Cine Outsider header
Left bar Home button Disc reviews button Film review button Articles button Blogs button Interviews button Right bar
news archive
Older news stories have been archived by year and month, most recent first. They can be accessed by clicking on the links below.
2024 2023 2022
2021 2020 2019
2018 2017 2016
2015 2014 2013
2012 2011 2010
2009 2008 2007
2006 2005 2004
 
Blu-ray cult treats and the first UHD release from Arrow in July/August

30 May 2020

Arrow Video shows no signs of cooling off as summer continues (their words, not ours), with the release of a horror anthology from two genre masters, the definitive edition of a sci-fi classic on 4K ULTRA HD, the world Blu-ray debuts of a superb Japanese thriller and a newly unearthed UK cult oddity, and a stunning boxset of iconic creature features. As we've come to expect from Arrow, the releases include hours of new and archived bonus features, expert commentaries, never-before-seen cuts of the films, as well as collector’s booklets with incisive writing on the filmmakers, and luxurious packaging and brand new artwork.

At the end of July, brace yourself for Creepshow 2,where Titans of terror George A. Romero and Stephen King deliver yet another selection of blood-curdling tales in the follow-up to the 1982 horror classic. Kicking off August in fine and history-making style is Arrow’s first ever UK 4K UHD release, with the sci-fi/horror Pitch Black, the sleeper hit that birthed a franchise and launched the career of action movie icon Vin Diesel. Then comes Black Test Car, from Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast), a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry. Next in August, from the annals of bizarre cinema comes perhaps the most bizarre one of them all – 1985’s The Comic, a barmy, baffling and beguiling cinematic oddity shot on 35mm film in an alternate dimension. Finally, Gamera: The Complete Collection – for the first time ever worldwide, Arrow Video has collected together all twelve tales of the adventures of everyone’s favourite titanic terrapin, in one deluxe Blu-ray box set.

 

Creepshow 2 Blu-ray cover art

CREEPSHOW 2 (USA 1987) | Limted Edition Blu-ray | 13 July 2020 | £29.99

Titans of terror George A. Romero and Stephen King deliver yet another selection of blood-curdling tales in Creepshow 2, the follow-up to the 1982 horror classic.

In Old Chief Wood’nhead, a group of young hoodlums face retribution from an unlikely source after looting a local hardware store. Meanwhile, The Raft sees a group of horny teens wishing they’d read the warning signs first before taking a dip in a remote lake. Finally, an uptight businesswoman finds herself with some unwanted company following a hit-and-run incident in The Hitch-hiker.

Retaining the same EC comic book flavor that made the original such a hit, Creepshow 2, this time directed by long-time Romero collaborator Michael Gornick, is a standout horror anthology from the minds of two of the genre’s master craftsmen.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS:

  • Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original Uncompressed PCM Mono 1.0, Stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD MA Surround Audio Options
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Creepshow 2: Pinfall – Limited Edition Booklet featuring the never-before-seen comic adaptation of the unfilmed Creepshow 2 segment Pinfall by artist Jason Mayoh
  • Audio Commentary with director Michael Gornick
  • Poncho’s Last Ride – a brand new interview with actor Daniel Beer
  • The Road to Dover – a brand new interview with actor Tom Wright
  • Screenplay for a Sequel – an interview with screenwriter George A. Romero
  • Tales from the Creep – an interview with actor and make-up artist Tom Savini
  • Nightmares in Foam Rubber – archive featurette on the special effects of Creepshow 2, including interviews with FX artists Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero
  • My Friend Rick – Berger on his special effects mentor Rick Baker
  • Behind-the-scenes footage
  • Image gallery
  • Trailers & TV spots
  • Original screenplay (BD-ROM Content)
  • Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by festival programmer Michael Blyth
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Mike Saputo

 

Pitch Black Blu-ray cover art

PITCH BLACK (USA/Australia 2000) | UHD 4K & Blu-ray | 17 August 2020 | £29.99 (UHD) / £24.99 (Blu-ray)

A sci-fi/horror sleeper hit that birthed a franchise and launched the career of a new action movie icon, Pitch Black holds its own today as a nerve-shredding creature-feature in which the monsters outside finally meet their match against a monster within.

When an intergalactic transport ship crashes on a remote desert planet with no sign of help on the horizon, the survivors, led by Fry (Radha Mitchell), band together to find a way back home. Among the passengers is Riddick (Vin Diesel), a convicted murderer being transported by marshal Johns (Cole Hauser) – and now freed of his chains and on the loose. But as a solar eclipse plunges the planet into total darkness, a threat even worse than Riddick reveals itself, and the last humans standing may have to form an uneasy truce with the cunning fugitive (whose eyes have been surgically altered to see in the dark) to last the long night.

Boasting crackerjack direction and a whip-smart script by David Twohy, as well as a star-making performance by Diesel, Riddick’s first outing is freshly unleashed in an illuminating, brand new 4K restoration, with hours of exclusive bonus content.

ULTRA HD 4K / BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:

  • Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films of the Theatrical and Director’s Cuts of the film, approved by director David Twohy
  • 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible) / High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
  • Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround on both cuts
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing on both cuts
  • Archive commentary with director David Twohy and stars Vin Diesel and Cole Hauser
  • Archive commentary with director David Twohy, producer Tom Engelman and visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang
  • Nightfall: The Making of Pitch Black, a newly filmed interview with director/co-writer David Twohy
  • Black Box: Jackie's Journey, a newly filmed interview with actor Rhiana Griffith
  • Black Box: Shazza's Last Stand, a newly filmed interview with actor Claudia Black
  • Black Box: Bleach Bypassed, a newly filmed interview with cinematographer David Eggby
  • Black Box: Cryo-Locked, a newly filmed interview with visual effects supervisor Peter Chiang
  • Black Box: Primal Sounds, a newly filmed interview with composer Graeme Revell
  • The Making of Pitch Black, a short behind-the-scenes featurette
  • Pitch Black Raw, a comparison between early CG tests and the final footage
  • Additional behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film
  • 2004 archive bonus features, including an introduction by Twohy, A View Into The Dark, and Chronicles of Riddick Visual Encyclopedia
  • Johns’ Chase Log, a short prequel narrated by Cole Hauser detailing the character’s hunt for Riddick
  • The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury (in 16:9 widescreen with DTS-HD MA 5.1 audio), an animated short film directed by Peter Chung that acts as a bridgepoint between Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick, featuring vocal performances by Vin Diesel, Keith David and Rhiana Griffith reprising their roles
  • Dark Fury bonus features including Bridging The Gap, Peter Chung: The Mind of an Animator, A View Into The Light, and a “pre-animation” version of the film
  • Slam City, a motion comic from the film’s official website
  • Into Pitch Black, a TV special offering an alternative non-canon glimpse into what happened before and after the events of the film
  • Raveworld: Pitch Black Event, footage of a dance music event held to promote the film
  • Theatrical trailers, plus trailers for the two sequels and video game
  • Image galleries
  • Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned "night" and "day" artwork by Luke Preece
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Simon Ward on the film’s creature designs (including a new interview with creature designer Patrick Tatopolous), original production notes and information from the film’s official website, and an archive interview with Vin Diesel from Starlog magazine; plus collectable O-card with "night" variant artwork by Luke Preece

 

Black Test Car Blu-ray cover art

BLACK TEST CAR [KURO NO TETSU KĀ] (Japan 1962) / BLACK REPORT [KURO NO HŌKOKUSHO] (Japan 1962) | Blu-ray | 24 August 2020 | £24.99

Japanese maverick director Yasuzo Masumura (Blind Beast) helms a bitingly satirical espionage thriller set in the heart of the Japanese auto industry in his 1962 landmark Black Test Car, which launched a series of similarly themed “Black” films. 
In a bitter, take-no-prisoners corporate war between the Tiger Motorcar Company and their competitors, the Yamato Company, undercover spies have infiltrated both sides. As Tiger prepares to launch its newest “Pioneer” car and a prototype bursts into flames, Toru (Hideo Takamatsu, The Last Emperor) heads a secretive task force to root out Yamato’s spy, and find out what they can about the competitor's familiar-looking new model.

Making its worldwide Blu-ray debut, Black Test Car is paired here with the English-language video premiere of its follow-up The Black Report, also directed by Masumura.

SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS

  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of Black Test Car and The Black Report
  • Original uncompressed Japanese mono audio on both films
  • Optional newly translated English subtitles on both films
  • Newly recorded critical appreciation by Jonathan Rosenbaum
  • Theatrical trailers for both films
  • Theatrical trailers for both filmsImage galleries for both films
  • Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned artwork by Tony Stella
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet with new writing on the films by Mark Downing Roberts

 

The Comic Blu-ray cover art

THE COMIC (UK 1985) | Limited Edition and Standard Edition Blu-ray | £24.99

Stand-up comedy can be a cut-throat business, but in Sam Coex’s world, it’s downright murder… From the annals of bizarre cinema comes perhaps the most bizarre one of them all – 1985’s The Comic!

In a dystopian police state reality of indeterminate time and place, orange bouffant-haired comedian Sam Coex is eager for his big break. Realising that desperate times call for even more desperate measures, he slits the throat of his rival Joey Myers, leaving the way clear for him to carve his own niche on the comedy circuit. But success can be a fickle and fleeting mistress, and Sam soon finds his career on a downward turn when he falls foul of the powers that be.

Filled with more dry ice and lighting gels than an ’80s stadium rock concert, The Comic is a barmy, baffling and beguiling cinematic oddity shot on 35mm film in an alternate dimension. If you ever wanted to know the answer to the eternal conundrum “How does Pinocchio make love?” then this is the one for you!

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS:

  • Brand new 2K restoration from the original camera negative
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original uncompressed mono audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Brand new introduction with actor Steve Munroe
  • Newly-filmed interview with actor Steve Munroe
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by The Twins of Evil
  • EXCLUSIVE O-card with alternate design by The Twins of Evil (Limited Edition only)
  • FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring additional cast/crew interviews

 

Gamera: The Complete Collection Blu-ray pack shot

GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION (Japan 1965-2006) | Limited Edition 8-Disc Blu-ray Boxset | 17 August 2020 | £149.99

The original hero in a half-shell returns! For the first time ever worldwide, all twelve tales of the adventures of everyone’s favourite titanic terrapin (from 1965’s Gamera the Giant Monster to 2006’s Gamera The Brave) are collected together in one deluxe Blu-ray boxset. 

This limited edition collectors’ set traces the decades-long evolution of Gamera, from the “friend of all children” in his more light-hearted earlier films, to the Guardian of the Universe in the groundbreaking 1990s reboot series, often hailed as three of the best kaiju films ever made.

COLLECTOR’S EDITION BOXSET CONTENTS

  • Limited collectors’ edition packaging, housed in a large-format rigid box, fully illustrated by Matt Frank
  • Casebound, fully-illustrated disc book containing eight Blu-ray discs
  • High Definition (1080p) versions of all twelve films, with lossless original Japanese audio and a complete collection of English dub tracks, including classic American International dubs on the Showa-era films remastered from original MGM elements
  • Hardback 130-page comic book including a full-colour reprint of the four-issue Gamera comic series originally released by Dark Horse Comics in 1996, and the first-ever English-language printing of the prequel comic The Last Hope by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh
  • Perfect-bound 80-page book including a new retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias, an archive interview with Noriaki Yuasa by David Milner, kaiju X-ray illustrations by Jolyon Yates, Fangoria set reports on the Heisei trilogy by Norman England, and a viewers’ guide to the English-dubbed versions of the films
  • Double-sided four-panel poster of “Gamera’s Map of Japan” in both Japanese and English
  • Collectors’ artcards for each film, featuring new artwork by Matt Frank

DISC ONE – GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER

  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera the Giant Monster, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
  • Commentary and newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gammera the Invincible (Blu-ray premiere), the American theatrical version of the film, with lossless mono audio and optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
  • Remembering the Gamera Series, an archive featurette from 1991, including interviews with director Noriaki Yuasa, writer Nisan Takahashi and others
  • Interview with Noriaki Yuasa, filmed by Jörg Buttgereit in 2002
  • Gamera Special, an hour-long best-of compilation supervised by Noriaki Yuasa in 1991
  • Alternate English credits
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC TWO – GAMERA VS. BARUGON / GAMERA VS. GYAOS

  • High Definition (1080p) transfers of Gamera vs. Barugon and Gamera vs. Gyaos, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Barugon by August Ragone & Jason Varney
  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Gyaos by Stuart Galbraith IV
  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by August Ragone
  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of War of the Monsters, the shorter American edit of Gamera vs. Barugon, with lossless English audio
  • Alternate English credits for both films
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC THREE – GAMERA VS. VIRAS / GAMERA VS. GUIRON

  • High Definition (1080p) transfers of Gamera vs. Viras and Gamera vs. Guiron, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
  • Choice of three different versions of Gamera vs. Viras via seamless branching (72-minute Theatrical Version, 81-minute Director’s Version and 90-minute US Extended Version)
  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Viras by Carl Craig and Jim Cironella
  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Guiron by David Kalat
  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by August Ragone
  • New featurette with actor Carl Craig showing his souvenirs and props from Gamera vs. Viras
  • Highlights from the G-FEST X convention in 2003, featuring Noriaki Yuasa and Carl Craig
  • The 4th Nippon Jamboree, a promotional film for the Boy Scouts of Japan directed by Yuasa in 1966
  • Alternate English credits for both films
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC FOUR – GAMERA VS. JIGER / GAMERA VS. ZIGRA / GAMERA SUPER MONSTER

  • High Definition (1080p) transfers of Gamera vs. Jiger, Gamera vs. Zigra and Gamera Super Monster, with lossless original Japanese and dubbed English mono audio, and optional English subtitles
  • Commentary on Gamera vs. Jiger by Edward L. Holland
  • Commentary by Gamera vs. Zigra by Sean Rhoads & Brooke McCorkle
  • Commentary on Gamera Super Monster by Richard Pusateri
  • Newly filmed introductions to all three films by August Ragone
  • Alternate English credits for all three films
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC FIVE – GAMERA THE GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE

  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera the Guardian of the Universe, from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures
  • Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
  • Commentary by Matt Frank
  • Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
  • A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 1, the first in an epic three-part documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
  • Interviews with director Shusuke Kaneko and SFX director Shinji Higuchi, filmed by Jörg Buttgereit in 2002
  • Extended 90-min interview with Shinji Higuchi from 2001, focusing on the trilogy’s special effects
  • Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
  • Alternate English credits
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC SIX – GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION

  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures
  • Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
  • Commentary by Kyle Yount
  • Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
  • A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 2, the next part of the documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
  • On-set footage from the shooting of the film’s main unit and special effects filming
  • Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
  • Alternate English credits
  • “Lake Texarkana” comedic dub track
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC SEVEN – GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS

  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, from a 4K restoration by Kadokawa Pictures
  • Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
  • Commentary by Steve Ryfle & Ed Godziszewski
  • Newly filmed introduction by August Ragone
  • A Testimony of 15 Years: Part 3, the final part of the documentary interviewing cast and crew of the Heisei Trilogy
  • Newly filmed interview with Kaho Tsutsumi about the DNA Tokasatsu exhibition in Tokyo, by kaiju historian Edward L. Holland
  • Behind the scenes featurettes tracing the film’s production from announcement to release
  • Deleted scenes
  • The Awakening of Irys (Remix), a montage of behind-the-scenes footage and work-in-progress special effects footage
  • Alternate English credits
  • Spoof commentary by “Gamera” & “Soldier No.6”
  • Trailer and image galleries

DISC EIGHT – GAMERA THE BRAVE

  • High Definition (1080p) transfer of Gamera the Brave
  • Original Japanese and dubbed English DTS-HD MA 5.1 and 2.0 audio, with optional English subtitles
  • Commentary by Keith Aiken & Bob Johnson
  • How to Make a Gamera Movie, a featurette hosted by director Ryuta Tasaki
  • Behind The Scenes of Gamera the Brave, an all-access on-set documentary
  • The Men That Made Gamera, a documentary looking back at the series from start to finish, featuring interviews with cast and crew
  • Opening Day Premiere, a featurette showing the cast and crew presenting the film at its first showing
  • Kaho’s Summer, an interview with the film’s young star
  • Special Effects Supercut, a montage of effects shots overseen by FX supervisor Hajime Matsumoto
  • Trailer and image galleries