Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion

by Ben Wheatley, Anthony Nield (Editor)

Arrow Video is one of the foremost distributors of cult cinema on DVD and Blu-ray. From the classic to the obscure, the Arrow Video collection encompasses all styles and horror films and Westerns, science fiction and sex comedies, yakuza epics and neo-noirs, the subversive, the transgressive and the unclassifiable.

This hardback volume brings together 25 of the world s leading genre experts and critics to guide you through the multi-faceted beast that is cult cinema. Exploring the stars, the filmmakers and the trends, Cult An Arrow Video Companion provides an intriguing trip down the less well-trodden paths of filmdom.

Featuring the writing Robin Bougie, Michael Brooke, Paul Corupe, David Del Valle, David Flint, Cullen Gallagher, Kevin Gilvear, Joel Harley, David Hayles, Pasquale Iannone, Alan Jones, Tim Lucas, Michael Mackenzie, Maitland McDonagh, Tom Mes, John Kenneth Muir, Kim Newman, James Oliver, Vic Pratt, Jasper Sharp, Kenneth J. Souza, Mike Sutton, Stephen Thrower, Caelum Vatnsdal, Doug Weir.

246 pages, Hardcover

Published April 12, 2016

Reviews

[Horror Underground]

Review from: http://beneaththeunderground.com

For many years Arrow Video has been the leading voice in the UK for film distribution and restoration. From classic cinema to obscure cult films, Arrow has built a reputation for working with some of the best and most influential filmmakers and releasing high end restorations to present their work in the best possible format. With each release, Arrow assembles some of the most talented critics, filmmakers, and experts to place their voice and mark on the supplemental material that accompanies each release. Some of these are interviews, special feature vignettes, and both written and visual essays. For most fans, these essays represent the hallmark of Arrow’s releases by offering an insider and historian approach to the film’s cinematic relevance.

In Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion, editor Anthony Nield has assembled twenty five of the world’s leading experts on cult cinema. With each essay, the film’s historical relevance is placed in a thoughtful article that provides the most comprehensive look at each piece including their directors, producers, actors and a plethora of behind the scenes stories that goes deep enough to surprise even the most veteran of film geeks. All of the essay’s have been previously accompanied in their respective film’s release, but the assembly and package is the real reason to own this. Not every Arrow fan is going to have each release that has been published in this work and this collection makes for the perfect excuse to not worry about damaging the booklet inside your potentially out of print DVD or blu-ray.

Cult Cinema spans the gauntlet of cult, exploitation, and horror. From Roger Corman’s early entries to Mario Bava’s giallo masterpiece Blood and Black Lace, no stone is left unturned. Each film’s essay is a glorious journey through time allowing a bit of a fly on the wall type look at the making of some of these classics. The “you can’t kill Tom Hanks” segment in the essay for Joe Dante’s oft forgotten classic The ‘Burbs is one of my favorite anecdotal moments in the book. Each essay is also accompanied by high resolution images of screen captures from the films as well as alternate artwork of the film’s poster and most memorable moments, many of which, including the cover, are from the talents of Graham Humphreys.

Arrow Video and editor Anthony Nield have a done a commendable job by creating a book that rivals the wonder and elegance of an Arrow DVD/Blu-ray release. Filled with enough information to make you feel like a scholar by the time you finish it, this is the most essential book on cult cinema to date. Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion is an absolutely breathtaking piece of work that is not to be missed.

Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion Limited Hardback releases on March 29th from Arrow Video and MVD.

Cult Cinema: An Arrow Video Companion featuring the writing of: Robin Bougie, Michael Brooke, Paul Corupe, David Del Valle, David Flint, Kevin Gilvear, Joel Harley, David Hayles, Pasquale Iannone, Alan Jones, Tim Lucas, Michael Mackenzie, Maitland McDonagh, Tom Mes, John Kenneth Muir, Kim Newman, James Oliver, Vic Pratt, Jasper Sharp, Yvonne D. Sims, Kenneth J. Souza, Mike Sutton, Stephen Thrower, Caelum Vatnsdal, Doug Weir. With an introduction by filmmaker Ben Wheatley.

http://beneaththeunderground.com/book...

[Adrian Allen]

A comprehensive and enjoyable overview of the Arrow catalogue.