An Argento masterpiece in UHD, monsters and giallo! October releases from ARROW VIDEO

B-movie mayhem, the Yokai collection, and an Argento masterpiece in UHD

 

Arrow Video’s October films include the Blu-ray debut of a Japanese monster trilogy, a top-rate low budget horror gem in an enviable limited edition package, a collection of beautifully presented drive-in favourites, and a giallo classic in a deluxe UHD edition.

The releases will come in Arrow Video’s distinctive packaging, with fantastic new artwork, 4K restorations so the films look out of this world, informative and entertaining new commentaries and making-of documentaries, alternative cuts of the films, reversible sleeves with specially-commissioned artwork, as well as fold-out, double-sided posters, art cards, perfect-bound collector’s books and illustrated booklets.

First in October, Arrow Video is proud to present He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection, the first ever box set of films by William “Wild Bill” Grefé, the maverick filmmaker who braved the deep, dark depths of the Florida everglades to deliver some of the most outrageous exploitation fare ever to go-go dance its way across drive-in screens. Bringing together seven of Grefé’s most outlandish films plus a feature length documentary on the filmmaker’s career, this standard edition box set is one of most wildly entertaining collections of all time, and positively groaning with extras!

Next is the release of Dementer + Jug Face, two films from acclaimed indie horror director Chad Crawford Kinkle. Dementer, a psychological horror thriller, was branded as “an unexpected gem” (Pophorror.com) and “an impressionistic, poetic occult-horror film” (Nashville Scene). Raw and unsettling, It’s a brave and unflinching story of lives lived on the fringes of society, and a battle with demons inside and out. Shot on real locations with many non-actors playing versions of themselves – including Kinkle’s real life sister Stephanie – this is a deeply personal genre film with an emotional punch that lingers long after the credits have rolled. The limited edition set also includes Kinkle’s earlier horror hit Jug Face, making its UK Blu-ray debut, and a collector’s booklet.

Next up is the Yokai Monsters Collection: from the makers of Daimajin comes a trilogy of terror ripped from the pages of Japanese folklore – 100 Monsters, Spook Warfare and Along With Ghosts – with ghosts and monsters from ancient myths and legends brought to life through stunning special effects; alongside The Great Yokai War, an epic, big-budget reboot of the series from modern-day master of the macabre Takashi Miike – now available together on Blu-ray for the first time. The lavish 3-disc, 4 film set includes postcards, a booklet and a fold-out poster.

Next in October, From Dario Argento, maestro of the macabre and the man behind some of the greatest excursions in Italian horror (The Cat O’Nine Tales, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), comes Deep Red – the ultimate giallo movie. Aided by a throbbing score from regular Argento collaborators Goblin, Deep Red (aka Profondo Rosso and The Hatchet Murders) is a hallucinatory fever dream of a giallo punctuated by some of the most astonishing set-pieces the sub-genre has to offer. As well as a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Limited Edition, there is an Arte Originale 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Arrow Store exclusive, both beautifully packaged and featuring two versions of the film, as well as postcards, a poster and booklet.

Lastly in October, Giallo Essentials [Red Edition]. Alongside the spaghetti western, the giallo is one of the most famous Italian export genres: films steeped in mystery and intrigue, delivered with stylised violence and unforgettable musical themes. In the first of a multi-volume series of Giallo Essentials these films feature a raft of talent in front and behind the camera with each film – The Possessed (1965), The Fifth Cord (1971) and The Pyjama Girl Case (1978) – restored from the original camera negative and presented with a range of contextualising interviews and featurettes. The set comes in rigid box packaging with newly designed artwork in a windowed slipcover.

 

New Releases

He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection

Blu-ray UK 12th October / US & Canada 26th October

The collection packs in seven of William Grefé’s films, including in a macabre menagerie of demented jellyfish men (Sting of Death), zombified witch doctors (Death Curse of Tartu), homicidal hippies (The Hooked Generation) and seductive matrons (The Naked Zoo), as well as the far out The Psychedelic Priest, the hillbilly mayhem of Whisky Mountain and Mako: The Jaws of Death – not to mention a feature length documentary on the filmmaker’s career.

 

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• Seven William Grefé films, all newly restored from the best surviving film elements: Sting of Death (1966), Death Curse of Tartu (1966), The Hooked Generation (1968), The Psychedelic Priest (1971), The Naked Zoo (1971), Mako: Jaws of Death (1976) and Whiskey Mountain (1977)
• Brand new, extended version of Ballyhoo Motion Pictures’ definitive documentary They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations on 4 Blu-ray discs
• Original uncompressed mono audio for all films
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork for each of the films by The Twins of Evil

STING OF DEATH (1966) + DEATH CURSE OF TARTU (1966)

• Brand new introductions to the films by director William Grefé
• Archival audio commentaries for both films with William Grefé and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter
• Beyond the Movie: Monsters a-Go Go! – a look into the history of rock ‘n’ roll monster movies with author/historian C. Courtney Joyner
• The Curious Case of Dr. Traboh: Spook Show Extraordinaire – a ghoulish look into the early spook show days with monster maker Doug Hobart
• Original Trailers

THE HOOKED GENERATION (1968) + THE PSYCHEDELIC PRIEST (1971)

• Brand new introductions to the films by director William Grefé
• Archival audio commentaries for both films with director William Grefé and filmmaker Frank Henenlotter
• Beyond the Movie: That’s Drugsploitation! – a look inside the counter culture films that inspired The Hooked Generation with author/film historian Chris Poggiali
• Beyond the Movie: The Ultimate Road Trip – the story behind The Psychedelic Priest with Chris Poggiali
• The Hooked Generation behind-the-scenes footage
• The Hooked Generation Still Gallery

THE NAKED ZOO (1971) + MAKO: JAWS OF DEATH (1976)

• Brand new introductions to the films by director William Grefé
• Brand new audio commentaries for both film with William Grefé
• William Grefé’s original 92-minute Director’s Cut of The Naked Zoo, painstakingly reassembled from various source materials
• Alternate version of The Naked Zoo, as reedited by its original theatrical distributor, featuring added gratuitous nudity and a performance by blues-rockers Canned Heat – 100% non-director approved!
• Beyond the Movie: That’s Sharksploitation! – a deep dive into the history of shark films with author/film journalist Michael Gingold
• The Aquamaid Speaks! – a brand new audio interview with Mako actress Jenifer Bishop Sharks, Stalkers, and Sasquatch – a brand new audio interview with Mako writer Robert Morgan
• Mako Super-8 Digest Version
• Mako Original Trailers and Promos
• Stills Galleries

WHISKEY MOUNTAIN (1977) + THEY CAME FROM THE SWAMP: EXTENDED CUT (2020)

• Brand new extended cut of They Came from the Swamp: The Films of William Grefé
• Brand new introduction with William Grefé for Whiskey Mountain
• Brand new audio commentary for Whiskey Mountain with director William Grefé
• The Crown Jewels – featurette on independent film studio and distribution company Crown International Pictures
• William Grefé Short – Bacardi and Coke Bonanza (1981)
• On Location in Miami – an archival tour of filming locations with director William Grefé
• Whiskey Mountain Trailer and Promo Gallery
• They Came from the Swamp deleted scenes
• Bonus Exploitation Trailer Gallery

 

Dementer + Jug Face

On Limited Edition Blu-ray UK 4th October

Fleeing from a cult that has left her scarred both physically and mentally, Katie (Katie Groshong, Jug Face, A Measure of the Sin) is keen to get her life together. On her path to recovery, she takes a job in a care centre supporting adults with special needs, among them Stephanie (Stephanie Kinkle), a woman with Down syndrome. Convinced that the “devils” are coming for Stephanie, and tormented by flashbacks of her experience within the cult and with their leader Larry (Larry Fessenden, The Dead Don’t Die, Habit), Katie takes increasingly extreme measures to ward off the evil that is making Stephanie sick. But what if her rituals are doing more harm than good?

 

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• High-Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original DTS 5.1 MA and Stereo 2.1 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Includes Chad Crawford Kinkle’s debut feature Jug Face on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK
• Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Coffee & Cigarettes
• Fully illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Chris Hallock

DISC ONE – DEMENTER

• Director’s Commentary, a brand new audio commentary with writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle
• Cast & Crew Commentary, a brand new audio commentary with lead actress Katie Groshong, cinematographer Jeff Wedding and writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle
• Critic Commentary, a brand new audio commentary with film critic Chris Hallock and writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle in conversation
• The Making of Dementer, a brand new in-depth look behind the scenes of how and why the film was made, featuring interviews with writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle, star Katie Groshong, and cinematographer Jeff Wedding
• In the Words of Larry, actor Larry Fessenden discusses his role in the film and why he was so eager to take it
• Outsider Art and Dementer, a brand new featurette with Chad Crawford Kinkle and fellow filmmakers Lucky McKee (May, The Woman) and Larry Fessenden (Habit, The Wendigo) in conversation as they explore the art of independent genre filmmaking
• Short Films, a collection of early short films by director Chad Crawford Kinkle with optional commentary showing his development from high school through college and into professional feature film making
• Trailer
• Still gallery

DISC TWO – JUG FACE aka THE PIT (LIMITED EDITION EXCLUSIVE)

• Staring into the Pit, writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle in discussion with critic Jon Towlson
• Back into the Woods, lead actor Lauren Ashley Carter in conversation with Celluloid Screams founder Robert Nevitt
• A Face Jug tour, writer-director Chad Crawford Kinkle invites you into his home to check out his enviable face collection

 

Yokai Monsters Collection

On Limited Edition Blu-ray UK 18th October / US & Canada 19th October

In the first film in the trilogy, 100 Monsters, a greedy slumlord’s attempts to forcefully evict his tenants invite the wrath of the titular spirits when a cleansing ritual is botched, with terrifying results. The second film, Spook Warfare, tells the tale of an evil Babylonian vampire inadvertently awoken by treasure hunters, and a brave samurai that teams with the yokai to defeat the bloodthirsty demon. In the final film, Along with Ghosts (released only 12 months after 100 Monsters), the yokai are roused to defend a young girl on the run from deadly yakuza.

Decades later, none other than Takashi Miike (Audition) helmed The Great Yokai War, a loose remake of Spook Warfare that used cutting-edge digital effects to renew the franchise for a new generation. In it, a young boy is given a grave responsibility: to band together with a group of yokai to defend humanity against a vengeful and powerful demon that has sworn retribution against modern-day Japan.

LIMITED EDITION BOXSET CONTENTS

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all four films
• Optional English subtitles on all four films
• Illustrated 60-page collectors’ book featuring new writing on the series by Stuart Galbraith IV, Raffael Coronelli and Jolyon Yates
• Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jolyon Yates
• Postcards featuring newly commissioned artwork for each film by Jolyon Yates
• Foldout ‘yokai guide’ poster illustrated by Jolyon Yates

DISC ONE – 100 MONSTERS

• Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio
• Hiding in Plain Sight, a brand new documentary giving a primer on yokai for Western audiences, featuring interviews with experts Matt Alt, Zack Davisson, Kim Newman, Lynda E. Rucker and Hiroko Yoda
• Theatrical trailer
• US re-release trailer
• Image gallery

DISC TWO – SPOOK WARFARE / ALONG WITH GHOSTS

• Brand new 4K restoration of Spook Warfare by Kadokawa Pictures
• Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio for both films
• Theatrical trailers for both films
• US re-release trailers for both films
• Image galleries for both films

DISC THREE – THE GREAT YOKAI WAR

• DTS-HD MA 5.1 original Japanese and dubbed English audio
• Brand new audio commentary by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
• Archive interviews with the cast and crew, including Takashi Miike
• Short Drama of Yokai, two shorts detailing the further adventures of the yokai
• Another Story of Kawataro, two shorts featuring the continuing story of the kappa character in the film
• World Yokai Conference, a publicity event where Miike speaks about the film
• Promotional Events, video of the press conference to announce the start and completion of filming, as well as the premiere in Tokyo
• Documentary on the film’s young star, Ryunosuki Kamiki, and his experience making the film
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery

 

Deep Red

On Limited Edition 4K UHD UK 25th October / US & Canada 26th October

One night, musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, Blow Up), looking up from the street below, witnesses the brutal axe murder of a woman in her apartment. Racing to the scene, Marcus just manages to miss the perpetrator… or does he? As he takes on the role of amateur sleuth, Marcus finds himself ensnared in a bizarre web of murder and mystery where nothing is what it seems…

 

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• New 4K restoration of both the original 127-minute Italian version and the 105-minute export version from the original negative by Arrow Films
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of both versions in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring originally and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Alan Jones and Mikel J. Koven, and a new essay by Rachael Nisbet
• Fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Obviously Creative
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards

DISC 1 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEEP RED: ORIGINAL VERSION

• Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks★
• Optional lossless 5.1 Italian soundtrack
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
• Archival audio commentary by Argento expert Thomas Rostock
• Almost three hours of new interviews with members of the cast and crew, including co-writer/director Dario Argento, actors Macha Méril, Gabriele Lavia, Jacopo Mariani and Lino Capolicchio (Argento’s original choice for the role of Marcus Daly), production manager Angelo Iacono, composer Claudio Simonetti, and archival footage of actress Daria Nicolodi
• Italian trailer
• Arrow Video 2018 trailer
• Image galleries

DISC 2 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEEP RED: EXPORT VERSION

• Restored original lossless mono English soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Archival introduction to the film by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin
• Profondo Giallo – an archival visual essay by Michael Mackenzie featuring an in-depth appreciation of Deep Red, its themes and its legacy
• Archival interviews with Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Claudio Simonetti and long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
• US theatrical trailer

★The English audio track on this original cut has some portions of English audio missing. English audio for these sections was never recorded for these scenes. As such, they are presented with Italian audio, subtitled in English.

 

Deep Red Arte Originale

On Limited Edition 4K UHD [Arrow Store Exclusive] UK 25th October / US & Canada 26th October

One night, musician Marcus Daly (David Hemmings, Blow Up), looking up from the street below, witnesses the brutal axe murder of a woman in her apartment. Racing to the scene, Marcus just manages to miss the perpetrator… or does he? As he takes on the role of amateur sleuth, Marcus finds himself ensnared in a bizarre web of murder and mystery where nothing is what it seems…

 

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

• New 4K restoration of both the original 127-minute Italian version and the 105-minute export version from the original negative by Arrow Films
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of both versions in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring two original pieces of poster artwork
• Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by Alan Jones and Mikel J. Koven, and a new essay by Rachael Nisbet
• Fold-out double-sided poster featuring two original pieces of poster artwork
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproduction artcards

DISC 1 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEEP RED: ORIGINAL VERSION

• Restored original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks★
• Optional lossless 5.1 Italian soundtrack
• English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by critics Troy Howarth and Nathaniel Thompson
• Archival audio commentary by Argento expert Thomas Rostock
• Almost three hours of new interviews with members of the cast and crew, including co-writer/director Dario Argento, actors Macha Méril, Gabriele Lavia, Jacopo Mariani and Lino Capolicchio (Argento’s original choice for the role of Marcus Daly), production manager Angelo Iacono, composer Claudio Simonetti, and archival footage of actress Daria Nicolodi
• Italian trailer
• Image galleries

DISC 2 (4K ULTRA-HD BLU-RAY) – DEEP RED: EXPORT VERSION

• Restored original lossless mono English soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Archival introduction to the film by Claudio Simonetti of Goblin
• Profondo Giallo – an archival visual essay by Michael Mackenzie featuring an in-depth appreciation of Deep Red, its themes and its legacy
• Archival interviews with Dario Argento, Daria Nicolodi, Claudio Simonetti and long-time Argento collaborator Luigi Cozzi
• US theatrical trailer

★The English audio track on this original cut has some portions of English audio missing. English audio for these sections was never recorded for these scenes. As such, they are presented with Italian audio, subtitled in English.

 

Giallo Essentials [Red Edition]

On Blu-ray UK 25th October / US & Canada 26th October

The Possessed (1965) masterfully combines noir, mystery and giallo tropes in a proto-giallo based on one of Italy’s most notorious crimes. It tells the story of a depressed novelist (Peter Baldwin) in search of his old flame (Virna Lisi) who has disappeared under suspicious circumstances, prompting an investigation that finds him plunged into a disturbing drama of familial secrets, perversion, madness and murder. The Fifth Cord (1971) boasts a complex, Agatha Christie-esque plot of investigation into a series of brutal assaults. As the body count rises, whisky swilling journalist Andrea Bild (Franco Nero) finds himself under suspicion, making it all the more imperative he crack the case. The Pyjama Girl Case (1978), inspired by a real-life case that baffles to this day, takes us to Australia where former inspector Timpson comes out of retirement to crack the case of a young woman, found on the beach, shot in the head, burned to hide her identity and dressed in distinctive yellow pyjamas…

 

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

• Brand new 2K restorations of the film from the original camera negative for The Possessed, The Fifth Cord and The Pyjama Girl Case
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations of each film
• Original lossless mono Italian and English soundtracks
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtracks
• Rigid box packaging with newly designed artwork by Adam Rabalais in a windowed Giallo Essentials Collection slipcover

THE POSSESSED

• New audio commentary by writer and critic Tim Lucas
• Richard Dyer on The Possessed, a newly filmed video appreciation by the cultural critic and academic
• Cat’s Eyes, an interview with the film’s makeup artist Giannetto De Rossi
• Two Days a Week, an interview with the film’s award-winning assistant art director Dante Ferretti
• The Legacy of the Bazzoni Brothers, an interview with actor/director Francesco Barilli, a close friend of Luigi and Camillo Bazzoni
• Original trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sean Phillips

THE FIFTH CORD

• New audio commentary by critic Travis Crawford
• Lines and Shadows, a new video essay on the film’s use of architecture and space by critic Rachael Nisbet
• Whisky Giallore, a new video interview with author and critic Michael Mackenzie
• Black Day for Nero, a new video interview with actor Franco Nero
• The Rhythm Section, a new video interview with film editor Eugenio Alabiso
• Rare, previously unseen deleted sequence, restored from the original negative
• Original Italian and English theatrical trailers
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Haunt Love

THE PYJAMA GIRL CASE

• New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
• New video interview with author and critic Michael Mackenzie on the internationalism of the giallo
• New video interview with actor Howard Ross
• New video interview with editor Alberto Tagliavia
• Archival interview with composer Riz Ortolani
• Image gallery
• Italian theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon