An exciting announcement from UK label, Arrow Video, with upcoming North American region-A releases for March 2021. Two science-fiction thrillers from Japan, The Invisible Man Appears (1949), The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly (1957); The Bloodhound (2020); An American Werewolf in London (1981 / Steelbook); JSA – Joint Security Area (2000).
The Invisible Man Appears (1949)
For the very first time, directors Shinsei Adachi and Shigehiro Fukushima’s little-known sci-fi thriller, The Invisible Man Appears (1949), will be released on Blu-ray
Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells’ classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal’s iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from Daiei Studios, later the home of Gamera.
In The Invisible Man Appears, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. In addition to being the earliest surviving Japanese science fiction film ever made, the film’s entertaining special effects were an early credit for the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya, five years before he first brought Godzilla to life.
Release date: March 16, 2021
Genre: Sci-fi / Horror
| Director | Shinsei Adachi, Shigehiro Fukushima |
| Cast | Chizuru Kitagawa, Takiko Mizunoe, Daijirô Natsukawa |
| Country | Japan |
| Production Year | 1949 |
| Discs | 1 Blu-ray Disc |
| Region | A |
| Run Time | 87 minutes |
| Formats | Black and white / 1.37:1 |
| Audio | Japanese |
| Subtitle | English |
| AKA | Tômei ningen arawaru |
| Studio | Arrow Video (USA) |
The Invisible Man Appears (1949)
The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly (1957)
Eight years later, Mitsuo Murayama’s exciting The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly tells the story of a series of mysterious murders where the only clue is strange buzzing noise at the scene of the crime… could this be linked to secret wartime experiments in shrinking humans to the size of insects? And can a scientist who’s just invented an invisibility ray be the one to stop it?
Release date: March 16, 2021
Genre: Sci-fi / Horror
| Director | Mitsuo Murayama |
| Cast | Ryûji Shinagawa, Yoshirô Kitahara, Junko Kanô |
| Country | Japan |
| Production Year | 1957 |
| Discs | 1 Blu-ray Disc |
| Region | A |
| Run Time | 96 minutes |
| Formats | Black and white |
| Audio | Japanese |
| Subtitle | English |
| AKA | Tômei ningen to hae otoko |
| Studio | Arrow Video (USA) |
Special features
| High Definition (1080p) transfers of both films on one Blu-ray disc |
| Original lossless Japanese mono audio on both films |
| Optional English subtitles for both films |
| Transparent Terrors, a newly filmed interview with critic and genre scholar Kim Newman on the history of the “Invisible Man” in cinema |
| Theatrical trailer for The Invisible Man Appears |
| Image galleries for both films |
| Reversible sleeve featuring new and original artwork by Graham Humphreys |
| First pressing only: Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Keith Allison, Hayley Scanlon and Tom Vincent |
The Bloodhound (2020)
Francis (Liam Aiken, A Series of Unfortunate Events), a dispossessed young man, is summoned to the secluded home of his wealthy childhood friend, JP Luret (Joe Adler, The Maze Runner), who is suffering from a mysterious affliction. Upon his arrival, Francis realizes that JP and his ethereal twin sister Vivian (Annalise Basso, Ouija: Origin of Evil) are the sole surviving members of the privileged Luret family, whose legacy has been one of depression and self-destruction, and the only occupants of their family estate. As the old friends attempt to reconnect, a number of inexplicable incidents begin to occur within the house, and Francis finds himself drawn into a world of malaise and despair, where an act of betrayal might provide his only way out…
From Leal Naim and Thomas R. Burke, producers of The Endless and Synchronic, and featuring some remarkable performances from its trio of lead actors, The Bloodhound leads you on a journey exploring themes that are as relevant to today as ever before, such as the yearning for emotional connection, the perils of social isolation and the fragility of mental health.
Those with an affinity for genre material in a cryptic, ascetic arthouse mode may fall under its chilly spell, and even those who don’t may be curious to see what this writer-director does next.
Dennis Harvey — Variety
Release date: March 23, 2021
Genre: Horror
| Director | Patrick Picard |
| Cast | Liam Aiken, Annalise Basso, Joe Adler |
| Country | USA |
| Production Year | 2020 |
| Discs | 1 Blu-ray Disc |
| Region | A |
| Run Time | 72 minutes |
| Formats | Color / 1.66:1 |
| Audio | English |
| Subtitle | English |
| Studio | Arrow Video (USA) |
Special features
| High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation |
| Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing |
| Brand new audio commentary by director Patrick Picard and editor David Scorca |
| Four experimental short films by director Patrick Picard: bad dream, the muffled hammerfall in action, the mosaic code and wiggleworm |
| On the Trail of The Bloodhound: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Chiller, exclusive 45-minute making-of featurette |
| First pressing only: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel |
The Bloodhound (2020) trailer
An American Werewolf in London (1981 / 4K Steelbook Blu-ray)
One of the greatest directors of the 1980s, John Landis (The Blues Brothers, Trading Places), expertly combines macabre horror with dark humor in the lycanthropic classic, An American Werewolf in London.
American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse (Jenny Agutter, Walkabout) to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital…
An American Werewolf in London had audiences howling with laughter and recoiling in terror upon its cinema release. Landis film has gone on to become one of the most important horror films of its decade, rightly lauded for its masterful set-pieces, uniquely unsettling atmosphere and Rick Baker s truly ground-breaking, Oscar-winning special makeup effects. Now restored and presented with an abundance of extra features, this big beast of horror can be devoured as never before.
Release date: February 23, 2021
Genre: Comedy / Horror
| Director | John Landis |
| Cast | David Naughton, Jenny Agutter, Joe Belcher |
| Country | UK / USA |
| Production Year | 1981 |
| Discs | 1 Blu-ray Disc |
| Region | A |
| Run Time | 97 minutes |
| Formats | Color / 4K / 1.85:1 |
| Audio | English |
| Subtitle | English |
| Studio | Arrow Video (USA) |
Special features
| 4K RESTORATION OF THE FILM, SUPERVISED BY JOHN LANDIS AND COMPLETED IN 2018 |
| Original uncompressed 1.0 mono and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio |
| Optional subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing |
| New audio commentary by Beware the Moon filmmaker Paul Davis |
| Audio Commentary by actors David Naughton and Griffin Dunne |
| Mark of The Beast: The Legacy of the Universal Werewolf, newly produced, feature-length documentary by filmmaker Daniel Griffith, featuring interviews with John Landis, David Naughton, Joe Dante and more |
| An American Filmmaker in London, a newly filmed interview with John Landis in which he reflects on his time working in Britain and British cinema |
| I Think He’s a Jew: The Werewolf’s Secret, new video essay by filmmaker Jon Spira (Elstree 1976) about how Landis’ film explores Jewish identity |
| The Werewolf’s Call, Corin Hardy, director of The Nun, chats with writer Simon Ward about their formative experiences with Landis’ film |
| Wares of the Wolf, new featurette in which SFX artist Dan Martin and Tim Lawes of The Prop Store look at some of the original costumes and special effects artefacts from the film |
| Beware the Moon, Paul Davis’ acclaimed, feature-length exploration of Landis’ film which boasts extensive cast and crew interviews |
| Making An American Werewolf in London, a short archival featurette on the film’s production |
| An Interview with John Landis, a lengthy archival interview with the director about the film |
| Makeup Artist Rick Baker on An American Werewolf in London, the legendary make-up artist discusses his work on the film |
| I Walked with a Werewolf, an archival interview with the make-up artist about Universal horror and its legacy of Wolfman films |
| Casting of the Hand, archival footage from Rick Baker’s workshop as they cast David Naughton’s hand |
| Outtakes |
| Original trailers, teasers and radio spots |
| Extensive image gallery featuring over 200 stills, posters and other ephemera |
| Limited edition booklet featuring writing by Craig Ian Mann and Simon Ward |
Not just gory but actually frightening, not just funny but clever, ‘American Werewolf…’ has its flaws, but these are outweighed by the film’s many, mighty strengths.
Tom Huddleston — Time Out
An American Werewolf in London (1981) trailer
JSA – Joint Security Area (2000)
Arrow Video will be releasing director Chan-Wook Park’s (Old Boy) fascinating look at war at the DMZ border, JSA – Joint Security Area (2000) on Blu-ray.
Before Oldboy, before The Handmaiden, visionary filmmaker Park Chan-wook helmed this gripping tale of deceit, misunderstanding and the senselessness of war.
Gunfire breaks out in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, leaving two North Korean soldiers dead while a wounded South Korean soldier (Lee Byung-hun, The Good, the Bad, the Weird) flees to safety. With the tenuous peace between the two warring nations on a knife-edge, a neutral team of investigators, headed by Swiss Army Major Sophie Jean (Lee Young-ae, Lady Vengeance), is dispatched to question both sides to determine what really happened under cover of darkness out in no-man’s land.
The recipient of multiple accolades, including Best Film at South Korea’s 2001 Grand Bell Awards, JSA – Joint Security Area showcases Park’s iconic style in an embryonic form, and demonstrates that humanity and common purpose can be found in the most unlikely places.
Quentin Tarantino considers this one of the top 20 films made since 1992.
Release date: January 19, 2021
Genre: Drama / Thriller
| Director | Chan-wook Park |
| Cast | Lee Yeong-ae, Lee Byung-Hun, Song Kang-Ho |
| Country | South Korea |
| Production Year | 2000 |
| Discs | 1 Blu-ray Disc |
| Region | A |
| Run Time | 109 minutes |
| Formats | Color / 2.35:1 |
| Audio | Korean |
| Subtitle | English |
| Studio | Arrow Video (USA) |
Special features
| High Definition Blu-ray™ (1080p) presentation |
| Original lossless Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo soundtracks |
| Optional English subtitles |
| New audio commentary by writer and critic Simon Ward |
| Isolated music and effects track |
| Newly recorded video interview with Asian cinema expert Jasper Sharp |
| The JSA Story and Making the Film, two archival featurettes on the film’s production |
| About JSA, a series of archival introductions to the film by members of the cast |
| Behind the scenes montage |
| Opening ceremony footage |
| Two music videos: Letter from a Private and Take the Power Back |
| Theatrical trailer |
| TV spot |
| Image gallery |
| Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch |
Park Chan-wook presents the general atmosphere and the depiction of the conditions in one of the most unstable areas in the world with realism, but without failing to entertain in equal proportion, particularly through some comedic moments
Panos Kotzathanasis — Asian Movie Pulse
JSA – Joint Security Area (2000) trailer
