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GHOST IN THE SHELL (1995) — 30th Anniversary Screening presented by Strange Brew
November 5 : 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
This film is presented by St. Louis’s long-running cult film series Strange Brew — winner of the 2025 A-List Award for Best Movie Night in St. Louis. Strange Brew programmer Jon Scorfina will provide an introduction.
Ghost in the Shell (1995) is set in a fictional 2029 in which cybernetic technology allows for the human body to be fully replaced with mechanical body parts and lets the brain connect directly to the internet. Major Motoko Kusanagi is the cyborg leader of Public Security Section 9 in Japan. The Major and her team are investigating a highly advanced artificial intelligence known as the Puppet Master that can “ghost hack” cyberized bodies. As the Major gets closer to catching the puppet master, she struggles with a philosophical debate about the very nature of consciousness and the soul.
Adapted from the manga by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell was a Japanese British international co-production from Kodansha, Bandai Visual and Manga Entertainment, all who were looking to create an anime film as critically acclaimed and successful as the groundbreaking Akira. The film originally failed to recoup its budget during its theatrical release, but soon gained a massive cult following when it was released on VHS, becoming the first Japanese film ever to top the Billboard video sales chart in 1996. Now Ghost in the Shell is widely regarded as a masterpiece, with praise for director Mamoru Oshii for his “thermo-optical camouflage” animation and a memorable score by Kenji Kawai. The film launched a franchise that includes multiple sequels, television series and a live-action Hollywood remake, as well as having a massive influence on the Wachowskis when they created The Matrix.
With AI technology playing an increasingly large and disruptive role in our society, Ghost in the Shell has never been a more relevant film to reexamine than today. Don’t miss this 30th anniversary screening presented by Strange Brew celebrating one of the most acclaimed sci-fi anime films of all time.
The film will be presented in its dubbed version.
A Ghost in the Shell – Tachikomatic Days preshow will begin at 6:25 pm.
Arkadin does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. However, we encourage researching titles to determine if a screening may contain content that could be upsetting to you. Please feel free to contact us for guidance on specific films. Information about content can also be found on Common Sense Media, IMDB and DoesTheDogDie.com, as well as through general internet searches.
Theater Policies
- All seats are first-come, first-served.
- The theater opens 30 minutes prior to showtime, except for “Happy Hour” events and pre-shows when the theater opens at the listed start time.
- All ages are welcome at Arkadin except for Drinkolas Cage events, which are restricted to 21+. We follow the MPAA rating guidelines for all other films.
- Tickets can be purchased using the BUY TICKETS link above. Upon ordering, you will receive a confirmation email from Square. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the show at the concession counter.
- If you’ve purchased advance tickets, when you arrive, please give your name at the concession counter to check in.
- Tickets are returnable by sending a request through the contact form located on our About Us page prior to showtime.
- When an event is sold out, we reserve the right to release open seats to customers on the waitlist. If you have a pre-purchased ticket and arrive late and there is no seat for you, your ticket will be refunded.
- All screenings are held in our indoor theater unless indicated otherwise in the event description above.
- Please respect your fellow movie-goers by remaining quiet and refraining from using your cell phone throughout the screening.