On April 11th, Arrow Video releases the classic Hong Kong action/drama Heart of Dragon, directed by Sammo Hung and starring Jackie Chan. Chan and Hung’s lifelong friendship began as children at the Peking Opera School, which led to side-by-side careers spanning decades. Heart of Dragon was a box office hit and is considered one of their greatest collaborations.
Trading their patented brand of hard-hitting action and comedic hijinks for a more serious and heartrending story, Heart of Dragon tells the story of Tat (Chan), a cop who has cared for his developmentally disabled brother Dodo (Hung) for his entire life. As Tat plans to break free of his responsibilities, Dodo gets into the kind of trouble that could put Tat’s plans on hold indefinitely. The Blu-ray edition features a new 2K restoration of both the 91-minute Hong Kong Theatrical Cut and the 99-minute extended Japanese Cut via seamless branching.
Raging Force aka Heart of Dragon Original Trailer (Sammo Hung, 1985)
Also included are a new commentary track by Frank Djeng & FJ DeSanto [Extended Japanese Cut]; The Making of The First Mission and The First Mission: Pre-Release Event – featurettes made to promote the Japanese release; archival interviews with Chan, Hung, actor Rocky Lai, and cinematographer Arthur Wong; alternate English credits as The First Mission, a trailer gallery, an image gallery and reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Gilbey.
Next up, the cult horror film Lovers Lane makes its Blu-ray debut on April 25th with a new 2K restoration from a 4K scan of the original 35mm camera negative. This slasher, made during the post-Scream late 1990s boom, has the kind of biting dialog and clever kills that marked the best of that era. On the thirteenth anniversary of a Valentine’s Day massacre on Lover’s Lane, the killer dubbed “The Hook” is once again on the loose.
A terrifying series of twists and turns ensues as a high school students Chloe (Sarah Lancaster), Mandy (Erin J. Dean) and their friends (including Anna Faris in her film debut) prepare for their own Valentine’s Day celebration. The Arrow Video Blu-ray features two versions of the film: the widescreen 1.85:1 version and the full-frame 1.33:1 version. Also included is a new audio commentary with writer-producers Geof Miller and Rory Veal; Screaming Teens: The Legacy of Lovers Lane featurette; original trailers; an image gallery; and a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady.
Also being released on April 25th, The Assassination Bureau is a stylish action/adventure film based on an unfinished novel by Jack London (Call of the Wild). Set in pre-WWI Europe, Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones, The Avengers) stars as an intrepid reporter and women’s rights activist who is tasked with taking down criminal genius Ivan Dragomiloff, played by Oliver Reed (Gladiator, The Three Musketeers).
This turn-of-the-century tale from the fabled directing-producing team of Basil Dearden and Michael Relph (Sapphire, Victim) blends an Edwardian-era aesthetic with dark humor and a rip-roaring story. The Arrow Video Blu-ray includes a new audio commentary with authors Sean Hogan and Kim Newman; Right Film, Wrong Time – an appreciation by cultural historian Matthew Sweet; the original trailer; an image gallery; and a reversible sleeve featuring two original artwork choices.
