On October 17th, Academy Award-winning director William Wyler’s classic film noir, “The Desperate Hours,” comes to Blu-ray™ with a new restoration from a 6K scan of the original VistaVision negative. Wyler’s thriller stars Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March in a battle of wills between an escaped convict (Bogart) and a family man (March) whose loved ones he’s taken hostage. Adapted by Joseph Hayes (“The Third Day”) from his own novel and stage play and inspired by actual events, “The Desperate Hours” is a classic tale of suspense from a master filmmaker at the height of his creative powers. Featuring a taut script, crisp black and white photography, and a truly sinister turn by Bogart, “The Desperate Hours” isn’t just a good home invasion thriller but the original classic that launched the genre itself.
Special Features:
- A brand new audio commentary by film historian Daniel Kremer
- Trouble in Suburbia – a new appreciation of the film by José Arroyo, Associate Professor in Film and Television Studies at the University of Warwick
- The Lonely Man – a new visual essay by Eloise Ross, co-curator of the Melbourne Cinémathèque
- Scaled Down and Ratcheted Up – a new audio interview with Catherine Wyler, daughter of director William Wyler
- A lobby cards gallery
- A reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jennifer Dionisio
- An illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Philip Kemp and Neil Sinyard
On October 24th, Sammo Hung’s directorial debut, “The Iron Fisted Monk,” comes to Blu-ray™ in a 2K restoration from original film elements by Fortune Star, including the original uncensored version. Hung stars as a simple rice farmer saved by Shaolin monks and taught the way of kung fu after the cold-blooded assassination of his uncle. Receiving a Category III rating in Hong Kong (the US equivalent of the NC-17), “The Iron-Fisted Monk” features unrelenting, bone-breaking martial arts action that you won’t soon forget.
Special Features:
- Audio commentary by martial arts cinema expert Frank Djeng
- Two archival interviews with Sammo Hung
- An archival interview with Casanova Wong
- Original theatrical trailer
- Reversible sleeve and a double-sided fold-out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Mills
- An illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Brandon Bentley
Finally, on October 31st, Arrow Video releases “Witness” on 4K Ultra HD™ and Blu-ray™. Widely considered one of the best films of the 1980s, “Witness” is an astute thriller directed by Academy Award®-nominated Peter Weir and featuring Harrison Ford in his first Academy Award®-nominated performance. Ford plays a Philadelphia police detective who must infiltrate a rural community in order to protect a young Amish boy (Lukas Haas in his debut performance), the only living witness to a brutal murder that exposes deep-rooted corruption in the detective’s own department. This taut, dramatic thriller features impressive supporting turns by Patti LuPone, Kelly McGillis, Alexander Godunov, and Danny Glover. The 4K Ultra HD™ Blu-ray edition is presented fully restored in 4K with Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible).
Special Features:
- Brand new audio commentary by film historian Jarret Gahan
- A new video interview with cinematographer John Seale
- A new visual essay on the film’s performances by film journalist Staci Layne Wilson
- A vintage 1985 interview in which Harrison Ford discusses “Witness” with critic Bobbie Wygant
- Between Two Worlds – a five-part archival documentary on the making of the film, featuring interviews with Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Peter Weir, John Seale, producer Edward S. Feldman, and actors Lukas Haas, Patti LuPone and Viggo Mortensen
- A Conversation with Peter Weir – an archival interview with the film’s director
- Two vintage EPK featurettes
- A deleted scene from the network TV version of the film
- Theatrical trailer
- Image Gallery
- Limited edition packaging with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Limited edition 60-page perfect bound booklet illustrated by Tommy Pocket, featuring new writing on the film by Dennis Capicik, Martyn Conterio, John Harrison, and Amanda Reyes
- A fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Tommy Pocket
- Six double-sided collector’s postcards
