This title is a compilation of best bouts from PANCRASE ALIVE TOUR 1997 Vol. 1. Pancrase is a mixed-martial arts competition and promoter in Japan. The origin of the name "PANCRASE" dates back to the ancient Greeks who had a sports competition called "PANCRATIUM". Today, noble warriors from around the globe descend upon Japan to battle in one of the most exciting events in modern-day athletic competition. Martial arts techniques used in the PANCRASE matches include Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Sambo, Karate, Jujitsu, Kenpo and Thai Boxing.

This fourth entry in the Gamera series found the titanic turtle paralleling the cuddly direction of his competitor Godzilla. When two young, star-gazing children investigate a spaceship that has practically landed in their backyard, they are whisked away to Terra, our undiscovered tenth planet whose two "groovy spacegirls" are all that remain of a once-superior alien civilization. But the boys soon discover that their seemingly friendly hosts have sinister plans in mind for them. Never fear, for Gamera comes to save them, flying through space to battle the spacegirls' guardian Guiron, a giant, rhino-like beast possessing a razor-sharp steel blade for a snout. This movie is truly suited for young children, for older kids, and especially for adults will chortle at the unintentional humor arising from the cheesy effects, underplayed roles, and possibly the worst dubbing job in Japanese monster history. Taken as comedy, adults will find this a real camp gem-when the two boys witness Guiron slice 'n' dice a laser-spewing Gaos, one of them proclaims: "What a monster!" -Bryan Reesman.

Ben-Hur scooped an unprecedented 11 Academy Awards® in 1959 and, unlike some later rivals, richly deserved every single one. This is epic filmmaking on a scale that had not been seen before and is unlikely ever to be seen again. But it's not just running time or a cast of thousands that makes an epic, it's the subject matter, and here the subject-Prince Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) and his estrangement from old Roman pal Messala (Stephen Boyd)-is rich, detailed, and sensitively handled. Director William Wyler, who had been a junior assistant on MGM's original silent version back in 1925, never sacrifices the human focus of the story in favor of spectacle, and is aided immeasurably by Miklos Rozsa's majestic musical score, arguably the greatest ever written for a Hollywood picture. At four hours it's a long haul (especially given some of the portentous dialogue), but all in all, Ben-Hur is a great movie, best seen on the biggest screen possible. -Mark Walker.

Based on Jon Krakauer's bestselling book, Into Thin Air re-creates an ill-fated 1996 expedition to Everest that claimed at least five lives, including those of two world-class climbers. Only 90 minutes in length, the film jumps right into the action at Everest base camp and compresses the two-month trek into just a few days of exhilarating adventure. Periodic voice-overs by Krakauer (Christopher McDonald) provide essential background information and guide us through the invisible, intensifying effects of altitude and stress. Krakauer joined the trip to write an article on the commercialization of Everest, but as conditions on the mountain deteriorate he is forced to focus all his energy on survival. Unfortunately the film fails to really develop any of its characters before thrusting them onto the harrowing face of Everest. As a result, it's difficult to understand the relationships that play out as the group struggles to the summit and back. While the trio of leading actors is solid, only Nat Parker (who plays guide Rob Hall) has enough screen time to develop an interesting, complex character. Peter Horton's portrayal of unconventional guide Scott Fischer is almost hyperbolic and McDonald's Krakauer is stiff and difficult to read. While the film succeeds in creating a palpable sense of agony and suspense, those in search of a more thoughtful, detailed account of the expedition will be better served by reading the book. -Claire Campbell.

This title is a compilation of best bouts from PANCRASE ALIVE TOUR 1997 Vol. 2. Pancrase is a mixed-martial arts competition and promoter in Japan. The origin of the name "PANCRASE" dates back to the ancient Greeks who had a sports competition called "PANCRATIUM". Today, noble warriors from around the globe descend upon Japan to battle in one of the most exciting events in modern-day athletic competition. Martial arts techniques used in the PANCRASE matches include Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Sambo, Karate, Jujitsu, Kenpo and Thai Boxing.

This video program presents the first ten kata of the Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu karate syllabus up to Naihanchi Sandan performed by the present headmaster Takayoshi Nagamine 9th Dan, assisted by senior instructors Yasuhiro Makishi 9th Dan, and Taira 8th Dan. Each kata is performed at full speed and shown in slow motion; the most important technical points are then explained by Nagamine sensei, and the applications of fundamental techniques demonstrated by the three instructors. Key issues discussed include the development of explosive striking power, the most vulnerable targets to attack, and the differences between applications as they are performed in the kata, and their use in realistic self defense situations. Matsubayashi Shorin Ryu karate is based in part upon the fundamental teachings of Choki Motobu, Chotoku Kyan and other legendary Okinawan karate pioneers. The genius of the Founder, Shoshin Nagamine, was in drawing together the most refined elements of each school and creating from them his own unique style of Shorin Ryu karate. Contents: Fukyu Kata 1 and 2 Pinan Kata 1-5 Naihanchi Kata 1-3.

Henry Smovinsky (Eric Roberts), Smoke to his friends, is a cop with problems. His ex-wife, whom he hasn't seen in 16 years, has been found dead on the street outside her apartment, an apparent suicide in a fall from her balcony. But there's more than meets the eye here, when he gets custody of his son Adam (Jason Tierney), and suspicion of murder turns to the son and then to Smoke himself. Soon it comes out that the ex-wife was a high-class hooker, with many influential clients and first-class protection from the police force. With no one to trust except Officer Maggie Furness (Eliza Roberts, Eric's real-life wife), who was assigned to the investigation but kept about as much in the dark as Smoke, he runs his own investigation, which involves healing the wounds between him and the son he's never known. This gritty, realistic thriller never overstretches for effect, but keeps a solid atmosphere of street-smart seediness throughout, with a finely measured performance especially by Eric Roberts. -Jim Gay.

The Lady and the Highwayman, produced by Lew Grade as part of a series of Barbara Cartland dramatizations in 1987, contains all the ingredients that made her unique style of romantic fiction so successful. The highwayman in question, known as Silver Blade, is actually an aristocratic outlaw played by a youthful Hugh Grant in a bouffant mullet wig. The lady is Panthea (Lysette Anthony), delicate but firm of purpose, who knows her man when she sees him. It's Restoration England, so the frocks are fabulous. But Cartland's pretensions to historical accuracy evaporate when she makes Charles II's mistress, Barbara Castlemaine (Dynasty's Emma Samms), the villainess of the piece. From there, it's a freewheeling ride of Robin Hood-inspired philanthropy, duplicitous cousins, and some uncomfortably fetishistic shots of the rituals and instruments of execution, although everybody is rescued in time for the romantic soft-focus finale. Full of splendidly self-indulgent performances from the likes of Claire Bloom, John Mills, and Michael York, The Lady and the Highwayman is a feast of thespian ham. Somehow, the cast triumph over the banality of the basic material. -Piers Ford.