TOKYO FIST (1995)
One day I hope to enjoy life with even a small amount of the insane energy found in the 16mm films of Shinya Tsukamoto. There’s no better example of this kind of kinetic electricity than in this fusion of sports and horror. You didn’t think a boxing underdog story and a series of surreal nightmares would be a good match? Think again. After flirting with the mainstream by directing the yokai adventure Hiruko the Goblin and making the first of two Tetsuo sequels, Tsukamoto returned to form in this brain smashing genre mash-up. In some ways it’s the true successor to the iron man concept, as two rivals punch their way through repressed memories and self denial.
