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

Bleach-blonde wannabe rocker Wendy (Carrie Hamilton) 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 (Diamond Yukai), 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. An underseen gem of ‘80s American independent cinema by Fran Rubel Kuzui (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), TOKYO POP takes us on a breezy tour through bubble era Tokyo, replete with knowing nods to the city’s vibrant pop culture.

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 Kino Lorber
  • Director Fran Rubel Kuzui
  • Cast Carrie Hamilton, Yutaka Tadokoro
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

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