DVD release - The Masterworks of Rokuro Mochizuki (ArtsMagic US) available on January 27, 2009

This DVD set consists of four movies directed by Rokuro Mochizuki, including “Onibi: The Fire Within”, “Mobsters’ Confessions”, “Another Lonely Hitman”, and “A Yakuza In Love”. All of these were previously released on individual DVD by Artsmagic, but are now available together at a reduced price.

In Onibi: The Fire Within (1997), yakuza Kunihiro (Yoshio Harada) is released from prison after serving a 27-year sentence to find his old bosses are all dead. The only member of his Yakuza family that even remembers he existed is his former underling Tanigawa (Show Aikawa), who has since advanced in rank. Unfortunately, Tanigawa’s loyalty can only get Kunihiro a position as a driver for the family. However, it isn’t long before Kunihiro’s value as a tough guy comes to the surface, and he begins to assert his rightful position at the expense of the Yakuza that disrespected him. [Watch trailer]

In Mobsters’ Confessions (Gokudo Zangeroku, 1998), a smalltime conman named Jiro and his partner Jay manage to hustle a bigtime yakuza named Kamewada out of a large sum of money. Instead of killing the two of them for their incredibly misguided chutzpah, Kamewada instead hires them to run scams for him. Of course, neither side of this new arrangement trusts the other—and Jiro waits for a second opportunity to pull a fast one.

In Another Lonely Hitman (Shin Kanashiki Hittoman, 1995), yakuza gunman Tachibana (Ryo Ishibashi) is released from prison after serving a 10-year sentence to find that his former gang is not nearly as respected as it once was. To make things worse, his wife has settled down with another man and his daughter Tomoko has all but forgotten him. When Tachibana is sent a young hooker named Yuki (Asami Sawaki) as a reward for the hit that got him locked up in the first place, he ends up acting more like a father to her than a client. After forcefully helping her kick a nasty drug habit and beating up her yakuza-connected pimp, the two of them suddenly find themselves at extreme odds with their respective employers.

In A Yakuza In Love (Koi Gokudo, 1997), a love-level yakuza named Kinichi travels to Tokyo to execute a hit on a rival boss. While waiting for his target, a young waitress named Yoko catches his eye, and he decides to make his move. Kinichi isn’t exactly the most reputable of fellows, so instead of taking the direct approach he decides to drug and kidnap her to get what he wants. However, in spite of the awkward circumstances surrounding their first “date”, the two of them end up falling for each other and each are willing to make certain sacrifices to accommodate the other’s lifestyle.

Region 1, NTSC, anamorphic widescreen, DVD-9, 4 discs. Japanese audio with English subtitles. Features include commentary tracks, interviews and cast/crew info.

Available at the following retailer(s) on January 27, 2009:

• 
• 
•