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The Island on Blu-ray

Perhaps the most accomplished genre picture directed by British-Chinese filmmaker Po-Chih Leong (Hong Kong 1941), The Island is Hong Kong's answer to the likes of Deliverance, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes and Motel Hell - a film that transports the visceral survival horror so popular in the 1970s and 1980s from the backwoods of America to a remote island in East Asia.

At the height of summer, teacher Mr Cheung (John Sham) takes a small group of his students on an excursion to explore a rural island that he assumes is uninhabited. But upon arrival, Cheung and his class discover that they are not alone - the island is, in fact, home to three deranged brothers and their equally deranged mother. And when one of Cheung's students refuses a marriage proposal from the youngest - and perhaps most disturbed - member of this deeply strange family, both the teacher and the young people in his care soon come to wish that they had stayed at home.

Following in the footsteps of its Western predecessors, The Island plays out a pointed class conflict as it pits its educated urbanites against the violent members of an isolated rural community - but never loses the unique qualities of a Hong Kong horror movie. The Masters of Cinema series is proud to present the film on Blu-ray for the first time anywhere outside of Asia.

Bonus Materials

• Limited edition of 2,000 copies
• Limited edition O-card slipcase featuring new artwork by Ilan Sheady
• Limited edition collector’s booklet featuring an interview with Po-Chih Leong and revised introduction notes on The Island by film writer, producer and film festival executive Roger Garcia
• 1080p HD presentation from a brand new 2K restoration
• Original Cantonese mono
• Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
• New audio commentary with East Asian cinema expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival)
• New audio commentary with genre cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema
• Surviving the Shoot – interview with director Po-Chih Leong from 2023 courtesy of Frédéric Ambroisine
• Trailer

Sales Points

• Stunning, oppressive cinematography from David Chung and Hang-Sang Poon
• A rare collector’s gem with previously limited physical and streaming availability
• Released as part of The Masters of Cinema Series as a limited edition of 2,000 copies only, featuring newly commissioned artwork, O-card slipcase and collector’s booklet
• Character-driven story from a tight ensemble cast including John Sham
• Seamlessly blends the raw brutality of Western slashers (Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Hills Have Eyes) with uniquely Hong Kong cultural and supernatural undercurrents
• Razor-Sharp Direction from British-Chinese filmmaker Po-Chih Leong (Hong Kong 1941)