The Beast Within - Press Release

Arrow Video is thrilled to announce the release of the classic 80s monster movie The Beast Within. This ‘deliciously dirty, gloriously grotesque exercise in reined-in and masterfully executed lunacy’ will be released uncut for the first time in the UK on Blu-ray and DVD 12^th May 2014.

The original trailer for the film commanded “Warning” which was sprawled out in bold red letters catching the audience’s attention. This was quickly followed by a scroll (accompanied by a stern authoritative voice) explaining that the last thirty minutes of the movie will be far too gruesome for even the most hardened horror fan. With all this promised, fans knew they were in for a treat. And today, some 32 years down the line, the film still holds a place in the hearts of horror fans across the globe where now it will sit amongst other classic 80s horror titles in the Arrow Video catalogue.

Complementing this dual-format Blu-ray and DVD edition are a host of director-approved extras including a new audio commentary with director Philippe Mora, moderated by author Calum Waddell. Alongside this, the disc will boast a host of new extras including I Was a Teenage Cicada: The Making of The Beast Within, an in-depth documentary looking back at the movie featuring interviews with writer Tom Holland, actors Paul Clemens, John Dennis Johnston, Katherine Moffat and effects wizard Garry Elmendorf. Other features include Storyboarding The Beast, an all-new animated featurette in which Philippe Mora discusses the film’s journey from storyboard to screen.

The disc will also feature an extensive image gallery, the original trailer, a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach and a collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lee Gambin, author of Massacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film plus a contemporary article on the film’s production, all illustrated with original stills and artwork.

Synopsis: 

Late one full moonlit night, a woman stands alone on the roadside waiting for her husband to return to their broken-down car. All of a sudden she’s pounced upon, dragged into the dark woods and savaged by a barely-glimpsed assailant. But this is only the beginning of the terror in The Beast Within…

Seventeen years on, and the devoted parents of teenager Michael are at their wits’ end. Their son lies in a hospital bed, his body wracked by a mysterious illness. With doctors unable to offer any diagnosis, Michael’s desperate parents are forced to seek out the answer themselves – by digging up traumatic past events and confronting the true nature of their son’s conception.

The Beast Within stands apart from other creature features due to its decidedly grim tone – the scenes in which the monster violates his victims proved too strong for some critics – and standout transformation sequence to rival the likes of An American Werewolf in London and The Howling. Add to that strong lead performances from Paul Clemens and Ronny Cox (Deliverance, RoboCop), alongside a stunning score by the late, great Les Baxter, and you have yourself one absolute beast of a monster movie!

DIRECTOR-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS

• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the feature, transferred from original film elements by MGM - available uncut in the UK for the first time!
• Original stereo 2.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray) 
• Optional English SDH subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing 
• New audio commentary with director Philippe Mora moderated by author Calum Waddell 
• I Was a Teenage Cicada: The Making of The Beast Within - An in-depth look back at Philippe Mora’s creature feature classic featuring new interviews with writer Tom Holland, actors Paul Clemens, John Dennis Johnston, Katherine Moffat and effects wizard Garry Elmendorf 
• Storyboarding The Beast – An all-new animated featurette in which Philippe Mora discusses the film’s journey from storyboard to screen 
• Image Gallery – Including rare production stills from the private collection of star Paul Clemens plus new photographs of various special effects props 
• Original Trailer 
• Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach 
• Collector’s Booklet featuring new writing on the film by Lee Gambin, author ofMassacred by Mother Nature: Exploring the Natural Horror Film plus a contemporary article on the film’s production, all illustrated with original stills and artwork. 

Pre-Order

You can pre-order your copy from the Arrow store here.