First up is a genuine classic from one of the greatest masters of cinema, Akira Kurosawa. Image Entertainment brings us Dersu Uzala (1974). Set against a backdrop of the treacherous mountains, rivers and icy plains of the Siberian wilderness, Kurosawa (The Seven Samurai, Rashomon) stages an extraordinary adventure of comradeship and survival. This was the great Japanese director’s only film made in Russia and it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The disc will feature a Widescreen transfer, letterboxed at the film’s original aspect ratio of 2.35:1, the original Russian soundtrack, and English subtitles. “Dersu Uzala” will be released on October 17th, and will retail for $39.99.

Two other eagerly anticipated favorites return to DVD in October: John Woo’s Hard Boiled and The Killer. Anyone familiar with this exciting director’s Hong Kong work knows that the Criterion Editions of these two films have been discontinued and go for big money on Ebay, particularly “The Killer.” Now Winstar Home Video is releasing each film as a Special Edition, as well as in a set for those who want it all. Here are the specifics:

Hard Boiled (1992) (Special Edition) . After losing his partner, jaded detective “Tequila” Yuen (the inimitable Chow Yun Fat) must team up with an undercover cop posing as a hired gun to bring down mobsters smuggling guns into Hong Kong. John Woo’s “Hard Boiled” tells the story of jaded detective “Tequila” Yuen with brilliance and passion. Woo’s dizzying odyssey through the underworld of Hong Kong is more than a cops-and-bad-guys story-“Hard Boiled” continually startles with originality and dark humor. This edition comes with a Widescreen transfer, the original Cantonese soundtrack as well as English dubbing, and English subtitles. Extras include an Audio Commentary by John Woo, a Filmography, Production Info, and a Trailer.

The Killer (1989) (Special Edition) . John Woo transforms genres from both the East and the West to create an explosive and masterful action film. Starring Chow Yun-Fat as a killer with a conscience, the film is an exquisite dissection of morals in a corrupt society, highlighted with slow-motion sequences of brilliantly choreographed gun battles on the streets of Hong Kong. “The Killer” also comes with a Widescreen transfer, the original Cantonese soundtrack as well as the choice of English dubbing, and English subtitles. Extras include an Audio Commentary by John Woo, a Filmography, Production Info, and a Trailer.

John Woo Collection: Hard Boiled (Special Edition)/The Killer (Special Edition) , is both of the above discs in one package. All of these will be released on October 3rd. The individual discs will retail for $29.98, while the “John Woo Collection” will carry the discount price of $49.98.