Arrow Video Is Ready to [REC] 'n Roll in January 2021 With A Bumper Crop Of Genre Faves

Editor, U.S. ; Dallas, Texas (@HatefulJosh)

After a relatively light December, Arrow Video is coming back strong in 2021. The new year sees a ton of true heavy hitters hitting store shelves, including some world UHD premieres of some of the greatest genre fare of the 21st century.

First up is a UK only 4K UHD upgrade of Park Chan-wook's seminal film, Oldboy, with a Zavvi exclusive Steelbook variant, alongside Park's earlier film JSA: Joint Security Area on Blu-ray. Also up for grabs in the UK is a brand new Blu-ray release of one of the most terrifying films of the current century, Paco Plaza's [REC], the film that revitalized the fond footage and zombie film genres all in one fell swoop. 

Fans in the US aren't getting left out, though, fans on both sides of the pond will be able to enjoy these releases. If you missed the original limited edition Gamera box set earlier this summer, fear not, Arrow is rereleasing them as standard box sets in January. This time the sets will be seperated by era, with a dedicated Showa era classic Gamera box, as well as a modern Heisei era box that includes the remarkable trilogy as well as the later Gamera the Brave

Last but not least is the 4K UHD premiere of Richard Kelley's misunderstood satire, Southland Tales, featuring both the theatrical and Cannes cut of the film. Check out the full details and images of all of January's releases below

OLDBOY 4K UHD (UK)

Often cited as one of the best films of the 2000s and possibly the definitive example of extreme Asian cinema, Oldboy is a brutal, lyrical modern classic of the revenge genre.

Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, the film tells the horrific tale of Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik), a businessman who is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned in a grim hotel room-like cell for 15 years, without knowing his captor or the reason for his incarceration. Eventually released, he learns of his wife’s murder and embarks on a quest for revenge whilst also striking up a romance with a young, attractive sushi chef, Mi-do (Kang Hye-jung). He eventually finds his tormentor, but their final encounter will yield yet more unimaginable horrors...

Directed with immense flair by Park Chan-wook (JSAThe Handmaiden) as the second instalment of his Vengeance Trilogy, Oldboy blazed a trail at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival where it was lauded by the President of the Jury, director Quentin Tarantino. The film went on to become a huge international smash, blowing audiences’ minds with its concoction of filmmaking virtuosity, ingenious plotting, violence and pathos. Now, this masterpiece has been restored in 4K and is presented here with the feature-length documentary Old Days, and a massive array of extras.

4K ULTRA HD BLU-RAY CONTENTS

  • Two-disc edition featuring a new restoration of Oldboy on 4K UHD Blu-ray, and the acclaimed making-of documentary Old Days on Blu-ray
  • Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Justin Erickson

DISC ONE – OLDBOY (4K UHD BLU-RAY)

  • Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative supervised by director Park Chan-wook
  • 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo
  • Original Korean and English soundtracks
  • Music and effects track
  • Newly translated, optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
  • Newly translated English subtitles for the Korean soundtrack
  • Audio commentary with director Park Chan-wook
  • Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook and cinematographer Jung Jung-hoon
  • Audio commentary with Park Chan-wook, and actors Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jung
  • New audio commentary with critic Jasper Sharp and writer Simon Ward
  • Out of the Past, new video appreciation by Asian film expert Tony Rayns
  • Deleted scenes with optional director commentary
  • Behind the scenes featurettes
  • Extensive cast and crew interviews
  • Trailers and teasers
  • Image gallery

DISC TWO - OLD DAYS (BLU-RAY)

  • Old Days: An Oldboy Story, the acclaimed feature-length 2016 documentary about Park Chan-wook’s masterpiece
  • Autobiography of Oldboy, a three-and-a-half-hour video diary of the making of Oldboy

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Fully illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Simon Abrams and archival articles

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