Tokyo Pop

Friday, July 3 - Saturday, July 4, 2026

Special Events

  • Fri Jul 3 : 

    Q&A with dir. Fran Rubel Kuzui at 7:20

    Buy Tickets

SHOWTIMES AT IFC CENTER

Friday, July 3 at 7:20: Q&A with director Fran Rubel Kuzui

TOKYO POP is a charming and observant valentine to Japan’s vibrant pop culture. After getting a friend’s postcard of Mt. Fuji saying, “Wish you were here,” bleached-blonde rocker Wendy (Carrie Hamilton) hops a plane to Tokyo. Broke, she takes work at a karaoke bar. Just when she’s at her breaking point, she meets Hiro (Diamond Yukai), a rock ‘n’ roller whose band is flailing. Hiro convinces Wendy to become their lead singer. Through a combination of hustle and luck, they stumble into fame. But Wendy realizes that being a pop star “gaijin” (foreigner) is no substitute for success at home. Kuzui’s next movie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, was turned into a hit TV series. But America’s entertainment industry never offered her another chance to direct — a fate suffered by many talented women auteurs. IndieCollect’s 4K restoration, created with gifts from Dolly Parton & Carol Burnett and support of the Golden Globe Foundation, helped revive the movie and secure a release by Kino Lorber.

4K Restoration by IndieCollect, with support from Dolly Parton & Carol Burnett.

Screening as part of our series Declaration of Independents!

See more and save! Get an Independents Pack ($30 for IFC Center members and $45 for non-members). Ticket packs are good for any three screenings in the series.

  • Country USA, Japan
  • Year 1988
  • Running Time 99 minutes
  • Format DCP
  • Distributor IndieCollect
  • Director Fran Rubel Kuzui
  • Cast Carrie Hamilton, Yutaka Tadokoro
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.