Arrow Releasing Caltiki the Immortal Monster

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

NEW UK/US TITLE: Caltiki the Immortal Monster (Dual Format Blu-ray & DVD)

A unique and unforgettable sci-fi chiller which showcases these two legendary filmmakers at their most inventive

Pre-order in the UK: http://bit.ly/2inW21k
North American pre-orders links should be live soon!
Release Dates: 10/11 April

Arrow Video presents a collaboration between two giants of Italian cult cinema - Riccardo Freda (The Vampires, The Horrible Dr Hichcock) and Mario Bava (5 Dolls for an August Moon, Blood and Black Lace)!

A team of archaeologists led by Dr John Fielding (John Merivale, Circus of Horrors) descends on the ruins of an ancient Mayan city to investigate the mysterious disappearance of its inhabitants. However, the luckless explorers get more than they bargained for when their investigation of a sacrificial pool awakens the monster that dwells beneath its waters - the fearsome and malevolent god Caltiki.

Though Riccardo Freda received sole directing credit, a significant portion of the film was in fact the work of Mario Bava, who also served as its cinematographer and was responsible its striking special effects. Drawing on a diverse array of influences, from The Quatermass Experiment to the works of HP Lovecraft, Caltiki the Immortal Monster is a unique and unforgettable sci-fi chiller which showcases these two legendary filmmakers at their most inventive. Presented here for the first time in a newly restored high definition transfer, Caltiki shines - and terrifies! - like never before.

SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS:
• Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentations
• Original mono Italian and English soundtracks (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc)
• Newly translated English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• New audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All the Colors of the Dark
• New audio commentary by Troy Howarth, author of The Haunted World of Mario Bava and So Deadly, So Perverse: 50 Years of Italian Giallo Films
• From Quatermass to Caltiki, a new discussion with author and critic Kim Newman on the influence of classic monster movies on Caltiki
• Riccardo Freda, Forgotten Master, an archival interview with critic Stefano Della Casa
• The Genesis of Caltiki, an archival interview with filmmaker Luigi Cozzi
• Archival introduction to the film by Stefano Della Casa
• Alternate opening titles for the US version
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys

FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing by Kat Ellinger and Roberto Curti

[Roderick Butthorn Find all posts View Profile Close Roderick]

Yes! Arrow is on fire today.

[Gary Banks Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gary Banks]

Hmmmmmm.

[enandalusiskhund An Andalusian Dog Find all posts View Profile Close enandalusiskhund]

This announcement really makes me glad, despite owning the Italian disc for years without watching it.

[Bogart Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Bogart]

This is probably the release im most excited by, but these are some nice obscure choices by Arrow. Refreshing.

[Dark Horse 77 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dark Horse 77]

I've never been impressed by the Freda films I've seen so far, but I'll definitely give this a chance due to Bava's involvement.

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

A note from Tim Lucas' FB page:

"It doesn't appear to be mentioned on the packaging, but Arrow Video generously decided late in production to present CALTIKI on the Blu-ray disc in both its theatrical aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and, for the first time ever, in full aperture 1.33:1. There is absolutely no doubt that the film was intended to be screened only at 1.66:1 because the unmatted version is intermittently hard-matted. Of course, the 1.33:1 TV prints prevailing in circulation over the years represented a cropping of the hard-matted release print. However, all of Bava's special effects footage in the original dupe negative was filmed unmatted, so this disc makes available for the first time a far more generous view of these effects than have ever been seen publicly! Additionally, I believe the intermittent in-camera matting offers some exciting eurekas into how the film was originally shot and assembled by Bava and Freda. In addition to my audio commentary, I wrote an essay for the accompanying booklet about this astounding artifact and what it seems to reveal to us about the secrets of this two-fathered film."