Physical media collectors, rejoice. Whether or not one celebrates Easter as a holiday is irrelevant. What matters to horror fans amongst you who still purchase Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD movies is that the fine folks at Arrow Video are currently running their so-called Easter Carnage sale.
See also: Netflix Is Breaking A Big Rule For STRANGER THINGS (And It’s Great)
You can check out Arrow’s full Easter Carnage offerings, with the sale live now through April 13. A selection of the company’s Blu-ray and 4K releases are up to 50% off, which is an attractive proposition. Arrow truly does fantastic work but that work isn’t always the easiest on the ol’ wallet. Not to say it’s not worth it – I personally, happily own a number of Arrow’s releases. They’re one of the best in the business when it comes to boutique releases.
But when one can get some of the best 4K and Blu-ray releases on the market at a discount, why not take advantage? For horror fans looking for some recommendations, we’ve combed through the sale in detail and have come up with a list of 5 movies worth picking up during the sale. Let’s dive in, shall we?
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Tremors
Tremors (Credit: Universal Pictures). In the realm of ‘90s creature features, it doesn’t get much better than Tremors. Directed by Ron Underwood, it birthed a long-running franchise and introduced the world to the giant sandworms known as Graboids. This is one I personally have in my collection and one that I happily paid much closer to retail price for. It’s loaded down with special features and the movie has never looked better.
Tremors (Credit: Arrow Video). The 4K goes for $25 during the sale, representing a 50% discount, with the Blu-ray available for $17, more than half off the retail price. Of note; Arrow also has Tremors 2: Aftershocks available, for those who want to go all-in. The synopsis for the original reads as follows:
“Good-ol'-boy handymen Val (Kevin Bacon) and Earl (Fred Ward) are sick of their dead-end jobs in one-horse desert town Perfection, Nevada (population: 14). Just as they're about to escape Perfection forever, however, things start to get really weird: half-eaten corpses litter the road out of town; the phone lines stop working; and a plucky young scientist shows evidence of unusually strong seismic activity in the area. Something is coming for the citizens of Perfection… and it's under the goddamn ground!”
Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment
Hellraiser (Credit: Entertainment Film Distributors). There is no franchise quite like Hellraiser. Based on the work of the one and only Clive Barker, these movies have such sights to show. And Arrow Video packed together the first four movies in the series in a beautiful, remastered 4K collection a couple of years back dubbed Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment. The set includes Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth and Hellraiser: Bloodline.
Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment (Credit: Arrow Video). The 4K edition goes for $65 right now, while the Blu-ray goes for $60. Normally, this set is between $110 and $120 retail, so it’s probably not going to go for a lower price any time soon. The synopsis for the original horror classic reads as follows:
“Hedonist Frank Cotton (Sean Chapman) thinks he has reached the limits of earthly pleasure. But a mysterious puzzle box will take him further than he can possibly imagine, opening the doors to a dominion where pain and pleasure are indivisible and summoning the Cenobites, whose experiments in the higher reaches of experience will tear his soul apart. When he manages to escape, Frank returns to the world skinless and in need of help. Now his former lover Julia (Clare Higgins) must kill to make him whole again. But the Cenobites want Frank back, and there'll be hell to pay when they find him.
You can grab Hellraiser: Quartet of Torment from Arrow Video right here.
An American Werewolf In London
An American Werewolf in London (Credit: Universal Pictures). There are lots of werewolf movies out there. Few, if any, have stood the test of time quite like An American Werewolf in London. Directed by John Landis, it’s a masterwork of the subgenre that still packs a punch a full 45 years later. Arrow gave the 1981 flick a rather nice release several years ago. Available on both 4K and Blu-ray, it’s a worthy addition to one’s library. Also perhaps worth the upgrade for anyone with the DVD still sitting on the shelf.
An American Werewolf in London (Credit: Arrow Video). The 4K is available for $25 during the sale, while the Blu-ray goes for $17, which is more than 50% off the retail price. That’s a steal if you ask me. The synopsis for the movie reads as follows:
“American tourists David (David Naughton) and Jack (Griffin Dunne) are savaged by an unidentified vicious animal whilst hiking on the Yorkshire Moors. David awakes in a London hospital to find his friend dead and his life in disarray. Retiring to the home of a beautiful nurse (Jenny Agutter, Walkabout) to recuperate, he soon experiences disturbing changes to his mind and body, undergoing a full-moon transformation that will unleash terror on the streets of the capital…”
You can grab An American Werewolf in London from Arrow right here.
Mute Witness
Mute Witness (Credit: Sony Pictures Classics). Admittedly, I am a newcomer to the greatness that is Mute Witness. I was introduced to it pretty recently thanks to Joe Bob Briggs and The Last Drive-In. That having been said, I’m incredibly happy to be late rather than never on this one, as it’s an incredibly interesting, unique thriller from director Anthony Waller. I was also thankful to discover that Arrow video gave this gem the red carpet treatment it deserves, with a pretty impressive collector’s edition release.
Mute Witness (Credit: Arrow Video). The 4K goes for $30 during the sale, while the Blu-ray runs $25. Not quite as deep of a discount as some of the others on this list, but it’s also a truly impressive release. For those unfamiliar, the synopsis for the movie reads as follows:
“Billy Hughes (Marina Sudina) is a mute special effects artist working on a low budget American slasher movie being shot in Russia. Accidentally locked in the studio late one night, she stumbles upon two men shooting what appears to be a snuff film. Having borne witness to their victim’s final moments, Billy desperately flees – but this is only the start of a protracted night of terror, drawing her and her friends into a tangled web of intrigue, involving the KGB, the Moscow police… and a mysterious crime kingpin known as ‘The Reaper.’”
Crimson Peak
Crimson Peak (Credit: Universal Pictures). Guillermo del Toro is an unquestioned legend in the horror arena. But for all of his many successes, Crimson Peak may well be his most unsung masterpiece. Perhaps one of the best blends of romance and horror in cinema history, it’s a movie that didn’t get its fair shake in its day but has since gone on to find a lot of love. Fortunately, the folks at Arrow gave it the treatment it deserved, with a very nice release packed with bonus features.
Crimson Peak (Credit: Arrow Video). During the sale, the 4K can be yours for $25 or the Blu-ray for $17. One of those “a bargain at any price” items for the shelf, but particularly at this price. The synopsis for the movie reads as follows:
“Beginning in Buffalo, New York, during the 1880s, Crimson Peak stars Mia Wasikowska as Edith Cushing, an aspiring writer who is haunted by the death of her mother. Edith falls in love with seductive stranger Thomas Sharpe (Tom Hiddleston), who whisks her off to Allerdale Hall, his baronial, yet dilapidated English mansion built upon a mountain of blood-red clay. Here Edith meets Lucille (Jessica Chastain), Thomas'ss sister who at times seems hostile and jealous. As Edith struggles to feel at home in the imposing residence, she gradually uncovers a horrendous family secret and encounters supernatural forces that will help her discover the terrible truth behind Crimson Peak.”
