Nerdly » ‘V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal’ Blu-ray Review (Arrow Video)

20th Jun2025

‘V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal’ Blu-ray Review (Arrow Video)

by Jason Lockard

Stars: Riki Takeuchi, Seiji Matano, Masanori Sera, Minako Tanaka, Chikako Aoyama, Ren Osugi, Rikaya Yasuoka, Sho Aikawa, Shiori Sakura, Joji Abe, James Fujiki, Masumi Harukawa, Yûzô Hayakawa, Minoru Ôki, Hideki Saijô, Kiyoshi Nakajoe, Natsumi Nanase, Tetsurô Tanba, Kimiko Yo, Makiko Kuno, Johnny Ôkura, Katsuo Tokashi, Kôji Shimizu, Maiko Kazama | Directed by Toshimichi Okawa, Banmei Takahashi, Kazuhiro Kiuchi, Teruo Ishii, Masaru Konuma

In the 1980s and 90s there were tons of direct-to-video releases, driven by the creation and popularity of the VHS tape. and Toei Company, Ltd., undoubtedly most known in the West for the myriad of Henshin and Sentai shows they produce, was at the forefront of the Japanese V-Cinema the direct-to-video industry.

Now, from Arrow Video comes a massive collection of 9 V-Cinema films on one Blu-ray set. Not only does this set include 9 films, but a nice stack of bonus features as well. Let’s take a look at the movies that are included in this collection:

Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage (1989) Detective Joe Kawamura is 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. *** 3/5
Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet (1990) Wannabe yakuza Junko gets more than he bargained for when tasked with avenging the murder of a fellow gang member, or face the consequences for betrayal. *** 3/5
Stranger (1991) 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. *** 3/5
Carlos (1991) 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. *** 3/5
Burning Dog (1991) 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. *** 3/5
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat (1991) 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. *** 3/5
The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses (1991) After his fiancée is killed in the crossfire of a yakuza turf war, a man on the edge remorselessly hunts down the gangsters responsible. ** 2/5
Danger Point: The Road to Hell (1991) A duo of contract killers’ fragile partnership is tested when their most recent hit starts to have unforeseen consequences. *** 3/5
XX: Beautiful Hunter (1994) An assassin and femme fatale Shion rebels against the fanatical religious order who prepared her from birth to be the perfect killer. ** 2/5

Arrow Video have transferred these direct-to-video films to Blu-ray in 1080p, and all films are presented in their 1.33:1 aspect ratio. The audio tracks are original lossless Japanese mono audio on Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage and original lossless Japanese stereo audio for all other films. There is also the option for newly translated English subtitles for all films.

These films look and sound pretty impressive when you think these were not made for theatrical releases. This 5-disc Blu-ray set, in addition to 9 movies, has some really nice bonus features included. Take a look at what this disc has to offer:

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

Interviews, introductions and essays are not all that this massive Blu-ray release has going for it. Arrow Video also included nine postcard-sized artcards, limited edition packaging with reversible sleeves featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon and an illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing by Earl Jackson, Daisuke Miyao, and Hayley Scanlon.

There is so much entertainment found in this Blu-ray set. You truly can’t go wrong, especially if you’re a fan of old-school “Eastern-Action” style cinema.