Arrow Academy’s December Blu-ray releases are a duo of arthouse gems from two formidable cinematic auteurs. The films are presented in pristine High Definition, and the extras include new audio commentaries, video interviews, archival documentaries, new artwork, and collector’s booklets, making these ideal stocking stuffers for ardent cineastes.

Two lovers from very different walks of life collide in Model Shop, the first film by French New Wave luminary Jacques Demy to be shot in the United States, and a zeitgeist-capturing portrait of the late 1960s. Starring Anouk Aimée, reprising her eponymous role from Demy’s 1961 film, this dreamy, devastating love story, dismissed as a minor entry in Demy’s canon at the time of its original release, later made Sight & Sound’s list of “hidden gems” that had been unduly overlooked.

Also in December Arrow Academy release Limits of Control, from Jim Jarmusch, the celebrated director behind such classics as Down by Law and Dead Man. Eschewing his usual American landscapes in favour of a variety of locations throughout urban and rural Spain, his 2009 anti-thriller remains one of his most alluring and multi-layered creations.

Model Shop (1969) | Blu-ray | 2 December 2019 | £24.99

Two lovers from very different walks of life collide in Model Shop, the first film by French New Wave luminary Jacques Demy (Bay of Angels, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg) to be shot in the United States and a zeitgeist-capturing portrait of the late 1960s.

Los Angeles architect George Matthews (Gary Lockwood, 2001: A Space Odyssey) is down on his luck. Unemployed, broke and facing imminent deployment to Vietnam, he suddenly and unexpectedly finds himself transfixed by the captivating Lola (Anouk Aimée, reprising her eponymous role from Demy’s 1961 film), a pin-up who works in a low rent “model shop” specialising in erotic photographs. After spending his last $12 to photograph her, George realises they are kindred spirits, both adrift and without hope in the City of Angels, and, during a night of drinking and lovemaking at Lola’s apartment, he forges a connection with the damaged woman that will have lasting consequences for them both…

Dismissed as a minor entry in Demy’s canon at the time of its original release, Model Shop later made Sight & Sound’s list of “hidden gems” that had been unduly overlooked. Replete with Demy’s sharp-eyed observations on the human condition and showcasing a masterfully realised sense of both time and place, Demy’s American debut is a dreamy, devastating love story about a city and characters at a crossroads between the past and the future.

Special Edition Blu-ray contents:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of a 2K restoration of the film
• Original lossless mono soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Isolated music and effects track
• New audio commentary by actress and writer Illeana Douglas, author of I Blame Dennis Hopper: And Other Stories from a Life Lived In and Out of the Movies
• A City Full of Poetry, a new video appreciation by author and critic Philip Kemp
• Alternate French-language opening and closing titles
• Theatrical trailer
• TV spots
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ignatius Fitzpatrick
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Neil Mitchell

The Limits of Control (2009) | Blu-ray | 9 December 2019 | £24.99

When it comes to American independent cinema, there’s no one quite like Jim Jarmusch, the celebrated auteur behind such classics as Stranger Than Paradise and Only Lovers Left Alive. Eschewing his usual American landscapes in favour of a variety of locations throughout urban and rural Spain, his 2009 anti-thriller The Limits of Control remains one of his most alluring and multi-layered creations.

An enigmatic loner (Isaach de Bankolé, Black Panther, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai) arrives in Spain, instructed to make contact with a series of strangers in different locations throughout the country, each of whom provides a cryptic clue which propels him further towards his mysterious goal. But who is the Lone Man? Why is he here? And how does the recurring figure of an alluring femme fatale (Paz de la Huerta, Enter the Void) fit into the puzzle?

Boasting stunning cinematography by the award-winning Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love) and featuring cameos from an array of celebrated character actors, including Tilda Swinton (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También) and the late John Hurt (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), The Limits of Control is a languid, hauntingly beautiful film that combines the best of American and European arthouse sensibilities.

Special Edition Blu-ray contents:

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original lossless DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and PCM 2.0 stereo soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• An American in Europe, a new video interview with Geoff Andrew, author of Stranger Than Paradise: Maverick Film-Makers in Recent American Cinema
• The Rituals of Control, a new video essay on the film by author and critic Amy Simmons
• Behind Jim Jarmusch, an archival documentary on the making of the film
• Untitled Landscapes, an archival featurette showcasing the film’s locations
• Theatrical trailer
• Reversible sleeve featuring two choices of artwork