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Enter the Video Store: Empire of Screams Limited Edition

£54.99

Remember the shelves of your local video store? Those days aren’t gone! Reject reality and substitute your own with Arrow Video! In 1983, entrepreneurial producer and director Charles Band founded Empire International Pictures, which would go on to make some of the most memorable and beloved genre movies of the 1980s. Empire became a mainstay of video stores across the world with their catchy titles, outlandish art and Band’s wholehearted belief in giving audiences a good time.  In The Dungeonmaster (AKA Ragewar), computer programmer Paul Bradford is sucked into a fantasy world by Mestema, a demonic sorcerer in search of a worthy opponent. Meanwhile, fresh from the one-two punch of Re-Animator and From Beyond, director Stuart Gordon takes a turn toward fairytale gothic in Dolls, in which a group of strangers find themselves forced to seek shelter at the isolated home of an old toymaker and his wife, only to find that the puppets and dolls have a vicious life of their own. In Cellar Dweller, a comic book artist (Jeffrey Combs) with a penchant for the macabre takes inspiration from an ancient tome and unleashes an ancient evil. Arena presents the ultimate fight night event: man vs monster! In the far future of 4038, a short order cook becomes the first human in fifty years to compete in an intergalactic boxing event on the far side of the universe. Finally in Robot Jox, Stuart Gordon directs Empire Pictures' most ambitious movie yet, as men and women pilot giant machines in gladiatorial battle to settle international disputes over territory. Freshly restored for the digital era with a wealth of new and archival extras, these films have never looked better. No need for a time machine, these golden age video classics will send you back to the 80s! LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS - High Definition Blu-Ray (1080p) presentations of all five films - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing - Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley - Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady - Double sided posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady - 15 postcard-sized reproduction artcards - Arrow Video store “membership card” - 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing on the films by Lee Gambin, Dave Jay, Megan Navarro, and John Harrison plus select archival material DISC ONE - THE DUNGEONMASTER - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative - Three different versions of the film via seamless branching: the US theatrical version (The Dungeonmaster), the pre-release version and the international version (Ragewar) - Original lossless mono audio - New audio commentary with star Jeffrey Byron, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain - I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own, a new interview with star Jeffrey Byron - Theatrical trailers - Image gallery DISC TWO - DOLLS - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original interpositive - Original lossless stereo audio - New audio commentary by David Decoteau, Empire alumnus and friend of Stuart Gordon - Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon and writer Ed Naha - Archive audio commentary with cast members Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Stephen Lee, Carrie Lorraine, and Ian Patrick Williams - Assembling Dolls, a new interview with Lee Percy, editor of Dolls, Re-Animator and From Beyond - Toys of Terror: The Making of Dolls, an archive featurette with Gordon, Yuzna, Purdy-Gordon, Williams, Brian Yuzna, Charles Band and Gabe Bartalos - Film-to-storyboard comparison - Theatrical trailers - Image gallery DISC THREE - CELLAR DWELLER - Additional picture restoration by Arrow Films - Original lossless stereo audio - New audio commentary by special make-up effects artist Michael Deak who inhabited the Cellar Dweller creature suit, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain - Grabbed by the Ghoulies, a new appreciation of John Carl Buechler, special make-up effects artist of many Empire Pictures films and director of Cellar Dweller, by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain - Inside the Cellar, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak - Original sales sheet - Original production notes - VHS trailer - Empire Pictures trailer reel - Image galleries, including behind the scenes photos courtesy of special make-up effects artist Michael Deak DISC FOUR - ARENA - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the last known surviving 35mm elements - Original lossless stereo audio - New audio commentary with director Peter Manoogian, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain - Alternative fullframe presentation - Not His Arena, a new interview with co-screenwriter Danny Bilson - Empire of Creatures, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak - Theatrical trailer - Image gallery DISC FIVE - ROBOT JOX - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative - Original lossless stereo audio - Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon - Archive audio commentary with associate effects director Paul Gentry, mechanical effects artist Mark Rappaport, and stop-motion animator Paul Jessell - Crash and Burn, a new interview with actor Gary Graham - Her Name is Athena, a new Interview with actor Anne-Marie Johnson - The Scale of Battle: David Allen and the FX of Robot Jox, a new appreciation of stop motion animator David Allen by those who knew him, featuring contributions from fellow visual effects artists Steve Burg, Yancy Calzeda, Paul Gentry, Kevin Kutchaver, Dennis Muren and John Vincent - Looking Back, an archival interview with actor Paul Koslo - Original sales sheet - Original production notes - Theatrical trailer - Image galleries, including behind the scenes stills courtesy of associate effects director Paul Gentry

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  • Details

    Released:
    26th June 2023
    Category:
    Horror
    Studio:
    Arrow Video
    Format:
    Blu-ray Box Set
    Certification:
    18 – Suitable only for adult
    Barcode:
    5027035025414
  • Description

    Remember the shelves of your local video store? Those days aren’t gone! Reject reality and substitute your own with Arrow Video! In 1983, entrepreneurial producer and director Charles Band founded Empire International Pictures, which would go on to make some of the most memorable and beloved genre movies of the 1980s. Empire became a mainstay of video stores across the world with their catchy titles, outlandish art and Band’s wholehearted belief in giving audiences a good time. 

    In The Dungeonmaster (AKA Ragewar), computer programmer Paul Bradford is sucked into a fantasy world by Mestema, a demonic sorcerer in search of a worthy opponent. Meanwhile, fresh from the one-two punch of Re-Animator and From Beyond, director Stuart Gordon takes a turn toward fairytale gothic in Dolls, in which a group of strangers find themselves forced to seek shelter at the isolated home of an old toymaker and his wife, only to find that the puppets and dolls have a vicious life of their own. In Cellar Dweller, a comic book artist (Jeffrey Combs) with a penchant for the macabre takes inspiration from an ancient tome and unleashes an ancient evil. Arena presents the ultimate fight night event: man vs monster! In the far future of 4038, a short order cook becomes the first human in fifty years to compete in an intergalactic boxing event on the far side of the universe. Finally in Robot Jox, Stuart Gordon directs Empire Pictures' most ambitious movie yet, as men and women pilot giant machines in gladiatorial battle to settle international disputes over territory.

    Freshly restored for the digital era with a wealth of new and archival extras, these films have never looked better. No need for a time machine, these golden age video classics will send you back to the 80s!

    LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS

    - High Definition Blu-Ray (1080p) presentations of all five films
    - Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
    - Limited edition packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Laurie Greasley
    - Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
    - Double sided posters for each film featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Ilan Sheady
    - 15 postcard-sized reproduction artcards
    - Arrow Video store “membership card”
    - 80-page perfect bound book featuring new writing on the films by Lee Gambin, Dave Jay, Megan Navarro, and John Harrison plus select archival material

    DISC ONE - THE DUNGEONMASTER

    - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative
    - Three different versions of the film via seamless branching: the US theatrical version (The Dungeonmaster), the pre-release version and the international version (Ragewar)
    - Original lossless mono audio
    - New audio commentary with star Jeffrey Byron, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
    - I Reject Your Reality and Substitute My Own, a new interview with star Jeffrey Byron
    - Theatrical trailers
    - Image gallery

    DISC TWO - DOLLS

    - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original interpositive
    - Original lossless stereo audio
    - New audio commentary by David Decoteau, Empire alumnus and friend of Stuart Gordon
    - Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon and writer Ed Naha
    - Archive audio commentary with cast members Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, Stephen Lee, Carrie Lorraine, and Ian Patrick Williams
    - Assembling Dolls, a new interview with Lee Percy, editor of Dolls, Re-Animator and From Beyond
    - Toys of Terror: The Making of Dolls, an archive featurette with Gordon, Yuzna, Purdy-Gordon, Williams, Brian Yuzna, Charles Band and Gabe Bartalos
    - Film-to-storyboard comparison
    - Theatrical trailers
    - Image gallery

    DISC THREE - CELLAR DWELLER

    - Additional picture restoration by Arrow Films
    - Original lossless stereo audio
    - New audio commentary by special make-up effects artist Michael Deak who inhabited the Cellar Dweller creature suit, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
    - Grabbed by the Ghoulies, a new appreciation of John Carl Buechler, special make-up effects artist of many Empire Pictures films and director of Cellar Dweller, by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
    - Inside the Cellar, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak
    - Original sales sheet
    - Original production notes
    - VHS trailer
    - Empire Pictures trailer reel
    - Image galleries, including behind the scenes photos courtesy of special make-up effects artist Michael Deak

    DISC FOUR - ARENA

    - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the last known surviving 35mm elements
    - Original lossless stereo audio
    - New audio commentary with director Peter Manoogian, moderated by film critics Matty Budrewicz and Dave Wain
    - Alternative fullframe presentation
    - Not His Arena, a new interview with co-screenwriter Danny Bilson
    - Empire of Creatures, a new interview with special make-up effects artist Michael Deak
    - Theatrical trailer
    - Image gallery

    DISC FIVE - ROBOT JOX

    - New 2K restoration by Arrow Films from the original negative
    - Original lossless stereo audio
    - Archive audio commentary with director Stuart Gordon
    - Archive audio commentary with associate effects director Paul Gentry, mechanical effects artist Mark Rappaport, and stop-motion animator Paul Jessell
    - Crash and Burn, a new interview with actor Gary Graham
    - Her Name is Athena, a new Interview with actor Anne-Marie Johnson
    - The Scale of Battle: David Allen and the FX of Robot Jox, a new appreciation of stop motion animator David Allen by those who knew him, featuring contributions from fellow visual effects artists Steve Burg, Yancy Calzeda, Paul Gentry, Kevin Kutchaver, Dennis Muren and John Vincent
    - Looking Back, an archival interview with actor Paul Koslo
    - Original sales sheet
    - Original production notes
    - Theatrical trailer
    - Image galleries, including behind the scenes stills courtesy of associate effects director Paul Gentry
  • Delivery and Returns

    When will my order arrive?

    • If the items are in stock, we’ll aim to dispatch them within 24 hours of your order being placed.  
    • Orders sent via Royal Mail 48® are usually received within two to five working days, including Saturdays. 
    • Orders sent via the Express Delivery service will be dispatched the same day if ordered by 2pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
    • We will aim to dispatch pre-orders so that you receive them on the release date.
    • Where an item is 'Back in stock soon', we'll aim to receive more stock within a week and will dispatch any orders once the shipment has arrived.
    • Certain items can take longer to source than the estimated week, particularly during busy trading periods and may take longer to arrive at our warehouse. In this instance, we'll send weekly updates to keep you aware. 
    • Products labelled '*item fulfilled by Exertis on behalf of hmv' will be supplied to you directly by Exertis via their approved couriers. When you place an order for an item that is fulfilled by Exertis, your details shall be forwarded to them so that they can fulfil the order, and to their courier so that they can deliver the item.

    Delivery charges

    • Free delivery is available for most items when the order exceeds £20, but any exceptions will be clearly highlighted.
    • Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge.
    • Selected items are only available for delivery using Click & Collect to an hmv or FOPP store of your choice.
    • All delivery options and any charges that are applicable will be shown at the checkout.

    Will you tell me when my order is on its way?

    • We will email you as soon as each item is ready to be dispatched so you know when to expect them, but you can also check the status of your order in your account.
    • We don’t always ship everything together so check your dispatch email for more details - we’ll send you a dispatch email per parcel.
    • If your order contains items that are out of stock, we’ll ship the in-stock items as soon as we can and will dispatch the out-of-stock items as soon as we’ve received more stock in the warehouse.
    • For items that are dispatched using our standard service, we ask that you wait 14 days from the date of dispatch before reporting any items as undelivered.

    Returns

    • We’re happy to accept returns for unwanted items, provided that they are returned within 14 days of receipt; unopened, unused, and in perfect condition.
    • Some exclusions apply, please visit our Help Centre for more details. 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

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