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A 90s action thriller classic, an F/X double, a V-Cinema set and more from Arrow in April

1 February 2025

Arrow has announced its April Blu-ray and UHD titles, and aside from the already reported UHD and Blu-ray release of Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy (for more info on that one, click here), we have Booger, Mary Dauterman's unflinching exploration of grief, identity and resilience with a darkly comic edge on Limited Edition Blu-ray; a double feature pack of hit thrillers F/X: Murder by Illusion and F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion on Limited Edition Blu-ray; V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal, a collection of some of the best the Japanese crime film has to offer on Limited Edition Blu-ray; and action blockbuster The Long Kiss Goodnight starring Geena Davis and written by The Nice Guys' Shane Black, on Limited Edition UHD.

 

Booger Blu-ray Limited Edition pack shot

BOOGER (USA 2023)

Limited Edition Blu-ray | 7 April 2025 | £24.99

Multi-talented director Mary Dauterman weaves humour and heartbreak in Booger, an unflinching exploration of grief, identity and resilience with a darkly comic edge that lingers long after the credits roll.

Anna, a young New Yorker, is consumed with overwhelming grief after the sudden death of her best friend and roommate, Izzy. Struggling to cope, Anna becomes fixated on finding Booger, the stray cat she and Izzy took in together. When she finally tracks the cat down, an unexpected bite to the hand triggers a bizarre and unsettling transformation, causing Anna to gradually take on more feline characteristics.

With a unique blend of horror, humour and heart, Booger transforms the mundane into the macabre, delivering a deeply human exploration of love, loss, and the strange ways we cope with pain.

LIMITED EDITION BLU-RAY CONTENTS:

  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation 
  • Original DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing 
  • A Different Breed of Female Feline, a new video essay by film critic Kat Hughes
  • Curiosity Kills: A History of the Cat and Death, a new video essay by writer Alexandra West 
  • Trailer
  • Image galleries
  • Illustrated collector's booklet featuring writing by Becky Darke and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas 
  • Reversible sleeve featuring newly commissioned and previously unreleased artwork by Rose Whittaker and Aleksandra Waliszewska

 

F/X and F/X 2: The Grand Illusion Blu-ray pack shot

F/X & FX 2: THE GRAND ILLUSION (USA 1986/1991)

Limited Edition Blu-ray | 14 April 2025 | £29.99

In the 1980s special make-up effects artists became stars, pushing the boundaries of what could be shown on screen as audiences around the world reacted with shock and delight. No surprise then that sooner or later they'd get a movie that made them the hero.

In F/X: Murder by Illusion, Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) is a special effects genius approached by the Department of Justice to fake the death of a gangster about to turn state's evidence. But all is not as it seems. Now someone is trying to kill Rollie, and grizzled cop Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy) suspects him of murder. Unable to turn to the police, Rollie goes on the run with only his wits and his special effects expertise to save him. F/X was a smash-hit and a sequel was inevitable. Under the auspices of ace Australian director Richard Franklin (Psycho II), F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion sees Rollie convinced, against his better judgement, to once again use his expertise beyond the silver screen, this time helping to trap a murderer as part of an NYPD sting. When lightning strikes twice and things go wrong, Rollie, his girlfriend Kim (Rachel Ticotin) and her young son Chris are all plunged into danger; only with Leo's help can Rollie keep them safe.

Beloved by a generation of movie fans and featuring two of the most charismatic character actors ever to grace the screen, in Brown and Dennehy, F/X and F/X 2 are the kind of charming action-thrillers they just don't seem to be making anymore. Step back into a world of grande illusions!

2-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:

  • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of F/X and F/X 2
  • Original lossless stereo audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • 60-page perfect bound collector's book featuring new writing by film critics Guy Adams, Clem Bastow, William Bibbiani and Priscilla Page
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh 
  • Double-sided fold out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh 
  • Stickers for the films of Rollie Tyler

DISC 1 – F/X: MURDER BY ILLUSION:

  • New commentary by film critic Mike White of the Projection Booth Podcast 
  • New commentary by Dan Martin of 13 Finger FX and filmmaker Jennifer Handorf 
  • The FX of F/X, a new interview with make-up effects supervisor Carl Fullerton 
  • F/X Illusions, a new visual essay by film critic Heather Wixson, author of Monsters, Make-up & Effects
  • Murder by Illusion, an archive interview with director Robert Mandel 
  • The Making of F/X, an archive featurette
  • Theatrical trailer 
  • Image gallery

DISC 2 - F/X 2: THE DEADLY ART OF ILLUSION:

  • New commentary by Dan Martin of 13 Finger FX and filmmaker Jen Handorf
  • Art & Illusion, a new interview with make-up effects supervisor Eric Allard 
  • F/X Magic, a new visual essay by film critic Heather Wixson, author of Monsters, Make-up & Effects 
  • The Australian Invasion, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas 
  • The Making of F/X 2, an archive featurette 
  • Behind the Scenes
  • Inside Eric Allard's Workshop
  • Theatrical trailer 
  • Image gallery

 

V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal Blu-ray pack shot

V-CINEMA ESSENTIALS: BULLETS & BETRAYAL (Japan 1989-1994)

Limited Edition Blu-ray | 28 April 2025 | £64.99

In 1989 legendary Japanese studio Toei launched their V-Cinema line of direct-to-video genre features. V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal presents nine explosive titles representing some of the best the Japanese crime film has to offer.

Fast-paced and action-packed, Crime Hunter (1989) sees detective "Joker" Kawamura out for revenge against the men who gunned down his partner. Along the way he teams up with Lily, a gun-toting nun looking to get back five million dollars that was stolen from her church. Next up, Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet (Neo chinpira: Teppodama pyu, 1990) sees wannabe yakuza Junko get more than he bargained for when tasked with avenging the murder of a fellow gang member, or face the consequences for betrayal. Meanwhile, in Shunichi Nagasaki's unbearably tense thriller Stranger (Yoru no sutorenjā kyōfu, 1991), a late-night taxi driver is stalked by the unseen driver of an SUV, who just might have a connection to the taxi driver's criminal past. In Carlos (1991), the eponymous Brazilian-Japanese petty criminal sees an opportunity to play rival yakuza gangs against each other, but bites off much more than he can chew. Burning Dog (1991) is an action-packed heist film where a gang of thieves plot to rob a US military base in Okinawa, but rising tensions in the group threaten to put the plan in jeopardy.

The sequel to one of the most iconic Japanese franchises of all time, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat (Joshuu sasori: Satsujin yokoku, 1991) sees a female assassin hired to infiltrate a women's prison and search for The Scorpion, a legendary rebellious prisoner hiding in the bowels of the prison. After his fiancée is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza turf war, a man on the edge remorselessly hunts down the gangsters responsible in legendary director Teruo Ishii's The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses (1991). Meanwhile in Danger Point: The Road to Hell (1991), a duo of contract killers' fragile partnership is tested when their most recent hit starts to have unforeseen consequences. Finally, assassin and femme fatale Shion rebels against the fanatical religious order who prepared her from birth to be the perfect killer in the pulpy XX: Beautiful Hunter (XX: Utsukushiki karyuudo, 1994).

Jam-packed with action, thrills, and double-crosses, V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal is an electrifying compendium of gems from the Japanese video underworld.

LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:

  • High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all films 
  • Original uncompressed Japanese stereo audio for all films except Crime Hunter and original uncompressed Japanese mono audio on Crime Hunter 
  • Optional newly translated English subtitles for all films 
  • Nine postcard-sized art cards 
  • Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon 
  • Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao, Hayley Scanlon, and Kat Ellinger

DISC 1 – CRIME HUNTER / NEO CHINPIRA: ZOOM GOES THE BULLET:

  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka 
  • Loose Cannon, a newly filmed interview with Crime Hunter director Shundo Okawa 
  • Zooming Out, a newly filmed interview with Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet writer-director Banmei Takahashi 
  • Crime Hunter and the Dawn of V-Cinema, a brand new video essay on Crime Hunter by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes 
  • Original trailers for both films

DISC 2 – STRANGER / CARLOS:

  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka 
  • Stranger than Fiction, a newly filmed interview with Stranger writer-director Shunichi Nagasaki 
  • From Manga to Movies, a newly filmed interview with Carlos writer-director Kazuhiro Kiuchi 
  • An Extra Round in the Chamber, a brand new video essay on Carlos by critic and Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements

DISC 3 – BURNING DOG / FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: DEATH THREAT:

  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka 
  • Fire and Ice, a brand new video essay on Burning Dog by critic and Japanese cinema expert Mark Schilling
  • Toshiharu Ikeda's Beautiful Monster of Vengeance, a brand new video essay on Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat by film historian Samm Deighan 
  • Original trailers for both films

DISC 4 – THE HITMAN: BLOOD SMELLS LIKE ROSES / DANGER POINT: THE ROAD TO HELL:

  • Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka 
  • The Versatility of Teruo Ishii, a brand new video essay on The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses and its director Teruo Ishii by Japanese cinema expert Frankie Balboa 
  • The Road to V-Cinema, a brand new video essay on Danger Point: The Road to Hell by critic and Japanese cinema expert James Balmont
  • Original trailer for The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses

DISC 5 – XX: BEAUTIFUL HUNTER:

  • Newly filmed introduction by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka 
  • The Sacred and the Profane, a newly filmed interview with screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi 
  • They Brought Back the Sleaze, a brand new video essay on XX: Beautiful Hunter by critic and Japanese cinema expert Patrick Macias 
  • Original trailer

 

The Long Kiss Goodnight Blu-ray pack shot

THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT (USA 1996)

Limited Edition 4K UHD | 7 April 2025 | £29.99

From screenwriter Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Nice Guys) and director Renny Harlin (Die Hard 2, Cliffhanger) comes ass-kicking action thriller The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Eight years ago, Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) washed up on a beach, pregnant, with no memory. Now she's a school teacher living an idyllic small town life with a daughter and boyfriend who love her. She's almost given up on ever finding out about the life she used to lead, until an accident awakens hidden memories and her past comes back with all guns blazing. With the help of low rent private eye Mitch Henessey (Samuel L. Jackson) Samantha must uncover who she was and why so many people want her dead before it kills them both.

With unforgettable action sequences and dialogue to die for, The Long Kiss Goodnight ranks among the very best of 90s action thrillers. Geena Davis is a revelation as the wholesome school teacher struggling to reconcile with her deadly alter ego Charly, while Samuel L. Jackson brings his quintessential charm to a role that so enamoured test audiences they refused to let him die. Strap yourselves in and hold on tight!

2-DISC 4K ULTRA HD LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS:

  • Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Sam Hadley
  • Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Clem Bastow, Richard Kadrey, Maura McHugh, and Priscilla Page 
  • Seasonal postcard 
  • Thin Ice sticker

DISC 1 (4K ULTRA HD) – FEATURE & EXTRAS:

  • Brand new 4K restoration by Arrow Films from the original 35mm negative approved by director Renny Harlin
  • 4K Ultra HD (2160p) presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original DTS-HD MA 5.1, stereo 2.0. and new Dolby Atmos audio options 
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing 
  • Brand new audio commentary by film critic Walter Chaw
  • Brand new audio commentary by film critics Drusilla Adeline and Joshua Conkel co-hosts of the Bloodhaus podcast
  • Theatrical trailer 
  • Image gallery

DISC 2 (BLU-RAY) – BONUS FEATURES:

  • Symphony of Destruction, a new interview with stunt co-ordinator Steve Davidson
  • Long Live the New Flesh, a new interview with make-up artist Gordon J. Smith 
  • Girl Interrupted, a new interview with actress Yvonne Zima 
  • Amnesia Chick, a new visual essay by film scholar Josh Nelson 
  • The Mirror Crack'd, a new visual essay by critic and filmmaker Howard S. Berger 
  • A Woman's World, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
  • Deleted scenes
  • Archive promotional interviews with with director Renny Harlin and stars Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson and Craig Bierko 
  • Making Of, an archive promotional featurette 
  • Behind the Scenes, archive EPK footage from the filming of The Long Kiss Goodnight