King Boxer and 36th Chamber of Shaolin. If neither of these titles mean anything to you then it's likely that you're not a fan of martial arts cinema, or a young one who has yet to retrospectively discover the delights of the genre's origins. King Boxer (Tian xia di yi quan, 1972), also known as Five Fingers of Death, was the movie that really kicked off the martial arts movie craze of the 1970s, while 36th Chamber of Shaolin (Shao Lin san shi liu fang, 1978) is widely regarded as the highpoint of the genre's first wave.

This illustrious pair will be the first titles on distributor Momentum's UK launch of Dragon Dynasty, the eagerly awaited DVD label founded (at the suggestion of Quentin Tarantino) by Hollywood producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein specifically to release the very best of Asian cinema – both classic and contemporary – on DVD. And, in a move designed to ensure their releases attain the most superlative quality possible in terms of presentation, content and extra features, Dragon Dynasty's releases will be overseen and created by the man responsible for creating the discs for the much lauded DVD label, Hong Kong Legends.

From Hong Kong's Shaw Brothers, the founding fathers of kung fu film, comes the groundbreaking cult movie King Boxer (Five Fingers Of Death). Required viewing for cinephiles and martial arts fans alike, King Boxer took world audiences by storm with the tale of a young martial artist who battles his way into a national tournament in the name of love, honour and revenge. His journey from young fighter in training to master of the Iron Fist delves deep into mythic kung fu lore and is laced with explosive action and dazzling fight sequences. The DVD will include a number of impressive special features, including a rare commentary track by Quentin Tarantino himself. The full special features are:

• Quentin Tarantino commentary;
• Interview with filmmaker Chang-Hwa Jeong;
• Interviews and commentaries with film scholars David Chute and Elvis Mitchell;
• Interview with action director Lau Kar Wing;
• Stills gallery;
• Trailer gallery;
• Commentator biographies.

36th Chamber of Shaolin - "a must-have for any self-respecting kung fu movie collector" (Kung Fu Cinema) - takes martial arts fans inside the legendary Shaolin Temple birthplace of kung fu. This masterful Shaw Brothers classic inspired two wildly successful sequels and influenced an entire generation of filmmakers. When Manchu invaders ravage a defenceless village, one wounded and desperate student seeks refuge at the secretive monastery of Shaolin. Fuelled by wrath he undertakes a gruelling program of martial arts training that hones his strength, agility and endurance in order to defeat his enemies.

The special features are:

• Interview with Gordon Liu;
• Shaolin: A Hero Birthplace featurette;
• Feature commentary by the RZA of Wu-Tang Clan;
• Interviews with RZA and film scholars David Chute and Andy Klein;
• Stills gallery;
• Trailer gallery;
• Commentator biographies.

Both King Boxer and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin will be released by Momentum on 26th February at the RRP of £12.99 each.

UPDATE: Both King Boxer and The 36th Chamber of Shaolin have been temporarily delayed and will now be released on 23rd March 2009. We're actually pouring over the preview discs at this very moment and I can report that they really will be worth waiting for.