Independently Distributed

Zulu Dawn

Cy Endfield co-wrote the epic prequel Zulu Dawn 15 years after his enormously popular Zulu. Set in 1879, this film depicts the catastrophic Battle of Isandhlwana, which remains the worst defeat of the British army by natives, with the British contingent outnumbered 16-to-1 by the Zulu tribesmen. The film's opinion of events is made immediately clear in its title sequence: ebullient African village life presided over by King Cetshwayo is contrasted with aristocratic artifice under the arrogant eye of General Lord Chelmsford (Peter O'Toole). Chelmsford is at the heart of all that goes wrong, initiating the catastrophic battle with an ultimatum made seemingly for the sake of giving his troops something to do. His detached manner leads to one mistake after another, and this is wryly illustrated in a moment when neither he nor his officers can be bothered to pronounce the name of the land they're in. That it's a beautiful land nonetheless is made clear by the superb cinematography, which drinks in the massive open spaces that shrink the British army to a line of red ants. Splendidly stiff-upper-lipped support comes from a heroic Burt Lancaster and a fluffy, yet gruff, Bob Hoskins. Although the story is less focused and inevitably more diffuse than the concentrated events of Rorke's Drift which followed soon after, Zulu Dawn is an unflinchingly honest depiction of British Imperial diplomacy. --Paul Tonks

A prequel to the war epic "Zulu", this dramatic story recounts the breathtaking defeat of British forces at the hands of a 25,000 strong and relentlessly determined Zulu army in 1870. The all-star cast, and extravagant production quality make Zulu Dawn a spectacular film with a guaranteed place in the list of Hollywood Greats.

Simplified Tai chi Chuan with Applications (YMAA)

The 24 Forms and the 48 Forms.

BETTER HEALTH IN 20 MINUTES A DAY!

Learn two of the most popular forms of Tai Chi Chuan, the ancient Chinese martial art which is often described as `moving meditation'. The `Simplified' 24-posture form is taught and demonstrated by Master Liang, Shou-Yu, with martial fighting applications. The form is shown from several angles, with breathing instructions. The Standard 48-posture form is also demonstrated.

This expanded DVD edition contains much more instruction than the VHS editions. DVD-only Detail Sections for both forms instruct each movement, and offer `guidelines' for refining your training. Chapter markers for each technique and extensive DVD navigation make it simple to find any posture on the DVD with just a couple clicks, so you can continue your study where you left off.

In only 20 minutes a day, you can gain the health benefits of Tai Chi Chuan: increased strength and energy, better balance, and improved bodily awareness. Excellent for beginning students, those who want a low-impact alternative to jogging or aerobics, and those with limited time for exercise.

This DVD complements the best-selling book Tai Chi Chuan—24 Postures with Applications & 48 Posture Routine, by Liang, Shou-Yu & Wen-Ching Wu (sold separately).

Special Features: Over 100 Chapter sections • Narration: English or French • Multi-Language Menus and Subtitles: English, Spanish, Polish, Portuguese, & French • History of Tai Chi Chuan sections • Slideshows of Master Liang demonstrating correct posture alignment • Interactive YMAA Product Catalog with previews of all YMAA video titles.

YMAA PRODUCTION • LIANG, SHOU-YU • "TAI CHI CHUAN 24 POSTURES WITH APPLICATIONS & STANDARD 48 POSTURES" • WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY LIANG, SHOU-YU WITH KELLY MACLEAN AND RAMEL RONES • EDITED BY DAVID SILVER AND MEDIAMANIC • VIDEO PRODUCTION SUPERVISION BY DAVID SILVER • DIRECTED BY DR. YANG, JWING-MING

150 minutes - color/ DVD9 - NTSC -All Regions

Battle Royale Directors Cut

With the Japanese currently leading the way in thought-provoking cinematic violence, it's only fitting that Kinji Fukasaku's Battle Royale is being touted as a Clockwork Orange for the 21st century. Based on the novel by Koshun Takami, the film opens with a series of fleeting images of unruly Japanese schoolchildren, whose bad behavior provides a justification for the "punishments" that will ensue. Once the prequel has been dispensed with, the classmates are drugged and awaken on an island where they find they have been fitted with dog collars that monitor their every move. Instructed by their old teacher ("Beat" Takeshi) with the aid of an upbeat MTV-style video, they are told of their fate: after an impartial lottery they have been chosen to fight each other in a three-day, no-rules contest, the "Battle Royale." Their only chance of survival is through the death of all their classmates.

Some pupils embrace their mission with zeal, while others simply give up or try to become peacemakers and revolutionaries. However, the ultimate drive for survival comes from the desire to protect the one you love. Battle Royale works on many different levels, highlighting the authorities' desperation to enforce law and order and the alienation caused by the generation gap. Whether you consider the film an important social commentary or simply watch it for the adrenaline-fueled violence, this is set to become cult viewing for the computer game generation and beyond. --Nikki Disney

The Wild Geese (30th Anniversary Edition)

Mixing action, humor, sentiment, and even a few righteous moral convictions, The Wild Geese is good, rousing fun. Released theatrically in 1978 (oddly, this 2005 DVD release is referred to as the "30th Anniversary Edition"), director Andrew V. McLaglen's film depicts the adventures of a group of British mercenaries hired by a shady multinational corporation to free the benevolent leader of an African nation held captive by a ruthless dictator. Led by the caustic, no-nonsense Col. Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton), these soldiers of fortune are all stout fellows out to earn a big payday and restore a good man to his rightful place of power (the underlying message of universal racial brotherhood is effective, if somewhat simplistic), and they do their job swiftly and efficiently... at least until they're double-crossed by their venal, perfidious employers, at which point the film becomes a tale of survival and revenge. The cast, which also includes Richard Harris, Roger Moore, and a host of other fine veteran actors, is first-rate, the story-telling efficient, the dialogue entertaining (with occasional bursts of profanity), and the action reasonably exciting and not overly graphic. And even if the pace is somewhat leisurely by new millennium standards (we're nearly an hour into it before the actual mission starts), The Wild Geese is a very enjoyable ride. Bonus features include a profile of producer Euan Lloyd and commentary by Lloyd, Moore, and journalist Jonathan Sothcott. --Sam Graham

The Transporter

Move over, Vin Diesel, because The Transporter, Hong Kong action veteran Corey Yuen's English-language directorial debut, is revving up to steal your thunder. As the other top-billed action star to emerge in 2002, British hunk Jason Statham--previously seen in Snatch, Ghosts of Mars, and The One--plays a hard-driving courier for well-heeled underworld clients. He follows simple rules: (1) Stick to the deal; (2) Don't ask names; and (3) Don't look in the packages he transports. All's well until he violates rule 3, discovering a Chinese beauty (Qi Shu) in the trunk of his tricked-out BMW, and foiling a deadly plot to smuggle Chinese slaves through the port of Marseilles. The first hour is ass-kickin' fun, and the stuntwork is impressive throughout, even as the plot degenerates into a predictable series of bone-breaking showdowns. Statham boasts an appealing combination of brains and brawn, suggesting the suave versatility of a promising career. Coproduced by action auteur Luc Besson and filmed on dazzling French locations, The Transporter is an action fan's delight. --Jeff Shannon

Frank Martin (Jason Statham) is the best as what he does: transporting dangerous or illegal goods with no questions asked. But his last shipment, a beautiful young woman kidnapped by international slave traders, brings deadly complications to his delivery plans. Now Frank must kick into overdrive in a nonstop action-packed fight to save his precious cargo - and his life.

Classic Film Noir 9 Movie Pack

Sky King:Vol 1 TV Series

Eerie, Indiana - The Complete Series

Samurai - The Last Warriors (Documentary)

This Is War: Memories of Iraq

Among the many documentaries about America's involvement in the Iraq War, This Is War is one of the most personal. A video diary about the experiences of an Oregon National Guard battalion sent to Iraq for a year in 2004, This Is War is divided into short chapters that bring home multiple aspects of a difficult and dangerous mission. Beginning with the troops emotionally preparing for a half-year's combat training and gradually acclimating to Iraq's tremendous heat, the film traces a gradual awareness of day-to-day realities and responsibilities where the enemy is often unseen. While the soldiers know the predictability of their own movements make them constantly subject to attack, there is little they can do about it, and when assaults come they watch and adapt as their teammates die. Told anecdotally, this video collage offers many specifics about events most of us only know through general knowledge about the war's progress. While Brian De Palma's Redacted was a protest against official control of information coming out of the Iraq War--told from the point-of-view of a faux video diary--This Is War is the real thing, and is a richer experience for its marriage of the Guardsmen's cynical yet workaday ethic and muted emotions about the horrors and treachery that surround them. --Tom Keogh

'This is War' tells the story of what it means to be in combat in Iraq through the eyes of the soldiers who were there. This documentary follows nine National Guard soldiers from Oregon who ended up in some of the heaviest fighting of the war. Most of t