100+ Films Arrow Video Should Release

NOTE:This list was written back in 2016 for That's Not Current but was sadly removed and lost forever... until the beauty of The Way Back Machine brought this opus back to my cold almost dead hands. Many of these titles have since been released by Arrow, Criterion, 88 Films, Studio Canal, Eureka! and more including an incredible new distributor called Indicator who have been giving all of the above a run for their money. All of these distributors are basically neck and neck now with the quality of releases so really this list could just be 100+ films that need Indie label treatment. I've decided not to amend this list though cause fuck that noise. This is how it was when I wrote it so enjoy!

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a strong advocate for physical media in regards to film and television. While I love the likes of Netflix for having film, TV and stand-up comedy readily available at the click of a button and even producing their own high quality versions of each; I myself prefer to own a nice, special edition Blu Ray to have in a collection on a shelf.

I used to be mad for DVD and while I still understand people collecting them, Blu Ray is the way to go now for quality and content. Unfortunately, many of the big distributors putting out classic films or even modern masterpieces put absolutely fuck-all effort into making decent releases of them on Blu Ray. You’ll notice that most new releases tend to be light on features and mostly focus on the inclusion of Ultra-Violet codes, which is a code that allows you to have a digital download copy of your film on your computer or phone or tablet. That seems like a good idea, but really that’s all the distributors are selling these days, they know that watching films on computers and tablets is more common now so they’re finding a way to get with the times but also have stock in shops.

It also creates the problem of atrocious artwork, and since most films come with UV codes now, they feel the need to have a giant banner at the top of each cover telling you, even when it’s expected. On top of that, there is a disgraceful lack of effort being put into covers anymore and I reckon it’s because they think nobody cares about artwork, that they just want the film or just want the UV code so they can sell the Blu on and not worry about it. It’s a sad state of where physical media is heading in the main stream, soon it’ll be like buying those points cards for PS4 where you can use them to buy games online!… well, maybe not too soon.

Thankfully, there are the independent distributors that are pulling their weight in bringing the best of the best with new and old films, though most of the best ones are focusing mainly on old: Second Sight Films, 101 Films, 88 Films, Eureka: Masters of Cinema, BFI, Artificial Eye and of course, my personal favourite, Arrow Films. There’s also some American distributors such as Blue Underground, Scream & Shout Factory and the prestigious Criterion Collection, which has now made its way to the UK. And not forgetting some of the more mainstream distributors that still bring quality, Studio Canal, Optimum Releasing and Entertainment One.

To me, Arrow are the best out there; they put in the maximum effort to make every release a big deal by loading them with exclusive extra features and interviews, sometimes making limited edition artwork, exclusive bonus versions of the film or 100+ page booklets about the film and/or director. Even the regular editions of their releases contain extensive info and interviews in their booklets, as well as top quality newly commissioned artwork by the legendary Graham Humphreys, a man who could make even the worst of films look superbly inviting to watch (See, Hellgate). On top of great new artwork, their releases have reversible sleeves, often with original one-sheets as the artwork so you can have a nice vintage looking cover sitting in your collection. It’s great!

Now, enough gushing, it’s time for the list! As well as releasing classics, Arrow are known for resurrecting films that were destined to be lost in history and giving them a new, HD life on home video; what follows is a list of films and box sets that I think Arrow should add to their glorious collection of cult cinema classics. Some of these films are likely to appear soon, some of them are already available in other countries on Blu Ray but need a good UK/Irish release, some of them are only available on DVD and are in desperate need of an upgrade, some of them I’m not too big on but I know would be praised upon release (they will be marked with an X) and some of them are just complete wishful thinking. I’m going to try be as brief as possible with each film as there’s a lot to cover and I always try my best not to bore the shit out of people!

Note: I’ve omitted The Burning as Arrow have only just announced their plans to release it. I’m ahead of the game here! I’ve also omitted 1900: Novecento, as the fine folk over at Eureka have released it in their Masters of Cinema collection. And finally, I’m omitting Prison, as 88 Films have just picked it up. The rest, I hope to someday have sitting firmly among my collection. Enjoy!

Abel Ferarra Set – The Addiction + The Funeral (1995 & 1996)

A drug addiction tale masquerading as a vampire film & a dark, gripping crime drama about a powerful mafia family in the 1930s mourning the death of a brother & son. Two vastly different but equally heavy, gritty & violent films from Ferarra’s 90s peak. Arrow have already released the masterful crime drama, The King of New York, so it would be nice to see these also get added to their catalogue. I also recall an old DVD from about 10 years ago that had the two of them on it, so they seem to be an ideal fit.

Angst (1983)

One of the best horror films I’ve ever seen and will stick with you from whenever you see it ‘til death. In Germany, a psychotic man just released from prison immediately loses control and must fulfil his blood lust on an unsuspecting family. It’s harrowing, raw and revolutionary in terms of cinematography. It’s the first (and possibly only) film I’ve seen with a revolving snorri-cam. Few films come this vicious, but non-exploitative. It’s sloppy, it’s frightening and it’s real. I’d love to see both versions of this become available, the 79min director’s cut and the original 87min international version with the extended opening scene.

Big Bad Wolves (2013)

This was one of my favourite films of 2013 that I saw at Horrorthon. An Israeli revenge story that puts a vigilante cop, a suspected murderer, and the father of the victim head to head in a brutal interrogation. It’s quirky, funny, bleak and horrible, all the ingredients for a top class evening. It’s already got a DVD release but with some atrocious artwork no extras and there’s no sign of a Blu Ray release unless you import from the US or Italy, the latter being region B but without English subs. This needs much better treatment! More info on the directors, some interviews, features and most important, some cracking original artwork!

The Blob (1988)

An updated gory remake of the 1958 horror classic, this went down the route of bloody practical effects and did so surfing on a thick layer of 80s cheese. A giant alien life form lands on Earth in a small town and grows larger and more dangerous with everything it consumes. This highly effective, somewhat forgotten horror classic has only ever had a VHS release in the UK and Ireland, despite being on both DVD and Blu Ray in the US. It’s criminal that it hasn’t been given an official release over here and the folks at Arrow are the only ones who can do it any justice! Could even lend itself to having a novelty putty style blob as a collector’s edition extra!

Blood Simple (1984)

The Coen Brothers are true visionaries of cinema and manage to perfectly merge the art house with the accessible mainstream. Their debut feature is this noirish thriller masterpiece. A wealthy bar owner hires a scheming private investigator to murder his cheating wife and her lover, but the couple have plans of their own by eliminating the wealthy, jealous husband. This is the Coens at their most barebones in terms of plot, but that doesn’t stop it from having riveting dialogue and being flooded with intensity. It’s got some of the finest lighting you’re likely to see in a noir film and like many debuts of cinema’s greatest, it feels like a film school rolled into 90 mins.

Currently only available on Blu Ray in the US, this has a two DVD releases in the UK, the original theatrical cut (which is a fairly rough print) with the amazing original artwork & the superior, uncommonly shorter director’s cut which is cursed with poor artwork. – This has been announced as one of Criterion Collection’s upcoming releases and features basically everything I desire here, but from what I can tell, it’s exclusive to the US, so here’s hoping Arrow jump at it and release it here!

Body Bags (1993)

Masters of horror, John Carpenter & Tobe Hooper teamed up to bring you one of the most entertaining horror anthologies out there. Carpenter himself plays a coroner in a morgue telling you a tale for how each body ended up there. It’s terrific fun! Scream Factory has recently released a great special edition of it but of course, they’re locked to region A. It never even came to DVD in the UK so a region B release is essential as it’d shine more light on one of Carpenter and Hooper’s quieter outputs as well as give long time fans a chance to own it in HD.

Body Double (1984)

Easily Brian De Palma’s sleaziest film, this Hitchcockian suspense filled mystery thriller is one of many examples of how De Palma dominated the 80s. What do the porn industry, a massive pneumatic drill, a murder mystery, synthesizers and the music video for Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s “Relax” all have in common? They’re all in this film. That’s all you need to know! This is screaming for a proper Blu Ray release and it would be a nice addition to the already respectable collection of De Palma films that Arrow have already released.

The Boondock Saints (1999)

Arguably one of the most popular cult films of all time, this action thriller follows two Irish brothers on their quest to rid the streets of Boston of criminal scum. It’s as over the top as they come and one of the best ways to spend two hours of your day. Worldwide it has had numerous Blu Ray releases and special editions on DVD but it only ever got an early DVD release in the UK and was included as an extra feature for the documentary, Overnight which was based on its director, Troy Duffy. It would make a great addition to the Arrow collection, especially if that documentary could be included as well as new interviews, perhaps include some of the comics that have since been released. There’s lots to be done!

Boxcar Bertha (1972)

A year before Martin Scorsese exploded onto everyone’s radar with the seminal crime drama, Mean Streets, he made this violent crime drama that bordered heavily on exploitation. During the 1930s depression, a young woman and an older man team up to take down a corrupt railroad establishment and both get sucked into a life of violent crime. It’s a long forgotten Scorsese film that doesn’t get much, if any mention when discussing his back catalogue. It’s no masterpiece but it’s a thrilling look at the time and the madness. Currently it’s only on DVD and if memory serves me right, the quality of the transfer was very poor and it contained no special features. It’d be fantastic to see this one resurrected and to get some modern insight on it from the man himself.

Brain Damage (1988)

My personal favourite of Frank Henenlotter’s unusual body (horror) of work and another allegory for drug addiction this time in the form of a strange, goofy voiced brain-monster that lives at the base of a young man’s skull, pumping him full of euphoric narcotics in exchange for fresh, innocent human brains. This is fucking off the wall and a lot more serious and grim than his Basket Case trilogy or Frankenhooker but it’s still rather hilarious and has some wacky over the top fun throughout. After only ever seeing the video cover in shops and never being allowed see it, I got to see it with Henenlotter in attendance and doing a Q&A! (Lovely chap by the way) – I’ve since been hunting for the Blu Ray to no avail. This would go nicely with Arrow’s release of Frankenhooker.

Bringing Out The Dead (1999)

Another Scorcese film, this time one of his most underrated films of his incredible 90s output. An insomniac paramedic working night shifts in Manhattan is struggling to hold onto his sanity as her is haunted by the patients he failed to save. This film is a masterpiece and easily one of Scorsese’s best, but sadly it hasn’t had the best treatment on home video with just a VHS and very early DVD release, again with no extras. Another film I’d kill to hear some words on from Scorsese and Nicolas Cage. This film needs more respect.

Busting (1973)

I often argue that the 70s was the best decade for cinema, especially in regards to crime films and popularising filming techniques, this film alone could help win that argument. Two buddy cops disobey their captain’s orders and try to take down a powerful drug pushing mob boss. This forgotten gem not only provided me with great action and plenty of laughs, but some of the most jaw dropping camera work I’ve seen in years. I would kill to be able to get an insight into how they planned the shots or even some kind of archival behind the scenes footage. Also, Elliot Gould has a porn stache so you know this is great.

Christine (1982)

It still blows my mind that John Carpenter’s masterpiece about a murderous car with a mind of its own hasn’t made it to Blu Ray over here yet. It’s one of the best horror films of the 80s and showed off some genius special effects and techniques. It’s a sin this hasn’t had more attention and like a lot of these entries, there is a DVD, but it was released over 10 years ago. An update for this is essential.

Citizen X (1995)

A HBO made for TV movie that investigates the horrific true story of Russian serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo who murdered over 50 women and children. This only saw a release on DVD in both the US and Germany but it was foolishly banned here in Ireland. This was in the mid 90s when everything was getting banned here for ludicrous reasons. Some of the titles famously included were Natural Born Killers and From Dusk Till Dawn. Both have since been given the ok and I’d say if this was resubmitted, it’d receive an 18 or even 15 no problem. It’s criminally underseen.

Cobra (1986)

Now onto one of the ones you could call serious wishful thinking. Rumour has it that there is in existence, a 2 hour version of Sylvester Stallone’s punky action classic that is laden with X-rated gore that was far too much for the censors and distributors to handle. This is a version of the film I would die to have brought out for the world to enjoy. I would love to see a great release with a restored version of the fabled workprint, with the theatrical cut included and plenty of extras.

The Cook, The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)

Peter Greenaway’s art house masterpiece, for all its colourful cinematic glory, has plenty of sleaze bursting at the seams. It follows a loathsome, violent mobster whose wife begins an affair with a librarian with the help of their favourite restaurant’s head chef, sending the mobster on a warpath. It’s a tough watch, a difficult sell and extremely unusual and that’s precisely why I think it’s an essential for the Arrow collection. Most likely in the Academy section with some of the other choices here.

Cop (1988)

One of the sleaziest, grittiest and most venomous mystery thrillers of the 80s; lead by the king of seediness, James Woods, this only ever got a DVD release in the UK but has very recently been put to Blu Ray in the US, so it looks like there’s some catching up to do! Based on the notoriously violent work of James Ellroy, who is responsible for the masterful L.A. Confidential, only this is less noir and more vile; In the best way possible of course.

Dead Presidents (1995)

The Hughes brother’s follow up to the groundbreaking Menace II Society was a serious step up in ambition to make what is both an intense and visceral Vietnam war film and a post-war descent into organised crime. It wasn’t as well received as Menace which is a shame because for all its little issues, it’s a superb crime thriller and psychological war drama. It had trouble with the MPAA and received an NC-17 for its unflinching violence, but was sadly cut down. Though there is an unrated edition that the Criterion Collection released on Laser Disc only. Here’s hoping that version can surface and be remastered.

Dead Ringers (1988)

One of three David Cronenberg masterpieces I’ll be including on the list. A somewhat heart wrenching dramatic thriller about twin gynaecologists whose relationship with each other begins to dwindle as they both start dating the same woman. It’s the kind of premise that’d end up as a comedy now days but this is far from it. This has only ever seen a terrible Carlton DVD release over 15 years ago, ripped straight from a VHS, much like the Carlton release of The King of New York, so it’d be great to have a HD transfer and some decent artwork. Scream Factory have also announced this as a future release.

The Dead Zone (1984)

The second Cronenberg gem is an adaptation of a book by renowned horror novelist Stephen King. A mild-mannered teacher is in a car accident and wakes up 5 years later with strange psychic abilities. Genuinely intense, clever and gripping, it seamlessly weaves supernatural horror and political thriller together. I’d love to hear King‘s thoughts on the film and maybe a comparison from book to screen. Also, Christopher Walken schmoozing about it would be a nice touch.

The Devils (1971)

Often regarded as one of the most controversial, shocking and blasphemous films of all time, Ken Russell’s masterpiece is a flurry of French 17th century sex, violence, witchcraft, sexual violence and Oliver Reid’s glorious mustache hair. Despite the BFI releasing a beautiful restored print of the historical classic, laden with special features and interviews with Mark Kermode, it still remains censored. With the content that has been released uncut over the years from gory horror films to erotic dramas and beyond, it baffles me that THIS is still too much. It’s a work of art that should be allowed shine through fully and a nice ultimate edition Blu Ray, completely uncut, would be absolutely magical. This is one of the films I’m campaigning hard for.

Dust Devil – The Director’s Cut (1992)

Without a doubt one of the most wildly original supernatural horrors of our time; a mysterious evil spirit known as “The Dust Devil” hitch-hikes through South Africa, preying on the lonely in grisly, demonic fashions, until he catches the eye of a young woman and potential victim; meanwhile, a police officer with a haunted past is trying to catch him with the aid of a shaman. I was lucky enough to see a nice and gritty 35mm print of this at Horrorthon Dublin and it was introduced and discussed by Richard Stanley himself. Hearing him talk about his influences and time working on this film was amazing and I’d kill to hear a nice, extensive commentary on the film as well as adding a few more of his short films onto the disc (the one’s not featured on the Hardware special edition). It’s had a rocky release history with several different versions coming out there but his director’s cut is the only way to go!

eXistenZ (1999)

The last of the Cronenberg gems and what is effectively Inception in the 90s. A video game designer is targeted by high level assassins and must go into her own virtual reality game with a trainee in marketing to protect it and ensure it hasn’t been damaged. This will have your head impersonating high-speed propellers as it’s as twisty and turny as they come. It’s smart, cool, at times deadpan funny in a way only Cronenberg could be and sadly criminally underrated. It only had a DVD release that was so early it’s when they used to advertise “Widescreen” at the top and a US Blu Ray that is massively overpriced. Cronenberg is sliding in more and more with Arrow and it’d be a dream to have these three films jump on board.

The Exorcist III – Director’s Cut (1990)

Finally onto one of the main ones I wanted to talk about! I caught this for the first time only last year and it blew me away. After avoiding the Exorcist sequels like the plague, I was recommended this one and told that it was a direct sequel to the first without any bullshit. It’s now what I’d consider one of the finest horror films I’ve seen. A dead serial killer’s traits begin appearing around the city and a middle aged detective suspects it might be connected to a mysterious mental patient who recently awoke from a coma.

While this does have an extremely vanilla Blu Ray release as part of the Exorcist collection box set, it most definitely needs its own official release, which is a given; but now after the recent discovery of William Peter Blatty’s original director’s cut, it’d be incredible to get a release with both editions of the film (when it’s officially remastered of course). This film is underappreciated for all of the wrong reasons; it needs to be put back on people’s radars again. Some input from Blatty himself would be nice too! – Scream Factory have announced that they are going to be releasing this exact version, here’s hoping Arrow jump on board and get it released here too.

Fear City (1984)

Back on the sleazy streets of Abel Ferrara’s New York City, a deranged psychopath stalks, slashes and kills strippers and escort girls in the night, and an ex-boxer who now works as a private investigator must track him down and keep the women safe. Soaked in sleaze and blood, this action packed gem has only ever had a DVD release and while it’s a Ferrara film, it doesn’t really belong with the two from the proposed box-set above.

The Fly II (1989)

While it definitely has its place in the horror community, this is most commonly regarded as an awful sequel to a creature feature masterpiece, I however, disagree. The son of the Brundlefly searches for a cure for his mutated genes while being closely monitored by a corrupt corporation that wishes to continue the Brundlefly’s experiments. It’s not as good as Cronenberg’s innovative masterpiece, but it’s still a thrilling and brilliantly crafted horror with some of the greatest moments in gory horror history. It deserves a spot on Blu Ray next to its original.

Freeway (1996)

A dark, twisted retelling of the classic fairytale, “Little Red Riding Hood” where Red Riding Hood is a trailer-trash juvenile delinquent and the Big Bad Wolf is a charming but psychotic serial killing paedophile. It’s like a lurid, violent and hilarious live-action cartoon. It sadly was butchered in order to avoid an NC-17 and in some scenes it’s very clear; it’s mainly due to Kiefer Sutherland’s deplorable dialogue. It’s currently on DVD and being poorly advertised as some sort of cool, Fast & Furiousstyle crime thriller.

Gaspar Noe Collection – I Stand Alone + Irreversible + Enter The Void – Director’s Cut (1998, 2002 & 2009)

Noe is one of the most talked about and controversial directors alive at the moment, constantly pushing the limits of what is filmable and blowing them out of the water. These three films chronicle the story of a butcher’s descent into madness, a horrific rape that inspires a night seeking revenge and a drug dealer’s death and eventual journey into the exuberant spirit world. His work is uncompromising and unforgettable. Both I Stand Alone & Irreversible are currently not on Blu Ray and while Enter The Void does have a release, it is the lesser theatrical version. The director’s cut is the best version out there. It’s also a good forum to include his numerous short films, including Carne; the early seeds for I Stand Alone.

Ghosts… of The Civil Dead (1988)

Before John Hillcoat created one of my absolute favourite films, The Proposition, he gave us a harsh and unsettling look at prison life in this no-rules prison drama and it was written by his long term partner & experimental musician, Nick Cave. This film is long forgotten about now that he’s in the business of doing high-end heist thrillers and bleak post apocalyptic dramas. The only available version is an Australian release that is worth almost €100…

Hard Eight [Sydney] (1996)

Paul Thomas Anderson has made a name for himself as one of the most prominent directors of the last 20 years and it all started with this ’96 crime classic. After a man loses all of his money in Vegas; an aging pro-gambler takes him under his wing to teach him the tricks of the trade. His entire catalogue is absolutely revered and has had some great treatment on home video, but this one seems to be permanently left behind. It does have a DVD release, but it’s as bare at they come. It’d be nice to see it released for the 20th anniversary.

The Hitcher (1984)

How this nail-biting horror thriller hasn’t yet gotten a Blu Ray release of any kind just blows my mind. A young man is terrorized by a murderous hitch-hiker who begins framing him for his brutal crimes. One of the most highly regarded thrillers of the 80s and it only has a relatively decent special edition on DVD. Rutger Hauer commentaries are essential!

Hong Kong Godfather (1985)

The first look at some extreme, ultra-violent, CAT III madness with this Hong Kong gem. An ex-Triad must team up with his old gang partner and a loyal cop to rescue his daughter from an evil Nicolas Cage looking Triad leader. Start to finish this is full of non-stop Kung-Fu and knife fights that result in litres of fake blood sloshing about the screen, It’s a merciless, trashy, kung-fu masterpiece that pulls no punches and currently only has a US DVD release.

The Hunger (1983)

The late Tony Scott’s first feature length film was the birth of the cool, sexy vampire film that has now become a parody of itself. Here though, it’s dead serious. An ancient Egyptian vampire, whose current lover (played by one of the gods of rock and roll, the late, great David Bowie) is beginning to age rapidly, strikes up a relationship with the brilliant female doctor assigned to help him, offering her eternal life for complete surrender to her charms. Visually incredible and somewhat haunting. Jim Jarmusch owes a lot to this film for his vampire love story, Only Lovers Left Alive. Both own a stylish art-house feel about boring vampire life. It’s essential the original artwork is kept because it’s incredible.

Hyena (2015)

The most stark, brutal and realistic film of last year was one of the best. A corrupt cop who has respect from both sides of the law is caught in a dangerous game with internal affairs and ruthless Albanian gangsters. This would be similar to my concerns with Big Bad Wolves in that it only got a DVD release and with some vomit inducingly poor artwork, which is a shame because it’s utterly excellent. I’d love to see it join the Arrow collection.

Ichi The Killer (2001)

Now that Takashi Miike has joined the world of Arrow with the release of his acclaimed masterpiece, Audition; I think it’s right about time that his (arguably) most insane piece of work gets the Blu treatment. A Yakuza enforcer with sadomasochistic tendencies searches the streets of Japan for his missing boss while a sexually repressed young man commits outlandishly gruesome acts of violence for pleasure. It’s still currently cut in the UK and it’s in desperate need of being uncensored. There have been some terrific editions of it out over the years but no UK Blu release. The anime and comics would be nice too.

In The Company of Men + Your Friends & Neighbours (1997 & 1998)

For a short while it was looking like Neil LaBute was going to bring out nothing but amazing films, but then The Wicker Man happened… (Which in its own way, is amazing) – He brought out these two cynical works and they both go together nicely (meanly). Two recently dumped men both decide to date a kind deaf woman with the intention of simultaneously dumping her and breaking her heart to get revenge on women & a group of early 30 something friends begin to have several mixed affairs amidst their social group, causing nothing but anger and venom. These are two mean-spirited masterpieces that need far more recognition and go to levels of shocking behaviour that even shocked me and it’s all through amazing dialogue.

In The Mouth of Madness (1994)

An insurance investigator is hired to solve the disappearance of an acclaimed horror novelist whose books start coming to life in the world around him. The second Carpenter film on my list, some would say was his last true masterpiece. It’s trippy, scary and genius with some of the most memorable horror imagery. It currently has no UK release and I think that should be rectified ASAP!

Intruder (1989) – X

We now get to one of the films on the list that I don’t like. After an altercation with her boyfriend, a woman and the staff of an overnight stocking crew for a local supermarket are brutally murdered by an unknown maniac. Other than having some of the best kills of the slasher genre, it’s one of the worst I’ve seen. Despite the fact it’s held in very high regard among slasher fans, it just didn’t do it for me. That said, I’d be excited to see a remastered release and I know it’d have some great features.

Jim Van Bebber Collection – Deadbeat At Dawn + The Manson Family + Short Films (1988 & 1997/2003)

Jim Van Bebber has become one of the most talked about names in the world of underground no-budget horror films. Unlike the millions of others, he’s actually a capable film maker who knows what he’s doing. His psychedelic account of the horrific Manson family murders has seen a proper UK release a few times and just recently had a 10th anniversary Blu Ray release in 2013 (despite the fact it was really it’s 16th anniversary). Even with that, I’d still like to see Arrow take over, especially with his gory satanic short films and most importantly, his cult action/horror/thriller masterpiece, Deadbeat At Dawn which has been screaming for a UK release since it came out.

Josuha Tree (1993)

I would happily argue that throughout the 90s, Dolph Lundgren brought out some top quality action films that were laden with cheesy lines, bloody squibs, great fight scenes and lots of proper explosions. This is probably his best actioners of that time. An escaped convict is framed for the murder of a cop and is on a mission to clear his name while taking down the criminals and corrupt cops that set him up. It only ever saw a VHS release in the UK and was heavily cut down to even receive an 18s rating. The uncut US release is great but it needs a region A release big-time. It’s one of the bloodiest action films ever and it just ticks all the right boxes for an Arrow release. If Red Scorpion can get released through them, so can this!

Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III (1990)

One of the most underrated horror sequels of all time features the glorious Ken Foree of Dawn of The Dead and Keenan and Kel fame, as well as an early performance from Viggo Mortensen as a psychotic, cannibalistic murderer. Two siblings on a long road trip from California to Florida encounter a crazy shotgun wielding mad man at a gas station and drive away to seek help only to be taken captive by a family of deranged psychopaths and their chainsaw wielding, human flesh wearing son.

I think it’s a perfect accompaniment for TCM2 (Which Arrow put out a stellar release of) as it has a lot of the same goofy atmosphere but also some of the seriousness of the original film. As it stands there is no Blu Ray release anywhere. There was a great UK DVD release out before that featured both the cut and uncut version of the film as well as lots of great extras, but the print of the film itself wasn’t the Mae West. I’d love to see a nice special edition box to compliment part 2.

Lone Wolf And Cub Collection + Shogun Assassin (1972, 1973, 1974, 1980)

Regarded by many, including myself, as one of the greatest collections of samurai films out there, the Lone Wolf And Cub saga follows a Shogunate executioner who is framed for disloyalty and the murder of his wife. With his infant son by his side, he goes to seek vengeance on those who wronged him and embark on numerous adventures that always end in extreme violence and bloodshed. These films are martial arts gems that need a true HD release in the UK. There was two DVD box sets released before, but both were of low quality and one was significantly worse than the other.

There was a Blu Ray set released in the US which not only had very poor transfers, but if you wanted to buy it you’d need to have a spare 300 quid handy… These films have the violence of trash and cinematography and atmosphere of the most highly regarded samurai films out there. The first two of this six film collection were merged together in 1980 to create a Grindhouse classic, Shogun Assassin. It’d be nice to have that featured in the set too! There’s no other distributor fit enough for such a collection.

Man Bites Dog (1992)

Few films are as merciless, shocking, funny and clever as this controversial early 90s French gem. When an independent film crew decides to document the daily routine of a cold hearted serial killer and thief, things take a dark turn when he encourages them to take part in his heinous activities, such as murder and rape. Despite the dark subject matter, it’s a hysterically funny and harrowing ride. Possibly the darkest mockumentary ever released! It is still currently branded with an NC-17 in the US. Germany and France have released it on Blu Ray but it still remains a DVD only release in the UK. If it is picked up, I’m hoping that Arrow use the original artwork on the reverse sleeve of our protagonist firing a pistol, presumably into a pram and a baby’s dummy flying out in a torrent of blood. Madness.

Maximum Overdrive (1986) – X

Another film on the list that I don’t like, but I know has a big cult following and I’d consider rewatching if released uncut. Written and directed by a heavily cocaine addled Stephen King, it follows a group of people trapped in a gas station/diner after all electronic devices become sentient with the urge to kill people. They’re pinned down by a pack of violent trucks that are annihilated anyone they come by. Sure it’s a dumb as fuck idea but it’s a terrifically fun idea; sadly the film itself doesn’t hold up the momentum though. There’s 20 mins of carnage which was supremely entertaining and it eventually becomes a snooze fest, of all things something like this could be!

It sadly suffered worldwide cuts that removed most of the insanity, most notably a scene in which a kid is run over by a steamroller. It’s in the film but very clearly trimmed. While it did nothing for me, people love it, it has some great artwork and if there was a chance of it being released on Blu Ray and uncut, I’d be happy to give it another go.

Mikey (1992)

This is a rare instance where a film was released here in Ireland but banned in the UK. A young boy is constantly moved between foster families after each of them seemingly die in mysterious tragic accidents. This was huuugely controversial in the UK due to the murder of Jamie Bulger and with the recommendation of 3 child psychiatrists; the BBFC rejected the film for classification and banned it. By today’s standards, it’s fairly tame and I think it’s been stigmatized badly due to how close it was to the incident that it put a permanent black mark on any potential release. It’d be great for it to get a resurrection now and be given a proper release in the UK.

Miracle Mile (1988)

While it was just released on Blu Ray in the US, this absolute gem shockingly hasn’t made it past VHS in the UK. In the early hours of the morning, a man answers a call from a payphone only to be given the panicked message that a nuclear war has started and missiles will annihilated Los Angeles in 70 minutes. He must now try find the woman he loves to get out of the city before the public find out and panic sets in. It’s a tense, creative and heart stopping 87 minute ride that is pretty much set in real time. With the US Blu release, it shows that there is a HD master out there so fingers crossed we’ll be able to see it on our screens soon.

The Monster Squad (1987)

When you have a name like Fred Dekker, the man behind one of the best 80s creature-features, Night of The Creeps & the ultra violent and sleazy cop thriller, Ricochet; teaming up with the legendary Shane Black, who is responsible for some of the most well written and memorable action films of the 80s and 90s such as Lethal Weapon, The Last Boy Scout & Last Action Hero (A lot of L’s there) as well as directing two of the best buddy cop films of the last 20 years, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang & The Nice Guys, you’d expect whatever project they released together would be plastered all over DVD and Blu Ray shelves worldwide!

Alas, this isn’t the case. Their 80s horror comedy following a group of movie monster obsessed kids defending their town from the very monsters they’ve come to idolize  has never made it past VHS in the UK, which is a crime! It’s a nostalgic favourite for many horror fans and I think it deserves a bit more respect in this day and age! It’s certainly a lighter one for Arrow to release it but I feel they’re the right crowd for putting together extensive extras and allowing fans of the film to get a copy without being extortionate prices for the OOP US releases. That is of course, before this inevitably goes OOP.

Near Dark (1987)

I’m not a religious man, but I’ll be fucked if I don’t wake up every day and pray that this film gets a proper release that doesn’t have an appalling photoshopped cover that serves no purpose other than to trick dickhead teeny boppers into thinking that it’s a secret Twilight sequel. Deplorable stuff! What’s most shocking is that the distributors are usually top class when it comes to their releases. I’ll assume they were forced into this at gunpoint…

Anyway, this is the first of two great Kathryn Bigelow films on my list. The son of a small town farmer is charmed and eventually turned into a vampire by a drifter that he starts to fall in love with, leading him on a new life of vampirism and coming head to head with the violent gang of misfits she runs with. Both this and the immaculate romp, The Lost Boys have always been seen as rival vamp films and both should be considered partners in high quality, late 80s vampiric fun. A nice special edition release of this with a plethora of extras and some TRUE artwork to reflect the gritty, blood thirsty vampires in the film and not to polish them up to look like fucking fairies, would be just dandy.

Night of The Creeps (1986)

Remember just moments ago I mentioned Fred Dekker and his 80s cult classic creature-feature? Well, this is it! Harking back to the B-Movie sci-fi glory days of the 50s but with a gory 80s spin, this comedy horror gem takes place on the night of the big high school prom. An alien parasite that multiplies every time it finds a human host and turns them into vicious zombies, has taken over the town and it’s up to a geek, the love of his life and a tough, disgruntled cop whose clearly seen some shit, to put a stop to the alien uprising.

It’s fantastic cheesy fun that has attained serious cult status worldwide but is somewhat left in the dirt for UK and Irish films fans. It only ever went to VHS and disappeared into obscurity. It did have a lot of nice alternate covers though, but you’ll never beat the prom date poster. Wouldn’t mind a nice big release of this with a few postcards of each poster, plus both cuts of the film. There was an unrated cut released in the US with a superior ending, but both versions are top class. I’ve a gut feeling this release is entirely possible, so if it does happen I’ve decided I’ll take 100% responsibility and you can all worship me! Or just buy me a copy… That’ll do.

Nightbreed: The Director’s/Cabal Cut (1990)

It’s no secret that this is one of the most infamous lost films out there; directed by Clive Barker and based upon his own novel, Cabal, Nightbreed follows a young man who has discovered a mythical place known as Midian where a horde of varying monsters live. It’s up to him to help protect them from a maniacal serial killer who is making his way there. Much like The Exorcist III, the original cut of this film was different and ran much longer, but was trimmed down to a more marketable 102 mins.

The original cut or more commonly known as the Cabal cut; was 40 mins longer and featured a lot of what was in the Cabal novel. It was considered lost forever until some of the original elements were recovered a few years ago, this brought hype back for a potential release of the illustrious Cabal cut. Scream Factory managed to get their hands on it and restored it as close as possible to Barker’s original vision, missing out on 20 minutes or so of footage to release what is now the official Cabal cut and Director’s cut, running at 120 mins.

The SF release went OOP very fast and contains a plethora of extras and the original theatrical cut of the film, there is a special edition too which doesn’t contain the TC but has the other extras. Sadly though, the only way to enjoy this is to have a region A player, so I think it’s high time we get a nice special edition release! This never made it past VHS in the UK which is a real shame since it’s garnered such a cult appreciation.

Opera (Terror At The Opera) (1987)

Dario Argento is no stranger to Arrow at all with several of his works being released on DVD and Blu Ray over the last few years, but one of his most acclaimed films still sits in DVD purgatory at the moment. Opera (or Terror At The Opera as it’s known in the UK), is the story of a young opera singer in Italy who is stalked by a psychotic murderer who is infatuated with her and often forces her to watch as he brutally eliminates everyone close to her.

It’s a gripping thriller that at times is goofy, but it features some of the most memorable kills in any Giallo or slasher film. It had a release on Arrow’s DVD label but sadly hasn’t made the jump to Blu Ray just yet. There are releases worldwide but considering they’ve already done a great job, I’d love to see them release a slightly more polished version with some new extras.

The Ordeal (Calvaire) (2004)

One of Belgium’s most grim and nightmarish horror films, The Ordeal (Also known as Calvaire) was only ever released on DVD. It follows a lounge singer who’s car breaks down on the way to his next gig and is taken in by a friendly old man at a B&B, unbeknownst to him, there is demented and sinister plans for him on behalf of the old man and the entire rural town. Arrow is no stranger to releasing some of the films on the gone but never forgotten Tartan label. This not only needs to be rereleased for the sake of getting it out there and more known, but it’s an injustice that it’s left to die on the unfortunately dwindling DVD format. I would love to see this remastered and with some more info on the production. It’s a chilling piece of work that shouldn’t be left behind.

Peter Jackson Collection – Bad Taste + Meet The Feebles + Braindead (1987, 1989, 1992)

Before wowing critics and audiences alike with his daunting but faithful adaptations of The Lord of The Rings trilogy and subsequently boring the tits off everyone with his extended 3D Hobbit adaptation, Peter Jackson was bringing some of the most insane, stupid, funny and gory cult horror and sci-fi comedies to the world.

Starting with his sci-fi romp, Bad Taste; all the people in a small town have disappeared and been replaced with flesh eating aliens who need human flesh for their alien fast food chain, it’s up to a group of bumbling Kiwis (including Jackson himself) to stop them with extremely gory results.

Following Bad Taste is a film that revels in its own bad taste, Meet The Feebles; a sleazy look into the sordid lives of a bunch of performers behind the scenes at a big variety show… oh and they’re all animal and insect puppets. It’s effectively a VERY adult version of The Muppets but laden with sex, drugs, extortion, the porn industry, murder and diseases.

And finally his most popular film outside of the LOTR, Braindead (or Dead Alive in the US) – A young man’s horrid mother is bitten by a Sumatran rat-monkey at a local zoo and she dies of a horrible disease, only to return as a mutant zombie, polluting the whole town with disease and creating an army of the dead in which he must fight with the help of some friends and the love of his life. Oh and it’s the bloodiest film ever! One scene took over 300 litres of fake blood. It’s a thing of beauty.

None of these films have been released past DVD in the UK, Meet The Feebles didn’t even make it past VHS and it didn’t even get released in Ireland due to being banned! At this stage is should get a release and if it’s still banned here, I’ll just order it online.

Pink Flamingos/Female Trouble (1972, 1974) – X

Onto another choice that personally did nothing for me but seems to have a huge cult following is John Water’s 70s trash-sterpiece, Pink Flamingos. Following the filthy exploits of Balitmore’s most popular transvestite, Divine, we get a close look at disturbing trailer life and the people who try to claim his title as the filthiest person in the world. This is laden unsimulated sex, incest, murder, chicken rape, brutal murder, cannibalism, a real-life singing anus and the eating of fresh dogshit. It’s a pile of garbage that I despised, but as I said, there is a demand for it for some mind melting reason.

This NC-17 rated scum-fest was only released on VHS in the UK and was heavily cut but has seen uncut life on DVD in the US. It’s likely the film will ever be released completely uncut, purely because of the aforementioned chicken scene. John Waters’ follow up film, Female Trouble which also starred Divine has since been released on DVD in the UK in its uncut form and is often more highly regarded even though it looks like much of the same.

A teenager becomes pregnant following a rape and ends up with a pair of beauticians and a fashion model who like to take photos of other women committing horrible crimes, which she goes on to do and earns the attention of the police.

Had there not always been a demand to get these on Blu Ray, I might not have included them on this list but it’s important that the public get their say too! Arrow is the only distributor fit enough to release such insane cult films so here’s hoping they do for the people who want it.

Pink Floyd: The Wall (1982)

An audacious musical film based on the incredible music of Pink Floyd’s The Wall album. Bob Geldof plays a rockstar who is haunted by lost love and visions of his mother back home and father who died in WW2 as he descends into madness and eventual neo-fascism. It’s incredible looking, amazingly well made and of course has a superb soundtrack. It was released twice on DVD in the UK, once as a vanilla release and again as a special edition. Sadly it has never been released Blu Ray anywhere, even though there is a HD print available as it has aired on TV. It’d be unlikely but nice to have it paired with the remastered soundtrack and artwork.

Point Blank (1967)

One of cinema’s greatest tough guys whose face just screams ‘Not to be fucked with’ is Lee Marvin and he’s never been tougher than in this vicious John Boorman’s classic. After being double crossed on a job and left for dead, Lee Marvin’s ‘Walker’, is on a mission for merciless revenge and retrieving the money that’s owed to him, eliminating anyone who gets in his way. This is one of the best crime films of the 60s and along with the visceral approach of his earlier film (which Arrow have released) The Killers, helped in paving the way for some of the 70s most gritty crime pictures.

The book that this is based on has been adapted twice again in the 90s; first as Ringo Lam’s violent action film Full Contact starring Chow Yun Fat and both versions of Brian Helgeland’s Payback starring Mel Gibson. Shockingly, like many superb films here, it has never made it past VHS in the UK but has seen DVD and Blu Ray releases worldwide. That needs to be rectified immediately!

Predator (1987)

Now I know what you’re thinking, ‘This has already had numerous releases on Blu Ray in the UK alone!’ and yes you are right, however, every release of Predator thus far, on Blu Ray in the UK and US, has been absolutely bollocks. The picture quality and sound quality have never been correctly mastered and it looks a grainy mess. Though not all versions look grainy, no, there was a release that smoothed out every single bit of grain so it looked like Arnold Schwarzenegger was a fucking oil painting.

So many distributors have gotten it wrong and the only one I trust to give it the home video life it deserves is Arrow. A nice helping of extras would be nice too. Oh and in case nobody has seen it, it’s Arnie and a group of beefcakes and good ol’ Shane Black trawling through the jungle on a rescue mission only to be hunted by a powerful camouflaged alien. It’s wishful thinking, but let’s get this released in all its deserved glory!

Prime Cut (1972)

Another visceral bit of Lee Marvin but this time with a little more heart and acting opposite the legendary Gene Hackman. A Chicago mob enforcer is sent down to Kansas to settle a debt with a monstrous cattle owner who grinds his enemies into sausages in sells drugged teenage girls as sex slaves. It’s striking, tense and in a way very underrated. From what I can tell, the BBFC have given it an 18 rating for video release yet I can’t seem to find any trace of it being released on VHS, which leads me to believe it has either vanished into obscurity or it was the intended rating for a film that never made it to home video on any format, despite being available on all formats worldwide. If so, that’s a disgrace! Big star power, 70s grit and full blown intensity; this needs a Blu Ray release.

The Prowler (1981) – X

The last of my list that I’m not fond of is this highly regarded slasher. Released on DVD in the UK as Rosemary’s Killer, this follows a man clad in WW2 fatigues, brutally murdering college students at their spring dance on the 35^th anniversary of a double murder. While it has all the makings of a great slasher, including Tom Savini’s amazing special effects, it completely failed to hit the mark with me. But that doesn’t stop the hordes of horror fanatics loving it and eagerly awaiting its release on Blu Ray.

The Pusher Trilogy (1995, 2004, 2005)

Nicolas Winding Refn has solidified himself as one of cinemas finest auteurs in recent years with films such as Bronson, Drive, Only God Forgives and most recently, The Neon Demon. And while these are all incredible, his amazing ability was prevalent from the start in his debut feature, Pusher. He went on to direct two sequels in order to successfully get a small company out of debt.

Each film is from a different character’s perspective; the first film focuses on Frank, a low level drug dealer who loses money and drugs due to a sting operation and is now in serious debt with a drug lord named Milo. The second focuses on Frank’s best friend Tonny (played by the irreplaceable Mads Mikkelsen) following his release from prison and how he’s coming to terms with fatherhood, going straight and working for his father. The third and final film focuses on the violent drug lord, Milo as he tries to plan his daughter’s 25^th birthday party and sell the 10,000 pills of ecstasy he accidentally got instead of his planned shipment of heroin.

All three films are as raw and un-glamorous as you can get, they’re also among some of the best foreign films I’ve ever seen. The first film also went on to get a Hindi remake and an English language remake, both of which were set in London.

The trilogy is available on DVD here and some countries even have a Blu Ray release of the trilogy (with no English subtitles) – The first film is the only one to get a single release on both VHS and DVD here though. These are true masterpieces and need to have a serious Blu Ray release soon, especially with Arrow’s Nordic Noir label.

Quick Change (1990)

Just imagine this, a classic Bill Murray film available on Blu Ray from Arrow Video; it almost brings a tear to the eye. This crime comedy was one of my childhood favourites and I wore the video out watching it so much.

Bill Murray is a bank robber disguised as a clown who successfully robs a New York bank and with the help of his girlfriend and best friend, quickly changes into that of a hostage and releases himself out to the public for a clean getaway; but it’s not going to be that easy when he gets tied up with other criminals and a tough police captain. Getting out of New York seems almost impossible.

Amazingly this classic never made it past VHS over here but did get a DVD release in Germany and the US. It’s a true forgotten classic that has a great supporting cast from Geena Davis, Randy Quaid (pre-madness) and Jason Robards.

Ravenous (1999)

Directed by the late Antonia Bird, this darkly funny horror masterpiece is one of my favourites of the genre. A cowardly soldier in the 19^th century is sent to a remote military outpost in the mountains and is forced to lead his regiment on a rescue mission to save a group of people trapped in a cave, while unbeknownst to them they’re actually being preyed on by a sadistic cannibal. This gem is one of the few DVD’s I’ve kept due to it being a prized possession and unavailable on Blu Ray, unless you go for the Scream Factory release, which unfortunately has some atrocious, unfitting artwork which is really unusual for them, it does have the original artwork on the reverse which is nice, but I’d like that plus the UK DVD artwork. A CD of the score would be sweeeeeeet too.

Ricochet (1991)

An early Denzel Washington gem here which funnily enough takes place in the same universe as Die Hard, albeit a more gruesome and sleazy version. Nearly a decade after a rookie cop put away a deranged criminal (played to nutty-perfection by John Lithgow) he has gone on to become a top attorney with a happy family. But once the psycho is released from prison, he has a dangerous plan to frame him for murder and exact revenge. This is as violent and seedy as they come, with a complete, exploitation tone and horror movie violence, it’s a shocking and insane bit of fun. There have been numerous DVD releases but still no Blu Ray in sight from anywhere.

Rituals (1977)

I’m going to put my hand up and say that I’ve never seen this film, BUT I do know a lot about it and its horrific home video releasing. Five doctors go on a camping trip in the wilderness only to be stalked by murderous disfigured lunatics. It is effectively Canada’s answer to Deliverance but focusing more on the horror than the more serious thriller aspects. I had an opportunity to see a print of this at the Horrorthon festival but I unfortunately missed it. As far as I know there’s no really good prints available. There have been two DVD releases in Italy and both are below VHS standards and the supposed better of the two is going for over €60. This is a film I really want to see but not in such horrendous condition. I would love to see a nice, polished 2K transfer and an interview with the legendary Hal Holbrook, as well as retaining the amazing original artwork.

A Room For Romeo Brass (1999)

Shane Meadows has proven to be one of the best dramatic film makers working in Britain today, putting himself up there with the likes of Ken Loach, Alan Clarke and Mike Leigh. His films are often somewhat light in tone but feature realistic slices of drama that keep you gripped. One of his most overlooked films is the coming of age dramedy, A Room For Romeo Brass. Two 12 year old best friends are saved by an older man who they befriend; but the man begins to come between their friendship and starts to create hostility between everyone he meets. It’s a charming, funny, frightening and realistic drama that deserves a lot more attention. It features many of his regular cast such as Paddy Considine, Andrew Shim and Vicky McClure. It’s currently only available on DVD and features supremely misleading artwork that almost makes it look like a bawdy comedy. The Australian release has more fitting artwork but I do hope something more original will appear.

The Silent Partner (1978)

This VERY Canadian crime thriller is one of the many 70s gems that gets overlooked. Elliot Gould plays a mild mannered bank teller who anticipates a robbery is going to happen and decides to pocket the money for himself and allow the robber to make off with a decoy; but his plan starts to crumble when the unhinged robber, played by the astoundingly good Christopher Plummer in what might be his most nihilistic performance, discovers he’s been duped, he embarks on a violent cat and mouse game with the teller and will do whatever is necessary to get the money he wants.

As I mentioned when talking about the last Gould film, Busting, I feel the 70s was the best decade in cinema and this film is another among many that prove it. It’s one of the few films to have me on the very edge of my seat while also having moments that genuinely made me exclaim with shock, it’s truly special and has never had a release beyond VHS in the UK and it was under the awful title of Double Deadly. I am willing to argue that the US DVD cover of this film is by far the most shitty misleading DVD cover of all time, whoever designed it should be arrested… The Spanish DVD has much more fitting artwork.

The Shining (1980)

Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece is a loose adaptation of Stephen King’s acclaimed horror novel of the same title. A man and his family move into a large mountain top hotel for the winter to look after the place until spring, but in that time evil spirits start to inhabit the hotel and push the father towards violence, all while his psychic son has horrific visions of what has happened there and what will happen.

This is universally considered to be one of the best horror films of all time and it sits neck and neck with John Carpenter’s The Thing for me. While it has had no trouble with releases over here on all formats, it is however only available in the UK theatrical form. The US theatrical cut is 20 mins longer and features a lot more character development early on as well as extra sequences of horrific imagery. I personally prefer this cut of the film although both cuts are stupendous. I’d love to be able to have both in a set and to get some great newly commissioned artwork, as well as the original reverse.

Slacker (1991)

This early 90s gem is the film that caught the attention of everyone and made Richard Linklater the virtuoso he is today. It’s simply a bunch of vignettes following the days in the lives of 20 something’s around Austin Texas. It’s entirely dialogue driven and was one of the biggest inspirations for Kevin Smith’s Clerks, which also propelled him into the limelight. It has had a few DVD releases here but nothing too extensive. It has joined the Criterion family in the states and I think it’d be a nice accompaniment to Arrow’s release of Linklater’s animated drama, Waking Life.

Strange Days (1995)

Another forgotten gem from Kathryn Bigelow set in the distant future of 1999 when the millennium was all the talk. Ralph Fiennes is an ex-cop who now earns his living selling other people’s memories that you can experience yourself with a new virtual reality system. Things begin to get out of control when he becomes in possession of a dangerous memory that shows brutal murder and police corruption. He must now try to solve the murder while evading those who want to cover up the conspiracy. Wildly original, charmingly futuristic and tense to the bone, this is one of the definitive sci-fi films of the 90s. It has a slightly cut UK DVD and two uncut German Blu Ray releases but both aren’t of the optimum quality and one of the releases is over €70 now.

The Street Fighter Collection (1974)

I’d like to say I’d have heard of these films and Sonny Chiba before True Romance but that’s not the case; that film opened me up to these violent martial arts exploitation romps and I couldn’t be more grateful. Chiba is a tough martial arts master and mercenary for hire; when he is hired to do an extortion job and instead opts to protect his target from his clients, he is sent on the warpath with the Yakuza and the Mafia. All three films feature high flying kung-fu, tough-guy sleaze and heaps of bloody violence. The collection is currently on DVD but doesn’t appear to have a Blu Ray release in sight.

Tesis (1996)

A white knuckle thriller following a college student doing a thesis on violence. When she happens upon a snuff video, she realises it was a recording of a student from her college and begins to suspect some other students or maybe even teachers of being responsible, while being pursued by an unknown assailant. I caught this by chance a couple of years ago and it blew me away and surprised me that it never made it past DVD. There is a Blu Ray from Spain and it does surprisingly have English subtitles, but I’d like a proper UK release with some extensive extras, as that edition is light on bonus content. Plus it would get some more recognition.

To Live And Die In L.A. (1985)

William Friedkin is responsible for some of the greatest films of all time, especially through the 70s, but in 1985 he made one of seminal crime thrillers of the 80s. A hard edged, destructive member of the secret service is on a mission of revenge with his new, timid partner, against a master counterfeiter who killed his partner. Set to a pounding synth score by Wang Chung and laden with gritty violence and what I consider to be one of the most ballsy endings in cinema history, this is a definitive 80s gem. I started writing this list a good while ago and included this title to be talked about, but it’s looking likely that Arrow will be actually realising this one soon, if their clues are anything to go by, so I’m quite happy if that’s the case! Also, this is Takeshi Kitano’s favourite American film.

Treed Murray (2001)

I feel this might be one of the most obscure and what some might call unfitting films of my list, but I think this is a terrific little crime film. It has a very simple premise; Murray is a well to do business man in a rush through Central Park when he encounters some teenage thugs who attempt to rob him and eventually chase him until he finds safety up in a gigantic tree. These teens are hell bent on making his life a misery and have all the time in the world for him to come down and get what they want.

While the idea of a grown man being trapped in a try by a bunch of thugs is enough to make you laugh, it’s handled in such a way that it is extremely tense and clever. It’s a truly unique idea. This was released over here as Get Down, which I don’t think fits; it sounds more like a Step Up knockoff. The US DVD is currently worth over €500 which is just fucking madness. I worry like some of the others, this may get lost in obscurity if it doesn’t get a nice HD release soon.

Truth or Consequences N.M. (1997)

Directed by and starring Kiefer Sutherland, this action thriller follows a gang of criminals who plan a drug heist, only for it to go horribly wrong and putting the police on their tale; they kidnap a middleclass couple on vacation to help get them to New Mexico. But their violent tendencies start to rub off on the husband as he starts emulating their erratic behaviour. I wanted to see this for years and eventually sprang for the DVD and was very pleasantly surprised by how much of a taut thriller it was. It only is on Blu Ray in the US as part of a double pack with The Replacement Killers, but I feel it needs its own Blu release, possibly with some new interviews with the K man himself. Sorry/not sorry for saying K man.

Undefeatable (1993)

There’s so much trashy fun out there like Miami Connection and Samurai Cop, both of which I was thinking of including on this but I may leave for another, infinitely shorter list. But I think the one I’ve had the most fun with has to be this nonsensical martial arts extravaganza.  A martial arts master with severe maternal issues becomes a psychotic rapist who kills and rapes any woman he thinks is his wife. One of those women was the sister of Kristi Jones, a martial arts gang member who fights on the street for cash. She teams up with the detective assigned to the case to take down the monstrous Stingray.

This film asks so many questions and it doesn’t answer fucking any of them, the only answer it gives is high flying kicks to the jaw. Amazingly this made it to DVD when like so many other kung-fu films of the 90s, just end up dying away on VHS. To own a HD copy of this bewildering bucket of joy would simply make my year. Naturally you’ll need a Cynthia Rothrock interview and commentary from herself and Stingray!

The Untold Story & Ebola Syndrome (1993 & 1996)

Herman Yau directed the prestigious Anthony Wong in two of the most deranged comedy horrors of all time. Both laden with some of the most shocking scenes put to film. The Untold Story follows a man who runs a restaurant in which the previous owners have mysteriously disappeared (in the most grisly fashion) and some chirpy upbeat cops are assigned to the case to find out why.

That’s really nothing compared to how fucking bat-shit crazy Ebola Syndrome is though. After murdering and raping his boss and bosses wife, a chef goes on the run to South Africa, where he rapes a woman and contracts the Ebola virus. He then gets a new job as a chef there, murders and rapes his new boss and bosses wife and chops them up into food for the customers, spreading the Ebola virus through the country and sending him back to Hong Kong ready to spread it some more.

It’s absolutely nuts, it’s horrific, it’s shocking, it’s hilarious. It’s an achievement on its own that they managed to make that subject matter in any way humorous.

Neither film has ever been released in the UK and while they were released in the US, they were never given a rating, presumably because they weren’t allowed! These two slices of madness need to become more readily available to the avid collector of all things extreme. You could almost have a CAT III box set of all the most insane films given that rating in China.

Vice Squad (1982)

A vile, dangerous pimp named Ramrod escapes police custody after murdering a prostitute and trawls the streets looking for revenge on Princess, the prostitute that set him up. The detective that orchestrated the sting is now in pursuit to find Princess before Ramrod does and save her life. This is a seedy, sticky piece of work that doesn’t shy away from the grim realities of hooking in 80s LA, while it does add a comically sinister edge to it, presumably to frighten people out of going that direction. Only a VHS release here and a DVD in the US which is now OOP and worth over €60. This would make a great double bill with Fear City.

The Warriors (1979)

It’s 1979, all of New York’s violent gangs have banded together for a truce and agree to become an army under the guidance of Cyrus. They plan to take the streets from the police and rule the state, but Luther, leader of The Rogues has a more sinister plan for chaos, he shoots Cyrus dead and points the blame on The Warriors, turning every gang in the city against them as they desperately fight to get back to their own turf at Coney Island. Yet another one of my all time favourite films, Walter Hill’s masterpiece has transcended past cult status and has become one of the most important films of the 70s.

This already has a worldwide release on DVD and Blu Ray but unfortunately the only version available on Blu Ray is the director’s cut. It’s a beautiful transfer and the sound is perfectly crisp, but it doesn’t have much by way of extras and most annoyingly, it has that awful comic book style animation that has been put in to transition from scene to scene. The theatrical cut is the superior version and it seems that has been relegated to just DVD and never to be updated. I think that needs to change! A definitive edition with both cuts of the film plus the rare TV version that featured deleted scenes and an alternative opening scene. All of this stuff is available and it’s going to waste. A true special edition of this is a must.

The Wild Life (1984)

Very much in the same style of Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some!!, in that it’s a spiritual sequel of sorts, this follows in the footsteps of Fast Times At Ridgemont High. Also written by Cameron Crowe, this follows the rebellious 80s college crowd and their nights of partying, cocaine and sex. Sean Penn’s late brother, Chris plays the lead but sadly bears no on screen relation to Spicoli. Even though Fast Times was very controversial due to its subject matter, this has a much harder time getting the same popular reaction due to the level of cocaine use. It’s a real shame cause while it’s not as good, it’s a terrific companion to Fast Times. Had that not already been released on Blu, I’d have put it in this list too… sure why not, if Arrow can manage a double bill, I’ll be all over it! Currently this only has a DVD release in the US and Spain and has only ever been the VHS in the UK.

The William Lustig Collection – Maniac + Vigilante + Hitlist (1980, 1983, 1989)

One of the finest purveyors of gruesomely violent horror and action films throughout the 80s was William (Bill) Lustig. His most infamous film, Maniac hasn’t ever been released on DVD or Blu Ray uncut in the UK, which is a travesty, especially considering the scenes that were cut out are nothing compared to most. You have a scalp stealing serial killer, a group of hardworking everymen who want to take back their city from the criminal scum who have taken over and a mistaken identity has a family man hunting down the mob hitman who kidnapped his son. While it would be nice to have both Maniac Cop 2 and 3 joining the first film in Arrow’s catalogue, I think these films deserve a much bigger chance. I also would have included Relentless but it’s effectively a remake of Maniac Cop…

Year of The Dragon (1985)

Following the biggest box office failure of all time and one of cinema’s most misunderstood masterpieces, Heaven’s Gate, Michael Cimino opted for the modern day and created a nail biting Chinatown cop thriller with the help of Oliver Stone during his prime decade before turning to shite. The Mafia and the Triads have an understanding with each other and the police that any issues that arise in business or otherwise will be dealt with by themselves, but when a new, younger gang of Triads start to move in on the territory, stirring up trouble and murdering Triad bosses, the NYPD reassign a bigoted, foulmouthed, no nonsense cop, Stanley White from Brooklyn to Chinatown to investigate the murders and put an end to the violence.

Like almost everything Cimino does, especially in his prime, it’s raw, packs a fierce gut punch and is visually stunning. Every DVD release so far in the UK and US has had some of the most hideous artwork imaginable, as well as generally being a fairly weak print. There is however a gorgeous looking French Blu Ray that not only has my favourite poster of the film as its artwork, but is a fantastic print of the film. It’s unfortunately running low on stock and most of the extras are in French, but it shows that there is a high quality print out there just begging to be released on Blu Ray over here.

It’s a true shame that Cimino passed away a few months ago, it would have been great for him to see what was considered another flop in his rapidly slipping career, be turned into a collector’s item that will live on and be appreciated the way it should be. I’m crossing my fingers for that French poster too, if I’m so lucky to even see this get a release. Also a nice fun fact, Michael Mann’s masterpiece, Manhunter was originally due to be called Year of The Dragon, but following this film’s release, they didn’t want to have two films with the same title released the same year, so they changed the title to avoid any confusion.

Well, there ya have it folks, there’s my brain scramblingly long list of films that I would love for Arrow Video to release. As I said before, some of these are very likely, some I’m really hopeful for and one or two are total wishful thinking, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t try get a push out there! I’m most definitely going to do more lists like this but no for a good while. This has truly taken it out of me! To whoever reads this far, I want to give you a sincere thank you! 13,000 plus words isn’t the length of a normal article… more so a fucking thesis.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed it! I’m sure if there’s any you all disagree with or would add yourself, you can tell me!