Level

6.9

Dead or Alive 2: Birds

December 2000 •Japanese

Two contract killers cross paths in the middle of the same job and realize they are childhood friends. Together they take a break from killing and visit the small island they once called home. After reflecting on their past lives they decided to team up and use their talents in killing for good... much to the upset of the crime syndicates.

6.0

Tokyo Decadence

January 1992 •Japanese

A submissive hooker goes about her trade, suffering abuse at the hands of Japanese salarymen and Yakuza types. She's unhappy about her work, and is apparently trying to find some sort of appeasement for the fact that her lover has married.

0.0

The Hungry Shinjuku Detective

January 1994 •Japanese

The private eye of Shinjuku Yokubo Tantei is a lone wolf, lush, and loser but has kept his integrity in a dirty, dangerous world.

0.0

True Record of an Ando Gang Side-Story: Starving Wolf's Rules

April 2002 •Japanese

Former yakuza gang boss Noboru Ando reminisces about old partner in crime Kei Hanagata.

6.1

Tattoo

April 2002 •German

Marc Schrader, a rookie cop caught red-handed with drugs in a police raid of an illegal rave, joins a homicide investigation conducted by Chief Inspector Minks. The victim is a naked young woman with the skin stripped off her back, killed as she staggered into traffic. As Schrader and Minks investigate the murder, the case is complicated by a finger found in the stomach of the victim. Forensic examination proves the finger belongs to Nobert Günzel, who was previously convicted of rape and assault. The police raid Günzel’s residence, and discover a blood-stained table with restraints and bits of human flesh in his basement. They also find video equipment and preserved, tattooed skin from the victim’s back. Soon, they found dead bodies buried in the garden. Günzel then goes missing.

6.4

Dead or Alive

November 1999 •Japanese

Ryūichi and his small gang of Triad vie for control of the Japanese underworld in a crime-ridden Shinjuku quarter while Detective Jojima tries to bring it down.

7.0

Age of Nudity

September 1959 •Japanese

The story deals with a juvenile delinquent gang surviving through petty thievery. However, everything gets screwed up when they accidentally steal big bucks from the Yakuza.

5.3

Painful Bliss: Final Twist

February 1977 •Japanese

A young executive has a really bad night after an encounter with a crazed bisexual wannabe yakuza and his horny girlfriend.

6.5

Wicked Priest 2: Ballad of Murder

November 1968 •Japanese

The long awaited second film in the Wicked Priest series is a masterpiece of sword swinging fury as Shinkai is asked by a man on the run to bring his young son to live with his grandfather, the master of a ju-jitsu dojo during the Taisho period of the early 20th century. Shinkai then runs afoul of a gangster group using strong-arm tactics to take over the profits from local gambling. When he proves to be more than they can handle, they hire the one man who has the ability to kill Shinkai and exact revenge, Ryotatsu, the karate priest whom Shinkai blinded in the first film. This ultra-violent entry has long been considered the best movie in the series and never made its way to home video before. See a spectacular display of Wakayama Tomisaburo’s martial art expertise in this action packed film. The Holy Grail of sword movies has arrived at last! /Winterheart of CG

6.4

Showdown in Little Tokyo

August 1991 •English

An American with a Japanese upbringing, Chris Kenner is a police officer assigned to the Little Tokyo section of Los Angeles. Kenner is partnered with Johnny Murata, a Japanese-American who isn't in touch with his roots. Despite their differences, both men excel at martial arts, and utilize their formidable skills when they go up against Yoshida, a vicious yakuza drug dealer with ties to Kenner's past.

7.0

Jet Black

November 2018 •Japanese

Takemiya Union Tōjō-gumi Wakagashira Yasuda (Hitomi Matsuda) retaliates against the Kansai-based Myōjin-kai by attacking their office after an assassination attempt on Union chairman Shimamura (Shunsuke Kariya). Joined by Yamashina-gumi Wakagashira Kiryu (Yoshiyuki Yamaguchi), the two succeed and pledge to work as brothers without an official oath, dedicating themselves to their organizations and the Union. The Union faces upheaval with Shimamura's retirement announcement and the loss of his son, Katsuto (Hitoshi Ozawa). The leadership race narrows to Tōjō (Hiroyuki Watanabe), Yasuda's boss, and Yamashina (Masahiro Noguchi), Kiryu's boss. Just as Yasuda’s casino operation thrives, a police raid confiscates all earnings and forces its closure. In desperation, Yasuda turns to a certain man (Naoto Takenaka) for help.

6.8

Gozu

July 2003 •Japanese

Minami mistakenly kills a gangster associate of his named Brother. Almost as soon as the murder takes place, the body of the deceased man is gone, prompting Minami to conduct a search. While looking, he finds a mysterious isolated hotel where he decides to take a rest. Not only are the front desk clerks a bit strange, but even the ambiance feels unusual. Minami soon realizes he may have gotten more than he bargained for.

7.0

Dead Angle

July 1979 •Japanese

Elite college graduates commit perfect financial crimes though loopholes in the law during the 1950s.

5.0

The Pledge

July 1972 •Japanese

When Omuro Yahachi of the Omuro family is selected as Mutsumikai Soke's successor, the conflict between the Kitakyushu and Wakamatsu begins.

7.0

Ichi the Killer

December 2001 •Japanese

As sadomasochistic yakuza enforcer Kakihara searches for his missing boss he comes across Ichi, a repressed and psychotic killer who may be able to inflict levels of pain that Kakihara has only dreamed of.

0.0

Dochinpira 12: Dangerous Pheromones

August 1995 •Japanese

Jin, the unstoppable gigolo, becomes infatuated with a beautiful woman named Emi he spots on the street. But not only does she reject him, he also ends up, as usual, being chased by punks from the Gokuraku gang. Later that night, Jin meets Norishiro at a bar, who happens to know Emi. She offers him a deal: if he can seduce Emi within five days, she’ll pay him 1 million yen. Jin goes to the club where Emi works, only to find out she has a boyfriend, Toshio, a civil servant who is drowning in gambling debt, owing 10 million yen to Fujita of the Gokuraku gang. Now he demands Toshio provides Emi for prostitution. At first, Jin wants nothing to do with Toshio’s mess… but something changes within him.

6.3

Taxi 2

March 2000 •French

A cabdriver and a cop race to Paris to rescue a love interest and the Japanese minister of defense from kidnappers.

6.6

Wasabi

October 2001 •French

Hubert is a French policeman with very sharp methods. After being forced to take 2 months off by his boss, who doesn't share his view on working methods, he goes back to Japan, where he used to work 19 years ago, to settle the probate of his girlfriend who left him shortly after marriage without a trace.

6.9

Bad City

July 2022 •Japanese

Kensuke Sonomura directs the legendary Hitoshi Ozawa in this ultimate V-Cinema actioner. Kaiko City is plagued with poverty and crime. When a corrupt businessman decides to run for mayor and starts eliminating opponents from the rival mafia, a former police captain serving time for murder is secretly released and put in charge of a special task force to arrest him.

0.0

The Rule for a Vagabond

August 1965 •English

A brave warrior fights to restore peace to a town riddled by crime, one sword at a time, in this historical action saga.