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“A noir nightmare that’s halfway between detective story and farce, live-action and human cartoon, serious and scatological, and Seijun Suzuki and Jean-Luc Godard.” – Screen SlateBefore creating mind-bending anime classics Ghost in the Shell, Angel’s Egg, and Patlabor, visionary filmmaker Mamoru Oshii made this philosophical live-action blend of film noir, political allegory, and existential mystery. THE RED SPECTACLES is a visually striking black comedy that meditates on justice, memory, and the cost of loyalty that also inspired Oshii’s own Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops and its legendary animated prequel Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade.
In a dystopian near-future Japan, law and order is enforced by a brutal paramilitary police unit known as the Kerberos Panzer Cops, aka ‘Watchdogs of Hell’, equipped with heavy weaponry and reinforced body armor called “Protect Gear.” However, when their extreme methods spark public outcry, the government moves to dismantle the unit. Disobeying orders to disband, a trio of officers stage a rebellion—but only one, Koichi Todome Shigeru Chiba), escapes. Three years later, Koichi returns to Tokyo after living in exile, carrying a mysterious suitcase. He seeks to reunite with his former comrades and uncover the truth behind the crackdown, but he soon finds himself in a surreal and dreamlike city—a shadow of its former self, filled with strange characters, elusive memories, and Kafkaesque absurdity. As reality begins to unravel, Koichi descends deeper into paranoia, unable to tell friend from foe, truth from illusion.
The film will be preceded by a pre-show of dystopian short films at 6:30 pm.
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Event Venue
Arkadin Cinema & Bar, 5228 Gravois Ave, St Louis, MO 63116-2310, United States, Southhampton
Tickets
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