The Red Spectacles

(Mamoru Oshii, 1987, Japan, 116 minutes)

New 4K restoration!

Japanese multimedia auteur Mamoru Oshii’s live-action debut The Red Spectacles is the genesis of his legendary Kerberos Saga—a franchise sprawling across films, radio dramas, novels, and manga. Better known to North American audiences for his influential 1995 animated film Ghost in the Shell, and more recently through the 4K restoration of his 1985 ethereal Angel’s Egg. Oshii here delivers a dystopian fever dream that follows Kōichi Todome, the lone member of the once revered Special Armed Garrison (nicknamed “Kerberos” after the three-headed dog of Greek mythology) to evade capture after the unit’s forced disbandment. Returning to an unrecognizable Tokyo with a mysterious suitcase in tow, Kōichi’s quest to reunite with former Kerberos comrades pulls him deeper into a warped reality where tachigui (eating-while-standing) ramen stands are outlawed and citizens are left with flavorless cat-branded beer as their sole consolation. A surreal fusion of cyberpunk noir, 80s anime aesthetics, and cheeky Japanese slapstick humor, The Red Spectacles is a great entry into the world of Mamoru Oshii.

In Japanese with English subtitles.

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