V-Cinema is a line Toei made to release films directly to home video, similarly to how anime has OVAs (which apparently inspired this particular concept in the first place). A whole bunch of films of different genres were produced, whether its tokusatsu, horror, drama, action and more, and supported a lot of distributors who were later make a name for themselves in the Japanese film industry including Takashi Miike and Kiyoshi Kurosawa.
Which is why V-Cinema sounds like an interesting line to bring to the United Kingdom, thanks to UK distributor Arrow Video introducing a collection of films. There’s hundreds produced but it’s not easy finding a comprehensive accurate list. What I do know is that the branding is on the Japanese sets, which you will notice on the art cards included with this collection.
Speaking of other V-Cinema titles, there’s also one recently released by US distributor Discotek Media under their Nihon Nights label called Kekko Kamen. It’s more explicit but goes to show how much freedom there was for directors with their films going to home video compared to theatrical.
Will we see many more V-Cinema releases to come? Who knows, but for now let’s take a look at the action themed box set Arrow is bringing to the UK by Toei.
V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal Line-up:
“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.”
Plot Synopsis via Arrow Video, April 2025.
V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal contains nine films from the Japanese action genre by nine different directors. All are making their UK home video debut.
Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage (クライムハンター 怒りの銃弾, Kuraimuhantā: Ikari no Jūdan) is a 1989 Japanese film directed and written by Toshimichi (Shundo) Ohkawa, with music composed by Seiichi Kyoda.
The cast of the film includes Masanori Sera, Minako Tanaka, Riki Takeuchi, Seiji Matano and Keishi Hunt. The film was released on home video in Japan on March 1989.
Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet (ネオ チンピラ 鉄砲玉ぴゅ～, Neo Chinpira Teppōdama Pyu ~) is a 1990 Japanese film directed by Banmei Takahashi, with screenplay written by Takuya Nishioka and music performed by Show Aikawa. The story is based on a novel written by George (Jōji) Abe.
The cast of the film includes Show Aikawa, Chikako Aoyama, Joe Shishido, Toru Minegishi, Rikiya Yasuoka, Kenji Takaoka, Shiro Shimomoto, and Kazuhiro Fukuzaki. The film was released on home video in Japan on May 1990.
Stranger (夜のストレンジャー 恐怖, Yoru no Sutorenjā Kyōfu) is a 1991 Japanese film directed and written by Shunichi Nagasaki, with music composed by Yuji Ono.
The cast of the film includes Yuko Natori, Kentaro Shimizu, and Takeshi Naito. The film was released on home video in Japan on February 1991.
Carlos (カルロス) is a 1991 Japanese film directed by Kazuhiro Kiuchi, with screenplay written by Kazumasa Kiuchi and music composed by Kazuo Odani. The story is based on a manga written by Kazuhiro Kiuchi.
The cast of the film includes Naoto Takenaka, Yamada Goichi, Ryuji Katagiri, Masataka Naruse, Kojiro Kusanagi and Chuck Wilson. The film was released on home video in Japan on January 1991.
Burning Dog (襲撃 ＢＵＲＮＩＮＧ ＤＯＧ, Shūgeki Bāningu Dokku) is a 1991 Japanese film directed and written by Yoichi Sai, with music composed by Sachi Hayasaka.
The cast of the film includes Seiji Matano, Mami Kumagai and Takashi Naito. The film was released on home video in Japan on August 1991.
Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat (女囚さそり 殺人予告, Joshū Sasori: Satsujin Yokoku) is a 1991 Japanese film directed and written by Toshiharu Ikeda, with screenplay also written by Fumio Konami and music composed by Kimio Nomura. The story is based on a manga written by Tōru Shinohara.
The cast of the film includes Natsuki Okamoto, Naoko Amihama, Dump Matsumoto, Yuko Mizushima, and Yuriko Hiroka. The film was released on home video in Japan on May 1991.
The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses (ザ・ヒットマン 血はバラの匂い, Za Hittoman chi wa bara no nioi) is a 1991 Japanese film directed and written by Teruo Ishii, with music by Kazuo Otani. The story is based on a novel written by Masahiko Nakamura.
The cast of the film includes Hideki Saijo, Nanase Natsumi, Mikiko Ozawa, Madoka Mayuzumi, Kiyoshi Nakajo, Tetsuro Tamba, Goro Mutsumi and Kimiko Yo. The film was released on home video in Japan on June 1991.
Danger Point: The Road to Hell (DANGER POINT: 地獄への道, Danger Point: Jigoku he no michi) is a 1991 Japanese film directed by Yasuharu Hasebe, with screenplay writers Ryuzo Nakanishi and Takashi Fujii and music composed by Masahiko Sato.
The cast of the film includes Show Aikawa, Joe Shishido, Nana Okada and Ono Miyuki. The film was released on home video in Japan on October 1991.
XX: Beautiful Hunter (XX ダブルエックス 美しき狩人, XX: Utsukushiki Hantaa) is a 1994 Japanese film directed by Masaru Konuma, with screenplay written by Hiroshi Takahashi and music composed by Satoru Nagauchi. The story is based on a novel written by Mangetsu Hanamura and part of the XX film series.
The cast of the film includes Makiko Kuno, Johnny Okura, Maiko Kazama and Koji Shimizu. The film was released on home video in Japan on August 1994.
I’m not familiar with the films here, with the exception of Female Prisoner Scorpion because of the film series, though it’s interesting the V-Cinema instalment is completely separate from that. That said, the directors that are part of this collection each have some interesting backgrounds, and goes to show that even direct to home video can attract a couple recognisable directors. I also had a look at the others to see what else they had worked on that I would also be familiar with:
- Toshimichi Ohkawa (大川俊道) has worked on a lot of live-action shows as well as anime, including writing episodes for Cat’s Eye and Dirty Pair plus a couple of Lupin the Third instalments such as Green vs Red and The Last Job.
- Banmei Takahashi (高橋 伴明) is known for his J-Horror films DOOR & DOOR II: Tokyo Diary that were as part of the Director’s Company series. Both of these were released in the UK by Third Window Films.
- Shunichi Nagasaki (長崎俊一) recently had a film of his, Shikoku, be released as part of Arrow’s J-Horror Rising box set.
- Kazuhiro Kiuchi (木内一裕) is very well-known in Japan for his manga series Be-Bop High School which had received numerous adaptations. He has directed a few films and written many others, but in general his works aren’t as widely known as the other directors in this collection.
- Yoichi Sai (최양일 / 崔 洋一) has one film that did manage to receive a release in the west over a decade ago thanks to Manga Entertainment & Funimation called Kamui: The Lone Ninja which was his last directorial film.
- Toshiharu Ikeda (池田 敏春) is another familiar name thanks to his contribution to the Director’s Company series, with Evil Dead Trap, Mermaid Legend and Scent of a Spell that were released in the UK by 88 Films and Third Window Films.
- Teruo Ishii (石井輝男) is the most recognisable director in this collection because he’s released dozens of films throughout his career, many of which have seen high-definition releases by 88 Films, Arrow Video, and Eureka Entertainment including Abashiri Prison, Detonation: Violent Riders, The Executioner, and Horrors of Malformed Men.
- Yasuharu Hasebe (長谷部安春) is just as famous as Teruo Ishii when it comes to releasing dozens of films in Japan, most notably in the Pink Films genre thanks to Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno series. A lot of his films have seen releases by 88 Films, Arrow Video and Radiance Films including Assault! Jack the Ripper, Black Tight Killers and the Stray Cat Rock series.
- Masaru Konuma (小沼勝) is also famous for working on Nikkatsu’s Roman Porno series in Japan, so many of his works are more for an adult audience. One of which, Yumeno Kyusaku’s Girl Hell, was recently released by 88 Films for the UK.
Whether we will see any more V-Cinema box sets from Arrow will depend on both the sales for this particular set and the masters for the films are available/located, especially given these were made direct to home video compared to others that were made for the big screen.
About Arrow Video / Arrow Films:
Arrow Films, also known as Arrow Video, is an independent UK distributor for Asian Cinema, Spaghetti Westerns, Italian Cinema, Horror, Cult Classics and Action. Their line-up of films in the Asian Cinema scene includes the works of Chan-Wook Park (JSA, Oldboy), Hideo Nakata (Dark Water, Ringu), Kinji Fukasaku (Battle Royale, Battles Without Honour & Humanity), Takashi Miike (Audition, Dead or Alive Trilogy), Teruo Ishii (Blind Woman’s Curse, Horrors of Malformed Men), Yasuzo Masumura (Black Test Car, Giants & Toys) and also many individual films from Hirokazu Kore-eda, Jia Zhangke, Seijun Suzuki, Shohei Imamura, Tomu Uchida and more. The distributor also has a US branch which offers some of the same range as titles that are available in the UK.
Limited Edition Contents:
Like with J-Horror Rising, Arrow Video have bundled the films for V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal altogether into a single box set which supports shelf space, but this time we have an o-card similarly to The Good, The Bad, The Weird.
The release is presented in a rigid box, and housed inside are five slim Blu-ray cases (one case covering at least 1-2 films each) with 9 double-sided art cards (one for each film), alongside a 60-page book. Both the rigid box and reversible sleeves feature newly commissioned artwork by artist Chris Malbon.
The book contains information about the V-Cinema series across a few essays; “Mayhem for the Home Screen: Toei V-Cinema” by Earl Jackson, “Susurrations of Sasori: Female Prisoners and the Ghost of Resistance” by Hayley Scanlon, and “DriVe My Car: The Speed of Toei V-Cinema” by Daisuke Miyao.
The SRP is £64.99 and has an unspecified print run. Once the print run is out of stock, this edition won’t be available but given Arrow’s track record, there should be a re-release version that won’t have the rigid box and physical items later down the line or the films be released separately on their own.
Physical Contents:
- Rigid Slipcase with clean artwork, and O-card with information about the set with BBFC ratings & specs.
- Slim Amaray packaging featuring newly commissioned artwork by Chris Malbon.
- 60-page book with new writings by Earl Jackson, Hayley Scanlon and Daisuke Miyao.
- 9 double-sided Art Cards with the original Japanese cover art & newly commissioned artwork of the films
On-Disc Contents:
Distributor: Arrow Video
Released: 28th April 2025
The limited edition release for V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal contains nine films across five Blu-ray discs. Because these films were produced directly to home video, the quality of the master may not be as high standard compared to what theatrical films would be. Regardless the films were restored by the Toei Company. Each disc has different audio and bonus feature content.
| Disc | Films |
|---|---|
| 1 | Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless mono audio Optional English subtitles Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles |
| 2 | Stranger High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles Carlos High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles |
| 3 | Burning Dog High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles |
| 4 | The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles Danger Point: The Road to Hell High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles |
| 5 | XX: Beautiful Hunter High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray presentation Original lossless stereo audio Optional English subtitles |
The white subtitles are optional during playback, and the discs are region accessible to players set to A & B.
Blu-ray Specs:
| Languages | Japanese |
| Audio | Japanese Linear PCM 2.0 |
| Video | 1080p High Definition Native format 1.33:1 aspect ratio |
| Region | A B |
| Subtitles | English |
| Locked Subtitles | No |
| Discs | 5 BD-50s |
Blu-ray On-Disc Extra Features:
Disc 1: Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage & Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet
- Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:47 runtime)
- Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage: Loose Canon (18:24 runtime)
An interview with Shundo Okawa, director of Crime Hunter. - Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage: Crime Hunter and the Dawn of V-Cinema (13:09 runtime)
An appreciation of Crime Hunter by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes. - Crime Hunter: Bullets of Rage: Trailer (01:54 runtime)
- Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:25 runtime)
- Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet: Zooming Out (15:14 runtime)
An interview with Banmei Takahashi, writer and director of Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet. - Neo Chinpira: Zoom Goes the Bullet: Trailer (02:07 runtime)
Disc 2: Stranger & Carlos
- Stranger: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:32 runtime)
- Stranger: Stranger than Fiction (18:01 runtime)
An interview with Shunichi Nagasaki, writer and director of Stranger. - Carlos: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:00 runtime)
- Carlos: From Manga to Movies (20:17 runtime)
An interview with Kazuhiro Kiuchi, writer and director of Carlos. - Carlos: An Extra Round in the Chamber (17:40 runtime)
An appreciation of Carlos by critic and Japanese cinema expert Jonathan Clements.
Disc 3: Burning Dog & Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat
- Burning Dog: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:05 runtime)
- Burning Dog: Fire and Ice (15:55 runtime)
An appreciation of Burning Dog by critic and Japanese cinema expert Mark Schilling. - Burning Dog: Trailer (00:17 runtime)
- Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (03:33 runtime)
- Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat: Toshiharu Ikeda’s Beautiful Monster of Vengeance (17:12 runtime)
An appreciation of Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat by critic and Japanese cinema expert Samm Deighan. - Female Prisoner Scorpion: Death Threat: Trailer (02:09 runtime)
Disc 4: The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses & Danger Point: The Road to Hell
- The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (03:39 runtime)
- The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses: The Versatility of Teruo Ishii (07:38 runtime)
An appreciation of The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses by critic and Japanese cinema expert Frankie Balboa. - The Hitman: Blood Smells Like Roses: Trailer (02:03 runtime)
- Danger Point: The Road to Hell: Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:03 runtime)
- Danger Point: The Road to Hell: The Road to V-Cinema (14:42 runtime)
An appreciation of Danger Point: The Road to Hell by critic and Japanese cinema expert James Balmont.
Disc 5: XX: Beautiful Hunter
- Introduction by Masaki Tanioka (04:03 runtime)
- The Sacred and the Profane (07:38 runtime)
An interview with Hiroshi Takahashi, screenwriter of XX: Beautiful Hunter. - They Brought Back the Sleaze (19:01 runtime)
An appreciation of XX: Beautiful Hunter by critic and Japanese cinema expert Patrick Macias. - Trailer (01:18 runtime)
Unboxing Photos:
Final Notes:
V-Cinema Essentials: Bullets & Betrayal is available to purchase on Blu-ray by Arrow Video for the UK & Ireland and US & Canada.
The limited edition Blu-ray release can be bought from retailers Arrow Video, Amazon UK, HMV, Terracotta Store and Zavvi. For US & Canadian fans, you can also order from retailers DiabolikDVD and Grindhouse Video.
(Disclaimer: Amazon links are also included when available. They are affiliated so if you decide to order them, I’ll earn a small percentage if they ship which will help me with any hauls or small bills.)
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