Here’s some exciting news, via our friends over at Bloody Disgusting: Lucio Fulci’s exceptionally gory City of the Living Dead is getting restored by the good folks at Arrow Video, and they’re releasing this spiffy new version of the film in a set that includes a mountain of ghoulish extras!
Says Arrow Video:
“Stridently going beyond the classical stylings of his horror hit Zombie Flesh Eaters, City of the Living Dead sees Fulci eschew conventional narrative logic in favour of a delirious, oneiric mode of storytelling which stresses visuals, surrealism and atmosphere (as well as offering up bucket-loads of brains, blood and guts!). Presented here in a 4K restoration with a wealth of extras, Fulci’s gore-drenched classic can now be devoured as never before!”
Aaand here’s an official plot synopsis, should you be unfamiliar with City of the Living Dead:
“A medium has a mysterious vision of a priest hanging himself… A seemingly dead woman awakes screaming in her coffin… And in the sleepy New England town of Dunwich, a girl vomits up her intestines and a local misfit has a drill bit ploughed into his cranium… These hallucinogenic, often grotesque visions punctuate a skeletal story telling of a reporter (Christopher George) and a psychic (Catriona MacColl) who must race against time to prevent hordes of rotting corpses spewing forth from the gates of hell…”
The 4K restoration of City of the Living Dead would, in and of itself, probably be enough to pick up this set, but the folks at Arrow Video did not stop there: this release also comes jam-packed with extras, including a fold-out poster, two commentaries, a slew of interviews, and more. Here’s the full rundown:
- Restoration from a 4K scan of the original camera negative by Cauldron Films
• 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentation in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
• Original uncompressed 1.0 mono, 2.0 stereo and optional 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
• Original English and Italian soundtracks
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for the English soundtrack
• Optional English subtitles for the Italian soundtrack
• Audio commentary with star Catriona MacColl and journalist Jay Slater
• Audio commentary with star Giovanni Lombardo Radice and writer Calum Waddell
• We Are the Apocalypse, interview with writer Dardano Sacchetti
• Through Your Eyes, interview with Catriona MacColl
• Dust in the Wind, interview with cameraman Roberto Forges Davanzati
• The Art of Dreaming, interview with production designer Massimo Antonello Geleng
• Tales of Friendship, interview with cinematographer Sergio Salvati
• I Walked with a Zombie, interview with actor Giovanni Lombardo Radice
• They Call Him “Bombardone”, interview with special effects artist Gino De Rossi
• The Horror Family, interview with father and son actors Venantino and Luca Venantini
• Songs from Beyond, interview with composer Fabio Frizzi
• Carlo of the Living Dead, interview with actor Carlo De Mejo
• Building Fulci’s City, video appreciation by Stephen Thrower, author of the definitive tome, Beyond Terror: The Films of Lucio Fulci
• Reflections on Fulci, appraisal of Fulci’s Gothic period by actor, writer and director Andy Nyman (Ghost Stories)
• The Dead Are Alive!, video essay by Kat Ellinger on Lucio Fulci and the Italian zombie cycle
• Behind the Fear, behind the scenes 8mm footage with Roberto Forges Davanzati audio commentary
• The Gates of Hell, alternative US theatrical release opening titles
• Original trailers and radio spots
• Extensive image gallery featuring over 150 stills, posters and other ephemera from the FAB Press and Mike Siegel archives
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Colin Murdoch
• Double-sided fold-out poster
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
• Limited edition 60-page booklet featuring writing by Travis Crawford and Roberto Curti, excerpts from archival interviews with Lucio Fulci, and original reviews
Head on over to Bloody Disgusting to catch their exclusive trailer for Arrow Video’s 4K restoration of City of the Living Dead, and keep your eyes peeled over at Arrow Video’s site so you can snap up one of these sets just as soon as they become available for pre-order. Stay tuned for more on Arrow’s release schedule (and, indeed, any other Fulci news that crosses our desk) as further updates roll in.
