The Arrow Thread

[Demdike@Cult Labs]

The Man from UNCLE is one poor film. It may not be Ritchie's worst film but it's not far off.

A pretty poor slate all round although the Mastorakis box set might be of interest in a sale.

[Susan Foreman]

NEW UK TITLE: 'Loop Track' (2023) - Limited Edition Blu-ray pre-order available from Arrow Films direct - UK$18:00

Release date: July 8

"Writer-director and actor Tom Sainsbury, known for his comedic flair in such works as Wellington Paranormal and Guns Akimbo, shows his hidden passion for thrillers and human drama with Loop Track, his latest collaboration with Chillbox Creative which promises an electrifying journey into the unknown.

Highly anxious Ian Thompson (Sainsbury) sets off on a solo trek in the New Zealand bush for some respite from the stress of everyday life. His plans for uninterrupted solitude are scuppered however, when he encounters Nicky (Hayden J Weal) and other hikers, only exacerbating his paranoia. As Ian's grip on reality weakens, he becomes convinced they are being followed. Miles from civilisation, their journey turns into a fight for survival as Ian's fears manifest into a surreal battle against an unseen threat lurking in the wilderness. Is it all just in his head? Or is someone, or something, really out there?

Having already triumphed twice in the challenging 48Hours film competition, Tom Sainsbury delivers a gripping and tense psychological thriller that deftly explores the subjects of isolation and paranoia. Intertwining thrilling scares with moments of off-kilter humour, Loop Track is an unforgettable experience that lingers in the mind well beyond the closing credits."
Special Features:

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
• Original stereo audio and 5.1 surround audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• New audio commentary with director, writer and lead actor Tom Sainsbury alongside producer and editor Gabriel Lunte
• The Story, director and writer Tom Sainsbury introduces the story behind Loop Track
• Tom's vision, director and writer Tom Sainsbury discusses where the idea behind the film came from
• Origins of the Film, the producers of the film discuss the origins of the film following their short film (Time) Travel Centre
• Characters and the Cast, Tom Sainsbury introduces the cast
• The Creature, featurette detailing how The Creature came to be
• Production, the crew discuss the feature production
• Cinematography, producer and Director of Photography Milon Tesiram discusses the look of the film
• Original Score, composer Mike Newport discusses the score
• The Hut, featurette on the construction and design of the cabin
• Eyers Forest Park Promo, promotional video for the Eyers Forest Park trails
• (Time) Travel Centre, Tom Sainsbury's 2016 short film, winner of the 48Hours Film Festival
• Image gallery
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by film critic and author Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, director's notes and project background

[peter alex]

they are releasing the last starfighter in 4k UHD and a separate Blu-ray but its a shame its not the same release as the US version cause there is 4 special features missing one is the commentary from 1999 two makings of and the image galleries.

[J Harker]

Interested in the Mastorakis set. And definitely in for The Last Starfighter.

Sent from my SM-G780G using Tapatalk

[Susan Foreman]

NEW UK TITLE: 'The Last Starfighter' (1984) - Pre-order available from Arrow Films direct for Limited Edition Blu-Ray - UK$18:00 and Limited Edition 4KUHD - UK$22.00

Release date: July 15

"Greetings Starfighter! You have been recruited by Arrow Video to experience the 1984 sci-fi classic as you've never experienced it before! Directed by Nick Castle, the man behind the Michael Myers mask in the original Halloween, The Last Starfighter tells the story Alex Rogan (Lance Guest), an arcade game whizz-kid whose wildest dreams comes true when he finds himself enlisted to fight in an interstellar war.

Now newly restored from a 4K scan of the original negative and featuring a 4.1 mix originally created for the film's 70mm, The Last Starfighter arrives loaded with exclusive and archival bonus features. Strap yourself in: the Blu-ray adventure of a lifetime is about to begin!"

Special Features:

• Brand new restoration from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative
• Uncompressed 2.0 stereo, 5.1 DTS-HD MA and 4.1 audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary with star Lance Guest and his son Jackson Guest
• Audio commentary with Mike White of The Projection Booth podcast
• Maggie's Memories: Revisiting The Last Starfighter - interview with actor Catherine Mary Stewart
• Into the Starscape: Composing The Last Starfighter - interview with composer Craig Safan
• Incredible Odds: Writing The Last Starfighter - interview with screenwriter Jonathan Betuel
• Interstellar Hit-Beast: Creating the Special Effects - interview with special effects supervisor Kevin Pike
• Excalibur Test: Inside Digital Productions - interview with sci-fi author Greg Bear on Digital Productions, the company responsible for the CGI in The Last Starfighter
• Greetings Starfighter! Inside the Arcade Game - interview with arcade game collector Estil Vance on reconstructing the Starfighter game
• Theatrical and teaser trailers
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Ferguson
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing by Amanda Reyes and sci-fi author Greg Bear's Omni magazine article on Digital Productions, the company responsible for the CGI in The Last Starfighter
• Limited Edition slipcover featuring newly commissioned artwork by Matt Ferguson

[Susan Foreman]

NEW UK, US & CAN TITLE: The Nico Mastorakis Collection - Limited edition Blu-Ray available from Arrow Films Direct - UK$45.00

Release date: July 29

"He's back! One of the most infamous B-movie maestros to have ever sat in a director's chair, Nico Mastorakis returns to Arrow Video with a collection of sci-fi shenanigans and screwball comedies that will take you out of this world!

First up, Nico then shows a more thoughtful side in The Time Traveller, where the widow (Adrienne Barbeau, The Fog) of an astronaut and her young son come across a mysterious man (Kier Dullea, 2001: A Space Odyssey) with uncanny powers on a beach in Greece. The wacky Sky High sees three American jocks on holiday in Greece being handed a tape by a mysterious figure, who begs them to not let it fall into the wrong hands before being shot by an unseen assassin. Featuring an early score from the great Hans Zimmer, Terminal Exposure focuses on two carefree beach photographers, who accidentally photograph a murder and immediately set after the assassin: a tall, gorgeous blonde with a rose tattoo on her behind. Glitch! sees two bumbling burglars whose attempt to throw the house party of the century in the luxury home of a Hollywood producer is foiled by a group of mobsters determined to collect what the producer owes them - no matter what. Take a martial arts school, throw in a snotty rich kid, a clumsy geek, a paranoid survivalist, two beach joggers, a cool secret agent and a mime, and you get Ninja Academy, a madcap karate comedy like no other starring Gerald Okamura (Big Trouble in Little China). Finally, in The Naked Truth, Mastorakis pays homage to a certain Billy Wilder film when two friends decide to pass as women and pose as makeup artists for a local beauty pageant to elude a vicious mafia boss. It seems like the perfect cover, until the mafioso gets the hots for one of them!

Zany, shocking and unhinged, Nico Mastorakis offers a satirical and sardonic skewering of American cinema with a chutzpah that must be seen to be believed!"

Special Features:

• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations
• Original stereo and 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio sound
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
• Nico's Self Interviews, six brand new interviews with writer, director and producer Nico Mastorakis where he looks back on how the films in this collection came to be, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and cast and crew interviews
• Dan Hirsch: A Revealing Self-Interview, a brand new interview with the star of Sky High Dan Hirsch looking back on his role in the film
• Gerald Okamura, Ninja Academy's "Chiba" Remembers, a brand new interview with Gerald Okamura, looking back on his role as Chiba in Ninja Academy, and his career as an actor and martial artist
• Original trailers for each film
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the career Nico Mastorakis by critic Barry Forshaw
• Limited Edition Deluxe packaging with reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch

ONE OF THE FILMS IN THIS BOXSET CONTAINS A SEQUENCE OF FLASHING LIGHTS WHICH MIGHT AFFECT CUSTOMERS WHO ARE SUSCEPTIBLE TO PHOTOSENSITIVE EPILEPSY

[Susan Foreman]

NEW UK, US & CAN TITLE: The Man from U.N.C.L.E (2015) - Pre-order available from Arrow Films direct for Limited Edition Blu-Ray - UK$18:00 and Limited Edition 4KUHD - UK$22.00

Release date: July 29

"With Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, director Guy Ritchie established himself as a master of bravura set pieces and buddy movie banter, before proving he could successfully meld the irreverent spirit with classic properties in his Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Now, Ritchie brings his signature touch to his big-screen translation of the beloved 1960s television spy show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

1963: in the thick of the Cold War, roguish CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill, Mission: Impossible - Fallout) forms an uneasy alliance with brooding KGB officer Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer, Call Me by Your Name) to thwart a criminal organisation with apocalyptic intentions. The rebellious daughter of a missing nuclear scientist (Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina) is their only ticket inside the sinister ring - but to whom is she truly loyal? A desperate race against time will determine whether the scientist's atomic research will shatter the delicate balance of power in the world.

A thrilling spy romp with rich period detail and an infectious soundtrack of cool pop classics, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. puts a colourful, contemporary twist on 1960s espionage and delivers pure entertainment with swaggering ease."

Special Features:

• Original lossless Dolby Atmos sound
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Brand new audio commentary by critics Bryan Reesman and Max Evry
• The Hollywood Way - brand new interview with co-writer/producer Lionel Wigram
• A Lineage of Bad Guys - brand new interview with actor Luca Calvani
• Legacy of U.N.C.L.E. - brand new featurette celebrating the original 1960s TV series and its influence on the 2015 movie, featuring Helen McCarthy, David Flint and Vic Pratt
• Cockneys and Robbers - brand new featurette exploring director Guy Ritchie's oeuvre, featuring Kat Hughes, Hannah Strong and Josh Saco
• Spy Vision: Recreating 60s Cool, A Higher Class of Hero, Metisse Motorcycles: Proper and Very British, The Guys from U.N.C.L.E. and A Man of Extraordinary Talents - five archival featurettes exploring the making of the film
• U.N.C.L.E.: On-Set Spy - four archival, bite-sized featurettes going behind the scenes on the film set
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
• Double-sided fold-out poster, featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative
• Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Barry Forshaw, and a reprinted article from CODEX Magazine on the film's cinematography
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dare Creative

[Susan Foreman]

NEW US & CAN TITLE: Red Line 7000 (1965) - Pre-order available from Arrow US for limited edition Blu-Ray - US$28.00

Release date: July 30

"MEET THE SPEED BREED!

Hollywood legend Howard Hawks (The Big Sleep, Rio Bravo) floors the accelerator in Red Line 7000, a late career treat that gave James Caan (The Godfather, Rollerball) his first starring role and would later be an influence on Quentin Tarantino.

Overnight fame, overnight fortune, and any-night girls, the men of Banjo Baker?s racing team press ?em all to the limit in this story of three ambitious young drivers trying to make their names in the thrilling world of stock-car racing. It?s a dangerous life for the drivers and the women who love them. In the red zone beyond 7000 RPM the engine might blow, but it?s the only way to win.

Shot by Milton R. Krasner (All About Eve) with a screenplay by George Kirgo (Spinout) and a supporting cast that includes Charlene Holt (El Dorado), Marianna Hill (High Plains Drifter), and a pre-Star Trek George Takei, Red Line 7000 features pulse-pounding scenes of real life racing and crashes that will take your breath away."

Special features:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless mono audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Audio commentary by Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman
• Bruce Kessler: Man in Motion, a new interview with assistant director Bruce Kessler
• Gas, Gears, Girls, Guys & Death, a new visual essay on the film by filmmaker and critic Howard S. Berger
• A Modern Type of Woman, a new visual essay on the "Hawksian Woman" in Red Line 7000 by film scholar Kat Ellinger
• Image gallery of posters, lobby cards, and stills
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
• Double-sided foldout poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
• Illustrated collector's booklet containing new writing by film critic Martyn Conterio

[Susan Foreman]

3 things available in this weeks spotlight deal

'Shaw Brothers Presents | Four Films By Chang Cheh Blu-ray set - UK$18.00...

...'Shaw Brothers Presents | The Basher Box Blu-ray set - UK$18.00...

...and Shaw Brothers Presents | Four Films By Lau Kar-Leung - UK$18.00

Deal live until Monday 29th April or whilst stocks last.

[Dave]

Pleasantly surprised by the Mastorakis set. When I first saw it I immediately thought it was another one of their repackaging jobs (given their track record).