'Crimson Peak' Blu-Ray From Arrow Video Gives Guillermo Del Toro's Gothic Romance The Love It Deserves
Crimson Peak suffered at the box office, primarily because of poor marketing. The gloriously gothic romance was sold as a straight-up horror film, and that's not exactly what Guillermo del Toro was delivering. A vocal cult following for the film has sprung up since the theatrical release, and now Arrow Video is set to distribute a Crimson Peak Blu-ray that gives the movie the attention it deserves.
Crimson Peak
I love Crimson Peak with every fiber of my being. It's a creepy, ornate, romantic film loaded with ghosts, gore and big billowing dresses. I know the film was poorly marketed, but that doesn't mean the movie itself is bad. In fact, I dare say this is my favorite Guillermo del Toro movie. Mia Wasikowska is an aspiring novelist who falls for a very mysterious, very pale baronet Tom Hiddleston. Hiddelston takes her from America back to his huge, spooky, crumbling English mansion Allerdale Hall. Wasikowska soon discovers Allerdale Hall is chock-full of ghosts, but the specters are the least of her problems. She also has to deal with her husband's sister, played with gleeful over-the-top menace by Jessica Chastain.
Arrow Video is set to release a gorgeous new Crimson Peak Blu-ray full of special features, all housed in an intricate display package. The release will also include a "limited edition 80-page, hard-bound book featuring new writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with Guillermo del Toro, and original conceptual design illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni." I already own this on Blu-ray, but you better believe I'm double-dipping. Here are the full list of features, plus a look at the artwork.
• High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
• Original 5.1 and 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and optional English 2.0 DTS Headphone:X Audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• Optional Descriptive Video Service® (DVS®) for the visually impaired
• Audio commentary by co-writer and director Guillermo Del Toro
• The House is Alive: Constructing Crimson Peak, a newly edited, feature-length documentary with cast and crew interviews and extensive behind the scenes footage
• Previously unseen Spanish language interview with Guillermo Del Toro
• The Gothic Corridor, The Scullery, The Red Clay Mines, The Limbo Fog Set; four featurettes exploring different aspects of Allerdale Hall
• A Primer on Gothic Romance, the director and stars talk about the key traits of Gothic romance.
• The Light and Dark of Crimson Peak, the cast and crew talk about the film's use of color
• Hand Tailored Gothic, a featurette on the film's striking costumes
• A Living Thing, a look at the design, modelling and construction of the Allerdale Hall sets
• Beware of Crimson Peak, a walking tour around Allerdale Hall with Tom Hiddleston
• Crimson Phantoms, a featurette on the film's amazing ghosts
• Kim Newman on Crimson Peak and the Tradition of Gothic Romance, a newly filmed interview with author and critic
• Violence and Beauty in Guillermo Del Toro's Gothic Fairy Tale Films, a new video essay by the writer Kat Ellinger
• Deleted scenes
• Original trailers and TV spots
• Double-sided, fold-out poster
• Six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions
• Limited Edition packaging newly designed by Crimson Peak concept artist Guy Davis
• Limited edition 80-page, hard-bound book featuring new writing by David Jenkins and Simon Abrams, an archival interview with Guillermo del Toro, and original conceptual design illustrations by artists Guy Davis and Oscar Chichoni
The Arrow Crimson Peak Blu-ray is available for pre-order now, and will be released on or about November 27, 2018.