Eureka Video 4K UHD Blu-ray Synopsis: In 1989, legendary Japanese studio Toei launched their V-Cinema line of direct-to-video genre features. V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal presents nine explosive titles representing some of the best the Japanese crime film has to offer. Fast-paced and action-packed, Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage sees detective Joe Kawamura out for revenge against the men who gunned down his partner. Along the way he teams up with Lily, a gun-toting nun looking to get back five million dollars that was stolen from her church. Next up, Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet sees wannabe yakuza Junko get more than he bargained for when tasked with avenging the murder of a fellow gang member, or face the consequences for betrayal. Meanwhile, in Shunichi Nagasaki's unbearably tense thriller Stranger, a late-night taxi driver is stalked by the unseen driver of an SUV, who just might have a connection to the taxi driver's criminal past. In Carlos, the eponymous Brazilian-Japanese petty criminal sees an opportunity to play rival yakuza gangs against each other, but bites off much more than he can chew. Burning Dog is a gripping heist film where a gang of thieves plot to rob a US military base in Okinawa, but rising tensions in the group threaten to put the plan in jeopardy. The sequel to one of the most iconic Japanese franchises of all time, Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat sees a female assassin hired to infiltrate a women's prison and search for The Scorpion, a legendary rebellious prisoner hiding in the bowels of the building. After his fiancée is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza turf war, a man on the edge remorselessly hunts down the gangsters responsible in legendary director Teruo Ishii's The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses. Meanwhile in Danger Point: The Road to Hell, duo of contract killers' fragile partnership is tested when their most recent hit starts to have unforeseen consequences. Finally, assassin and femme fatale Shion rebels against the fanatical religious order who prepared her from birth to be the perfect killer in the pulpy XX: Beautiful Hunter. Filled with action, thrills and double-crosses, V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal is an electrifying compendium of gems from the Japanese video underworld.

 

Views: Kicking off in 1989, famed Japanese film studio Toei launched their V-Cinema series of direct-to-video features – a mix of genre titles that focuses on action, crime, revenge, and betrayal. Many of these titles have never been seen outside of Japan – until now! Thankfully, Arrow Video have put together nine of their most exciting titles, restored in full HD on Blu-ray and released as the V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal Collection; a stunning new box set featuring a host of extras including new introductions to each movie by Japanese film critic Masaki Tanioka, gorgeous new artwork by Chris Malbon, collectors art-cards and a wonderfully illustrated booklet, and much more...

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Crime Hunter: Bullets Of Rage (Original Title: Kuraimuhanta Ikaro No Judan クライムハンタ－ 怒りの銃弾) sees Detective Joe Kawamura out for revenge against the men who gunned down his partner. Along the way he teams up with Lily, a gun-toting nun looking to get back five million dollars that was stolen from her church by an interfering criminal who decides to team-up for his own reasons. What a movie! While not perfect in any sense, and clocking in at just under one hour in it's running time, Crime Hunter: Bullets Of Rage took me right back to the classics of 80s Hong Kong heroic bloodshed fitting in perfectly alongside titles such as A Better Tomorrow (1986), The Big Heat (1988), Long Arm Of The Law (1984), and US made films such as Rambo (1988) and The Protector (1985) with Jackie Chan – all down to how it delivers the same energy, stunning visuals, gorgeous lighting, and crazy action. Featuring a young Riki Takeuchi as the unfortunate partner who gets killed, wonderful Masanori Sera as the vengeful cop Joe, Seiji Matano as the gun-toting criminal Bruce, and an appearance by the prolific Yoshio Harada, fans of classic Hong Kong action-cinema will easily fall in love with this wild film from director Toshimichi Okawa!

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Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes The Bullet (Original Title: Neo Chinpira: Teppodama Pyu ネオ チンピラ 鉄砲玉ぴゅ～) Also known as Neo Thugs: Bullet Firing Sound Effect, this 1990 production from prolific director Banmei Takahashi sees wannabe yakuza-member Junko get more than he bargained for when he is tasked with avenging the murder of a fellow gang member. But when his seniors disappear and leave him to it alone, Junko must figure a way out of it – and all while dealing with his narcoleptic girlfriend. Brilliantly done and highly entertaining, Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes The Bullet comes across with a bit of a slow-burn at first, but really shakes you awake for it's second half. Sho Aikawa was just incredible as the leading man Junko, delivering a funny, emotional and dramatic performance that was close to a perfect debut role which helped kick-off a very prolific career. He is backed by a great cast throughout, while cinematographer Kazuhiro Miyoshi captures it all wonderfully. Although not really needed, a sequel would follow in 1991.

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Stranger (Original Title: Yoru No Sutorenja Kyfou 夜のストレンジャー 恐怖 ) is an unbearable tense thriller that sees a late night taxi driver stalked by an unseen driver of an SUV. But is it a complete stranger or someone connected to their past? What a fantastic movie! Although slow burning in it's first half, Stranger keeps you guessing with it's tense storyline and fantastic performance by it's leading lady Yuko Natori – who also appeared in Yuen Biao's Saga Of The Phoenix (1989). Director Shunichi Nagasaki delivers a thrilling piece with some intense confrontations, a frantic car chase, and it's crazy final act. Nicely shot and simple in it's execution, Stranger is a great addition to the V-Cinema collection and one I look forward to going back to again. It's also worth noting that Shunichi is the same man behind films such as The Enchantment (1989), Shikoku (1999), Dogs (1999), and the fantastic 2007 martial-arts drama, Black Belt. Without a doubt, Stranger is one of 1991's most gripping V-cinema titles and makes for a great watch...

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Carlos (Original Title: Karurosu カルロス) sees a Brazilian/Japanese petty criminal play two rival yakuza gangs against each other, but soon finds things getting out of hand and realises he has bitten off more than he can chew. If you had told me that John Woo directed Carlos, I might just have believed you! But it was directed by Kazuhiro Kiuchi; the very same man behind Be-Bop High School (1994). For his directional debut in 1991, Kiuchi impresses with his well-paced story telling, yakuza drama, dark humour, and ballistic gun-play. Playing the titular anti-hero is the fantastic and hugely prolific Naoto Takenaka, star of films such as Happiness Of The Katakuris (2001), Shall We Dance (1996), Azumi (2003), The Waterboys (2001), Jackie Chan's Shinjuku Incident (2009) and so much more. Joining him is the equally impressive Yuzo Hayakawa, who appeared in films such as Black Test Car (1962), The Wrath Of Daimajin (1966), Play It Cool (1970) and the popular Woman Gambler Series from the 1960s. Kojiro Kusanagai, Masumi Harukawa, Yumi Terao, also appear with Chuck Wilson impressing as the Western hitman. There's a lot to enjoy with this one!

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Burning Dog (Original Title: Shugeki Baningu Dokku 襲撃) is a gripping heist film from 1991, where a gang of thieves plan to rob a US military base in Okinawa, but rising tensions between them soon plan the plan in jeopardy. One of the more lengthier films of the collection, Burning Dog is an interesting piece that comes across like a blend of 80s American action-thriller with a decent splash of 80s Hong Kong gangster fun. Perhaps it's the setting on the US-influenced island of Okinawa that helps create this particular approach, with the craze (at the time) of Chow Yun Fat's heroic bloodshed titles that proved to be a big hit in Japan – with Burning Dog giving off vibes of Ringo Lam's City On Fire in many of it's cool action scenes. Small time action hero Seiji Matano, who also starred as Bruce in the fantastic opening movie Crime Hunter: Bullets Of Rage (1989) as well as it's sequel from the same year and a third part in 1990, takes the lead once again and does a pretty decent job in the role.

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Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat (Original Title: Joshuu Sasori: Satsujin Yokoku 女囚さそり 殺人予告) is another exciting sequel to one of the most iconic franchises of Japanese cinema that sees a female assassin sent into a female prison in search of The Scorpion, a legendary and rebellious prisoner that hides in the bowels of the building. But all is not what it seems! If this was directed by Ringo Lam, it would be called Scorpion On Fire – it fits the pure grittiness of his other entries to the series and would be a great companion piece to Chow Yun Fat's Prison On Fire. Nihilistic and dark, this belated sequel to the famed series is pretty damn enjoyable (if you like you're women in prison movies). There's plenty of action, flesh, and over-the-top dramatics to entice fans back, and while it carries it's own twist in the plot with a fantastic finale, fits well into the Female Prisoner collection of movies. Directed by Toshiharu Ikeda who also gave us the great Evil Dead Trap (1988), Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat is a nice addition to the V-cinema range and worth checking out if you're a fan of the original series...

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Also made in 1991, The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses (Original Title: Za Hittoman Chihabaranonioi ザ・ヒットマン 血はバラの匂い ) is a yakuza crime flick directed by Teruo Ishii, that sees a broken man out for revenge when his fiancee is killed in the crossfire of a turf war. I quite enjoyed this. It came across like a mix between Death Wish (1974) and A Better Tomorrow (1986), offering up some fantastic shoot-outs and a pretty damn exciting final showdown. In between, viewers are entertained with plenty of Yakuza politics, sex, and drama – but in a good way. The film is neatly shot, highlighted even more so with this new restoration, and (of course) directed by the legendary Teruo Ishii; the very same man behind a host of Japanese classics including Horrors Of Malformed Men (1969), Orgies Of Edo (1969), Abashiri Prison (1965), Blind Woman's Curse (1970), and Sonny Chiba's brilliant The Executioner (1974) among many more. But for me, the highlight was in it's leading man – the great Hideki Saijo who most Hong Kong film fans will know as Kenji/Saijo, the leader of the Angels in Iron Angels from 1987. Either that or the fact that he was very popular for singing the Japanese version of Y.M.C.A. (Young Man) back in the 80s. Regardless, he brings some of that Hong Kong action experience to the production and does a great job as the hero of the piece.

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In Danger Point: The Road To Hell (Original Title: Jigokuhenomichi 地獄への道 ) the partnership of a duo of contract killers is tested when their most recent hit kicks off a run of unforeseen circumstances after he leaves them with a few last words. Directed by the wonderful Yasuharu Hasebe, the man behind classics such as the Stray Cat Rock Series (1970), Black Tight Killers (1966), Massacre Gun (1967) and the Organized Violence Series (1999), Danger Point: The Road To Hell (once again) oozes the flavours of any amount of John Woo-styled Hong Kong gangster flicks. And while it's easy to write it off as so, the film still has enough of it's own identity to make for a fun ride. While it may lack the amount of action I was really hoping for – although what is there is fantastic – the film is a pretty solid gangster-thriller with a top cast including the prolific Show Aikawa, star of the Dead Or Alive Trilogy (1999), Gozu (2003), Pulse (2001), Tokyo Zombie (2005) and the Suit Yourself Or Shoot Yourself Series (1996) among many more. He is joined by the equally busy and brilliant Jo Shishido of Branded To Kill (1967), A Tale Of Sorrow & Sadness (1977), Massacre Gun (1967), None But The Brave (1973) with Cheng Pei Pei and a young Jackie Chan, and The Setting Sun (1992) with Yuen Biao, and Miyuki Ono of Black Rain (1989) and Evil Dead Trap (1988) fame. Wonderfully made, well acted and pretty exciting all round!

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Finally, from 1994, we have XX: Beautiful Hunter (Original Title: XX: Utsukushiki Karyuudo XX ダブルエックス 美しき狩人). As sexy as she is deadly, female assassin Shion rebel against the fanatical religious order that groomed and trained her from birth to be the perfect killer, when her latest target turns out to be the man she loves. On the run, Shion must contend with her fellow assassins that are now out to kill her. It's a story we've seen a thousand times today, but there's still something very fresh and fun about this adult-thriller. With shades of Crying Freeman about, XX: Beautiful Hunter plays like a live-action anime and – much like I've said for the majority of this collection – it just screams late 80s/early 90s Hong Kong cinema. It's cinematography and score reminded me of Yuen Woo Ping's Tiger Cage (1988) at times, and I'd be lying if I didn't say leading lady Makiko Kuno played like the Japanese Cynthia Khan. The film was directed by (recently deceased) Masaru Konuma; a pink cinema and erotica film-maker who delivered over 50 features from 1971 to 2002, who pulls together a great cast such as Makiko Kuno who is just brilliant as Shion. Still going strong today, Kuno has also starred in titles such as The Guard From Underground (1992), How Old Is The River? (1994), The Mars Canon (2002) and TV shows such as Ultraman Gaia (1998), Black Scandal (2018) and more. Adult actress Maiko Kazama, Katsuo Tokashiki, and Johnny Okura co-star, with the latter appearing in films such as A Legend Of Turmoil (1992), Boiling Point (1990), Mafia Family Yanagawa 2 (2002), and Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983) with David Bowie, while the prolific Koji Shimizu – of Kagemusha (1980), Mandala (1971), Godzilla Tokyo SOS (2003), and the accompanying Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes The Bullet (1990) fame – helps flesh things out. Beautifully shot, intense, sexy, and highly entertaining, XX: Beautiful Hunter is a great closing piece to the collection and definitely worth watching.

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Aside from the brilliant introductions by critic Masaki Tanioka, other extra features include Crime Hunter and the Dawn of V-Cinema; a 13 mins video essay by Tom Mes looking at the early video boom of Japan (which was actually quite fascinating) and Toei's approach to releasing anime and DTV films to the video market. Johnathan Clements presents a great video essay on Carlos, while Samm Deighan delivers one on the Female Prisoner Scorpion – and mainly the one here obviously. Mark Schilling does the same for Burning Dog and Frankie Balboa delivers a great piece on Teruo Ishii and The Hitman. Japanese film expert James Balmont talks about Danger Point, and critic Patrick Macias looks back at XX; Beautiful Hunter and how they brought back the sleaze. Of course, there are a host of lengthy interviews with directors and writers along with original trailers for most films. While all beautifully restored in HD, each film is delivered in their original 4:3 format as they were made direct-to-video, but that's certainly not a negative...

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A melting pot of sorts, the V-cinema era was an interesting period but also a great one that delivered more fantastic titles than poor ones. Littered with many great directors and a host of prolific and upcoming stars, there seems to be something or someone in just about every title to please unsuspecting viewers. And what is delivered here in this V-Cinema: Bullets & Betrayal Collection is some of those finest ones. I adore this set! From it's stunning artwork to it's great interviews and many extras, through to each of the films included, I can't recommend this enough for fans of Asian action cinema. Gangsters, martial arts, gun-play, femme fatales, explosions, car chases, and plenty of humour, the V-Cinema: Bullets & Betrayal Collection is one of Arrow's best for 2025 – and I only hope they follow up with a second set in the near future!

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Overall: One of my favourite releases of 2025, the V-Cinema: Bullets & Betrayal Collection is a must for any fan of Asian action cinema!

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Arrow Video Blu-ray Extras: New introductions with Masaki Tanioka, Director & Writer Interviews, Video Essays & Appreciation Videos by critics, Original Trailers

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