Brother 2000  R, 114 min.
Genre: Action
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Omar Epps, Claude Maki, Masaya Kato, Susumu Terajima, Royale Watkins, Lombardo Boyar, Ren Osugi, Ryo Ishibashi, James Shigeta
Yamamoto's (Takeshi Kitano) Tokyo gang has been annihilated when he flees to Los Angeles and moves in with his half-brother, Ken (Claude Maki), who happens to be a lowly drug dealer. But Yamamoto makes use of his ability to run a gang, calls on his pal Kato (Susumu Terajima) for help, and soon has Ken set up as a real player in the crime scene. Now, the question is, "How long will it last?"
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Dead or Alive 1999  N/R, 104 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action
Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Riki Takeuchi, Sho Aikawa, Renji Ishibashi, Hitoshi Ozawa, Shingo Tsurumi, Kaoru Sugita, Dankan, Michisuke Kashiwaya, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima
Now here's a shocker. The first 10 minutes grab your attention with the violence and blood but then settles into a conventional, but good, tale of the narcotics cop (Sho Aikawa) pitted against a drug czar (Riki Takeuchi).
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 Fireworks 1997 N/R, 103 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Kayoko Kishimoto, Ren Osugi, Susumu Terajima, Tetsu Watanabe, Hakuryu, Yasuei Yakushiji, Taro Istumi, Kenichi Yajima, Makoto Ashikawa
Recently suspended from the police force, Detective Nishi (Takeshi Kitano) must deal with the fact that his wife, Miyuki (Kayoko Kishimoto), is dying and his partner Horibe (Ren Osugi)–now in a wheelchair following a shooting–needs money to become a painter. Nishi's solution: buy an old car, camouflage it as a police car, rob a bank, and take off with Miyuki for a farewell journey–all this when Nishi is already in trouble with loan sharks who are hot on his trail.
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Gamera the Brave 2008  N/R, 96 min.
Genre: Foreign / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Director: Ryuta Tazaki
Cast: Kaho, Kanji Tsuda, Susumu Terajima, Ryo Tomioka, Tomorowo Taguchi
Eleven-year-old Toru (Ryo Tomioka) finds a glowing egg on the beach, and a flying turtle hatches from it. Toru names it "Toto" and makes it his secret pet. But, as time passes, Toto levitates, spits fire, and turns out to be a giant Gamera. Now, a giant man-eating monster, Jidas, appears on the scene killing Tokyo citizens, and Gamera leaps into action and protects mankind.
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Ichi the Killer 2001 R, 117 min.
Genre: Drama / Comedy / Action / Thriller
Director: Takashi Miike
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Nao Omori, Shinya Tsukamoto, Paulyn Sun, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Susumu Terajima, Shun Sugata, Toru Tezuka, Yoshiki Arizono, Kiyohiko Shibakawa, Jun Kunimura, Houka Kinoshita, Satoshi Nizuma, Suzuki Matsuo, Moro Morooka
Their gang boss, Anjo, is missing along with 300 million yen, and his gang members, led by Kakihara (Tadanobu Asano), use violent methods of torture on a rival gang member to get answers. But then, after realizing that they have the wrong man, they search for Jijii (Shinya Tsukamoto) for information on finding psychotic Ichi (Nao Omori) and head for a final showdown with the butchering Ichi. This film had major cuts to get down to an "R" rating.
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Nobody Knows 2004 PG-13, 140 min.
Genre: Foreign / Drama
Director: Hirokazu Koreeda
Cast: Yuya Yagira, Ayu Kitaura, Hiei Kimura, Momoko Shimizu, Hanae Kan, You, Kenichi Endo, Susumu Terajima, Kazumi Kushida, Yukiko Okamoto
After their mother abandons them in their Tokyo apartment, four children are forced to fend for themselves. This story is loosely based on actual events known as "The Affair of the Four Abandoned Children of Nishi-Sugamo."
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Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl 1998 R, 108 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action
Director: Katsuhito Ishii
Cast: Tadanobu Asano, Ittoku Kishibe, Sie Kohinata, Susumu Terajima, Kimie Shingyoji, Shingo Tsurumi, Youhachi Shimada, Daigaku Sekine, Koh Takasugi, Shingoro Yamada
Samehada (Tadanobu Asano) is on the run from the gangsters from whom he has stolen money. At the same time, Toshiko (Sie Kohinata) is on the run from her mean uncle and lover. When Toshiko is in a car wreck with Samehada, the two team up and the wild and merry chase is on.
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Sonatine 1993 R, 94 min.
Genre: Foreign / Action / Drama / Thriller
Director: Takeshi Kitano
Cast: Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe, Masanobu Katsumura, Susumu Terajima, Ren Osugi, Tonbo Zushi, Kenichi Yajima, Eiji Minakata, Houka Kinoshita, Yuuki Natsusaka, Rome Kanda, Kanta Yamazaki, Kanji Tsuda
This film shows the brutality of gang life when a gang war on Okinawa accelerates after Tokyo yakuzas enter the fray. Yakuza underboss Murakawa (Takeshi Kitano) has arrived to bring an end to the warfare and then wonders if his boss Kitajima (Tonbo Zushi) has set him up to become the target of the Okinawa gangs. He plots revenge but wonders if it is all worthwhile.
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| 1. After Life (1998)
2. Brother (2000)
3. Dead or Alive (1999)
4. Fireworks (1997)
5. Gamera the Brave (2008)
6. Ichi the Killer (2001)
7. Nobody Knows (2004)
8. Shark Skin Man and Peach Hip Girl (1998)
9. Sonatine (1993)
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