Arrow Video are set to release F/X & F/X 2: THE GRANDE ILLUSION on Limited Edition Blu-ray on 14th April 2025.
In the 1980s special make-up effects artists became stars, pushing the boundaries of what could be shown on screen as audiences around the world reacted with shock and delight. No surprise then that sooner or later they’d get a movie that made them the hero.
In F/X: Murder by Illusion, Rollie Tyler (Bryan Brown) is a special effects genius approached by the Department of Justice to fake the death of a gangster about to turn state’s evidence. But all is not as it seems. Now someone is trying to kill Rollie, and grizzled cop Leo McCarthy (Brian Dennehy) suspects him of murder. Unable to turn to the police, Rollie goes on the run with only his wits and his special effects expertise to save him. F/X was a smash-hit and a sequel was inevitable.
Under the auspices of ace Australian director Richard Franklin (Psycho II), F/X 2: The Deadly Art of Illusion sees Rollie convinced, against his better judgement, to once again use his expertise beyond the silver screen, this time helping to trap a murderer as part of an NYPD sting. When lightning strikes twice and things go wrong, Rollie, his girlfriend Kim (Rachel Ticotin) and her young son Chris are all plunged into danger; only with Leo’s help can Rollie keep them safe.
Beloved by a generation of movie fans and featuring two of the most charismatic character actors ever to grace the screen, in Brown and Dennehy, F/X and F/X 2 are the kind of charming action-thrillers they just don’t seem to be making anymore. Step back into a world of grande illusions!
2-DISC LIMITED EDITION CONTENTS
• High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of F/X and F/X 2
• Original lossless stereo audio
• Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
• 60-page perfect bound collector’s book featuring new writing by film critics Guy Adams, Clem Bastow, William Bibbiani and Priscilla Page
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh
• Double-sided fold out poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Nathanael Marsh
• Stickers for the films of Rollie Tyler
DISC 1 – F/X: MURDER BY ILLUSION
• New commentary by film critic Mike White of the Projection Booth Podcast
• New commentary by Dan Martin of 13 Finger FX and filmmaker Jennifer Handorf
• The FX of F/X, a new interview with make-up effects supervisor Carl Fullerton
• F/X Illusions, a new visual essay by film critic Heather Wixson, author of Monsters, Make-up & Effects
• Murder by Illusion, an archive interview with director Robert Mandel
• The Making of F/X, an archive featurette
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
DISC 2 – F/X 2: THE DEADLY ART OF ILLUSION
• New commentary by Dan Martin of 13 Finger FX and filmmaker Jen Handorf
• Art & Illusion, a new interview with make-up effects supervisor Eric Allard
• F/X Magic, a new visual essay by film critic Heather Wixson, author of Monsters, Make-up & Effects
• The Australian Invasion, a new visual essay by film scholar Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
• The Making of F/X 2, an archive featurette
• Behind the Scenes
• Inside Eric Allard’s Workshop
• Theatrical trailer
• Image gallery
Be the first to comment