Somewhere in memory and time, it’s late afternoon. You’re on the playground when a friend stands up and shouts “let’s play POWER RANGERS!” What a good idea. After everyone finishes fighting over who gets to be Red, you count to three and hit the ground running, armed only with finger guns and your imagination. When we were young, we never wanted days like this to end. For those in the mysterious EIYU CLUB, they never did.

Along with the advent of VHS, Laserdisc, and later DVD, Japan would develop an unquenchable thirst for home video content from the early 80s well up until the end of the century, similar to the Straight to Video boom experienced in the US. This format, known locally as V-Cinema, would allow filmmakers to shed the restraints of studio oversight, often developing a more experimental edge.

Enter EIYU CLUB, a group of sentai-loving otaku hoping to leave an impression. After pooling their own personal funds to afford equipment and studio time, the Club would release their first film CYBER LADY SUZUKA in 1998 and relied on word-of-mouth to sell their films and CDs at fan conventions, hobby stores, and online. Almost 30 years on, their work is still finding a strong cult following amongst toku enthusiasts who appreciate their attitude and dedication to costuming, music, extended blooper reels, and improvised explosives.

This July at Spectacle, please enjoy these two hand-selected programs showcasing some of EIYU CLUB‘s finest moments in parking lot fantasy: CYBER LADY SUZUKA and the LILAC series.

PGM. 01: CYBER LADY SUZUKA

CYBER LADY SUZUKA
(サイバーレディ スズカ)
Dir. Nobuharu Kidokoro. 1998.
Japan. 59 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

MONDAY, JULY 06 – 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, JULY 11 – 5:00 PM
TUESDAY, JULY 21 – 10:00 PM
THURSDAY, JULY 30 – 7:30 PM

TICKETS

After witnessing the death of his colleague’s daughter, Suzuka Minamoto, at the hands of the evil ZELDA organization, Dr. Todoroki returns to his lab and implants her with the “Ability Awakening Converter” which revives her into CYBER LADY SUZUKA, a robot maid with a bad habit of falling asleep on the job. When ZELDA returns, Suzuka must exact vengeance and rescue her little sister Haruka from a rogues’ gallery of the organization’s toughest monsters.

Seen as their flagship mascot, CYBER LADY SUZUKA is where it all started for EIYU CLUB!

Screening with:

CYBER LADY SUZUKA II
(サイバーレディ スズカII)
Dir. Nobuharu Kidokoro. 1998.
Japan. 29 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

The sequel! Duh!

PGM. 02: LILAC

WEDNESDAY, JULY 08 – 7:30 PM
SATURDAY, JULY 11 – 7:30 PM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 – 10:00 PM
THURSDAY, JULY 30 – 10:00 PM

TICKETS

LILAC VERSION RED ～DREAM OF SHUDDER～
(リラ Ver.Red ドリーム オブ シャダー)
Dir. Yoshihiro Akase. 2001.
Japan. 26 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

A woman is stalked nightly by a mysterious stranger. Her only comforts: the glow of the television and her childhood doll Lila, a gift from her father. But Lila is more than a doll. When the stalker closes in, Lila comes to life—not just to protect her owner, but to also guard the whereabouts of a uniquely powerful weapon known as the Peerless Sword.

DREAM OF SHUDDER is pure somnambulance and acute denpa; perhaps EIYU CLUB’s creepiest creation.

LILAC VERSION BLUE ～PURE HEART～
(リラ Ver.Blue ～Pure Heart～)
Dir. Tetsuya Ozaki. 2001.
Japan. 25 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

LILA IS BACK!

Lonely otaku Daisuke gets lucky and wins an online bid for a life-sized Lila doll. He keeps her in his apartment and orders her around, until one day Lila is awakened by the magic of life. When Daisuke’s rented Idol girlfriend Honoka returns home, an intriguing feud breaks out, and Lila is forced to unlock her magical girl powers.

PURE HEART is a relatively more polished and cinematic experience from her Red sister, incorporating both the Pinocchio story and a pinch of Norse mythology. What a pairing!

DREAM MONSTER CHAO
(ドリームモンスター・チャオ)
Dir. Michihiko Ichio. 2007.
Japan. 21 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

One morning, an ass-slapping goofball called the Dream Monster Chao appears in slacker Haruka’s apartment and offers to help make his treasure hunting dreams come true. When Haruka’s evil landlord arrives to shut down their plans, Chao must kick into high gear and strike back against the forces of evil and property ownership.

Landing more within the bounds of an indie rock comedy, DREAM MONSTER CHAO is stylistically distinct from the LILAC series but thematically linked through its ideas of animacy and service.

Many, many thanks to Gossamer Fansubs for keeping EIYU CLUB alive through their subbing, asset scanning, and video rescue.

Movies are awesome, right? A lot of you would agree. I would even bet a good handful of you think Japanese films are notably well-made. Hard to argue there! And there are so many unique genres! Jidaigeki, Pinku, Tokusatsu. What about Guro? An even smaller, disturbed handful of you are thinking “yeah… that’s my shit”. Guy is one of you freaks. His humble efforts began online; reviewing and discussing film in a subculture fanscape worth its own examination – the Gorehounds.

Taking cues from extreme Japanese filmmakers like Hideshi Hino (MERMAID IN A MANHOLE), Shinya Tsukamoto (the TETSUO series), Shozin Fukui (964 PINOCCHIO) and Spectacle Favorite Takashi Miike (come on now), Guy threw himself headfirst down the greasy, grimy pipeline we all love and cherish – Film Fan to Film Maker.

After leaving England for Osaka, Guy emerged on the other side: covered in entrails clutching a fistful of lovely hand-sculpted films we know you will enjoy – especially you Gorehounds. This April, we are happy to present SCULPTING FRAGMENTS: THREE FILMS, featuring the claustrophobanoid DIFFICULTY BREATHING, the creepycute buzzfest THE SOUND OF SUMMER, and the surreal found footage postcard to urbexing THE UNSOLVED LOVE HOTEL MURDER CASE INCIDENT, co-directed by friend and fellow transplant Dave Jackson (director of CAT SICK BLUES). Only at Spectacle, as usual!

DIFFICULTY BREATHING
(呼吸困難)
Dir. Guy. 2017.
Japan. 41 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

FRIDAY, APRIL 10 – MIDNIGHT
TUESDAY, APRIL 21– 10 PM
MONDAY, APRIL 27 – 7:30 PM

TICKETS

After suffering a traumatic event, one woman finds herself swallowed by darkness and tormented by forces inside her very own home. DIFFICULTY BREATHING is a thriller on the verge of a nervous breakdown; as chilling and eerie as REPULSION or Tsukamoto’s KOTOKO but at the fraction of the cost (and cast). Turn it up LOUD for an exquisite experience in Noise Cinema.

Stick around after the show for Guy’s first short film…

THE ROPE MAIDEN
(ロープ処女)
Dir. Guy. 2013.
Japan/UK. 17 min.
In English and Japanese.

A sendoff of the infamous GUINEA PIG series, Guy teaches the audience how to make the perfect snuff film. Thanks Guy!

THE SOUND OF SUMMER
(夏バテ女)
Dir. Guy. 2022.
Japan. 70 min.
In Japanese with English subtitles.

FRIDAY, APRIL 3 – 7:30 PM
FRIDAY, APRIL 10 – 10 PM
SATURDAY, APRIL 25 – MIDNIGHT

TICKETS

In the dead heat of Japanese summer, a shadowy vagrant known only as The Cicada Man stalks the streets of town, carrying a freshly caught swarm of creepy crawlies wherever he goes. After a strange encounter between the collector and our heroine, the mysteries of the Cicada Man and what he does with his trophies really starts to get under her skin… literally!

THE UNSOLVED LOVE HOTEL MURDER CASE INCIDENT
(ドキュメント！　未解決ラブホ殺人事件)
Dirs. Dave Jackson, Guy. 2024.
Japan. 70 min.
In English and Japanese with English subtitles.

THURSDAY, APRIL 9 – 10 PM
FRIDAY, APRIL 17 – MIDNIGHT
THURSDAY, APRIL 23 – 7:30 PM

TICKETS

After recounting a scary story to Guy and Dave over drinks, Kuromi and her two friends set off to the country on a ghost hunting adventure in order to document, investigate, and hopefully solve THE UNSOLVED LOVE HOTEL MURDER CASE INCIDENT. Upon arrival, the crew quickly discover that nothing is what it seems as reality collapses around them. FFO: THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT, INLAND EMPIRE, travelogues, & delinquent activities.

After 15 years of studying Chinese landscape painting, Guangdong-born documentarian Huang Weikai exchanged brush for DV in 2002; seeking to become a cartographer of truth through film and depict his precious Pearl River Delta as he truly saw it: explosive, deafening, filthy, and chaotically beautiful. This December, Spectacle is proud to host his essential diptych – FLOATING and DISORDER – twin visions of a society teeming with life and boiling over in its own acceleration

FLOATING
(飘)
Dir. Huang Weikai, 2004.
China. 93 min.
In Mandarin with English subtitles.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6 – 5 PM
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10 – 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 – 7:30 PM
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19 – 10 PM

TICKETS

Witness the transient, hand-to-mouth life of Yang Jiwei, a vagrant busker illegally performing in the cacophonous tiled underpasses of Guangzhou. Huang’s lens follows Yang as he dodges the authorities and navigates a tumultuous romance; all while life around him threatens to devolve into bureaucratic pandemonium.

DISORDER
(现实是过去的未来)
Dir. Huang Weikai, 2009.
China. 58 min.
In Mandarin with English subtitles.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4 – 7:30 PM
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8 – 10 PM
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14 – 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16 – 10 PM

TICKETS

Guangzhou convulses in a grainy, black-and-white seizure, stitched together from a thousand hours of citizen-submitted amateur tape. A geyser erupts from a broken fire hydrant, a truck dumps pigs all across the highway, and casual mob violence unfolds into a waking nightmare.

Special Thanks to Icarus Films

For centuries, humanity has turned to the sky for answers; facing the clouds, begging for mercy, salvation, an answer. Let’s try it together! Wherever you are, look up at the sky. What do you see? A bird? A plane? A drone? A security camera? Or something else?

For truthseekers, the knowledge you crave is all around – if you know how to ask the right questions, that is. This September at Spectacle, we hope to provide a roadmap when it comes to all things Extraterrestrial. A Beginner’s Guide to asking the right questions: Will I find love? Will I find fear? Am I being manipulated? Can you really cut a chicken with a laser?

Only you can answer these questions for yourself. But Spectacle is here to help. Trust us 😉

A STRANGE HARVEST
Dir. Linda Moulton Howe. 1980.
United States. 58 min.
In English.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 – 5 PM [BUY TICKETS]
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 – 7:30 PM [BUY TICKETS]
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]

Produced in 1980 by Emmy-winning environmental documentarian and former Miss Idaho Linda Moulton Howe, A STRANGE HARVEST examines multiple disturbing and unexplained incidents of cattle mutilation and their potential causes. This and future investigations into the phenomenon would change Linda’s life forever, starting her down the path towards disclosure advocacy and cementing her as one of the foremost voices in the world of UFOlogy.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES DEPICTED!

MIRAGE MEN
Dir. John Lundberg. 2013.
United Kingdom. 85 min.
In English.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 – 7:30 PM [BUY TICKETS]
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 – MIDNIGHT [BUY TICKETS]

MIRAGE MEN follows the case of Paul Bennewitz, an engineer and UFO researcher driven to madness by U.S. Airforce Intelligence Operative, Disinfo Agent, and possible Lizard Person Richard Doty and the swirly, murky machinations of United States Deep Intelligence. MIRAGE MEN is a must-see for all true believers and anyone holding even a small window into our alternate reality. “Question Everything” means exactly that: Believe Nothing. You are not immune to propaganda and manipulation. Nothing around you is what it seems. Nothing.

LOVE & SAUCERS
Dir. Brad Abrahams. 2017.
Canada/United States. 67 min.
In English.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 – 7:30 PM [BUY TICKETS]
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 – 7:30 PM w/ Q&A (This event is $10) [BUY TICKETS]

For as long as he can remember, completely sane New Jersey based artist David Huggins has been visited by beings from another world. However, these Close Encounters really emphasize the closeness; David is being used as a human stud in an off-world breeding program with his alien wife Crescent, with whom he has sired at least 50 alien-human hybrids. As any good artist would, David has chosen to document his experiences through the power of the paintbrush. LOVE & SAUCERS offers a strangely breathtaking peek into Huggin’s out of this world lifestyle to anyone who chooses to believe.

Join us at Spectacle for a Q&A with director Brad Abrahams on September 30 at 7:30 PM!

THE ALIEN REPORT
Dir. Patrick Donnelly. 2022.
United States. 81 min.
In English.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 – MIDNIGHT [BUY TICKETS]
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 – 10 PM [BUY TICKETS]
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 – 7:30 PM [BUY TICKETS]

A man tormented by a lifetime of alien abductions discovers an ingenious way to document and share his encounters. The result is THE ALIEN REPORT, one of the most acclaimed and mind-meltingly terrifying found footage films of the decade.

WARNING: STROBES AND FLASHING LIGHTS!

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The Beach Episode: a tried and true anime trope. Exhausted from their adventures, our heroes decide to make a detour into paradise, hoping to find some time to cool off, take a dip, and feel the sand between their toes. Sadly, we here at Spectacle cannot offer sandy shores or sea breezes. The city won’t let us. The best we can do is pick out two of the most mind-altering anime flicks you still haven’t seen and crank the AC real, real hard; and if you insist on taking your shoes off – we can’t really stop you.

This summer, the party is at Spectacle. No invite required. Always $5.

 

As part of our refreshment menu, we are offering these two ice cold works of wonder:

THE FLYING LUNA CLIPPER
(ザ・フライング・ルナクリッパー)
Dir. Ikko Ohno. 1987.
Japan. 55 min.
In English and Japanese with English Subtitles.

SATURDAY, JULY 5 – 7:30 PM
TUESDAY, JULY 8 – 10 PM
FRIDAY, JULY 18 – MIDNIGHT
TUESDAY, JULY 22 – 10 PM

TICKETS

Throughout the 1980s, the highly versatile range of MSX home computers were taking Japan by storm. Their ease of use made them perfect for the education sector, whereas their graphic and sound hardware made them ideal for gaming and artistry. One such artist was the enigmatic Ikko Ohno, a graphic designer and columnist working for MSX Magazine. His unmistakable and playful trop-pop art covers (made on MSX computers) can be found across the catalog. During this time, Ohno began working on a movie which could further showcase his own art while also demonstrating the full, untapped potential of MSX computing.

Released onto the local home video market before quickly falling into obscurity, it would be almost 30 years until a rogue Laserdisc copy of Ohno’s art project was discovered in a Japanese thrift store by journalist Matt Hawkins, who would eventually unleash what is thought to be one of the strangest experimental pieces of animation ever made – THE FLYING LUNA CLIPPER, which has gone on to influence artists, musicians, and game creators the world over.

Laying somewhere in the sands between video game and video art, THE FLYING LUNA CLIPPER is a tranquil and tropical hazy daydreamy tale of vacationing snowmen, magnificent sea-planes, and dancing banana ladies. The island vibes are undeniable, and must be seen to be believed.

Screening alongside:

NAGISA NO PEPPY
(渚のペピー)
1987.
Japan. 2 min.

TAMALA 2010: A PUNK CAT IN SPACE
(タマラ 2010 ア パンク キャット イン スペース)
Dir. t.o.L. 2002.
Japan. 92 min.
Japanese with English Subtitles.

SATURDAY, JULY 5 – 5 PM
TUESDAY, JULY 15 – 7 PM
SUNDAY, JULY 20 – 5 PM
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30 – 10 PM

TICKETS

Mickey Mouse. Astro Boy. Betty Boop. Hello Kitty. Tamala. Wait – you don’t know Tamala? She’s only the most important kitty cat in Meguro City,  no – on all of Cat Earth! Her face is everywhere. You can’t escape it. It’s almost creepy… Anyway!

TAMALA 2010: A PUNK CAT IN SPACE is the story of our titular Tamala (don’t call her Tam). Despite her cute looks, Tamala is no baby. She smokes, she drinks, she curses, she starts fires, she struts ass. Certainly not appropriate behaviour for the corporate face of CATTY & CO. Feeling stifled by her overbearing human mother and a general sense of ennui, Tamala decides to steal a rocketship and hightail it off the planet Aye Es Aye Pee. With her boyfriend Michaelangelo (don’t call him Moimoi) by her side, the two work to uncover the mysteries of Tamala’s real family, her true nature, and her shocking purpose in the universe.

Funded and conceived by the mysterious Shibuya-kei group t.o.L. (aka Trees of Life, about which little is known) and aided by the animator Kentaro Nemoto, TAMALA 2010: A PUNK CAT IN SPACE is a Pynchonesque, cutting-edge black & white fusion of the 2nd and 3rd dimension with a razor-sharp critique of Japanese Kawaii culture and the dystopian Post-War consumerist idolatry that drives it to this very day.

Special Thanks to Deaf Crocodile