We’re thrilled to present the Australian premiere of the new restoration of Mamoru Oshii’s (Ghost in the Shell, Angel’s Egg) surreal, stark neo-noir and foray into live action: The Red Spectacles. In a dystopian near future, Japan combats its vicious crime problem with a heavily armed tactical police unit known as “Kerberos” which is later disbanded for its zealous brutality and corruption. All members disarm, except a rogue trio who find themselves separated and on the run. Years later Kōichi Todome, one of the fugitives, returns to a nightmarish new Tokyo to pick up the pieces.

Part of Oshii’s expansive Kerberos Saga, The Red Spectacles opens with dense political intrigue and a brutal cyberpunk edge before descending into a sepia-toned, disorienting, slapstick, film noir fever dream that bears more resemblance to Seijun Suzuki’s Branded to Kill and Jean-Luc Godard’s Alphaville than the anime classic Jin Roh: The Wolf Brigade whose universe it shares. Despite its sharp visuals, outrageous tone and remarkable experimentation with artifice and animation-like directing, The Red Spectacles remained difficult to find for many years until a community-run crowd-funding campaign recently commissioned this stunning new restoration.