In February, Arrow Video send a wonderful Valentine to genre film fans, with an acclaimed new indie horror, the Blu-ray debut of a cult slasher, and, a bells and whistles release of a classic J-horror trilogy. As usual, the films are pristine, and the extras include exclusive interviews, commentaries, video essays, archival documentaries and rare trailers, all beautifully packaged with brand new, striking artwork, and collector’s booklets.
First off is Daniel Isn’t Real, director Adam Egypt Mortimer’s (Some Kind of Hate) darkly twisted take on the “imaginary best friend” concept, that Kim Newman says is “one of the year’s most disturbing out-and-out horror films”. Featuring star-making turns from Miles Robbins (Halloween 2018), and Patrick Schwarzenegger (Midnight Sun), and co-starring Sasha Lane (American Honey) and Mary Stuart Masterson (Skin), Daniel Isn’t Real is a visually stunning and thought-provoking, and one of the most unique and captivating independent horror movies of recent years.
Also in February, Arrow release Deadly Manor, from the late master of Spanish macabre José Ramón Larraz (Edge of the Axe, Vampyres), one of the genre’s most unheralded filmmakers. The last in a trio of transcontinental slice-and-dice co-productions helmed by Larraz towards the end of the 80s, Deadly Manor is a fitting capper to the director’s prolific career in fear, now finally unearthed for the first time on Blu-ray in a brand new 2K restoration.
Finally, the One Missed Call Trilogy – an iconic trio of J-horror films on Blu-ray for the first time. Tapping into the same brand of terror as the Ringu and Grudge movies, visionary director Takashi Miike (Audition, Blade of the Immortal) presents a modern, high-tech twist on that mainstay of Japanese folklore, the yurei or vengeful spirit, in the form of its own iconic antihero – the terrifying Mimiko. This lavish collection from Arrow Video gathers together the original trilogy – with the third instalment making its UK debut – and a swathe of in-depth bonus features for the ultimate spine-tingling experience.
DANIEL ISN'T REAL (2019) | Blu-ray | 10 February 2020 | £19.99
Childhood wonderment meets the horror of the adult world in Daniel Isn’t Real, director Adam Egypt Mortimer’s darkly twisted take on the “imaginary best friend” concept, critically acclaimed as “one of the year’s most disturbing out-and-out horror films.” (Kim Newman).
Luke Nightingale, a lonely young boy with an emotionally unstable mother, invents a friend named Daniel who leads them both into a world of fantasy and imagination. After Daniel tricks Luke into doing something terrible, Luke is forced to banish him to the bottom of his subconscious. Twelve years later, Luke (Miles Robbins), now a college freshman, brings Daniel (Patrick Schwarzenegger) back – and he now appears as a charming, manipulative young man with a terrifying secret agenda.
Featuring star-making turns from a young cast, and co-starring Sasha Lane and Mary Stuart Masterson, Daniel Isn’t Real is a visually stunning, thought-provoking exploration of mental illness, entitlement and childhood trauma, perfectly tailored for our troubled times, and one of the most unique and captivating independent horror movies of recent years.
Blu-ray Special Edition 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
- New audio commentary by co-writer/director Adam Egypt Mortimer, exclusive to this release
- Beyond the Garden of Earthly Delights, an exclusive video essay on the film and its themes by author and critic Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
- Deleted scenes
- Alternate ending
- Cinema of Anxiety, an exclusive video interview with Adam Egypt Mortimer
- FrightFest premiere introduction and Q&A
- FrightFest TV interviews with Adam Egypt Mortimer
- Theatrical trailer
- Stills galleries
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Katie Rife
DEADLY MANOR (1990) | Blu-ray | 17 February 2020 | £24.99
An old, dark house... A maniac on the loose... An orgy of bloodlust! All the hallmarks of late master of Spanish macabre José Ramón Larraz (Edge of the Axe, Vampyres) are present and correct in 1990’s Deadly Manor – the final horror movie from one of the genre’s most unheralded filmmakers.
Whilst en route to a lake, a group of youngsters make an unscheduled stop-off at a remote, seemingly abandoned mansion where they plan to spend the night. But the property is full of foreboding signs - a blood-stained car wreck in the garden, coffins in the basement, scalps in the closet, and photographs of a beautiful but mysterious woman adorning every corner of the house. Before daybreak, the group will unwittingly uncover the strange and terrifying truth that lurks behind the walls of this dreadful place.
The last in a trio of transcontinental slice-and-dice co-productions helmed by Larraz towards the end of the 80s (all of which which he directed under the anglicized moniker of Joseph Braunstein), Deadly Manor – released on VHS in the US under the title Savage Lust – is a fitting capper to the director’s prolific career in fear, now finally unearthed for the first time on Blu-ray.
Special Edition Blu-ray contents:
- Brand new 2K restoration from original film elements
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
- Original uncompressed mono audio
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary with Kat Ellinger and Samm Deighan
- Newly-filmed interview with actress Jennifer Delora
- Making a Killing – a newly-filmed interview with producer Brian Smedley-Aston
- Extract from an archival interview with Jose Larraz
- Original Savage Lust VHS trailer
- Image Gallery
- Original Script and Shooting Schedule (BD-ROM content)
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Adam Rabalais
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by author John Martin
ONE MISSED CALL TRILOGY (2003-2006) | Blu-ray | 24 February 2020 | £29.99
An iconic trilogy of J-horror films comes to Blu-ray for the first time! Tapping into the same brand of terror as the Ring and Grudge movies, visionary director Takashi Miike (Audition, Blade of the Immortal) presents a modern, high-tech twist on that mainstay of Japanese folklore, the yurei or vengeful spirit, in the form of its own iconic antihero – the terrifying Mimiko.
In the first instalment in the trilogy, 2003’s One Missed Call, student Yoko (Anna Nagata, Battle Royale) receives a phone message from her future self, ending with her own death scream. Two days later, she dies in a horrific rail collision. As the mysterious phone curse spreads, claiming more young lives, Yoko’s friend Yumi (Ko Shibasaki, Battle Royale, 47 Ronin) joins forces with detective Hiroshi (Shinichi Tsutsumi, Space Battleship Yamato), whose sister met the same gruesome fate. But can they unravel the mystery before the clock runs out on the next victim – Yumi herself?
Mimiko’s curse continues to wreak bloody havoc in two sequels – 2005’s One Missed Call 2 and 2006’s One Missed Call: Final, in addition to spawning a TV series and an American remake. This lavish collection from Arrow Video gathers together the original trilogy – with the third instalment making its UK debut – and a swathe of in-depth bonus features for the ultimate spine-tingling experience.
Special Edition Blu-ray contents:
- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentations
- Lossless Japanese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and PCM 2.0 soundtracks
- Optional English subtitles
- New audio commentary on One Missed Call by Miike biographer Tom Mes
- The Making of One Missed Call, an hour-long archival documentary on the film’s production
- Archival interviews on One Missed Call with actors Ko Shibasaki, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Kazue Fukiishi, and director Takashi Miike
- Archival interview on One Missed Call with director Takashi Miike
- Archival footage from the One Missed Call premiere
- Live or Die TV special
- A Day with the Mizunuma Family
- One Missed Call alternate ending
- The Making of One Missed Call 2, a half-hour archival documentary on the film’s production
- Gomu, a short film by One Missed Call 2 director Renpei Tsukamoto
- One Missed Call 2 deleted scenes, introduced by Renpei Tsukamoto
- One Missed Call 2 music video
- The Making of One Missed Call: Final, an hour-long archival documentary on the film’s production
- Maki and Meisa, an archival behind-the-scenes featurette on One Missed Call: Final with actresses Maki Horikita and Meisa Kuroki
- Behind the Scenes with Keun-Suk Jang, an archival featurette with One Missed Call: Final’s South Korean star
- The Love Story, a short film tie-in for One Missed Call: Final
- Candid Mimiko, an archival location tour with the series’ iconic villain
- Theatrical trailers and TV spots
- Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the films by Anton Bitel
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