Description
Title: The Red Spectacles (1987)
Genre: Science Fiction, Action, Comedy
Plot Synopsis:
In a dystopian future, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department establishes the Anti Vicious Crime Heavily Armored Mobile Special Investigations Unit, known as “Kerberos,” to combat escalating crime. However, the unit’s overzealous methods lead to public outcry and its eventual disbandment. Three members—Kōichi Todome, Washio Midori, and Sōichirō Toribe—refuse to disarm and become fugitives. Years later, Todome returns to Tokyo, finding the city surreal and unrecognizable, as he searches for his former comrades amidst bizarre and dreamlike encounters.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Mamoru Oshii
- Writers: Mamoru Oshii, Kazunori Itō
- Cast:
- Shigeru Chiba as Kōichi Todome
- Machiko Washio as Washio Midori
- Hideyuki Tanaka as Sōichirō Toribe
- Tesshō Genda as Bunmei Muroto
- Mako Hyōdō as Young Lady
YouTube Trailer:
The Red Spectacles (1987) | Trailer
IMDb Link:
The Red Spectacles (1987)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Post1000Tension – ★★★★
“THE RED SPECTACLES functions in stubborn contradistinction to Ghost in the Shell’s sleekness. There is a typical Oshii protagonist in search of answers, but the film simply flops into your lap one image at a time.” -
mrk90 – ★★★★
“The Red Spectacles really is one of a kind. It’s a film that defies genre yet holds an undeniable love for genre tropes at the same time.” -
ethelred – ★★★½
“Like many people outside of Japan, my introduction to Mamoru Oshii was through Ghost in the Shell. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Oshii’s first live-action film… but it sure wasn’t this.” -
Luis_989 – ★★★½
“I feel the humor employed doesn’t quite land in a film with this kind of dark plot. However, it manages to be both highly entertaining and rewarding.” -
Invincible Asia – ★★★
“The Red Spectacles is a sci-fi something, something from director Mamoru Oshii of Ghost in the Shell fame.”
Meta Description:
The Red Spectacles (1987) is a Japanese science fiction action-comedy directed by Mamoru Oshii. The film follows former Kerberos unit member Kōichi Todome as he returns to a surreal Tokyo after years in exile, searching for his comrades amidst bizarre encounters.
Title: Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991)
Genre: Science Fiction, Action
Plot Synopsis:
In a dystopian future, the Japanese government establishes the Special Armed Garrison, known as “Kerberos,” a heavily armed police unit designed to combat escalating crime and terrorism. After a failed rebellion against government orders to disband, former Kerberos member Inui is released from prison three years later. Determined to find his former commander, Koichi Todome, Inui’s quest leads him to Taiwan, where he confronts complex truths about loyalty, duty, and the remnants of the Kerberos unit.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Mamoru Oshii
- Writer: Mamoru Oshii
- Cast:
- Yoshikatsu Fujiki as Inui
- Shigeru Chiba as Koichi Todome
- Sue Eaching as Tang Mie
- Takashi Matsuyama as Hayashi
- Tatsuya Nakadai as Wise Old Man
YouTube Trailer:
Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops | Trailer
IMDb Link:
Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Fred Barrett – ★★★★
“A sequel to The Red Spectacles, Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops trades its predecessor’s oppressive, dystopian atmosphere for something more delicate and serene, though no less emotionally tortured. Set in Taiwan, much of the film’s first half evokes Taiwan New Wave filmmakers such as Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien. The final set piece fragments the mellow ambience with squib-heaven violence, riddled with the first film’s Suzukian absurdity.” -
ethelred – ★★★★
“The first film in the franchise, The Red Spectacles, establishes the Kerberos Unit as an elite squadron of police officers who are utterly ruthless in their pursuit of criminals, eventually going so far that their superiors order the unit disbanded. Some of them try to rebel, unsuccessfully; three flee entirely. But after that, the film doesn’t really delve too much into right or wrong.” -
OS Elliott – ★★★★
“Stray Dog is the second installment in Oshii’s Kerberos Saga, made famous by this film’s follow-up Jin-Roh, which serves as an indirect prequel more focused on the politics and the world; like Oshii’s more beloved franchises. Stray Dog is more in line with The Red Spectacles due to its focus being a tonal mood piece as opposed to straightforward storytelling (and being a direct prequel).” -
notasfarwest – ★★★★
“Your ideology seems gone from the world, so you embark on the chillest road trip of all time to see if your mind is the last place where it still holds sway. Cool to see something with long wordless stretches from Oshii—much of what I’ve seen until now has been defined by its heady monologues.” -
Post1000Tension – ★★★½
“Silly and serene. Ebb and flow of human figures against a vanishing point where earth meets skyline. The most insubstantial of Oshii’s end-of-millennium live-action forays, but filmed at the exact right time and place. It’s like an aesthetic time capsule of early 90s Taiwan. For now, that’s enough. I’ll have to wait and see if distance adds to its laidback charm.”
Meta Description:
A dystopian sci-fi thriller, Stray Dog: Kerberos Panzer Cops (1991) follows former Kerberos member Inui as he searches for his exiled commander, Koichi Todome, in Taiwan. Directed by Mamoru Oshii, this second installment in the Kerberos Saga explores loyalty, betrayal, and the haunting remnants of a fallen police unit.
Title: Talking Head (1992)
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Plot Synopsis:
When the director of an anticipated animated feature titled Talking Head mysteriously disappears, the production comes to a halt. To meet the looming deadline, the producer hires Rei Maruwa, a “shadow director” known for emulating any filmmaker’s style. As Rei delves into the project, he encounters an eccentric crew and faces a series of bizarre events, including the unexplained deaths of staff members. The film unfolds as a surreal exploration of the filmmaking process, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
Cast and Crew:
- Director: Mamoru Oshii
- Writer: Mamoru Oshii
- Cast:
- Shigeru Chiba as Rei Maruwa
- Tomoko Ishimura as Tamiko Kobayashi
- Fumihiko Tachiki as Gen Handawara
- Yoshikazu Fujiki as Jiro Itano
- Keishi Hunt as Kazumaro Ito
YouTube Trailer:
Talking Head (1992) | Trailer
IMDb Link:
Talking Head (1992)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Evan “Raymond Gun-Virus” Pincus – ★★★★★
“A game without rules. Turns out Oshii’s live-action images might be even stronger than his animated ones? A bizarro theatrical metaslasher that’s also maybe the most actively dialectical film I’ve ever seen.” -
joakim dreams of peace – ★★★★½
“To make a film is to commit to madness. Burning down the house. A fight against commercialization, for the freedom of art, money versus the vision. Every completed film is a miracle.” -
ScreeningNotes – ★★★★★
“The death of the author as the first in a string of serial killings slowly spreading through the rest of the filmmaking crew. Mamoru Oshii’s Talking Head is a movie about the making of a movie called Talking Head, the director for which has gone missing.” -
Panos Kotzathanasis – ★★★★
“A truly trippy mashup, Talking Head is a meta, surrealistic, and intensely nonsensical approach to filmmaking. Oshii focuses on the often-overlooked members of the crew, highlighting all aspects of production through a trippy approach.” -
Stephen – ★★★½
“A conversation about film, done in the only place one can speak accurately on the subject: during the movie itself. Talking Head felt to me like a very self-indulgent production for Oshii; a film without story, most of its scenes seem to exist for the sole purpose of analyzing some point in the history of filmmaking.”
Meta Description:
A surreal mystery-thriller, Talking Head (1992) follows a shadow director hired to complete a film after its original creator mysteriously disappears. As eerie events unfold, the movie explores the art of filmmaking through a meta, dreamlike lens. Directed by Mamoru Oshii, this film is a unique deconstruction of cinema itself.
Title: Dallos (1983)
Genre: Science Fiction, Animation
Plot Synopsis:
In a future where Earth’s resources are depleted, humanity establishes mining colonies on the Moon to sustain life on their home planet. The colonists, subjected to harsh treatment by the Earth Federal Government, begin acts of rebellion. Central to their struggle is a mysterious structure known as Dallos, which the colonists revere and which symbolizes their hope and resistance. The story follows Shun Nonomura, a young colonist who becomes entwined in the uprising, challenging his perceptions of loyalty and freedom.
Cast and Crew:
- Directors: Mamoru Oshii, Hisayuki Toriumi
- Writers: Mamoru Oshii, Hisayuki Toriumi
- Cast:
- Hideki Sasaki as Shun Nonomura
- Shūichi Ikeda as Alex Leiger
- Tesshō Genda as Doug McCoy
- Rumiko Ukai as Rachel
- Mizuho Suzuki as Taizo Nonomura
YouTube Trailer:
Dallos (1983) | Trailer
IMDb Link:
Dallos (1983)
Reviews from Letterboxd:
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Justin Decloux – ★★★★
“The first OVA turns out to be The Battle of Algiers, but in space and directed by Mamoru Oshii.” -
Mario – ★★★½
“Moondog mentioned. Animated movies ranked 7/10.” -
Kaijuman – ★★
“Dallos is considered the very first OVA out there, which is a cool accolade, but I wish it had gone to a much better anime. I honestly can’t believe how much I disliked this. It’s directed by one of the greats—Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor)—the mechanical designs have real effort put into them, and the animation during the action is fluid and intense. Shame everything else blew.” -
DBC – ★★★★
“In the not-too-distant future, the Earth has been thoroughly depleted of its bounty, and a colony is established on the Moon, sending back resources to sustain the withered husk of a planet. However, the Moon colonists are treated terribly by Earth’s government, leading to a guerrilla rebellion. They take spiritual inspiration from a mysterious structure known as Dallos.” -
JSkyTip – ★★★★
“Dallos is known as the first OVA and the first DTV. And it is actually spectacular. My only gripe is that even after almost 40 years, Oshii or anybody else has never returned to tell more of this story. I want to know what happens to Shun after the Moon rebellion.”
Meta Description:
A pioneering science fiction anime, Dallos (1983) is recognized as the first-ever Original Video Animation (OVA). Directed by Mamoru Oshii and Hisayuki Toriumi, this lunar rebellion story follows oppressed Moon colonists fighting against Earth’s ruling forces, with the enigmatic Dallos structure at the heart of their struggle.
