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Join us as we partner with Anime Expo for Anime Expo Cinema Nights! Spread out over six months, the five movies here are a superb sampling of the best that anime has to offer. From action-packed sci-fi stories to real-world dramas, these films are proof that animation is just as capable of engaging adult audiences as it is young ones (though we’d advise you to leave the kids at home for these ones). It’s the stuff of your wildest dreams, so grab your tickets today!
Perfect Blue: 25th Anniversary – Sep 6, 7 & 10
Directed by Satoshi Kon | 2006
Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue a career as an actress and model, but her fans aren’t ready to see her go… Harboring feelings of guilt and haunted by visions of her former self, Mima’s reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia. As her stalker closes in, in person and online, the threat he poses is more real than even Mima knows.
Ghost in the Shell – Nov 8 – 10
Directed by Mamoru Oshii | 1995
2029: A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together with her fellow agents from Section 9, Kusanagi embarks on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity.
Tokyo Godfathers: 20th Anniversary – Dec 11 – 13
Directed by Satoshi Kon | 2003
On Christmas Eve, three homeless companions stumble upon a baby girl in a garbage heap. They name her Kiyoko, and vow to care for her as they track down her family. Haunted by memories of their own broken pasts and pursued by a cast of shadowy characters from Tokyo’s nightlife, Hana, Gin and Miyuki overcome their differences and learn to trust one another as a new, makeshift family. With the New Year fast approaching, the mystery behind baby Kiyoko deepens, and these unlikely heroes discover the surprising — and sometimes miraculous — connections that have brought them all together.
Cowboy Bebop – Jan 21 – 23
Directed by Shinichiro Watanabe | 2001
Caught up in a world of dreams, lost in the cruelty of reality. What should have been an easy bounty turns into biological war after a terrorist gets hold of a deadly virus. Drawn in by the pretty price on the mastermind’s head, Spike and the Bebop crew are ready to collect a much-needed reward. Unfortunately, the gang’s about to find themselves in more trouble than money when the terrorist threatens to unleash the virus on Halloween–effectively killing everyone on Mars. With little time and leads that seem more dreamy than helpful, they’ll have to use their own bag of tricks to stop a dangerous plot.
Paprika – Feb 7, 8 & 11
Directed by Satoshi Kon | 2006
Dr. Atsuko Chiba works as a scientist by day and, under the code name “Paprika,” is a dream detective at night. Atsuko and her colleagues are working on a device called the DC Mini, which is intended to help psychiatric patients, but in the wrong hands it could destroy people’s minds. When a prototype is stolen, Atsuko/Paprika springs into action to recover it before damage is done.
