DVD - August 06

Shinobi - Heart Under Blade (R2)

Oboro (Yukie Nakama), a granddaughter of Ogen (Riri), is the matriarch of the Iga clan. She meets and falls in love with Gennosuke, the son of Danjo Koga (Minoru Terada), the leader of the Koga clan. Living in the remote mountains, these two clans have, over the centuries, perfected the arts of ninjutsu (known as "Shinobi"), which is far beyond the reach of mere mortals. They are also ancestral rivals and, under the order of Hanzo Hattori (Yutaka Matsushige), chief ninja to Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, are forbidden to exchange secret techniques. Seeking to consolidate Tokugawa rule and seeing the two clans as a threat to it, a powerful Tendai priest and Tokugawa adviser, Nankobo Tenkai (Renji Ishibashi), schemes to set them against each other. He commands the two clans to each choose five champions who will battle to the death. The survivor will be elevated in rank and power. Both Oboro and Gennosuke are selected as champions, but neither are aware, at least initially, of each other's position. Also, Gennosuke doubts the shogunate's intentions and refuses to take part in the contest. But when his comrades begin to fall, he is forced into action. He cannot, however, bring himself to battle at least one Iga warrior: Oboro... 'Shinobi' (Official site)

'Dust Devil' - 5 Disc Ltd Edition (R1)

For years 'Dust Devil' has been mired in rights issues and studio disagreement with the director. You can read more to the background of the movie here. Now the film is to get a limited region 1 release, and it’s a monster 5 disc edition. You can check out the full spec for the release from the technical notes. Link below.

Technical Notes

(Calvaire) - The Ordeal (R2)

Stranded somewhere in the Ardennes after his van breaks down, Marc Stevens (Laurent Lucas - Harry He's Here to Help), a travelling cabaret singer, is taken in by a kindly inn keeper who offers to fix his van and give him shelter for the night. But the motivation for the inn-keeper's kind actions soon changes from altruism to a fervent desire to prevent his new guest from ever leaving. The thing is Marc reminds the lonely inn-keeper of his long-lost wife. Before Marc knows it, his van is sabotaged and he is stranded. But this is only the start of his ordeal and what follows has to be seen to be believed....

Jasmine (Flower) Women (R3)

Jasmine Woman, a film whose release date was put off for 3 years until 2006, stars Zhang Ziyi in three different roles, which is quite a challenge to her. The film features a star-studded cast, including Joan Chen (Saving Face), Liu Ye (Lan Yu, The Promise), Lu Yi (Seven Swords), and Jiang Wen (Devils on the Doorstep, Red Sorghum). The movie is adapted from the novel Women's Life by the famous writer Su Tong, whose literary works have been turned to many films, among them Zhang Yimou's Raise the Red Lantern. Jasmine Woman follows a family whose female members from three different generations all experience frustration in marriage, as if the family is cursed.

Kirei: The Terror Of Beauty (R2)

A successful plastic surgeon's life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious masked patient appears in her office and makes an unusual request in this horrific tale from notorious All Night Long director Katsuya Matsumura. Yoko Noguchi's skills with a scalpel are nothing short of spectacular, and as a result of her talent and her remarkable beauty, the young plastic surgeon's clinic is thriving. When a woman named Yoshie shows up at the clinic after hours with her face obscured and a plea for the doctor to make her face resemble Yoko's, the reluctant doctor reluctantly agrees after being presented with a cash payment that far exceeds her usual fee. Though the surgery is a success and Yoko assumes that is that last she will be seeing of her secretive look-a-like, Yoshie returns soon after to demand yet another operation, marking the beginning of a terrifying cycle that will soon drive the once-successful doctor to the edge of sanity and send her life and career careening towards a devastating climax.[Note] Cover shown is the region 1 version.

Silent Hill (R1)

After the continuous sleep walking episodes of Sharon, the young daughter of Rose Da Silva, the decision is made to take Sharon to the place only mentioned in her restless dreams- Silent Hill. However, the road to Silent Hill is anything but easy to access, and Rose creates a high speed chase between herself and a police officer only to end in a crash for them both. When she wakes up, Sharon has disappeared and Rose is at the entrance to the deserted, dream-like town of Silent Hill. As Rose begins the search for her daughter, she does not realize the terror and mystery surrounding her. Rose is led on a blind search for her beloved daughter, finding herself getting more and more entwined into disturbing past of Silent Hill.

'Silent Hill' (Official site)

Monopoly (R0)

Kyong-Ho, played by Yang Dong-kun (Fighter In The Wind, Wild Card) is a computer genius with a penchant for collecting action figures. The lonely young man, employed as a computer expert at a bank, gets caught up in a plan orchestrated by John in which they will withdraw a small amount of money from every bank account in Korea. The mastermind behind this plan is John played by Kim Seong-su (Sweet Sex And Love, The Red Shoes).

'Monopoly' (Official site)

An american Haunting (R1)

Based on true events validated by the State of Tennessee of the only case in US History where a spirit or entity caused the death of a man. With over 20 books written on the subject, and a town that still lives in fear of the return of the unseen spirit, the story of "An American Haunting" is terrifying. Between the years 1818-1820, the Bell Family of Red River, Tennessee was visited by an unknown presence that haunted the family and eventually ended up causing the death of one its members. Starting with small sounds around the farm, and the sighting of a a strange BLACK WOLF with piercing yellow eyes, the sounds escalated into full brutal contact with the certain family members, causing psychological and physical torment. The attacks grew in strength, with the spirit slapping, pulling, dragging, and beating the Bell's youngest daughter. The Bells searched for rational explanations and ways to rid their house of this entity, but to no avail as the spirit began to communicate with them through sounds, and eventually multiple voices that sounded like the wind. The cause of its actions could always be felt, but no being could be seen, and no explanation found- only the promise that one day it would kill one of the family members. Fearing that the haunting was caused by a local woman -branded a witch- who had put a curse upon the family as a result of a land dispute, the Bells tried desperately to find ways to get rid of the woman's curse, yet the attacks and disturbances only escalated. It was not until a manuscript of the local schoolteacher -who lived on the property during the disturbance- was found in 1998 that the horrifying and shocking answer to what caused this haunting would finally be unveiled. An American Haunting (Official site)

Election 2 (R0)