Tetsuo: The Iron Man

Tetsuo

The well-worn flattering labels “low-budget film” and “independent film” seem to pale before Tetsuo: The Iron Man, Shinya Tsukamoto’s delirious directorial feature debut, a film that has secured its place in the cult-exploitation pantheon in perpetuity. In one of the most outrageous science-fiction plots ever encountered, a young metal fetishist, in a state of frenzy from the self-inflicted wound he has made to implant a metal plate in his thigh, is the victim of a hit-and-run accident. The driver of the car gradually undergoes a painful and mysterious transformation during which human flesh is replaced by scrap metal, all while being overwhelmed by sexual fantasies involving bizarre metallic beings. Riding the wave of cyberpunk that had made a splash in 1980s pop culture, Tetsuo – the lovechild of Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner and David Cronenberg’s Videodrome, according to the director himself – plays with chaos and destruction, mercilessly satirizes both white-collar discipline and Japan’s modern economic miracle, and takes us on a journey down the most unholy paths of erotic attraction.
Screening Schedule

No physical screenings scheduled.

Direction: Shinya Tsukamoto
Script: Shinya Tsukamoto
Cinematography: Shinya Tsukamoto
Editing: Shinya Tsukamoto
Music: Chu Ishikawa
Actors: Tomoroh Taguchi, Kei Fujiwara, Nobu Kanaoka, Shinya Tsukamoto, Naomasa Musaka, Renji Ishibashi
Production: Kaijyu Theater
Format: Blu-ray
Color: B/W
Production Country: Japan
Production Year: 1989
Duration: 67'
Contact: Nikkatsu Corporation

Shinya Tsukamoto

He was born in Tokyo, in 1960. While in fourth grade, he was forced to act in a school play, an experience that changed him forever, igniting his passion for performance. At age 14, he picked up a Super 8mm camera and began making short films while also studying oil painting. At Nippon University, he formed his own theater troupe and after graduating he shot commercials for four years. His first feature, Tetsuo: The Iron Man brought him instant international fame as a director with an original and unique vision earning him a cult following.

Filmography

1986 Phantom of Regular Size (short)
1987 Adventure of Denchu Kozo
1989 Tetsuo: The Iron Man
1991 Hiruko the Goblin
1995 Tokyo Fist
1999 Gemini
2002 A Snake in June
2005 Haze
2011 Kotoko
2018 Killing
2023 Shadow of Fire