THE RED SPECTACLES (1987) — New 4K Restoration w/ dystopian shorts pre-show
March 12 : 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm
“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 Slate
Before 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.
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.