon Sui: explosively derail a brand new luxury express train en route from Shanghai so that its super-rich passengers will have no choice but to spend money in the town. He’s not the only one with eyes on the passengers’ deep pockets, however; a gang of ruthless bank-robbing bandits are on the way, looking for a priceless map being guarded by a trio of Japanese samurai. Bullets and fists will fill the air in equal measure, but will Hon Sui Town be left standing?
Working at the height of his powers alongside regular collaborator Yuen Biao, Sammo makes room for a dizzying line-up of guest appearances from many of the top talents in Hong Kong action cinema, from Shaw Brothers trailblazers like Jimmy Wang Yu (One-Armed Boxer) to fresh-faced newcomers like Cynthia Rothrock.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- NEW 2K RESTORATION OF THE FILM BY FORTUNE STAR
- Four different versions of the film, including a recently-assembled ‘hybrid’ edit
- Double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Gilbey
- Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing on the film by Jonathan Clements and David West
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and new artwork by Sam Gilbey
DISC ONE
- High Definition presentations of the original Hong Kong Theatrical Cut and the Extended “International” Cut
- Original lossless Cantonese mono audio on both cuts, plus English mono audio for the Extended Cut
- Optional English subtitles for both versions
- Commentary on the Theatrical Cut by Frank Djeng
- Commentary on the Extended Cut by Mike Leeder & Arne Venema
- Select scene commentary by star Cynthia Rothrock, moderated by Frank Djeng
- Three video interviews with Cynthia Rothrock
- A New Frontier and Express Delivery, two archive interviews with Sammo Hung
- Way Out West, an archive interview with Yuen Biao
- On the Cutting Edge, an archive interview with star Yukari Oshima
- Alternate English opening and closing credits
- Trailer gallery
DISC TWO (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)
- High Definition presentations of the English Export Cut and the recent Hybrid Cut (combining footage from the Theatrical and Extended Cuts for the longest possible version)
- Original lossless English audio for the Export Cut, and lossless Cantonese mono for the Hybrid Cut
- Optional English subtitles for the Hybrid Cut
U.S. STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 28.
Description: The 90s cult classic is back! Directed by Chris Walas – FX genius of Gremlins and The Fly – The Vagrant is a demented black comedy starring cult icons Bill Paxton (Aliens, Twister), Michael Ironside (Scanners, Starship Troopers), Colleen Camp (Death Game, Clue) and Marshall Bell (Freddy’s Revenge, Total Recall) in a grimy blend of satire and grisly terror.
Mild-mannered financial clerk Graham Krakowski buys a run-down starter home only to discover a vagrant, living in the empty lot across the street, keeps appearing inside. Attempts to remove the homeless man lead to a feud that spirals out of control and tests Graham’s sanity as the vagrant engages him in twisted mind games, defiling his home, and framing him for gruesome murders.
Beloved character actor Bill Paxton stepped up to leading man status in The Vagrant and proved his extraordinary range in a role that runs the gamut of emotions and climbs to stratospheric heights of craziness. Newly restored from the original camera negative The Vagrant is a one of a kind movie that deserves a place in any cult film collection.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- BRAND NEW 2K RESTORATION by Arrow Films from a new scan of the original camera negative
- Original lossless stereo 2.0 audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Vagrant Memories, a new interview with director Chris Walas
- You are in Hell, a new interview with star Marshall Bell
- Barfus, Homicide, a new interview with star Michael Ironside
- Handling His Property, a new interview with star Colleen Camp
- Theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Robert Hack
- First pressing only: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by film critic Chris Hallock and Vagrant super-fan James Pearcey
U.S. AND CANADA STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 7.
Description: At the height of the Italian giallo boom of the early 1970s, scores of filmmakers turned their hand to crafting their own unique takes on these lurid murder-mysteries. This volume of Giallo Essentials presents three distinctly different but equally thrilling examples of genre, featuring some of European cult cinema’s most recognizable faces.
In The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave, director Emilio P. Miraglia (The Red Queen Kills Seven Times) melds the giallo’s trademark twisty whodunit storytelling with gothic chills, as troubled aristocrat Alan Cunningham (Anthony Steffen, Django the Bastard) is haunted by the specter of his dead wife Evelyn, and the gruesome and untimely deaths of several members of his family. Next, Riccardo Freda’s (Double Face) The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire finds tough ex-cop John Norton (Luigi Pistilli, A Bay of Blood) drafted in to catch the acid-throwing, razor-wielding maniac who’s terrorizing the streets of Dublin. Finally, Sergio Martino’s (Torso) The Suspicious Death of a Minor melds giallo trappings with elements of the then flourishing poliziotteschi crime thrillers, as undercover cop Paolo Germi (Claudio Cassinelli, What Have They Done to Your Daughters?) hunts a Milanese criminal outfit following the brutal murder of a teenage prostitute.
Brutal violence, globe-trotting intrigue and abundant sleaze collide in these three quintessential gialli, each one fully restored from its original camera negative and presented alongside an array of incisive bonus features.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- 2L RESTORATIONS from the original camera negative for all three films
- Original Italian and English front and end titles
- Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks
- Rigid box packaging with original poster artwork in a windowed Giallo Essentials Collection slipcover
- Reversible sleeves for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx, Graham Humphreys and Chris Malbon
DISC ONE: THE NIGHT EVELYN CAME OUT OF THE GRAVE
- Audio commentary by Troy Howarth
- Exclusive introduction by Erika Blanc
- Interview with critic Stephen Thrower
- The Night Erika Came Out of the Grave exclusive interview with Erika Blanc
- The Whip and the Body archival interview with Erika Blanc
- Still Rising from the Grave archival interview with production designer Lorenzo Baraldi
- Original Italian theatrical trailer
DISC TWO: THE IGUANA WITH THE TONGUE OF FIRE
- Audio commentary by giallo connoisseurs Adrian J. Smith and David Flint
- Of Chameleons and Iguanas video appreciation by the cultural critic and academic Richard Dyer
- Considering Cipriani appreciation of the composer Stelvio Cipriani and his score to The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire by DJ and soundtrack collector Lovely Jon
- The Cutting Game interview with the film’s assistant editor Bruno Micheli
- The Red Queen of Hearts career-spanning interview with the actress Dagmar Lassander
- Original Italian and international theatrical trailers
- Image gallery
- Audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
- Violent Milan interview with director Sergio Martino
- Original Italian theatrical trailer
DISC THREE: THE SUSPICIOUS DEATH OF A MINOR
U.S. AND CANADA STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 14.
UK STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 13.
The Sisters Brothers 4K Blu-ray
Description: After redefining the prison drama with the multi-award winning A Prophet and earning a Palme D’Or for Dheepan, French visionary director Jacques Audiard turned his eye to the American Western, adapting Patrick DeWitt’s acclaimed novel The Sisters Brothers.
Joaquin Phoenix (We Own the Night) and John C. Reilly (Boogie Nights) star as Charlie and Eli Sisters, a pair of Old West bounty hunters preceded by their reputation for ruthlessness. They’re tasked by their boss, a trade magnate and crime lord known only as The Commodore, with a seemingly simple mission: track down and kill a man by the name of Hermann Kermit Warm (Riz Ahmed, The Sound of Metal), with the help of John Morris (Jake Gyllenhaal, Donnie Darko), a private detective who’s approached Warm under false pretences. As the Sisters Brothers embark on the arduous journey from Oregon to California, their allegiance is questioned and their humanity challenged when they discover their actual target: a secret formula of Warm’s invention, that when poured into a river, can help detect gold.
Superbly shot by regular Audiard collaborator Benoît Debie and featuring mesmerising performances from its lead cast, The Sisters Brothers reinterprets the classic Western formula to craft a compelling and darkly comedic tale of betrayal, redemption and brotherhood.
Special Features and Technical Specs:
- DOLBY VISION/HDR PRESENTATION OF THE FILM
- Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by authors and critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke
- Barry Forshaw on The Sisters Brothers, a brand new video essay by film critic Barry Forshaw on The Sisters Brothers and the psychological Western genre
- His Own Private Wild West, archival hour-long making-of documentary featuring interviews with many cast and crew members including director Jacques Audiard, actor John C. Reilly, cinematographer Benoît Debie, Production designer Michel Barthélémy, sound designer Brigitte Taillandier and Patrick DeWitt, author of the novel The Sisters Brothers
- Animated reviews
- Trailers
- Short promotional featurettes
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Double-sided fold-out “Wanted” poster
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic Howard Hughes, academic and Audiard expert Gemma King and original production notes
UK STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 27.
- Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by authors and critics C. Courtney Joyner and Henry Parke
- Barry Forshaw on The Sisters Brothers, a brand new video essay by film critic Barry Forshaw on The Sisters Brothers and the psychological Western genre
- His Own Private Wild West, archival hour-long making-of documentary featuring interviews with many cast and crew members including director Jacques Audiard, actor John C. Reilly, cinematographer Benoît Debie, Production designer Michel Barthélémy, sound designer Brigitte Taillandier and Patrick DeWitt, author of the novel The Sisters Brothers
- Animated reviews
- Trailers
- Short promotional featurettes
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Double-sided fold-out “Wanted” poster
- Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic Howard Hughes, academic and Audiard expert Gemma King and original production notes
UK STREET DATE: FEBRUARY 27.
