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Arrow Releasing V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets And Betrayal

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  • Arrow Releasing V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets And Betrayal

    Coming 4/29/25 from Arrow.

    V-CINEMA ESSENTIALS: BULLETS AND BETRAYAL (LIMITED EDITION) BLU-RAY

    CRIME HUNTER: BULLETS OF RAGE / NEO CHINPIRA: ZOOM GOES THE BULLET
    STRANGER / CARLOS
    BURNING DOG / FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: DEATH THREAT
    THE HITMAN: BLOOD SMELLS LIKE ROSES / DANGER POINT: THE ROAD TO HELL
    XX: BEAUTIFUL HUNTER

    FEATURES:

    High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentations of all films
    Original lossless Japanese mono audio on Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage and original lossless Japanese stereo audio for all other films
    Optional newly translated English subtitles for all films
    Nine postcard-sized artcards
    Limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon
    Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao, and Hayley Scanlon

    DISC 1 – CRIME HUNTER: BULLETS OF RAGE / NEO CHINPIRA: ZOOM GOES THE BULLET

    Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
    Loose Cannon, a newly filmed interview with Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage director Shundo Okawa
    Zooming Out, a newly filmed interview with Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet writer-director Banmei Takahashi
    Crime Hunter and the Dawn of V-Cinema, a brand new video essay on Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes
    Original trailers for both films

    DISC 2 – STRANGER / CARLOS

    Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
    Stranger than Fiction, a newly filmed interview with Stranger writer-director Shunichi Nagasaki
    From Manga to Movies, a newly filmed interview with Carlos writer-director Kazuhiro Kiuchi
    An Extra Round in the Chamber, a brand new video essay on Carlos by critic and Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements

    DISC 3 – BURNING DOG / FEMALE PRISONER SCORPION: DEATH THREAT

    Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
    Fire and Ice, a brand new video essay on Burning Dog by critic and Japanese cinema expert Mark Schilling
    Toshiharu Ikeda’s Beautiful Monster of Vengeance, a brand new video essay on Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat by film historian Samm Deighan
    Original trailers for both films

    DISC 4 – THE HITMAN: BLOOD SMELLS LIKE ROSES / DANGER POINT: THE ROAD TO HELL

    Newly filmed introductions to both films by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
    The Versatility of Teruo Ishii, a brand new video essay on The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses and its director Teruo Ishii by Japanese cinema expert Frankie Balboa
    The Road to V-Cinema, a brand new video essay on Danger Point: The Road to Hell by critic and Japanese cinema expert James Balmont
    Original trailer for The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses

    DISC 5 – XX: BEAUTIFUL HUNTER

    Newly filmed introduction by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka
    The Sacred and the Profane, a newly filmed interview with screenwriter Hiroshi Takahashi
    They Brought Back the Sleaze, a brand new video essay on XX: Beautiful Hunter by critic and Japanese cinema expert Patrick Macias
    Original trailer

    Click image for larger version

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    Rock! Shock! Pop!

  • #2
    Interesting.

    Inevitable question from the V-Cinema virgin: to what extent are these actually worth watching?

    In the past, I've always assumed they're probably more or less like Roman Porno but with crime stuff instead of sex, and haven't bothered investigating further... but actually, I have no idea.
    https://breakfastintheruins.blogspot.com/
    http://stereosanctity.blogspot.com/

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    • #3
      I'd like to see XX: Beautiful Hunter and Ikeda's Scorpion movie, but it depends on how much this set is going to cost. Some of their Japanese releases with three movies are great value, but the extras and the booklet will probably push the price up. I might get this if it's under £50.
      I'm bitter, I'm twisted, James Joyce is fucking my sister.

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      • #4
        This is a great set and may possibly even be the release of the year for me but I can't fathom why Arrow opted out of porting over the director's commentary for CRIME HUNTER that was on the Japanese DVD. It's fun and informative and there are even fansubs for it! Frankly embarrassing. I'll still be first in line to pre-order this set and am already rooting for a volume 2 but that omission is a huge bummer.

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        • #5
          Crime Hunter obviously deserves to be in this set (it was the first ever V-Cinema), but it's a shame they didn't include the entire trilogy. All three are similar, but I found part 3 to be easily the best of the three (awesome non-stop gunplay - a person even gets assassinated with a minigun - and cool neo noir visuals in part 3!). Part 1 is alright too.

          Neo Chinpira is the best V-Cinema I have seen. Sho Aikawa as a slacker yakuza assigned to a hit he doesn't want to do. Also features the frequently naked Chikako Aoyama (Robotrix) and one of the coolest rock soundtracks ever. I guess I'll end up picking this set for this movie alone.

          Stranger is a pretty good low-key thriller about a female cab driver stalked by a psycho killer.

          Hitman... uhm, this is one of the worst films Teruo Ishii ever did. At least the closing credits were cool.

          Not much good to say about Female Prisoner either. The premise is great, but everything else about it is dull. Hard to believe it was made by the same director who did Evil Dead Trap.

          The rest I haven't seen.

          Comment


          • #6
            I second what Takuma said about Crime Hunter and Neo Chinpira. Carlos is OK but nothing special. I'd call it forgettable if it didn't star the great Naoto Takenaka who elevates every scene he is in. Female Prisoner and Beautiful Hunter are trash. I haven't seen Hitman, Burning Dog or Stranger. So, as far as I can tell, this set is a mixed bag but includes enough bang for the buck to make it worth picking up in my opinion. I could have programmed a much superior set of course, but, as usual, nobody asked me!

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