Stars:
'Beat' Takeshi Kitano,
Masahiko Ono,
Ren Osugi,
Susumu Terajima
Summary: This hard-hitting collection presents three films by director/writer/actor Takeshi Kitano (aka Beat Takeshi). See individual titles for more details.<BR>VIOLENT COP: In his directorial debut, famed Japanese screen personality Takeshi Kitano plays Azuma, a brutal but honorable cop at the end of his rope. Azuma's trying daily routine involves dealing with a naive new partner and caring for his drug-dependent, mentally challenged sister. When a friend on the police force is killed and his sister is kidnapped by drug dealers, Azuma begins walking a mercilessly vengeful path that leads to a shocking finale.<BR>BOILING POINT: In Takeshi Kitano's quirky second film, Masaki (Masahiko Ono), a quiet baseball-playing gas station attendant, runs into trouble with the local yakuza. Masaki's baseball coach, Iguchi (Takahito Iguchi), turns out to be a former yakuza and attempts to straighten out the situation but only winds up making things worse. In order to stand up for himself, Masaki, along with his friend Kazuo (Minoru Iizuka), heads to Okinawa to buy a gun. There the two encounter tough guy Uehara (Kitano) and his all-too-loyal henchman, Tamagi (Katsuo Tokashiki), who are both in trouble with the yakuza as well. After various odd incidents, Uehara helps Masaki and Kazuo acquire a gun. When they attempt to use the weapon, however, the result sets the groundwork for an explosive climax.<BR>SONATINE: In Takeshi Kitano's SONATINE, a Tokyo-based yakuza boss sends Murakawa (Kitano), one of his top men, on a peacekeeping mission to Okinawa, where two rival factions are coming to blows. Murakawa is naturally suspicious of the volatile situation and decides to lay low for a few days on a secluded beach. Slowly Murakawa and his men begin to let their guard down, battling boredom with various games and antics. However, harsh reality finds them sooner than they would have expected--leading to a bloody conclusion. A stunning combination of abrupt violence and quiet meditation, Kitano's film is widely considered a classic.