Category: Crime

Two Coyotes

Two Coyotes VHS box cover art. Action crime drama movie starring Jorge Cordova, Nicholas Guilak, Joe Estevez, Ricardo Molina, Jorge Soriano. Directed by Jose Reyes Bencomo. 2001.

Two Coyotes on VHS. Starring Jorge Cordova, Nicholas Guilak, Joe Estevez, Ricardo Molina, Jorge Soriano. Directed by Jose Reyes Bencomo. 2001.

From the box:

Two Coyotes is the story of two men — friends since childhood — navigating the rough terrain of the Los Angeles/Tijuana cocaine trade; of two nations struggling to control a blight that could destroy them both; of wealth and prestige and their power to obliterate even the deepest family loyalty.

Jorge E. Cordova (That Summer in L.A.) stars as Rafael, right hand man to a Mexican drug lord. His mentor, Sr. Acosta (Joe Estevez — Demolition Highway, No Rest for the Wicked, Fatal Pursuit) has treated Rafael as a son, and as a brother to his own reckless son Carlos (Nico Guilak — English for All, Cruel Intentions 2). As the more responsible of the two, Rafael is chosen to inherit the reins of the Acosta empire — and keep Carlos out of trouble.

Rafael defies Acosta’s orders and allows Carlos to broker a lucrative drug deal. When the deal goes bad, Carlos becomes the prime suspect in a gruesome double homicide. Finding his new position in jeopardy, paranoia overtakes Rafael as he sets out to purge suspected traitors from his organization. His closest associates as well as his wife, a poor Mexican girl traded by her parents for an SUV, are under suspicion, and none are safe from Rafael’s loyal hit man Chupacabra (Jorge Soriano).

With Carlos under surveillance by the police, Rafael relocates his operation, distancing himself from Carlos and leaving a dead end for law enforcement. But Carlos won’t be ignored, and Rafael must now decide between friendship and survival.

Goodfellas meets Traffic in this complex and often violent tale of loyalty and betrayal in the Mexican Mafia.

DVD Upgrade: Two Coyotes

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai VHS box cover art. Action crime drama movie starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Henry Silva. Directed by Jim Jarmusch. 1999.

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai on VHS. Starring Forest Whitaker, John Tormey, Henry Silva. Directed by Jim Jarmusch. 1999.

From the box:

Live By The Code. Die By The Code.

East meets West in this hip-hop infused samurai-gangster pic in which Forest Whitaker plays a professional killer who goes by the name of Ghost Dog and who lives by the age-old code of the samurai.

When Ghost Dog’s code is dangerously betrayed by the dysfunctional mafia family that occasionally employs him, he must find a way to defend himself without breaking the code of the Samurai.

DVD Upgrade: Ghost Dog – The Way of the Samurai

Catch A Glimpse Now (Amazon Instant Video): Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai

Tequila Sunrise

Tequila Sunrise VHS box cover art. Action crime romance movie starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell. With Raul Julia, J.T. Walsh. Directed by Robert Towne. 1988.

Tequila Sunrise on VHS. Starring Mel Gibson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kurt Russell. With Raul Julia, J.T. Walsh. Directed by Robert Towne. 1988.

From the box:

A Dangerous Mix

Mac McKussic has fallen in step with an era that rightly proclaims “Just Say No.” He’s quit the drug-smuggling business. But the business won’t quit him.

DVD Upgrade: Tequila Sunrise

Rashomon

Rashomon VHS box cover art. Japanese crime thriller movie starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Directed by Akira Kurosawa. 1950.

Rashomon on VHS. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyo, Masayuki Mori, Takashi Shimura, Directed by Akira Kurosawa. Based on the novel In the Forest by Ryunosuke Hashimoto. 1950.

From the box:

A cinema classic, Rashomon introduced the Western world to the greatness of Akira Kurosawa and paved the way for fellow masters of the Japanese film industry. Characteristic of Kurosawa’s humanism and innovative narrative style, this eloquent masterpiece illuminates the subjectivity of truth through flashbacks, vigorous editing and luminous photography. Four different narrators describe the same brutal act — a woman’s rape and her husband’s consequent death — yet the facts elude us because each interprets the story to make himself appear in the best light. Through subtle gestures, Machiko Kyo (Ugetsu, Gate of Hell) conveys the woman’s supreme loss at the hands of her attacker, played by Toshiro Mifune (Seven Samurai, Throne of Blood) with a savage heat. This visually rich tale poignantly confronts man’s potential for kindness and corruption.

DVD Upgrade: Rashomon

Watch Now: Rashomon

Sonatine

Quentin Tarantino's Rolling Thunder Pictures Presents Sonatine VHS cover art. Japanese action crime mob movie starring Beat Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe. Written and directed by Beat Takeshi Kitano. 1993.

Quentin Tarantino’s Rolling Thunder Pictures Presents Sonatine on VHS. Starring Beat Takeshi Kitano, Aya Kokumai, Tetsu Watanabe. Written and directed by Beat Takeshi Kitano. 1993.

From the box:

His mob boss double-crossed him. Now, it’s payback time!

This acclaimed, first-rate crime story packs gritty action and humor with an edgy Pulp Fiction attitude! International action star, “Beat” Takeshi Kitano, plays a seasoned mobster who goes to the island of Okinawa on a “peacekeeping” mission, even though he suspects that his boss is secretly trying to eliminate him! Determined to not go down without a fight, he and his gang know exactly what they have to do… and just want to avoid getting killed doing it! If you like action that’s smart, edgy and fresh, don’t miss this hard-hitting mob thriller!

DVD Upgrade: The Blind Swordsman: Zatoichi / Sonatine

Kill Bill Volume 1

Kill Bill Volume 1 VHS box cover art. Action crime thriller movie starring Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. 2003.

Kill Bill Volume 1 on VHS. Starring Uma Thurman, Lucy Liu, Vivica A. Fox, David Carradine, Michael Madsen, Daryl Hannah. Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. 2003.

From the box:

The acclaimed fourth film from groundbreaking writer and director Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown), Kill Bill Volume 1 stars Uma Thurman (Pulp Fiction), Lucy Liu (Charlie’s Angels, Chicago) and Vivica A. Fox (Two Can Play That Game) in an astonishing action-packed thriller about brutal betrayal and an epic vendetta! Four years after taking a bullet in the head at her own wedding, The Bride (Thurman) emerges from a coma and decides it’s time for payback… with a vengeance! Having been gunned down by her former boss (David Carradine) and his deadly squad of international assassins, it’s a kill-or-be-killed fight she didn’t start but is determined to finish! Loaded with explosive action and outrageous humor, it’s a must-see motion picture event that has critics everywhere raving!

DVD Upgrade: Kill Bill: Volume One / Volume Two (Double Feature)

Kung Fu Hustle

Kung Fu Hustle on VHS. Comedy action movie starring Stephen Chow, Yuen Wah, Leung Siu Lung, Dong Zhi Hua. Directed by Stephen Chow. 2004.

Kung Fu Hustle on VHS. Starring Stephen Chow, Yuen Wah, Leung Siu Lung, Dong Zhi Hua. Directed by Stephen Chow. 2004.

From the box:

From Walking Disaster To Kung Fu Master

In a town ruled by the Axe Gang, Sing desperately wants to become a member. He stumbles into a slum ruled by eccentric landlords who turn out to be kung fu masters in disguise.

Sing’s actions eventually cause the Axe Gang and the slumlords to engage in an explosive kung fu battle. Only one side will win and only one hero will emerge as the greatest kung fu master of all.

DVD Upgrade: Kung Fu Hustle (Axe-Kickin’ Edition)

United States of Leland

United States of Leland VHS box cover art. Movie starring Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Michelle Williams. Written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge. 2003.

United States of Leland on VHS. Starring Ryan Gosling, Don Cheadle, Kevin Spacey, Chris Klein, Jena Malone, Lena Olin, Michelle Williams. Written and directed by Matthew Ryan Hoge. 2003.

From the box:

Crime. Confusion. Compassion. They’re all just states of mind.

After seemingly ordinary 15-year-old Leland (Ryan Gosling) stuns his quiet suburban community with a chilling crime, he is sent to juvenile hall where he meets Pearl (Don Cheadle), a teacher and aspiring writer who dreams of making Leland’s compelling story into a book. As Pearl digs deeper into Leland’s life and the people caught in it — his mother (Lena Olin), his famous writer-father (Kevin Spacey), and his troubled girlfriend (Jena Malone) — he uncovers Leland’s disturbing motive. The tables soon turn when the enigmatic teen forces Pearl to examine his own morally questionable behavior. Climaxing with a shocking collision of violence, understanding, and hope, Leland will take you to states you never imagined.

With an ensemble cast that also includes Chris Klein and Michelle Williams, The United States of Leland is “sure to be controversial!” — Susannah Gora, Premiere

DVD Upgrade: The United States of Leland

Split Second

Split Second VHS cover art. Action crime horror time-travel movie starring Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, Alastair Duncan, Michael J. Pollard. Directed by Tony Maylam. 1992.

Split Second on VHS. Starring Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, Alastair Duncan, Michael J. Pollard. Directed by Tony Maylam. 1992.

From the box:

He’s Seen The Future… Now He Has To Kill It.
He’ll Need Bigger Guns.

In the year 2008, the cops are better armed than before, but nothing has prepared them for this. Swift, sharp-clawed and deadly, something moves among them on the streets, in the alleyways, on the rooftops, tearing out human hearts and devouring them. Maverick cop “Harley” Stone (Rutger Hauer) lost his partner to the beast, and now it looks as if his girlfriend Michelle (Kim Cattrall) is next on the killer’s list. Even in the future, there aren’t guns big enough to stop the creature’s deadly force, but Harley has no choice. As the action explodes into a deadly struggle to save Michelle, Stone must track the killer to its lair before he too becomes its victim. It could be all over in a SPLIT SECOND.

Rare Region 1 HBO Video DVD Upgrade: Split Second US/Canada DVD

Rare HBO Video VHS: Split Second [VHS]

RoboCop 3

RoboCop 3 VHS cover art. Action crime drama movie starring Nancy Allen, Robert John Burke, Mario Machado, Remy Ryan, Rip Torn, CCH Pounder. Directed by Fred Dekker. 1993.

RoboCop 3 on VHS. Starring Nancy Allen, Robert John Burke, Mario Machado, Remy Ryan, Rip Torn, CCH Pounder. Directed by Fred Dekker. 1993.

From the box:

He’s Back. Back On Line. Back On Duty.

Omni Consumer Products (OCP), the conglomerate that designed RoboCop, now owns Detroit. The company plans to demolish one of the city’s largest neighborhoods to build a gleaming city of the future — after an army of ruthless mercenaries finishes throwing everyone out of their homes. But RoboCop (Robert John Burke), sworn to protect the public, joins forces with a band of urban freedom fighters battling to save their neighborhood. After battling a lethally efficient ninja android, and equipped with a new arsenal of hi-tech weaponry, RoboCop and the courageous residents take on OCP’s private army. It’s all-out war, an explosive street fight that could destroy either the entire city or the evil powers behind the brutal corporate raid.

You Have The Right To Upgrade The Original Trilogy: RoboCop Trilogy [Blu-ray]

You Have The Right To Remain At Home (The TV Series): Robocop – The Beginning – Complete Series (Boxset)

You Have The Right To Restart With Laser Eyes: Robocop 4K Remastered Edition [Blu-ray]

You Have The Right To Reboot: RoboCop (2014)