Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams [Limited Edition]

6/27/23

6/27/23

6/27/23

On June 6th, Sammo Hung’s second directorial effort, Warriors Two, makes its Blu-ray debut in a new limited edition 2K restoration. After nearly dying at the hands of thugs trying to take over his town, Cashier Hua (Casanova Wong) becomes a disciple of Wing Chun Master Tsang (Bryan Leung) after being encouraged by his friend Fei Chun (Sammo Hung). With vengeance on his mind and a town to save, Hua and Chun take on the criminals in an all-out, winner-takes-all fighting competition. Praised for its accurate portrayal of Wing Chun style kung fu (well before Donnie Yen’s Ip-Man series would take the world by storm), and Hung’s hard-hitting directorial style, Warriors Two is one of the crown jewels of the late 1970’s martial arts boom.

The Blu-ray features a commentary on the HK Theatrical Cut by martial arts cinema
expert Frank Djeng & actor Bobby Samuels; commentary on the Export Cut by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema; an archival documentary The Way of the Warrior: The Making of Warriors Two; an archival interview with Bryan “Beardy” Leung Kar-Yan; original theatrical trailers; a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Joe Kim; a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Joe Kim; an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Jonathan Clements and original press materials.

On June 20th, the late ‘70s Yakuza crime films The Most Dangerous Game, The Killing Game, and The Execution Game come to Blu-ray in Game Trilogy. Directed by Toru Murakawa and starring Yusaku Matsuda, Game Trilogy launched the career of Matsuda as the go-to, hard-as-nails tough guy through the 1980s. In each film, Matsuda stars as contract killer Shohei Narumi, who takes on corporate espionage (The Most Dangerous Game), yakuza street war and the guilt of past jobs (The Killing Game), and finally the most dangerous opponent of all…love (The Execution Game).

Disc 1 features brand new audio commentary by Chris Poggiali and Marc Walkow; The Action Man, a 30-minute interview with director Toru Murakawa; the original Japanese theatrical trailer; and an image gallery. Disc 2 features new audio commentary on The Killing Game by Earl Jackson and Jasper Sharp; new audio commentary on The Execution Game by Tom Mes; Remembering Yusaku Matsuda, an interview with Yutaka Oki, a film critic and personal friend of Yusaku Matsuda; Game Changer, an interview with The Execution Game screenwriter Shoichi Maruyama; original Japanese theatrical trailers for both films; and image galleries for both films. The packaging features a reversible sleeve and a double-sided fold-out poster with original and newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella; and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Hayley Scanlon and Dimitri Ianni.

Next, on June 27th, Arrow delivers five classic films from Charles Band’s Empire Pictures in a limited edition box set, Enter the Video Store: Empire Of Screams. The packaging features newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley; reversible sleeves and double-sided posters featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady; 15 postcard-sized reproduction art cards; an Arrow Video store “membership card”; an 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing on the films by Lee Gambin, Dave Jay, Megan Navarro, and John Harrison, plus select archival material.

Combining the fantasy of Conan the Barbarian and the science fiction of Tron is The Dungeonmaster. Featuring an appearance by heavy metal giants W.A.S.P.

The Disc features a new 2K restoration from the original negative; three different versions of the film via seamless branching: the US theatrical version, the pre-release version and the international version; new audio commentary and interview with star Jeffrey Byron; theatrical trailers; and an image gallery

Dolls is a cult horror classic from director Stuart Gordon that combines a haunted house with possessed dolls. Disc Two features a new 2K restoration from the original interpositive; new audio commentary by David Decoteau; archival audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon and writer Ed Naha; archival audio commentary with cast members Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Stephen Lee, Carrie Lorraine, and Ian Patrick Williams; a new interview with editor Lee Percy; an archival featurette with Gordon, Yuzna, Purdy, Williams, Producers Brian Yuzna and Charles Band, and Gabe Bartalos; a film-to-storyboard comparison; theatrical trailers; and an image gallery.

Art and horror make for perfect bedfellows in Cellar Dweller.  Bonus features include additional picture restoration by Arrow Films; new audio commentary by and an interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak; new appreciation of director John Carl Buechler by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain; the original sales sheet; original production notes; a VHS trailer; Empire Pictures’ trailer reel, and image galleries.

Arena is a hard-hitting, science fiction, action film starring Paul Satterfield and Claudia Christian.  Disc Four features a new 2K restoration from the last known surviving 35mm elements; new audio commentary with director Peter Manoogian; alternative full frame presentation; a new interview with co-screenwriter Danny Bilson; a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak; the theatrical trailer; and an image gallery.

The Cold War was never so hot as it is in director Stuart Gordon’s science fiction adventure Robot Jox.  Bonus content includes a new 2K restoration from the original negative; Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon; archival audio commentary with associate effects director Paul Gentry, mechanical effects artist Mark Rappaport, and stop-motion animator Paul Jessell; a new interview with actor Gary Graham and actor Anne-Marie Johnson; a new appreciation of stop motion animator David Allen by those who knew him, featuring contributions from fellow visual effects artists Steve Burg, Yancy Calzeda, Paul Gentry, Kevin Kutchaver, Dennis Muren and John Vincent; an archival interview with actor Paul Koslo; the original sales sheet; original production notes; the theatrical trailer; and image galleries.

Also, on June 27th, Kevin Smith’s cult comedy classic Mallrats comes to 4K UHD in a limited edition set, featuring a 4K restoration of both the Theatrical and Extended cuts of the film, approved by director Kevin Smith and cinematographer David Klein. To help the lovelorn and heartbroken TS (Jeremy London), Brodie (Jason Lee) takes his best friend to the one place that will solve all his problems: the mall. A low-rent Dating Game rip-off, a vengeful father (Michael Rooker), mall security, and Shannon Hamilton (Ben Affleck) all conspire to put an end to TS’s and Brodie’s dating lives. Jay and Silent Bob (Jay Mewes and Kevin Smith) and the legend Stan “The Man” Lee are there to help TS and Brodie find their happy ending.

The two disc set features audio commentaries on the Theatrical version and Extended cuts with director Kevin Smith, producer Scott Mosier, archivist Vincent Pereira, and actors Jason Lee, Ben Affleck, and Jason Mewes; an introduction to the film by Kevin Smith; My Mallrat Memories, an interview with Kevin Smith; a tribute to producer Jim Jacks by Kevin Smith; interviews with actor Jason Mewes, cinematographer David Klein; Hollywood of the North, an animated making-of documentary featuring Minnesota crew members who worked on the film; deleted scenes, Kevin Smith and Vincent Pereira discuss deleted scenes and sequences originally cut from the film; outtakes and behind the scenes footage; cast interviews from the original set; Erection of an Epic: The Making of Mallrats, an archival retrospective with cast and crew looking at the making and release of the film; a Q&A with Kevin Smith, archival Q&A filmed for the 10th anniversary; “Build Me Up Buttercup” music video; still galleries; an archival introduction to the extended cut by Kevin Smith and Scott Mossier; a Soundtrack EPK; dailies; theatrical trailer; easter eggs; an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Philip Kemp; a fold-out poster featuring replica blueprints for “Operation Drive-by” and “Operation Dark Knight”; and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Robert Sammelin.

Next up, on June 27th, the post-apocalyptic action film Waterworld is released on 4K UHD in a three-disc Limited Edition set, featuring three cuts of the film newly restored from original film elements. The polar ice caps have melted, leaving the world covered in water. Few remain, and their only hope is a woman (Jeanne Tripplehorn) and a girl (Tina Majorino), who hold the key to dry land. The only one who can lead them there is a lone stranger (Kevin Costner). Now in a race against a mad man (Dennis Hopper), they try to find land before he does.

The three-disc edition features Maelstrom: The Odyssey of Waterworld – a feature-length making-of documentary including extensive cast and crew interviews and behind-the-scenes footage; Dances With Waves – an original archival featurette capturing the film’s production; Global Warnings – film critic Glenn Kenny explores the subgenre of ecologically themed end-of-the-world films; a production and promotional still gallery; a visual effects still gallery; original trailers and TV spots; The TV Cut (Disc Two – Limited Edition Exclusive) – which runs over 40 minutes longer than the theatrical cut; The Ulysses Cut (Disc Three – Limited Edition Exclusive) – the extended European Ulysses cut, which includes previously censored shots and dialogue; six collector’s postcards; a double-sided fold-out poster; a limited edition 60-page perfect bound book featuring writing on the film by David J. Moore and Daniel Griffith, and archival articles; a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Paul Shipper.