The First Slam Dunk - BLU-RAY

Aspiring poet Ray Joshua (Saul Williams) may have wanted to escape the pressures of Southeast D.C., but that seemed impossible after he got caught up in a drug deal gone wrong. While behind bars, he survives and thrives through his rapping talent, and through the attentions of writing teacher Lauren (Sonja Sohn), who encourages him to hone his skills. Acclaimed drama co-scripted by the leads also stars Bonz Malone, Beau Sia, Lawrence Wilson. 103 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack English; Subtitles English; audio commentary; featurette; theatrical trailer.

Based on the novel by W. Somerset Maugham (Of Human Bondage) and made at the height of the Second World War, The Hour Before the Dawn stars Franchot Tone (Five Graves to Cairo) as Jim Hetherton, a pacifist Englishman who becomes a conscientious objector at the onset of WWII. The sultry Veronica Lake (So Proudly We Hail) plays Dora Bruckmann, the beautiful Austrian refugee whom Jim marries. But what neither he nor anyone else suspects is that Dora is actually an agent planted by the Nazis, and her main concern is finding the location of a secret airfield in the vicinity of the Hetherton estate in order to help Hitler's planned invasion. By preying on his beliefs, Dora manages to manipulate Jim into potentially betraying his country. Billed as a story of turbulent emotions, exciting times, impassioned love and a sinister, deadly secret, The Hour Before the Dawn was directed by Frank Tuttle (Lucky Jordan, This Gun for Hire), shot by John F. Seitz (The Lost Weekend) and scored by Miklos Rozsa (Secret Beyond the Door).

Seventeen-year-old Okinawan point guard Ryota Miyagi (voiced by Shugo Nakamura) was fixated with the dreams of basketball glory that his idolized and late big brother would never realize. Clear underdogs in their match-up with their skilled and touted high school rivals, can he and his teammates stow their interpersonal tensions to come away with the win? Find out in this exhilarating anime sports opus, adapted by director Takehiko Inoue from his popular manga. 124 min. Widescreen; Soundtracks Japanese, English; Subtitles English; audio commentary; interview; featurette; theatrical trailers; more. In Japanese with English subtitles. Two-disc set.