Before Fran Rubel Kuzui helmed 1992’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer, she debuted her first feature Tokyo Pop at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival to much acclaim. Due to its distributor going bankrupt, the film never got a fully fledged U.S. run, but now––35 years later––her bubbly pop adventure has been restored in 4K and will open in U.S. theaters (starting on August 4) from Kino Lorber.
Ahead of its release, we’re pleased to exclusively debut the new trailer for the film that follows the unlikely love story between American wannabe rocker Wendy (Carrie Hamilton, FAME star and Carol Burnett’s daughter) and the struggling Japanese singer Hiro (Diamond Yukai of the Japanese band Red Warriors) as they seek music stardom in 1980s Tokyo, only to discover it might be found together.
Here’s the expanded synopsis: “Bleach-blonde wannabe rocker Wendy is disillusioned with her life in New York City. After receiving a postcard from Japan saying “wish you were here,” she spontaneously hops on a plane to Tokyo with dreams of making it big as a singer. Quickly finding herself broke and a fish out of water, she moves into a youth hostel for gaijin (foreigners) and takes up work as a hostess at a karaoke bar. Just when she’s at her breaking point, she meets Hiro, a rock ‘n’ roller whose band is looking for their big break. They form a romantic and musical connection and Hiro convinces Wendy to become their lead singer. Through a combination of hustle and luck, they stumble into their 15 minutes of fame, but Wendy soon comes to realize that being a gaijin rocker may be nothing more than a passing fad.”
Watch the exclusive trailer below, along with a poster featuring title treatment by Keith Haring.
The new restoration of Tokyo Pop opens in theaters on August 4.