On January 7th, Arrow Video introduces Rampo Noir, an anthology featuring four tales from noted Japanese author Edogawa Rampo (Horrors of Malformed Men, Blind Beast), making their global debut outside of Japan. Directors Akio Jissôji, Atsushi Kaneko, Hisayasu Satô, and Suguru Takeuchi each adapt a short story about obsession that goes from primal and supernatural to creepy and grotesque. They are tied together by actor Tadanobu Asano (Mortal Kombat), who stars in each story as a different character.
Mars Canals features an unnamed man (Asano) roaming through nature and flashing back to his time with a woman. Mirror Hell features a detective (Asano) investigating a series of murders where the female victims have had their faces and skulls melted. The common clue is that each woman owned an opulent hand mirror. Caterpillar reunites First Lieutenant Sunaga (Nao Ômori, Ichi the Killer) and his wife at the end of World War II after he’s lost all his limbs. His wife lovingly calls him her caterpillar as she adapts to their new normal, which descends into the bizarre. Crawling Bugs puts successful actress Fuyo (Tamaki Ogawa, Kazuo Umezu’s Horror Theater: House of Bugs) in the backseat of a limo as the driver (Asano) takes a detour to express his love. The chauffeur is a germaphobe who goes to extremes to touch the actress.
The special features include audio commentary, interviews with the filmmakers, stage greeting from the premiere, feature-length making of documentary, an image gallery, and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
On January 14th, Arrow Video presents the legendary cult horror film Incubus, making its world premiere on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Director Leslie Stevens (creator of The Outer Limits TV series) insisted the film’s cast speak in Esperanto; a universal language created in 1887. The original elements of the film were thought to be lost in a fire, until decades later when a print was uncovered. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration from the last surviving 35mm print in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), and hours of special features.
A remote town has a well with water that has restorative powers that can cure the sick and restore youth, but it isn’t quite a happy holy land. Demons prey upon narcissistic travelers who seek everlasting beauty. Instead of becoming young, healthy, and beautiful, the victims are led down the road to Hell. Marc (William Shatner, Star Trek) arrives hoping that a sip of the water will heal his battle wounds. The demons and succubus have their eyes on Marc, and one of them, Kia (Allyson Ames, The Phantom Planet), wants to claim him since he is a pure soul – but she’s warned by Amael (Eloise Hardt, The Kentucky Fried Movie) that a pure soul can lead to love. Marc is such a prize that the succubae summon a powerful incubus (Milos Milos, The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming) to make sure he doesn’t escape. Can Marc successfully battle the supernatural and demonic forces?
The special features include three audio commentaries including William Shatner, video interviews, a history of Esperanto, archival video interview with filmmakers, a video trailer, and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
On January 14th, Arrow Video exposes an alternate version of World War II history with the invigorating Inglourious Basterds arriving on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Director Quentin Tarantino puts his own verbal and violent twist on the fighting in Nazi-occupied France. The Limited Edition release features a brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and hours of special features.
Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) is tasked by the U.S. Army to put together a unit of Jewish-American soldiers to sneak into France. The “Basterds” spread fear by ruthlessly torturing and killing German troops. Among the men under Raine’s command are Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth, Hostel), Smithson Utivich (B.J. Novak, The Office), Hirschberg (Samm Levine, Freaks and Geeks) and Omar Ulmar (Omar Doom, Death Proof). Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent, Now You See Me) is living under a false identity in Paris after her family is slaughtered by Standartenführer Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz, Django Unchained). She runs a cinema that gets chosen to premiere a movie about a famed Nazi sniper (Daniel Brühl, The Bourne Ultimatum). The person in charge of security is Landa. Shosanna and the Basterds are eager to make this film a bomb.
The special features include audio commentary, extended and alternate scenes, a new video interview with editor Fred Raskin, actor Omar Doom, special make-up effects supervisor Greg Nicotero, archival roundtable discussion with Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt, archival featurettes, a film poster gallery tour, trailers, a double-sided poster, 3 postcard sized double-sided art cards, a strudel recipe, a beermat, replica of Nation’s Pride Premiere program, and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
On January 21st, Arrow Video offers a police chase into the mind of a serial killer in The Cell on 4K UHD and Blu-ray. Director Tarsem Singh (The Fall) brought his visual boldness to the big screen after a career making innovative major music videos (R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion”). The Limited Edition release features brand new 4K restorations of the theatrical cut and the director’s cut by Arrow Films, approved by director Tarsem Singh, in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) and hours of special features.
Catherine Deane (Jennifer Lopez, Out of Sight) is a child psychologist using revolutionary technology on coma patients to get into their subconscious and entice them to wake up. The police need her help when serial killer Carl Rudolph Stargher (Vincent D’Onofrio, Full Metal Jacket) is finally captured after falling into a coma. His latest victim will be drowned in a tank if they can’t get a clue where Stargher has hidden her. Special Agent Peter Novak (Vince Vaughn, The Wedding Crashers) and Deane go inside Stagher’s mind to get the answer. They are not ready for the surrealistic horror that they encounter in the serial killer’s mindscape and are in danger of never returning.
The special features include four audio commentaries, new feature length interview with director Tarsem Singh, an unseen version of The Cell in 1.78:1 aspect ratio with alternate grading, video interview with the director of photography, two visual essays, deleted and extended scenes with director’s commentary, visual effects vignettes, an image gallery, theatrical trailers, and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
