Arrow Films Takes Aim at Your Wallets with Special Editions of C.H.U.D., Driller Killer, and The Initiation
Physical media may be in a decline, but in the world of cult movie collector’s edition Blu-rays, we seem to be a boom period. Since crossing the Atlantic and getting more into the American market, the UK’s Arrow Films is rapidly raising the bar, not just with their title selection but also with the amount of work they put into their special editions. Now C.H.U.D., Driller Killer, and The Initiation get the hi-def royal treatment.
When the new Vestron label announced a Blu-ray release of CHUD II: Bud the CHUD the other week, I thought it sounded like a cruel joke that the horrid name-only comedic sequel (that doesn’t even have any actual CHUD’s in it) would make it to the DVD before its superior and more notorious predecessor. “Bud” will still draw first blood, but thanks to Arrow the Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers are not staying down in the bowels of VHS/DVD anymore.
From the subterranean depths it crawls! Finally making its long-awaited debut on Blu-ray, director Douglas Cheek’s cult ‘80s favorite C.H.U.D. is the ultimate underground movie experience.
In downtown Manhattan, a police captain’s hunt for his missing wife leads to the discovery of a series of mysterious disappearances in the area. Extending his search into the tunnels and sewers below the city streets, it soon becomes clear that something monstrous is lurking in that subterranean world – and it won’t stay there much longer… Starring John Heard (Home Alone) and Christopher Curry (Starship Troopers) alongside an early appearance from John Goodman, C.H.U.D. has justifiably built up a huge cult following in the years since its release in 1984, with one of the most iconic creature designs of the period.
Arrow has announced C.H.U.D. as a North American exclusive two-disc Blu-ray/DVD release for (presumably) later this year. No street date has been announced just yet. They have, however, announced a slew of disc extras, and thank goodness it’ll be porting over the audio commentary track from the original DVD release, which is one of the funniest you will ever hear.
C.H.U.D. Special Edition contents include:
- Brand new restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary by director Douglas Cheek, writer Shepard Abbott, and actors John Heard, Daniel Stern and Christopher Curry
- Brand new crew interviews
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dan Mumford
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film
Arrow dug a little deeper for their next Blu-ray/DVD announcement, and this one is for both US and UK audiences. Larry Stewart’s 1984 sorority slasher The Initiation arrives on UK shelves November 7th with a US release date to be announced.
Marking TV star Daphne Zuniga’s debut in a leading role, The Initiation ranks amongst the finest of the college-based stalk-and-slash flicks – now finally restored in glorious High-Definition!
Kelly’s new sorority has a special initiation ritual in store for her – an after-hours break-in of her father’s department store. But what begins as a night of harmless college fun turns sour when, once inside the enormous mall, Kelly and her fellow pledges find themselves locked in for the night… with a deadly intruder stalking the corridors.
Arriving in 1984, The Initiation might have been late to the slasher party, but, alongside the likes of The House on Sorority Row and The Mutilator, it remains one of the stronger entries to emerge in the latter days of the slice-and-dice boom.
The Initiation Special Edition contents include:
- Brand new restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by The Hysteria Continues
- Brand new interview with actor Christopher Bradley
- Brand new interview with actress Joy Jones
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Justin Osbourn
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic James Oliver
But wait… Arrow’s not done. Not when Abel Ferrara’s controversial 1979 video nasty Driller Killer is getting both a UK/US Blu-ray/DVD release and a limited to 2,500 copies SteelBook special edition. The drilling begins in the UK November 28th. Again, we Americans must wait to hear when we’ll get the goods.
In a career that has encompassed such controversial classics as Ms. 45, Bad Lieutenant and Welcome to New York, none of Abel Ferrara’s films have quite managed to match the shock, extremity and downright notorious nature of The Driller Killer.
Ferrara plays struggling artist Reno, a man pushed to the edge by the economic realities of New York living in the late seventies and the No Wave band practising in the apartment below. His grip on reality soon begins to slip and he takes to stalking the streets with his power tool in search of prey…
This one is coming with dueling sets of special content depending on whether you get the SteelBook or the regular special edition.
Driller Killer Limited Edition SteelBook Edition contents include:
- Limited Edition SteelBook featuring original artwork (2500 copies)
- Brand new restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary by director and star Abel Ferrara, moderated by Brad Stevens (author of Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision) and recorded exclusively for this release
- Brand new interview with Ferrara
- Willing and Abel: Ferraraology 101, a new visual essay guide to the films and career of Ferrara by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Cultographies: Ms. 45
- Mulberry St. (2010), Ferrara’s feature-length documentary portrait of the New York location that has played a key role in his life and work
- Trailer
- Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Michael Pattison and Brad Stevens
If you’re not willing to shell out the extra bucks, you’ll just have to settle for the equally fully loaded normal dual-disc special edition.
Driller Killer Special Edition contents include:
- Brand new restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
- Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary by director and star Abel Ferrara, moderated by Brad Stevens (author of Abel Ferrara: The Moral Vision) and recorded exclusively for this release
- Brand new interview with Ferrara
- Willing and Abel: Ferraraology 101, a new visual essay guide to the films and career of Ferrara by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Cultographies: Ms. 45
- Mulberry St. (2010), Ferrara’s feature-length documentary portrait of the New York location that has played a key role in his life and work
- Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by the Twins of Evil
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Michael Pattison and Brad Stevens
AND… there’s more for UK fans only. Scream Factory already brought Philippe Mora’s Christopher Lee/Sybil Danning lycanthrope shocker to hi-def for us Yanks. On November 28th, it’s Britain’s turn to enjoy Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf in a fully loaded DVD/Blu-ray edition.
Arrow’s list of extras includes:
- Brand new digital transfer
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original Uncompressed Mono PCM audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Audio commentary with director Philippe Mora
- Audio commentary with composer Steve Parsons and editor Charles Bornstein
- Leading Man – an interview with actor Reb Brown
- Queen Of The Werewolves – an interview with actress Sybil Danning
- A Monkey Phase – interviews with special make-up effects artists Steve Johnson and Scott Wheeler
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- Alternate Opening and Alternate Ending
- Still Gallery
- Theatrical Trailer
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Blyth
And if you’re living in the UK and still not broke, Arrow also announced William Friedkin’s 1985 Matt Serafini-approved thriller To Live and Die in L.A.. Not really horror so I won’t go into details. You can find them at Arrow’s Facebook page. I’m just too exhausted at the moment to cover anything else. Whew!
Categorized:News
