On March 7th, Arrow releases an important predecessor of Dario Argento’s Suspiria, director Narciso Ibáñez Serrador’s Spanish horror classic The House that Screamed, fully restored to the director’s full-length version.
The story focuses on the newest student to a strict 19th century boarding school for young wayward women, Thérèse (Cristina Galbó), who instantly begins to feel unwelcome upon her arrival. Adapting to an environment where her classmates bully her and the headmistress (Lilli Palmer) and her protégé (Mary Maude) offer strict and sadistic punishment, there is also the mysterious disappearance of her fellow students to contend with.
Watch The House That Screamed Trailer
The Blu-Ray edition of The House That Screamed features an all-new 2K restoration from the original negative presented in two versions: the 105-minute uncut version, and the 94-minute US theatrical version. Also included on this disc are a new audio commentary by critic Anna Bogutskaya; interviews with actor John Moulder-Brown and Mary Maude, screenwriter Juan Tébar, the director’s son Alejandro Ibáñez, and Spanish horror expert Dr Antonio Lázaro-Reboll; alternative footage from the original Spanish theatrical version, trailers, TV and radio spots, an image gallery and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch.
Next up on March 28th, Arrow scores a dramatic touchdown with a film that Rotten Tomatoes calls “a smart, tense thriller,” director John Frankenheimer’s Black Sunday. Based on the best-selling debut novel from Thomas Harris (Silence of the Lambs), the film pits an Israeli agent (Robert Shaw) against a vengeful Vietnam vet-turned-terrorist (Bruce Dern), who plans to detonate a bomb-laden blimp over the biggest sporting event of all…Super Bowl X! Methodical, exacting, intelligent and meticulously produced, Frankenheimer’s film had a major influence on filmmaker Quentin Tarantino (Kill Bill) and on films such as Die Hard.
Watch Black Sunday Trailer
The Blu-Ray presentation features the original restored mono audio for the first time in high definition, and includes a new audio commentary by film scholar Josh Nelson, a visual essay by critic Sergio Angelini, The Directors: John Frankenheimer – an hour-long TV program about the director’s career, an image gallery and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain.
Also on March 28th, Arrow delivers the action-packed cult classic Knockabout, a film “filled to the brim and overflowing with martial arts action,” (City on Fire). Directed by and starring Sammo Hung, the film notably gave acrobat/actor Yuen Biao his first leading role. “Featuring one of the greatest action finales in the history of Hong Kong cinema,” (Gary Tooze, DVD Beaver), Knockabout tells the story of two con men brothers Yipao (Yuen Biao) and Taipao (Bryan Leung), who realize that their most recent target, Silver Fox (Lau Kar Wing), is a martial arts master who then reluctantly agrees to train them.
Watch Knockabout Trailer
Arrow’s Blu-Ray presentation features 2K restorations from the original elements of both the original HK theatrical cut and the shorter export cut. Also included on the disc are two commentary tracks by martial arts cinema experts Frank Djeng & Michael Worth, and Mike Leeder & Arne Venema; interviews with director Sammo Hung, actor Bryan “Beardy” Leung Kar-Yan, and Grandmaster Chan Sau Chang; a deleted “Red Room” scene, featuring stars Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung in a teaser promo for the film’s Japanese release; original theatrical trailer, and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady.
