Arrow Releasing V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets And Betrayal

[Ian Jane Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Ian Jane]

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

[BW Haggar Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BW Haggar]

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.

[agent999 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close agent999]

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.

[Zaibatan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zaibatan]

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.

[Takuma Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Takuma]

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.

[Zaibatan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zaibatan]

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!