Arrow Video Beast, The (2-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray + DVD]

Walerian Borowczyk's most notorious and controversial film wildly re-works the classic Beauty and the Beast story into a fairy tale strictly for adults. Bestial dreams interrupt the venal plans of a French aristocrat attempting to save a crumbling mansion by marrying off his deformed son, Mathurin, to a insatiable American heiress, Lucy. Yet Mathurin seems more interested in his horses than in his bride-to-be, and when Lucy finds out about the story of his 18th-century ancestor Romilda's (Sirpa Lane) relationship with the titular beast it sparks to life one of the most outrageous dream sequences in cinema history. A huge hit in France that was extensively censored and banned elsewhere, The Beast broke new ground in explicitness and remains a truly startling experience even today. SPECIAL EDITION CONTENTS: New high definition digital transfer of the uncut 98-minute version Uncompressed Mono 2.0 PCM Audio Optional English subtitles Introduction by film critic Peter Bradshaw The Making of The Beast: camera operator Noel Very provides a commentary on footage shot during the film's production Frenzy of Ecstasy, a visual essay on the evolution of Borowczyk's beast and the sequel that never was, Motherhood The Profligate Door, a documentary about Borowczyk's sound sculptures featuring curator Maurice Corbet Boro Brunch, a reunion meal recorded in February 2014 reuniting members of Borowczyk's crew Commercials by Borowczyk: Holy Smoke (1963), The Museum (1964) and Tom Thumb (1966) Gunpoint, a documentary short by Peter Graham produced and edited by Borowczyk (11:04) Behind Enemy Lines - The Making of Gunpoint (5:16) Theatrical trailer Reversible sleeve featuring Borowczyk's own original poster design