Secret Movie Club will present three Japanese films in the next three days.
Friday, Feb. 21, at 11:59 p.m.: “Perfect Blue” (1997, 81 minutes) at Vista Theatre, 4473 Sunset Dr., Los Angeles.
The late Satoshi Kon fully commits to a hard R-rated anime that intentionally focuses on the uncomfortable, messy dark recesses of the human psyche. “Perfect Blue” is a kind of David Lynch “Mulholland Drive” dive into celebrity, fandom, and psychological instability. J-Pop superstar Mima decides to ditch her singing career and become an actress. But almost immediately it appears she has triggered a furious stalker named “Me Mania” upset by her decision.
Sunday, Feb. 23, at 2 p.m.: “Red Beard” (1965, 185 minutes) at Million Dollar Theatre, 307 S. Broadway, Los Angeles. Rescheduled from last year.
Akira Kurosawa’s masterwork marked the last time he would ever work with Toshiro Mifune. The movie took two years to make and forced Mifune to turn down countless lucrative acting jobs. Kurosawa had an entire 19th-century Japanese city built from scratch. “Red Beard” tells the story of a heartbroken and cocky young doctor who thinks he is bound for great things, only to discover his father has agreed to commit his son’s services to the title character, a local doctor who runs a medical clinic for the poor.
Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.: “House” (1977, 88 minutes) at Million Dollar Theatre.
A group of female friends in their teens go to visit a mysterious aunt at her house in the countryside. They discover the aunt is a demon who has lured them there to kill them off one by one and ingest their essences so she can be young again. In this coming-of-age, avant garde, wildly stylistic horror movie, Nobuhiko Obayashi constantly throws in scenes that have you slapping your head — animated sequences, incredible roto-scope sequences, a rock-and-roll music video, a scene where someone gets eaten by a piano.
Double-feature passes for “Red Beard” and “House” are available. There will be a one-hour, 15-minute break between movies for folks to walk next door to the Grand Central Market, and bring food and drinks from the market to the theater. A special ticket that includes an all-day parking voucher at the Grand Central Market lot, 308 S. Hill St., is also available.
For more information:
https://secretmovieclub.eventbrite.com
https://www.facebook.com/secretmovieclub35mm/