The trailer for The Beast Within, upon its initial release in 1982, warned that the final 30 minutes were so horrific that viewers might not survive to see the end credits roll. Scream Factory has already released the movie on Blu-ray in the US, but UK residents who survived a viewing of the grim coming-of-age flick, or those who want to check it out for the first time, will be happy to learn that Arrow Films will soon be releasing The Beast Within in a dual Blu-ray and DVD format in the UK:

"KILL ME, PLEASE KILL ME… BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE

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!"

In addition to enhanced picture and audio quality the Blu-ray platform provides, this Blu-ray/DVD special edition of The Beast Within, approved by director Philippe Mora, has an abundance of bonus features for fans to enjoy:

  • "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 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."

Arrow Films will release this special edition Blu-ray/DVD of The Beast Within on May 12th, 2014.

To pre-order a copy or pick one up in a few weeks, visit:

Source: Arrow Films
  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.