The lowdown on Arrow Video's 'Deadly Blessing' Blu/DVD'

Arrow Video will be releasing Wes Craven's Deadly Blessing on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK on March 25th. The dual edition will also contain the DVD version of the 1981 film, which stars Ernest Borgnine, Michael Berryman and Sharon Stone.

Arrow Video are pleased to announce that the Blu-ray & DVD deluxe edition of Wes Craven’s American horror classic, Deadly Blessing, will be released in the UK on Monday March 25th.

A true master of Hollywood horror, Wes Craven directs a young Sharon Stone in one of her first ever feature film roles. Deadly Blessing is a tale of rural disgust and simmering evil from the golden age of video terror, brought back to life and soon-to-be available on Blu-ray for the very first time.

When Martha marries Tom, she leaves her LA lifestyle behind and the pair settle-down on an isolated farm, appropriately named “Our Blessing”.  

Before entering into wed-lock, Tom was part of a close-knit sect known as Hittite, a hard-core working community (even more aggressive than the Amish) who think that all modern machinery is the work of the devil. 

Martha feels shunned by the Hittite members and is treated as an outsider by its fanatical members... When Tom is mysteriously and tragically killed by a tractor, one such machine forbidden by Hittite, things take a much darker turn...

After Tom’s funeral, and against the wishes of Hittite’s terrifying leader Isaiah Schmidt (Ernest Borgnine), Martha decides to remain living on the farm. Her sophisticated LA friends Lana (Sharon Stone) and Vicky (Susan Buckner) come to visit in an attempt to keep Martha company and cheer her up.

Shortly after Martha’s friends arrive, strange, scary and down-right horrifying things begin happening to the three girls, who remain outlawed by the Hittite people. Against the advice of the local sheriff they stay and attempt to fight their corner, but the girl’s luck may be running out... Plagued by nightmares and fearing for their lives, they face the violent fury and retribution of an old time religion running out of control.

Director Wes Craven is one of the most successful and well-respected horror directors in the history of the genre. Allegedly learning his trade in the pornographic industry (working under a variety of pseudonyms), he made the jump to feature film in the early 1970s.  Craven has since been at the helm of some of the most well-know horror franchises in cinema history, including Scream, The Hills Have Eyes and Nightmare On Elm Street. Deadly Blessingis said to bridge the gap between his hard-hitting and more experimental early films, and the breakout commercial success of his later work.

Deadly Blessing is a unique chance to see a genuine Hollywood leading lady finding her feet in the movie business. After leaving her modelling career behind, Sharon Stonetravelled to New York to try and make it as an actress. She landed a walk-on part in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories but it was Deadly Blessing that would give her a foot in the door and her first major speaking role.  

Stone went on to win a Golden Globe for her performance in Martin Scorsese’s Casino and was nominated for several awards following her role alongside Michael Douglas in Basic Instinct.

Special Features on the deluxe Blu-ray & DVD edition of Deadly Blessing are as follows –

- High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) and Standard Definition DVD presentation of the main feature
- Optional English SDH Subtitles
- Audio commentary with Director Wes Craven
- Introduction by Michael Berryman
- The Deadliest Director: An Interview with Wes Craven
- Craven Images: The Horror Hits of Michael Berryman (The Hills Have Eyes, Cut and Run, Weird Science); An interview with Deadly Blessing’s iconic star
- Deadly Desires: An interview with screenwriter Glenn M. Benest
- Easter Eggs
- Reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
- Collector’s booklet featuring writing on the film by author and critic Kim Newman