Horror Highlights: THE HITCHER 4K UHD & Blu-ray, ARROW July SVOD Lineup, SCREAMBOX July Lineup

THE HITCHER: “You’ll definitely want to pick up The Hitcher as the seminal eighties’ slasher gets the full Limited Edition overhaul from experts in the field Second Sight Films. They present a brand-new restored 4K version from the original camera negative supervised and approved by director Robert Harmon, that’s set for release on 30 September 2024.

Get ready for a horrifying ride with director Robert Harmon’s and screenwriter Eric Red’s killer thriller, starring the late, inimitable Rutger Hauer (Blade Runner, Sin City) as the hitchhiker from hell, in a career-defining villainous role that was described by Empire as ‘The best Hannibal Lector that never was’ who terrorises innocent drivers as they drive along the deserted Midwest highways.

This gruesomely gripping cult favourite starring C. Thomas Howell (The Outsiders, E.T.), Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, Single White Female) and Jeffrey DeMunn (The Green Mile, The Mist) is set for its highly anticipated Limited Edition Dual 4K UHD and Blu-ray release on 30 September 2024 alongside Standard Editions on 4K UHD and Blu-ray.

The Limited set is presented in a stunning collector’s package with new artwork by Adam Stothard and a 200-page hardback book. All three versions come complete with a truckload of special features including new interviews and a new commentary plus tons of archive material, two short films and much more. Please see full list of special features below.

On a long-distance drive across the deserted Midwest highways, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) stops for a hitchhiker waiting by the roadside. But his thoughts of helping a human in need are blown wide apart as it soon becomes apparent that John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) is a relentless serial killer. Framed by the cold-blooded murderer for a string of slayings, his only help comes from a caring Truckstop waitress (Jennifer Jason Leigh), as they attempt to flee from both the law and the psychopath.

Hit the road with The Hitcher for a ride from hell wrapped in a box set from heaven.”

Synopsis: “On a long-distance drive across the deserted Midwest highways, Jim Halsey (C. Thomas Howell) stops for a hitchhiker waiting by the roadside. But his thoughts of helping a human in need are blown wide apart as  it soon becomes apparent that John Ryder (Rutger Hauer) is a relentless serial killer. Framed by the cold blooded murderer for a string of slayings, his only help comes from a caring Truckstop waitress (Jennifer  Jason Leigh), as they attempt to flee from both the law and the psychopath.”

Hit the road with The Hitcher for a ride from hell wrapped in a box set from heaven.  

Special Features 

• A new 4K restoration by Second Sight Films from the original camera negative supervised and  approved by director Robert Harmon 
• UHD presented in HDR with Dolby Vision 
• Features Dolby Atmos and original stereo audio mixes 
• New audio commentary by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas 
• Audio commentary with Robert Harmon and writer Eric Red 
• Scene-specific audio commentary with Robert Harmon, Eric Red, Executive Producer Edward S  Feldman, Composer Mark Isham, Director of Photography John Seale and Actors Rutger Hauer and C  Thomas Howell 
• The Projection Booth Podcast: featuring Robert Harmon and Rutger Hauer 
• Bullseye: a new interview with Robert Harmon 
• Penning the Ripper: a new interview with Eric Red 
• Doomed to Live: a new interview with C Thomas Howell 
• The Man from Oz: a new interview with John Seale 
• A Very Formative Score: a new interview with Mark Isham 
• Duel Runner: Leigh Singer on the evolution of The Hitcher and Rutger Hauer 
• China Lake: a short film by Robert Harmon newly restored 
• The Calling Card: Robert Harmon on China Lake 
• Telephone: a short film by Eric Red 
• The Hitcher: How do these movies get made? 
• Trailers 

Limited Edition Contents 

• Rigid slipcase with new artwork by Adam Stothard 
• 200-page hardback book with exclusive Robert Harmon interview by Lou Thomas, exclusive Eric Red  interview by Matt Thrift, new essays by Heather Drain, David Kittredge, Craig Ian Mann, Rebecca  McCallum, Meagan Navarro and Jon Towlson 
• Eric Red’s original screenplay book
•  Six collectors’ art cards

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ARROW July SVOD Lineup: “Arrow Video has announced the July 2024 lineup for their subscription-based ARROW platform, available to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.”

“July 2024 Curated Seasons: Mick Garris Selects, First Class Fear, Little Monsters, Thomas Sainsbury Selects, The ARROW Olympics
Subscriptions are available for $6.99 monthly or $69.99 yearly. New subscribers can start a 30 day free trial.

ARROW is available in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland on the following Apps/devices: Roku (all Roku sticks, boxes, devices, etc), Apple TV & iOS devices, Samsung TVs, Android TV and mobile devices, Fire TV (all Amazon Fire TV Sticks, boxes, etc), and on all web browsers at https://www.arrow-player.com.

With a slickly designed and user-friendly interface, and an unparalleled roster of quality content from westerns to giallo to Asian cinema, trailers, Midnight Movies, filmmaker picks and much, much more, ARROW is the place to go for the very best in on-demand entertainment.”

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SCREAMBOX July Streaming Line-Up: “SCREAMBOX has revealed the new films that are joining the horror streaming service in July, including Walking After Midnight: The Making of Survival of the Dead, The Black Mass, and Body Parts.

Drawing comparisons to The Witch, German gothic folk tale Hagazussa curses SCREAMBOX on July 12. Hailed by The Hollywood Reporter as “a spellbinding audiovisual symphony,” the film earned a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Go behind the scenes of George A. Romero’s final film with Walking After Midnight: The Making of Survival of the Dead exclusively on SCREAMBOX July 26. The feature-length documentary follows the master of horror’s Survival of the Dead from production to premiere.

Inspired by true events, serial killer thriller The Black Mass hits SCREAMBOX on July 26. Jeremy London (Mallrats) co-stars alongside genre veterans Lisa Wilcox (A Nightmare on Elm Street 4), Susan Lanier (The Hills Have Eyes), Lew Temple (The Devil’s Rejects), Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist), Nicky Whelan (Halloween II), and Kathleen Kinmont (Halloween 4).

SCREAMBOX Exclusive religious horror anthology Body Parts makes a sacrifice on July 30. The South Korean film follows a young reporter to a mysterious ceremony in which five stories are offered by people who desperately wait to be heard by their god.

Other March highlights include: found footage clown creeper Gags the Clown; black metal comedy Heavy Trip; supernatural scarecrow slasher Hallowed Ground starring Jaimie Alexander (Thor) and Chloë Grace Moretz (Kick-Ass); and the tenth season of Bloody Disgusting’s snack-sized horror showcase Bloody Bites.

Start screaming now with SCREAMBOX on iOS, Android, Apple TV, Prime Video, Roku, YouTube TV, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, and Screambox.com.”