Arrow Video Ends May 2020 with Three Stellar Releases: BLOOD TIDE, WHITE FIRE, & THE WOMAN!

ANCIENT SEA MONSTERS, JEWEL THIEVES, AND (NOT QUITE) DOMESTICATED CANNIBALS LURK WITHIN ARROW VIDEO'S LATEST BATCH OF BLU-RAYS!

Before you say anything, yes I know that Arrow also just dropped their SOLID METAL NIGHTMARES boxed set today featuring ten films by Shinya Tsukamoto that is loaded with extras! But after posting about Severin's gi-normous Al Adamson set last Sunday, I didn't have the strength to break down another large collector's set! Instead, I'll focus my efforts on Arrow's three other new titles this week, which include BLOOD TIDE (starring James Earl Jones, and produced by infamous ISLAND OF DEATH director Nico Mastorakis!), WHITE FIRE (a heist flick starring Robert Ginty and Fred "The Hammer" Williamson), and Lucky MeKee's THE WOMAN! To learn more about these new Arrow titles, just continue onward Vault Dwellers!

BLOOD TIDE (1982)

Synopsis: When treasure hunter Frye (James Earl Jones) accidentally awakens an ancient sea monster that has been lying dormant on a Greek island, the inhabitants are forced to resume the practice of sacrificing virgins in order to placate the demonic creature. Meanwhile a couple, Neil and Sherry, arrive on the island in search of Neil's missing sister, Madeline.

Written and produced by Nico Mastorakis - the man behind such genre favourites as ISLAND OF DEATH, THE ZERO BOYS, THE WIND, and many others - and directed by Richard Jefferies (screenwriter of SCARECROWS and TRON: LEGACY), BLOOD TIDE is a suspense-filled creature feature surging with blood, nudity, and beachside aerobics!

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 97 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English Mono 1.0

Extras:

• NEW! Restoration from a 4K scan of the original camera negative!
• NEW! Audio commentary with director/co-writer Richard Jefferies!
• NEW! Interview with producer/co-writer Nico Mastorakis!
• NEW! Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys!
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by Mike Gingold!

Long relegated to a stream of fullscreen bargain-basement DVD releases, BLOOD TIDE finally gets the love it deserves in this new Arrow release! This obscure creature feature should cost between $24 - $28, and is now available to purchase from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD!

WHITE FIRE (1984)

Synopsis: Robert Ginty (THE EXTERMINATOR) and Belinda Mayne (KRULL) play Bo and Inga, brother and sister jewel thieves who target the legendary "White Fire" diamond a priceless rock so hot it actually burns those who try to lay their hands on it!

When tragedy strikes, Bo undertakes an outrageous plan involving plastic surgery and explosives to infiltrate the mine where the diamond awaits. Bo s plan hits an unexpected snag with the arrival of smooth-talking badass Noah Barclay, played by Fred Williamson (FROM DUSK TIL DAWN). Noah s hunting for a missing prostitute and he thinks Bo and Inga hold the key to her disappearance!

Erotic filmmaker Jean-Marie Pallardy (EROTIC DIARY OF A LUMBERJACK) brings his kinky touch to high octane action in this infamous exploitation epic, complete with chainsaw mayhem, awkward brotherly love, and a very 80s theme song by the band Limelight!

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 101 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English Mono 1.0

Extras:

• NEW! Feature length audio commentary by critic Kat Ellinger!
• NEW! Surviving The Fire: An interview with writer-director Jean-Marie Pallardy!
• NEW! Enter The Hammer: An interview with actor Fred Williamson!
• NEW! Diamond Cutter: An interview with editor Bruno Zincone!
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by film historian and author Julian Grainger!

Arrow's WHITE FIRE looks like a must-see in my book, what with mustachioed Robert Ginty straight up slaying henchmen with a chainsaw! This Blu-ray should cost you between $24 - $28, and is now available through most online retailers, including AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, and DIABOLIK DVD!

THE WOMAN (2011)

Synopsis: Almost a decade after Lucky McKee burst upon the indie horror scene and became a 'Master of Horror' in the making thanks to his directorial debut May, he teamed up with legendary cult author Jack Ketchum for his most shocking and brutal film to date: THE WOMAN, an instant cause célèbre on its Sundance premiere.

THE WOMAN (Pollyanna McIntosh - The Walking Dead) is the last surviving member of a deadly clan of feral cannibals that has roamed the American wilderness for decades. When successful country lawyer Chris Cleek (Sean Bridgers - ROOM) stumbles upon her whilst hunting in the woods, he decides to capture and "civilize" her with the help of his seemingly perfect all-American family, including his wife Belle (Angela Bettis - MAY) and daughter Peggy (Lauren Ashley Carter - DARLING). The Cleeks will soon learn, however, that hell hath no fury like THE WOMAN scorned…

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 103 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.78:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Extras:

• NEW! 4K restoration supervised and approved by Lucky McKee!
• NEW! Audio commentary with director Lucky McKee, editor Zach Passero, sound designer Andrew Smetek, and composer Sean Spillane!
• NEW! Audio commentary by star Pollyanna McIntosh!
• NEW! Audio commentary by critic Scott Weinberg!
• Archival commentary with director Lucky McKee!
• NEW! Dad on the Wall - A 75-minute fly-on-the-wall behind-the-scenes documentary filmed by the director's father Mike McKee!
• NEW! Being Peggy Cleek - An nterview with star Lauren Ashley Carter!
• Malam Domesticam - An archival making-of featurette.
• Meet The Makers - A short featurette on the making of the film.
• Deleted Scenes
• Mi Burro - A short film by editor Zach Passero
• "Distracted" music video by Sean Spillane.
• Frightfest Total Film Panel Discussion - A 2011 onstage chat about the future of American indie horror at the popular horror film festival, featuring Lucky McKee, Andrew van den Houten, Larry Fessenden, Adam Green, Joe Lynch and Ti West.
• Theatrical trailers
• Image galleries
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Vanessa McKee!
• FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors' booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Blyth, Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Kevin Kovelant!

This standard release of THE WOMAN (which lacks the second feature found on the Limited Edition release, namely OFFSPRING) is a definite must-own for fans of the film! This single-disc release will cost you between $24 - $28 and can be obtained from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, and DIABOLIK DVD!

Get Your Bruceploitation Fix This Week from VCI and The Film Detective!

A BRUCE LI CLASSIC AND, WHAT SOME HAVE DUBBED THE "WORST BRUCEPLOITATION FILM OF ALL TIME," MAKE THEIR BLU-RAY DEBUTS ON MAY 12TH & 15TH!

After the unexpected passing of Bruce Lee in 1973, there was a mad dash to fill the void he had left behind, resulting in a bizzaro film sub-genre known as "Bruceploitation." Various pretenders to Bruce's throne (e.g. Bruce Li, Bruce Le, Dragon Lee, Bruce Lai, Bruce Liang) earned lead roles in martial arts films that were made to capitalize on the popularity of the deceased martial arts superstar. Some of these include RE-ENTER THE DRAGON, BRUCE LEE FIGHTS BACK FROM THE GRAVE, THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE, RETURN OF THE FISTS OF FURY, THE DRAGON LIVES AGAIN, and the two films I'm posting about today, namely DYNAMO and FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH!

DYNAMO is part of VCI's "Pearl River Collection" and features an all new 2K restoration of the Bruce Li vehicle with new bonus features! FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH from The Film Detective is limited to 1,500 copies and offers up a new 4K restoration (made from an original film print) and a making-of featurette! If either of these sound the slightest bit enticing, then continue reading to get the full details of both of these Bruceploitation "classics!"

DYNAMO (SPECIAL EDITION - 1978)

Synopsis: When a cab driver is discovered by corrupt producers as a successor to super star Bruce Lee, they find his rebellious and individual nature may be too much for even their massive enterprise to contain. This fan favorite in the sub-genre of Bruceploitation stars Ho Tsung-Tao (Bruce Li), Ku Feng, and Chiang Tao. DYNAMO was directed by THE SUPER INFRAMAN helmer, Hua Shan.

Disc Specs:
Not Rated | Color | 96 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (2.35:1?)
Audio - English, Spanish, French, & German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono (?)

Extras:

• NEW! 2K RESTORATION OF ORIGINAL UNCUT 35MM ENGLISH PRINT!
• BONUS! 2K scan from a 16mm alternate cut!
• Audio commentary by filmmaker and Kung Fu Film fan Michael Worth (author of the Bruceploitation Bible) and UK radio sensation Iain Lee!
• Kung Fu Reborn: Featurette on restoration and preservation of Kung Fu film elements!
• Drawing Dynamo: featurette on cover artist Ian McEwan!
• Theatrical Trailer to Dynamo
• Film essays by Michael Worth and Bulletproof Cinema!

There was initially going to be a new mini-documentary entitled The Taiwan Connection on this disc, but it is apparently in the process of being expanded upon and should be popping up on a future "Pearl River Collection" release. Still, with two cuts of the film, multiple audio options & commentary, and a handful of featurettes, this seems like a pretty solid release! DYNAMO is now available to own on Blu-ray and should cost between $20 - $22! Get a copy today from AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or DIABOLIK DVD!

FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH (1980)

Synopsis: Action-packed FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH is celebrating its 40th anniversary like never before with a stunning 4K restoration and never before seen special features! This film was first presented in 1980 by veteran distributor and producer Terry Levene and director Matthew Mallinson. FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH places the 1979 World Karate Championship at center stage, where martial artists take their shot at eliminating the competition and claiming the title of “Successor to the Bruce Lee Legacy.”

FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH combines eye-popping combat scenes and archival footage of Lee himself, with mockumentary-style interviews hosted by Academy Award nominee Adolph Caesar and a martial arts masters Fred Williamson, Ron Van Clief, and more as they emerge from every corner of the martial arts world to give their take on whether any competitor could be deemed worthy of the Bruce Lee legacy.

Disc Specs:
Rated R | Color | 82 minutes | Region A
Video - 1080p Widescreen (1.85:1)
Audio - English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0

Extras:

• NEW! That's Bruceploitation - Original featurette including brand new interviews with FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH actors Fred Williamson and Ron Van Clief, producer Terry Levene, director Matthew Mallinson, and script writer Ron Harvey!
• Original theatrical trailer.
• BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE: Collector's booklet featuring extended liner notes from Will Sloan and Justin Decloux, hosts of The Important Cinema Club Podast + authentic published stills and release cards form the original premiere! 

Originally intended for a March 31st release, the recent Covid-19 pandemic forced The Film Detective to delay their 40th Anniversary Limited (to 1,500) Edition until Friday, May 15th! FIST OF FEAR, TOUCH OF DEATH costs between $20 - $24 and can currently be ordered through AMAZON, BULL MOOSE, or directly from THE FILM DETECTIVE!