This August, Arrow Video presents special editions of key films by two giants of cinema: the UK Blu-ray debut of a controversial crime classic from 1980, and a Korean masterwork in a highly-collectable three disc edition. As well as featuring pristine restorations and unmissable extras, the releases are beautifully packaged with new artwork and specially commissioned writing.

First up is Cruising, directed by Academy Award-winner William Friedkin (The Exorcist, The French Connection) with Oscar-winner Al Pacino as an undercover cop pitched into New York’s seedy underbelly. Available for the first time on Blu-ray in a brand new director-approved 4k restoration, with a remastered soundtrack and a host of extras, the film has never looked better, and packs as much of a punch now as when it debuted in 1980.

Then there is Park Chan-wook’s brutal, lyrical modern classic of the revenge genre, Oldboy, often cited as one of the best films of the 2000s and possibly the definitive example of extreme Asian cinema. The masterpiece has been newly mastered in 4K and is presented here in a stunning limited edition three-disc set with a massive array of extras including the feature-length documentary Old Days, three hours of bonus interviews, and a 100 page hardbound book and a fold out poster; there is also a two-disc set bursting at the seams with extras, and a standard DVD version. 

Cruising (1980) | Blu-ray | 19 August 2019 | £24.99

Academy Award-winner William Friedkin directs Al Pacino as an undercover cop pitched into New York’s seedy underbelly in Cruising – available for the first time on Blu-ray in a brand new director-approved transfer.

New York is caught in the grip of a sadistic serial killer who is preying on the patrons of the city’s underground bars. Captain Edelson (Paul Sorvino) tasks young rookie Steve Burns (Pacino) with infiltrating the S&M subculture to try and lure the killer out of the shadows – but as he immerses himself deeper and deeper into the underworld, Steve risks losing his own identity in the process.

Taking the premise and title from reporter Gerald Walker’s novel, Cruising was the subject of great controversy at the time of its release and remains a challenging and remarkable movie to this day, with Pacino’s haunted lead performance as its magnetic centrepiece. 

Director-approved Special Edition contents:

• Brand new restoration from a 4K scan of the original camera negative supervised and approved by writer-director William Friedkin
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Newly remastered 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio supervised by William Friedkin
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Archival audio commentary by William Friedkin
• The History of Cruising – archival featurette looking at the film’s origins and production
• Exorcising Cruising – archival featurette looking at the controversy surrounding the film and its enduring legacy
• Original theatrical trailer

Oldboy (2003) | Limited Edition Blu-ray and DVD | 26 August 2019 | £34.99 (3-disc Blu-ray), £24.99 (2-disc Blu-ray), £15.99 (DVD)

Often cited as one of the best films of the 2000s and possibly the definitive example of extreme Asian cinema, Oldboy is a brutal, lyrical modern classic of the revenge genre.

Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, the film tells the horrific tale of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a businessman who is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned in a grim hotel room-like cell for 15 years, without knowing his captor or the reason for his incarceration. Eventually released, he learns of his wife’s murder and embarks on a quest for revenge whilst also striking up a romance with a young, attractive sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung). He eventually finds his tormentor, but their final encounter will yield yet more unimaginable horrors...

Directed with immense flair by Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden) as the second instalment of his Vengeance Trilogy, Oldboy blazed a trail at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival where it was lauded by the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. The film went on to become a huge international smash, blowing audiences minds with its concoction of filmmaking virtuosity, ingenious plotting, violence and pathos. Now, this masterpiece has been newly mastered in 4K and is presented here in a three-disc set with a massive array of extras including the feature-length documentary Old Days, and three hours of bonus interviews.

3-disc Limited Edition contents:

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by director Park Chan-wook
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo
• Original Korean and English soundtracks
• Music and effects track
• Newly translated, optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Korean soundtrack
• Audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook
• Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon
• Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook, and actors Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung
• Audio commentary by Film critic Shin Hyung-chul
• Audio commentary by Film critic Kim Young-jin
• Old Days: An Oldboy Story, acclaimed feature-length 2016 documentary about Park Chan-wook's masterpiece
• Old Days Interviews: Looking Back on the Days of Oldboy, Over three hours of extensive recently film interviews with the film’s cast and crew
• New introduction to the film by director Park Chan-wook
• Film Critics on Oldboy, featurette with Oh Dong-jin, Lee Dong-jin, Darcy Paquet and Chris Fujiwara
• Filmmakers on Oldboy, featurette with directors Kim Jee-woon and Ryoo Seung-wan
• Photographer of Time, an interview with stills photographer Han Se-jun
• Autobiography of Oldboy, a three-and-a-half-hour video diary of the making of Oldboy
• Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
• Behind the scenes featurettes
• Extensive cast and crew interviews
• The Making of Oldboy, lengthy two-part featurette on the film’s production
• Le Grand Prix at Cannes, featurette about the film’s success at the 2004 film festival
• Bring My Love music video by Starsailor, using clips of the film
• Trailers, teasers and TV spots
• Image gallery
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Limited edition 100-page hardbound book featuring new writing by Simon Abrams, Kat Ellinger, and original reviews
• Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Matt Ryan Tobin

2-disc Special Edition contents:

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by director Park Chan-wook
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo
• Original Korean and English soundtracks
• Music and effects track
• Newly translated, optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Korean soundtrack
• Audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook
• Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon
• Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook, and actors Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung
• Audio commentary by Film critic Shin Hyung-chul
• Audio commentary by Film critic Kim Young-jin
• Old Days: An Oldboy Story, acclaimed feature-length 2016 documentary about Park Chan-wook's masterpiece
• Old Days Interviews: Looking Back on the Days of Oldboy, Over three hours of extensive recently film interviews with the film’s cast and crew
• New introduction to the film by director Park Chan-wook
• Film Critics on Oldboy, featurette with Oh Dong-jin, Lee Dong-jin, Darcy Paquet and Chris Fujiwara
• Filmmakers on Oldboy, featurette with directors Kim Jee-woon and Ryoo Seung-wan
• Photographer of Time, an interview with stills photographer Han Se-jun
• Autobiography of Oldboy, a three-and-a-half-hour video diary of the making of Oldboy
• Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
• Behind the scenes featurettes
• Extensive cast and crew interviews
• The Making of Oldboy, lengthy two-part featurette on the film’s production
• Le Grand Prix at Cannes, featurette about the film’s success at the 2004 film festival
• Bring My Love music video by Starsailor, using clips of the film
• Trailers, teasers and TV spots
• Image gallery
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Justin Erickson
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully illustrated collectors’ booklet with full credits and with new writing by Simon Abrams

DVD Special Edition contents:

• Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by director Park Chan-wook
• Standard definition presentation
• Original 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 stereo
• Original Korean and English soundtracks
• Music and effects track
• Newly translated, optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Korean soundtrack
• Audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook
• Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon
• Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook, and actors Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung
• Audio commentary by Film critic Shin Hyung-chul
• Audio commentary by Film critic Kim Young-jin
• New introduction to the film by director Park Chan-wook
• Film Critics on Oldboy, featurette with Oh Dong-jin, Lee Dong-jin, Darcy Paquet and Chris Fujiwara
• Filmmakers on Oldboy, featurette with directors Kim Jee-woon and Ryoo Seung-wan
• Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
• Behind the scenes featurettes
• Extensive cast and crew interviews
• The Making of Oldboy, lengthy two-part featurette on the film’s production
• Le Grand Prix at Cannes, featurette about the film’s success at the 2004 film festival
• Bring My Love music video by Starsailor, using clips of the film
• Trailers, teasers and TV spots
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Justin Erickson