Arrow Video has officially announced that they will be bringing two new Blu-Ray releases to their collection this March. This month will see the release of a double feature of Japanese sci-fi classics with The Invisible Man Appears & The Invisible Man Vs. The Human Fly and first-time director Patrick Picard’s fun new twist on an Edgar Allen Poe classic in The Bloodhound. Both releases come loaded with special features that should more than thrill fans. Get all the details on both releases below!
The Invisible Man Appears/The Invisible Man Vs. The Human Fly
Release Date: March 16, 2021
Finally released outside Japan for the very first time, these unique riffs on H.G. Wells’ classic character (though undoubtedly also indebted to Universal’s iconic film series) are two of the earliest examples of tokusatsu (special effects) cinema from the legendary Daiei Studios. In The Invisible Man Appears, written and directed by Nobuo Adachi in 1949, a scientist successfully creates an invisibility serum, only to be kidnapped by a gang of thugs who wish to use the formula to rob a priceless jewel. In addition to being the earliest surviving Japanese science fiction film ever made, the film’s entertaining special effects were an early credit for the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya, five years before he first brought Godzilla to life. Eight years later, Mitsuo Murayama’s exciting The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly tells the story of a series of mysterious murders where the only clue is strange buzzing noise at the scene of the crime… could this be linked to secret wartime experiments in shrinking humans to the size of insects? And can a scientist who’s just invented an invisibility ray be the one to stop it?
Bonus Materials
- High Definition (1080p) transfers of both films on one Blu-ray disc
- Original lossless Japanese mono audio on both films
- Optional English subtitles for both films
- Transparent Terrors, a newly filmed interview with critic and genre scholar Kim Newman on the history of the ‘Invisible Man’ in cinema
- Theatrical trailer for The Invisible Man Appears
- Image galleries for both films
- Reversible sleeve featuring new and original artwork by Graham Humphreys
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collectors’ booklet featuring new writing by Keith Allison, Hayley Scanlon and Tom Vincent
The Bloodhound
Release Date: March 23, 2021
First-time feature director Patrick Picard brings a fresh take to one of the best-known stories from the master of mystery and the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, in his new slow-burner horror-thriller The Bloodhound, a hauntingly atmospheric tale described by The Hollywood News as “an impressively stylish and intellectual debut”. Francis (Liam Aiken, A Series of Unfortunate Events), a dispossessed young man, is summoned to the secluded home of his wealthy childhood friend, JP Luret (Joe Adler, The Maze Runner), who is suffering from a mysterious affliction. Upon his arrival, Francis realizes that JP and his ethereal twin sister Vivian (Annalise Basso, Ouija: Origin of Evil) are the sole surviving members of the privileged Luret family, whose legacy has been one of depression and self-destruction, and the only occupants of their family estate. As the old friends attempt to reconnect, a number of inexplicable incidents begin to occur within the house, and Francis finds himself drawn into a world of malaise and despair, where an act of betrayal might provide his only way out… From Leal Naim and Thomas R. Burke, producers of The Endless and Synchronic, and featuring some remarkable performances from its trio of lead actors, The Bloodhound leads you on a journey exploring themes that are as relevant to today as ever before, such as the yearning for emotional connection, the perils of social isolation and the fragility of mental health.
Bonus Materials
- High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation
- Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Brand new audio commentary by director Patrick Picard and editor David Scorca
- Four experimental short films by director Patrick Picard: bad dream, the muffled hammerfall in action, the mosaic code and wiggleworm
- On the Trail of The Bloodhound: Behind the Scenes of a Modern Chiller, exclusive 45-minute making-of featurette
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing on the film by Anton Bitel
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
