A SPELLBINDING DRAMA, CULT CHILLERS AND A BLACK COMEDY IN 4K UHD
In June, gather around the campfire, and hear a creepy tale of gruesome horror as Arrow Video releases Madman on Limited Edition 4K UHD. Inspired by the same Cropsey urban legend which informed 1981’s The Burning and starring Dawn of the Dead’s Gaylen Ross (appearing under the pseudonym ‘Alexis Dubin’), Madman stands as one of the finest offerings from the golden age of hack ‘n’ slash. The release includes a 4K transfer, a feature-length documentary on the film, along with a wealth of commentaries and interviews, and comes with a reversible sleeve and an illustrated collector’s booklet.
Also in June, a cult film in the truest sense, that has also become a classic – Withnail & I, with a brand new 4K restoration on Limited Edition 4K UHD. Based on the real-life experiences of former actor turned writer/director Bruce Robinson, Withnail & I has become one of British cinema’s most fondly remembered comedies. Perfectly cast – with career-defining roles for Richard E. Grant, Paul McGann, Richard Griffiths and Ralph Brown – and crammed with irresistibly quotable dialogue, Withnail & I is a sheer delight, even on the umpteenth viewing. The release includes audio commentaries, four documentaries, and comes with a limited edition perfect bound book and a reversible sleeve. It’s the finest release available to humanity!
June sees the release of Mute Witness on Limited Edition 4K UHD and Limited Edition Blu-ray. Director Anthony Waller (The Piper, An American Werewolf in Paris) combines cat-and-mouse suspense with classic intrigue, in an updated take on the Hitchcockian thriller, in which the only witness to a brutal crime (Marina Sudina) can neither speak nor cry out in terror. Filmed on location in Moscow and co-starring Fay Ripley (Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein) and Evan Richards (Society), Mute Witness is an unpredictable, nerve-shreddingly tense viewing experience. Now fully restored in 4K and presented alongside a host of new and recently unearthed bonus materials, there has never been a better opportunity to discover – or rediscover – this gem of 90s thriller cinema. The release includes a reversible sleeve, foldout poster, and illustrated collector’s booklet.
Finally in June, Nightsiren, on Limited Edition Blu-ray. Following her 2017 debut feature Filthy, writer and director Tereza Nvotová returns with a spellbinding contemporary drama that expertly blends psychological and supernatural horror to explore the intersections of misogyny and religious zealotry. Nvotová has created a captivating cinematic experience which has wowed audiences and critics alike on the international festival circuit, including Locarno where it won the Golden Leopard – Filmmakers of the Present award. Beguiling and atmospheric, Nightsiren is a superb effort from one of the most exciting new voices in cinema. The Blu-ray includes a new commentary and video essays, and comes with a reversible sleeve, fold out poster, and illustrated collector’s booklet.
New Releases
Madman
Limited Edition 4K UHD 24th June
Gather around the campfire, and hear the tale of Madman Marz – an ill-tempered farmer who, one dark night, chopped up his wife and two children into pieces. When the locals learned of his heinous crimes, they exacted revenge – sinking an axe into his head and hanging him from a nearby tree. But the next day, Marz’s body was gone…
Thus the camp counsellor finishes his tale, closing with the warning never to say Marz’s name above a whisper, lest the hideously-deformed farmer comes looking for them. Naturally, the first thing that one of the young campers does is calls out Marz’s name – precipitating a terrifying night of murder, mayhem and sexy Jacuzzi vignettes!
Withnail and I
Limited Edition 4K UHD 24th June
Camden Town, the arse-end of the sixties. Two struggling, unemployed actors decide some respite is in order and so depart their miserable flat for a week in the Lake District – one that will involve rain, booze, minimal supplies, a randy bull and an even randier Uncle Monty.
Mute Witness
Limited Edition 4K UHD 10th June
Limited Edition Blu-ray 10th June
Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as “The Reaper”.
Nightsiren
Limited Edition Blu-ray 3rd June
In the wake of a tragic past, Šarlota (Natália Germáni) returns to her mountainous hometown after years of absence. After befriending Mira (Eva Mores), a spirited young herbalist, Šarlota stumbles upon the forgotten tale of an ancient witch and a wild child. Together, they embark on a quest to unearth the village’s buried secrets. But as Šarlota delves deeper into the mysteries, she becomes entangled in a web of ancient legends turned reality. Accused of witchcraft and murder by fearful villagers, she must explore the darkness at the heart of the town to clear her name and confront the shadows of her past.