CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT (2009) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 1 | U.K. | Blu-ray / DVD | Universal Pictures UK
“Based on the popular series of books by Darren Shan, CIRQUE DU FREAK: THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT tells the story of a small town teen who inadvertently shatters a 200 year old truce between warring factions of vampires. Sixteen-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia) is your typical teenager. He spends most of his time with his best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson), earns decent grades, and generally manages to stay out of trouble. But trouble finds Darren when he and Steve make the acquaintance of a vampire named Larten Crepsley (John C. Reilly) while attending a traveling freak show at a local theater. Transformed into a bloodsucker by Crepsley, Darren joins the Cirque du Freak and quickly ingratiates himself with the unusual cast of characters who populate it, including the Madame Truska the Bearded Lady (Salma Hayek) and the traveling sideshow’s towering barker (Ken Watanabe). As Darren works to master his newfound powers as a budding member of the supernatural underworld, he becomes a valued pawn between the vampires and their deadlier rivals, the Vampanese. With tensions between the two sects intensifying, Darren must figure out a means of keeping the coming war from destroying his last vestige of humanity. Patrick Fugit, Orlando Jones, Willem Dafoe, and Jane Krakowski co-star.”

DEAD MAN RUNNING (2009) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 1 | U.K. | Blu-ray / DVD | Revolver Entertainment
“Notorious New York loan shark Mr. Thigo (50 Cent) arrives in London to make an example of Nick (Tamer Hassan), a reformed ex-con who owes him £100,000. Given just 24 hours to come up with the money, and with his wheelchair-bound mother being held hostage by Thigo as collateral, Nick enlists the help of his best friend Bing (Danny Dyer). In a race against the clock, Nick and Bing embark on a quest that takes in the dog tracks of London’s East End and the underground drug scene of Manchester, attempting every scam they know in order to get the money back to Thigo.” This is the latest in a string of British crime actioners starring Danny Dyer. It’s directed by Alex De Rakoff (THE CALCIUM KID) and features stunt choreography from Rocky Taylor (BLOODRAYNE). Revolver has also released DEAD MAN RUNNING in the “Danny Dyer Collection” which includes CITY RATS and BORSTAL BOY.

FINAL JUSTICE (1985) – [DDET Preview] [/DDET]

March 1 | U.K. | DVD | Video International
“Joe Don Baker plays Geronimo, a slick South Texas sheriff who has a way with a gun. When two powerful Mafia brothers set up shop in his town, Geronimo is forced into several risky battles to get rid of them.” Baker, who made his name in cinema by starring in the 1973 action classic WALKING TALL (remade with Dwayne Johnson in 2004), has definitely seen better days but the excessive violence and awkward delivery of bad lines in the preview clip above only makes the film look more enticing, at least for those who enjoy unintentionally funny B-movies.

THE DOWNFALL OF BERLIN – ANONYMA (aka A WOMAN IN BERLIN – 2008) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 1 | U.K. | Blu-ray / DVD | Metrodome Video
“April 26th, 1945. The Russian Army has encircled Berlin and now draws the noose tight, marching towards the Reichstag and destroying the German’s last lines of defense, tank by tank, man by man as the city falls into Soviet hands. It is also on this day that a woman begins a most extraordinary fight for survival against the city’s new occupiers that reveals the shocking realities faced by civilians during the explosive last days of war.” This is a German-Polish co-production from director Max Farberbock and starring Nina Hoss, Yevgeni Sidikhin and Irm Hermann. Special features include making of and behind-the-scenes featurettes and an interview with the director.

2012 (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 2 | US | Blu-ray / DVD | Sony Pictures
Screen mayhem specialist Roland Emmerich directs this epic, digital effects-heavy disaster actioner depicting the end of the world as predicted by the Mayan calendar. (You can read about the soon-to-be-debunked myth surrounding the 2012 phenomenon at Wikipedia.) John Cusack, Amanda Peet and REDBELT star Chiwetel Ejiofor head up a group of survivors trying to stay one step ahead of one cataclysmic natural catastrophe after another. Stunt and fight coordination is overseen by John Stoneham Jr. (DAWN OF THE DEAD, BULLETPROOF MONK). 2012 also comes to the U.K. on March 29.

ASHES TO ASHES (1999) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 2 | U.S. | DVD | CreateSpace
“Life, death, love and lust in the dark underworld of London’s West End… ASHES TO ASHES is a raw, humorous action-thriller involving greed, betrayal, the Chinese Triads, martial arts, the Italian Mafia and male escorts. An uncompromising story of a struggling screenwriter who finds himself fighting for his life after a brief encounter with the mistress of an underworld boss … No Wires, CGI, Stunt Doubles, Mats or Pads. Conceived in 1993, written in 1994 and released in 1999, Ashes to Ashes is the first British kung-fu film.”

BITCH SLAP (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 2 | U.S. | DVD | Fox Home Entertainment
The spirit of grindhouse cinema lives on in this homage to the American exploitation movie from director Rick Jacobson who has helmed similar, although more mainstream chick-powered action on TV with series such as LA FEMME NIKITA, CLEOPATRA 2525 and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS. A plot outline really isn’t necessary, is it? Three buxom bad girls arrive at a desert hideaway where a ruthless underworld boss resides to raise hell and the situation quickly spins out of control. I imagine this is the kind of movie Quentin Tarantino might be making now if he hadn’t become an A-lister. Stunt coordination is by frequent Tarantino stuntwoman Zoe Bell.

NINJA (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 2 | U.S. Blu-ray/DVD | First Look Pictures
Martial arts star Scott Adkins is a ninjitsu-trained American sent by his sensei in Japan to travel to New York to protect the Yoroi Bitsu, a chest containing the weapons and armor of the last Koga ninja, from Masazuka (Tsuyoshi Ihara), a former student who has turned his back on his master’s teachings and now works as a ruthless assassin for hire after being expelled from the ninjitsu school. This modest, B-grade actioner is helmed by action director Isaac Florentine (UNDISPUTED II) and features fight choreography from Alpha Stunts team member Akihiro Noguchi (BLACK BELT, DRIVE). NINJA also arrives in the U.K. on March 15 courtesy of Lionsgate.

RETURN TO THE 36TH CHAMBER (1980) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 2 | U.S. | DVD | Dragon Dynasty
Gordon Liu stars in Lau Kar-leung’s fantastic comic follow-up to his kung fu classic THE 36TH CHAMBER OF SHAOLIN. This time, Liu takes on a new role as a kung fu con-man posing as the character he played in the previous film, whose run-in with thugs trying to bully a dye factory leads him to sneak into Shaolin Temple in hopes of learning real kung fu to fight off the bullies. Failing to become a proper student, he makes use of his position as a builder assigned to repair the Temple to develop his own unique style of bamboo kung fu and returns to battle the bad guys. No extras here but original Cantonese and English audio tracks are included.

THE WRAITH (1986) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 2 | U.S. | DVD | Lionsgate
1980s-era sci-fi actioner concerns Jake, a man who is killed by neighborhood thugs, and returns as a mystical figure (The Wraith) to gain revenge. Charlie Sheen, Randy Quaid, Sherilyn Fenn, and Nick Cassavetes star. This “Special Edition” release comes with audio commentary from director Mike Marvin, interviews and a featurette on the film’s “Turbo Interceptor” vehicle.

KILL ZONE (aka SPL – 2005) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 8 | U.K. | Blu-ray / DVD | Cine-Asia
Director Wilson Yip’s 2005 crime action hit SPL finally comes to the U.K. courtesy of Cine-Asia. Donnie Yen heads up a killer cast that includes acting heavyweight Simon Yam, martial arts legend Sammo Hung and emerging wushu star Jacky Wu. Ailing Detective Chan (Yam) is headed for retirement but is desperate to first bring down seemingly untouchable triad boss Wong Po (Hung) which leads him to employ questionable tactics. Enter tough but honest Inspector Ma Kwun (Yen) who begins to uncover Chan’s corruption. Yet when Po sends a vicious assassin (Wu) to kill Chan’s team, Ma opts to join forces with Chan to bring down Po regardless of the cost.

THE LEVEL (2009) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 8 | U.K. | DVD | Brightspark
“The truth will set you free. This is what Eddie’s told as he sits bloody and battered, chained to a chair. But all he can tell them is what happened. THE LEVEL follows Eddie, a smooth mob enforcer, as he and his hair-trigger partner, Rocky, search for their boss, Al, a mob kingpin. Following his trail, Eddie and Rocky question everyone closest to Al his mistress, his son and his driver in order to find him. After interrogations, a shootout with a rival gang and an explosion that Al couldn’t have survived, things are clearly not what they seem. Two bodyguards set out to find their bosses’ killer before his son starts a mob war.”

BUYUSENKI BATTLE CHRONICLE (2010)

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | Section23 Films
“Mix motorcycles, drugs and yakuza under pressure and the result is bosozoku, the brutal motorized street gangs that terrorize Japan armed with swords and baseball bats.Kyosuke Jinnai was the leader of the ‘Buyusenki,”’ the largest group of its kind in the Kanto region, but sick of the violence, he had planned to give it all up to make a family with his pregnant girlfriend. Instead, all of that was stolen from him in a moment of savage betrayal, and the man who dreamed of a life of peace has instead been transformed into an angel of death!”

FIGHT! DRAGON: THE COMPLETE SERIES (1974) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | Mill Creek Entertainment
Martial arts movie sensation Yasuaki Kurata (LEGEND OF A FIGHTER, FIST OF LEGEND) stars in this action-packed TV series. While operating an orphanage, martial artist Dragon (Kurata) battles the evil Shadow gang all across Asia. Series features appearances from Hong Kong martial arts stars Bruce Liang and Bolo Yeung.

IRON KING (1972) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | Mill Creek Entertainment
“IRON KING is one of the most highly regarded, gloriously loopy Tokusastu Japanese superhero television shows. Filled with furious, fast-paced action and campy humor, Iron King quickly became a favorite in its native Japan when originally broadcast from 1972-1973 by combining robots, martial arts, and creatures in ways uniquely Japanese. Shizuka Gentaro is a happy-go-lucky youth who just happens to be a member of Japan’s Special Security Defense Force. Gentaro travels to Japan searching for those who threaten the country. During his travels, he meets Kirishima Goro. Goro appears to be a friendly, bumbling traveler but secretly he is also a member of the JSSDF. He was sent to look after Gentaro during his journey. Goro also has another secret. Fitted with a computer control mechanism in his body, he can alter his genetic structure to become the super cyborg-giant “Iron King”. Together Gentaro and Goro (as Iron King) battle against the forces of evil!”

MATT HOUSTON: THE FIRST SEASON – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | Paramount
Early ’80s action TV series created by highly successful film producer Lawrence Gordon (DIE HARD, HELL BOY) stars Lee Horsley as a wealthy Texan who moves to California to oversee his family’s offshore drilling enterprises but spends most of his time dabbling as a private investigator while flying about in his helicopter and surrounding himself with beautiful women.

SAVAGE CINEMA: 12 MOVIE COLLECTION

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | Mill Creek Entertainment
“Embark on a dangerous and deadly journey with these twelve exploitative films from the drive-in era of the 60s and 70s. These adrenaline-pumping action flicks feature the most brutal bikers, the most wretched rebels and the ardest-hitting action scenes! It’s the craziest collection of cult cinema classics!” Set includes HELL ON WHEELS (1967), LITTLE LAURA & BIG JOHN (1973), THE WILD REBELS (1967), WILD RIDERS (1971), THE PINK ANGELS (1971), BURNOUT (1979), DEATH RIDERS (1965), THE SIDE HACKERS (1969), DANGEROUS CHARTER (1962), HELLCATS (1967), DEATH MACHINES (1976), and BEST FRIENDS (1975).

SONNY CHIBA 4 FILM SET – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | First Look Pictures
“MACHINE GUN DRAGON (1978) – Sonny Chiba takes on the yakuza with fists and guns. FIGHTING FIST (1982) – Chiba teams up with Hong Kong stars Sibelle Hu and Chin Kar-lok in a mix of Japanese and Chinese action. DOBERMAN COP (1977) – Chiba is a mix of Bruce Lee and Dirty Harry as he hunts down criminals on the streets of Tokyo. SOUL OF BRUCE LEE (1975, aka SOUL OF CHIBA) – Chiba in one his most action packed and violent films. Co-starring Bolo Yeung and Tadashi Yamashita. A cult classic and favorite of genre fans. (Films are English-dubbed.)”

WALKER TEXAS RANGER: THE SEVENTH SEASON – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 9 | U.S. | DVD | Paramount
The complete seventh season of hit TV series WALKER, TEXAS RANGER arrives on DVD. That’s 18 hours of roundhouse-kicking goodness featuring the unstoppable Chuck Norris. “Texas Ranger Cordell Walker (Norris), one of the last old-fashioned heroes in the West, is a protective friend but a relentless foe who will stop at nothing to bring a criminal to justice.”

WRONG SIDE OF TOWN (2010) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 15 | U.K. | Blu-ray / DVD | E1 Entertainment
Bobby (Rob Van Dam) is a former Navy Seal who accidentally kills a nightclub owner while defending his wife from an assault. The club owner’s brother, Seth, puts a $100,000 bounty on Bobby’s head and he’s forced to flee L.A. with an army of thugs and wiseguys gunning for him. Bobby separates from his family to protect them and seeks the aid of Ronnie (Dave Batista), a one-time friend he must settle old differences with. Seth eventually kidnaps Bobby’s daughter and lures him into a showdown. This B-list actioner features the fight choreography of newcomer Marrese Crump and the stunt choreography of veteran stunt coordinator Phil O’Dell.

ANTI-TERRORIST CELL: CHECKMATE (2010)

March 16 | U.S. | DVD | Morningstar Entertainment
Sequel to TV movie ANTI-TERRORIST CELL: MANHUNT. “Vienna, the capital of Austria, is facing a nuclear disaster if the AT13 team can’t stop a group of political extremists from purchasing weapon-graded uranium from the Russian mafia. It’s a race against time…” Stars Arnold Vosloo, Ben Cross, Michael Ironside, and Joe Penny.

CHALLENGE THE DRAGON / THE NEEDLE AVENGER

March 16 | U.S. | DVD | Code Red
It’s a kung fu double feature from Code Red. CHALLENGE THE DRAGON (aka THE WAY OF THE TIGER) is a 1973 basher from Taiwan starring Tang Lung. As for THE NEEDLE AVENGER, it could be NEEDLES OF DEATH (1976) but that has not been confirmed. (Thanks to forum member Morgoth for help in Identifying the first title.)

DEATH JOURNEY (1976)

March 16 | U.S. | DVD | Code Red
Jesse Crowder (Fred Williamson) is a tough security specialist hired to escort a star witness from Los Angeles to New York. The pair fends off a series of attacks while in transit in their efforts to reach their destination safely.

HIGH LIFE (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 16 | U.S. | DVD | Image Entertainment
“Timothy Olyphant (LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD) leads a motley crew of brain-fried losers, including a hypochondriac pickpocket (Joe Anderson), an eternally optimistic charmer (Rossif Sutherland) and a trigger-happy thug (Stephen Eric McIntyre). They attempt to stage a bank heist, but when it doesn’t go off as planned, all hell breaks loose.”

MEAN JOHNNY BARROWS (1976) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 16 | U.S. | DVD | Code Red
Blaxploitation actioner starring Fred Williamson as a down-on-his-luck former G.I., dishonorably discharged for striking an officer, who goes from working for a racist gas station owner to mafia hitman caught in the middle of a gang war.

NINJA ASSASSIN (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 16 | U.S. | Blu-ray/DVD | Warner Home Video
Korean pop star and actor Rain makes his Hollywood debut in this slick, blood-soaked and fast-moving update to the ’80s-era ninja movie genre from James McTeigue (V FOR VENDETTA). Raizo (Rain) turns against the ruthless ninja master (Sho Kosugi) who trained him to be an assassin and joins an investigator (Naomie Harris) in helping to put a stop to the ninja menace.

UNRIVALED (2010) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 16 | U.S. | Blu-ray/DVD | Lionsgate
Ringo Duran (Hector Echavarria) is an aging, amateur full-contact fighter whose dreams of fighting professionally have been shelved while he works two jobs to support family. That changes when friends encourage him to register with the Extreme Cage Fighting (ECF) league. A chance encounter with the league’s current heavyweight champion, Christopher Holland (Rashad Evans), results in an impromptu sparring match that leaves Christopher knocked out and the sports world buzzing about Ringo’s chances to become the next heavyweight mixed martial arts champ.

BANGKOK ADRENALINE (2009) – [DDET Trailer]

[/DDET]

March 22 | U.K. | DVD | Optimum Home Entertainment
Stars Daniel O’Neill (THE TWINS EFFECT), Conan Stevens (SOM TAM), Huber, and Gwion Jacob Miles in a tale about a hapless group of foreign backpackers in Thailand who kidnap a beautiful heiress for ransom in a desperate bid to pay off debt owed to local crime lords. The kidnapping turns out to be a rescue as the foursome discovers that her father was planning to kill is own daughter. They all end up on the run from hitmen hired to finish the job. BANGKOK ADRENALINE features the talents of action choreographers Marky Lee Campbell, Miles, O’Neill, Pangrech Sangcha, Ron Smoorenburg, and Jet Suntisook.

DANCE OF THE DRAGON (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 22 | U.K. | DVD | High Fliers
Cheng (Jason Scott Lee), a martial arts champion sees his relationship with a dance instructor named Emi (Fann Wong) threatened by the arrival of Tae Kwon (Jang Hyuk), a young man from the countryside who arrives in the big city to study dance. A love triangle develops that leads the two men to fight each other. This curiosity from Singapore which mixes ballroom dancing, romance and martial arts is the debut for Australian filmmaker Max Mannis who co-wrote and co-directed the film with cinematographer John Radel. Although he had little experience in martial arts prior to starring in DRAGON: THE BRUCE LEE STORY back in 1993, Lee has since picked up some solid skills that have been put to use in a number of entertaining B-list projects including TIMECOP: THE BERLIN DECISION and DRACULA II: LEGACY. This appears to be one of his more intriguing efforts.

FIST OF LEGEND (1994) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 22 | U.K. | Blu-ray / DVD | Cine-Asia
Cine-Asia brings the Dragon Dynasty version of this kung fu movie hit starring Jet Li to the U.K. Li portrays Chinese patriot and martial artist Chen Zhen who fights Japanese occupiers in Shanghai in his quest to avenge his master’s death and restore honor to the Chinese people. Also starring screen fighters Billy Chow and Yasuaki Kurata, the film is packed with fierce fighting action from action director Yuen Woo-ping and Li in one of his finest action roles. Writer-director Gordon Chan is now at work finishing up a second, revisionist take on the Chen Zhen legend with Donnie Yen taking on the role in THE LEGEND OF CHEN ZHEN, which is due out in Asian theaters October, 2010.

HOW TO ROB A BANK (2007) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 22 | U.K. | DVD | Scanbox Entertainment
“After interrupting a bank robbery in progress, Jason Jinx Taylor (Nick Stahl) is now locked in the vault with bound and gagged employee Jessica (Erika Christensen). But not everything is as it seems. Sexy Jessica is part of the inside job and Jinx has upset the heist. With events changing fast they decide to work together to outsmart the bank robber, Simon (Gavin Rossdale), whos frustration and anger is building as he tries to negotiate with the SWAT team outside the bank while holding frightened hostages inside at gunpoint.” Stunt coordinator is Ben Bray (THE A-TEAM).

JOURNAL OF A CONTRACT KILLER (2008) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 22 | U.K. | DVD | Point Blank
“Inspired by true events, director Tony Maylam’s action drama tells the tale of a beautiful contract killer who’s forced to take on the mob after they kidnap her seven year old daughter. Stephanie Komack is a high-priced hooker and world-class assassin who carries out contracts for the Italian mafia. She wanted to start a new life in London, waiting tables to support herself and her young daughter, but now Stephanie’s old bosses have tracked her down and they’re about to make an offer she can’t refuse. It was supposed to be her last job, but when the hit goes awry the mafia snatches Stephanie’s daughter as punishment. When Stephanie comes to the stark realisation that she’s about to go down no matter how hard she fights, she determines to take back her daughter and seek revenge against the men who stole the only thing she ever loved.”

DAMAGE (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 23 | U.S. | DVD | 20th Century Fox
“Damage, starring WWE superstar Steve Austin, is a story of a man recently paroled from prison after serving time for manslaughter. Remorseful of his crime, Austin tries his best to restart his life on the outside.”

RED CLIFF (2008) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 23 | U.S. | Blu-ray/DVD | Magnet Releasing
“RED CLIFF is the epic historical dramabased on a legendary 208 A.D. battle that heralded the end of the Han Dynasty. A power-hungry Prime Minister-turned-General Cao Cao seeks permission from the Han Dynasty Emperor to organize asouthward-bound mission designed to crush the two troublesome warlords who stand in his way, Liu Bei and Sun Quan. Vastly outnumbered by Cao Cao’s brutal,fast-approaching army, the warlords band together to mount a heroic campaign – unrivaled in history – that changes the face of China forever.” John Woo’s historical war epic comes to home video in the U.S. in two flavors. Asian cinema fans will be happy to know that Magnolia Films is releasing parts one and two of the original international version on Blu-ray and DVD. They’re also releasing the shorter threatrical cut on Blu-ray and DVD in a separate package. This is the version that was shown in limited theatrical release in the U.S.

RED NINJA 3 FILM COLLECTION (NINJASCOPE / WATARI THE CONQUEROR / WATARI AND THE FANTASTIKS) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 23 | U.S. | DVD | First Look Pictures
Child actor Yoshinobu Kaneko (RED SHADOW THE MASKED NINJA) stars in this family-friendly, fantasy action film trilogy centering on Watari the Ninja Boy, a pint-sized ninja hero battling evil ninjas and monsters with his superheroic fighting abilities. Having reviewed and thoroughly enjoyed the colorful, energetic tokusatsu style of WATARI NINJA BOY (aka WATARI THE CONQUERER), I would definitely recommend this release, especially at the awesome price of only $9.98.

SHAOLIN HAND LOCK (1978) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 23 | U.S. | DVD | FUNimation
“From the director who gave Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung early breaks in film, Ho Meng-hua teams up with Mr. Kung-fu hero, David Chiang, in a funky, over the top, martial arts chiller based upon a secret kung-fu technique that is also the film’s English title, Shaolin Hand Lock. Fans and non-fans of the genre will elate to again see Chiang match fists with Shaw Brothers’ number one villain, Lo Lieh.”

SUPERVAN (1977) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 23 | U.S. | DVD | Cheezy Flicks Entertainment
The groovy ’70s are forever enshrined in this odd, and notoriously lousy road movie about a young man named Clint (Mark Schneider) who enters a solar-powered custom van called “Vandora” in the Freakout vanning competition. This came out the same year as SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT and shares some of the same vibe. The German-language trailer above makes this film look better than it probably is but fans of bad B-movies may consider it a real gem. Anyone interested in this movie may also want to look for the DVD release of SUPER WHEELS (1971), a German rip off of THE LOVE BUG.

THE 14 AMAZONS (1972) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 23 | U.S. | DVD | FUNimation
“Long before ‘feminism’ made it to Hong Kong, women proved themselves more than equal to men in this martial arts classic, a forerunner to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Set in ancient China, a matriarchal clan proves as adept with sword, fist, and gravity-defying leaps as anything conjured up by the Crouching Tiger ladies thirty years later.”

VIGILANTE (2008) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 23 | DVD | U.S. | MTI Home Video
“When Luke, a highly successful businessman, is viciously attacked and his fiancée is raped and murdered, he pledges to use every last dollar he has to train himself in deadly hand to hand combat and use it against any wrong doers who dare to cross his path. But little does he know that his own attackers are highly connected to an underworld crime family who has close ties to corrupt police and, unbeknownst to him, are also looking for him!”

EXTREME PREJUDICE (1987) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 29 | U.K. | DVD | Optimum Home Entertainment
Texas Ranger Jack Benteen (Nick Nolte) is at odds with drug kingpin and former best friend Cash Bailey (Powers Boothe) who will do anything to keep Jack from disrupting his business. Jack’s efforts to bring down Cash’s operation are complicated by the hidden agenda of a CIA-funded paramilitary group led by Maj. Paul Hackett (Michael Ironside). Directed by Walter Hill (THE WARRIORS) with stunt coordination by Bennie Dobbins (COMMANDO).

RAIN FALL (2009) – [DDET Trailer][/DDET]

March 29 | U.K. | DVD | Momentum Pictures
This is a cross-cultural thriller in the mold of THE BOURNE IDENTITY with Australian co-writer and director Max Mannix helming a Japanese production with Hollywood actor Gary Oldman (THE DARK KNIGHT) starring alongside Kippei Shiina (SHINOBI: HEART UNDER BLADE). A Japanese hitman (Shiina) falls in love with the daughter of his latest victim and chooses to protect her from the CIA. Kyoko Hasegawa and Misa Shimizu also star. Mannix, who previously made his directing debut with the romantic-musical-martial arts movie DANCE OF THE DRAGON, is also responsible for the film’s fight choreography.

THE BAADER MEINHOF COMPLEX (2008) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | Blu-ray/DVD | MPI Home Video
“Germany in the 1970s: Murderous bomb attacks, the threat of terrorism and the fear of the enemy inside are rocking the very foundations of the still-fragile German democracy. The radicalized children of the Nazi generation led by Andreas Baader (Moritz Bleibtreu), Ulrike Meinhof (Martina Gedeck) and Gudrun Ensslin (Johanna Wokalek) are fighting a violent war against what they perceive as the new face of fascism: American imperialism supported by the German establishment, many of whom have a Nazi past. Their aim is to create a more human society, but by employing inhuman means they not only spread terror and bloodshed, they also lose their own humanity. The man who understands them is also their hunter: the head of the German police force Horst Herold (Bruno Ganz). And while he succeeds in his relentless pursuit of the young terrorists, he knows he’s only dealing with the tip of the iceberg.”

SPAGHETTI WESTERN COLLECTION (4 MOVIES) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | DVD | VCI Video
“ANY GUN CAN PLAY is a 1967 spaghetti western starring Gilbert Roland, Ed Byrnes and George Hilton. It follows a familiar pattern of protagonists searching for gold, double-crossing one another and a high body count. The three main characters continually change allegiances and get the upper hand only to be thwarted by fellow outlaws, mysterious insurance investigators and each other. A BULLET FOR SANDOVAL: John Warner (George Hilton) is a rebel soldier who deserts his outfit on the eve of battle and goes over the border into Mexico to be with his girlfriend when she gives birth to their child. When he arrives Warner finds that his fiancée has died in childbirth and her father, played by Ernest Borgnine, lusts only to kill him. Raw, savage Western fare in the tradition of A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS, co-directed by Lucio Fulci, one of the masters of blood-soaked Italian horror/fantasies and sexy thrillers. “THE STRANGERS GUNDOWN: With its horror-movie styling and ultra-violent nature, this perfect example of an Euro gothic western garnered an “X” rating on its initial Italian release. During the Civil War, three Confederate officers, leaders of a Confederate regiment, sell out to the Yankees, kill the sentries and allow the enemy troops to slaughter their whole company. One of their men, however, does not die… Left for dead, the Stranger (Anthony Steffen, Italy’s answer to Clint Eastwood!) lies unconscious on the ground, severely wounded. TODAY WE KILL, TOMORROW WE DIE: Bill Kiowa (Montgomery Ford) is released after a five-year prison term for a crime he did not commit. The bandit El Fego (Tatsuya Nakadai), who did the actual crime, also killed Kiowa’s young Indian wife. Once free Kiowa raises a gang to go after the man who framed him.”

HIGH-KICK GIRL (2009) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | DVD | First Look Pictures
From filmmaker Fuyuhiko Nishi (BLACK BELT, SHAOLIN GIRL) comes this karate actioner starring 17-year-old black belt karate champion Rina Takeda as a promising young karate student who leaves her master Matsumura’s dojo out of frustration for not being granted a black belt because she failed to master katas. She joins a group of professional fighters but when she discovers they have plans to destroy her master, Rina comes to the defense of Matsumura.

NEGATIVE HAPPY CHAINSAW EDGE (2007) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | DVD | Well Go USA
“NEGATIVE HAPPY CHAINSAW EDGE takes place in modern-day Tokyo. One night Yosuke (Hayato Ichihara) encounters Eri (Megumi Seki) a beautiful girl in her school uniform and suddenly a surprising battle begins. Pitted against an immortal giant who brandishes a vicious chainsaw, Eri and Yosuke must come together and understand why this chainsaw wielding ghost continues to appear. Is he determined to end their life or simply communicate a dark message and the truth about Eri. The wire-fu action, knife fights, crazy and beautiful CGI including stunning sets all come together in this dramatically charged film.”

ONCE UPON A TIME ON A BATTLEFIELD (2003) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | DVD | Virgil Films
“Set in the 7th century AD during the Korean peninsula’s division into three perpetually warring kingdoms, Once Upon A Time In A Battlefield focuses on the Shilla’s king Kim Choon-chu efforts to conquer his rivals: Koguryo and Baekche. To achieve this goal, he allies with mainland China’s Tang empire, the superpower of the era, and together the two polities plan to attack first the weakest Baekche at its main fortress of Hwangsanbul, guarding the only easy access to the mountainous interior. But the fortress commander General Kye Baek (Park Joong-hoon) will be resisting to the end… This comedy relays on clash between ancient time and modern language combined with irony and distance to the war.”

SAVAGE DRUMS (1951) / JUNGLE HELL (1956)

March 30 | U.S. | DVD | VCI Video
East Indian-born actor Sabu Dastagir (THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, THE JUNGLE BOOK) stars in two vintage B-list adventure films from the 1950s. In SAVAGE DRUMS Sabu is a prize fighter returning home to a Pacific island to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of Communists. In JUNGLE HELL, Sabu is a jungle native in India who joins a Western doctor (David Bruce) investigating reports of a strange set of burning rocks. (Sounds like inspiration for INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM.) Along the way, they encounter a variety of obstacles including wild beasts and flying saucers.

SHE DEVILS

March 30 | U.S. | DVD | VCI Video
“When a smuggler (Rock Hudson) takes to the high seas in the historical era of Napoleon’s threatened invasion of England, he meets a beautiful mystery woman (Yvonne De Carlo) and is induced to sail her to the French coast, unaware that she is actually a spy…but for which side? “Good color photography enhances the striking sea scenes and lavish interior settings” (Harrison’s Reports) in this suspenseful costume adventure from action directing great Raoul Walsh.”

SHERLOCK HOLMES (2009) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | Blu-ray/DVD/VOD | Warner Home Video
Based on Lionel Wigram’s comic book, which in turn is based on the mystery novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, SHERLOCK HOLMES stars Robert Downey Jr. as an eccentric, 19th-century British detective teamed up with his faithful partner and biographer Dr. John Watson (Jude Law) to use wits and brawn to take on a nemesis who threatens all of England. Director Guy Ritchie upgrades this super-sleuth to super hero, complete with formidable martial arts abilities.

THE KILLER (1989) – [DDET Trailer] [/DDET]

March 30 | U.S. | Blu-ray/DVD | Dragon Dynasty
John Woo’s hard-boiled gunplay classic THE KILLER returns to the U.S., this time on the Dragon Dynasty label on Blu-ray and DVD. (The film was previously released on home video by Criterion.) Chow Yun-fat stars as a guilt-ridden assassin who takes on a final hit to pay for an operation to restore the sight of a female singer he accidentally blinded. Only trouble is he ends up doubled-crossed by her boss.