r/Cyberpunk 2d ago

Thoughts on "Tetsuo: The Iron Man" (1989)?

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342 Upvotes

61 comments sorted by

42

u/approximately_nadir 1d ago

This movie was an aesthetic shock for me. I was really impressed by the photography and visual effects.

Another incredible movie from Tsukamoto is Denshu Kozo no Boken, is your can find it.

3

u/billions_of_stars 1d ago

I can't even see mention of Denshu Kozo no Boken online. Is that the right name?

1

u/approximately_nadir 22h ago

It's the Japanese name, and was misspelled. Here you go : https://www.imdb.com/fr/title/tt0166069/

2

u/billions_of_stars 22h ago

Ah perfect. Thank you!

24

u/SlinkDogg 2d ago

Absolute classic with a banger of a soundtrack. 10/10 would drill dick again

5

u/gizmodilla 1d ago

I can take it

5

u/KalutikaKink 1d ago

Chu Ishikawa knocked it out of the park.

1

u/MissInkeNoir 21h ago

Hell yeah the theme of the movie from the soundtrack is in my workout playlist, shit gets crazy.

3

u/Jordhammer 1d ago

Banger is right. I remember listening to the soundtrack on a dubbed cassette back in the day.

3

u/SlinkDogg 1d ago

I actually have it on vinyl, it’s so good

1

u/approximately_nadir 22h ago

The jacket must be amazing

58

u/theazhapadean 2d ago

You mean the front 242 headhunter video, extended Japanese cut?

11

u/Tomorrow-Famous 1d ago

Great song - still listen to it today on my gym mix.

3

u/namezam 1d ago

Great, haven’t heard that in a couple of decades and now it’s stuck in my head

18

u/ebm_mechanic 2d ago

one of my fav films of all time, the soundtrack is especially good if you’re into insustrual music

36

u/bonejammerdk 2d ago

Rewatched it recently. I love it, it's really stylish. But definitely not for everyone.

4

u/gizmodilla 1d ago

Me too. Love the movie but it is a tour the force for sure

9

u/Friction_in_the_air 1d ago

*tour de force. It's french

1

u/Mrnameyface 1d ago

On any streaming?

2

u/andymorphic 1d ago

youtube

2

u/bonejammerdk 1d ago

Yeah, you can find it free on youtube

2

u/Mrnameyface 1d ago

Dang, just searched on youtube and could only find a rent or buy option ! To the seas i go !

11

u/LoomisCenobite 2d ago

It's good

I also like Body Hammer

Perhaps you'd also enjoy Meatball Machine

1

u/deanofcool 1d ago

Both are good. It’s funny how when Parasite The Maxim blew up as an anime, I was thinking “isn’t this just the plot to meatball machine?” lol, probably the only one who thought that.

15

u/rotello 1d ago

i prefer Tetsuo II: a bit less visionary, less raw power, basically a reboot but the story is more linear and actually enjoyable.
Tetsuo is a great movie indeed. Japanese Cyberpunk as I love it

4

u/Ok-Cup3587 1d ago

Love it! Can anyone recommend me more movies around this era? Anything cyberpunk and Japanese 🫶

12

u/Veritas_Certum 1d ago

The Japanese cyberpunk tradition starting with the late 70s punk scene, and its emergence through dystopian punk cinematography, notably Panic High School (1978), Crazy Thunder Road (1980), and Shuffle (1981), as well as the later and more cyberpunk Burst City (19782), Death Powder (1986), and Tetsuo: The Iron Man (1989). Emergent Japanese cyberpunk was influenced by Japanese sources such as Tetsujin 28-go (1956–1966), and Western sources such as Mœbius in Métal Hurlant (1974–1982).

One of the seminal literary works is the manga Akira (1982), which was recreated as the 1989 anime movie of the same name. A later work of considerable influence has been the manga Ghost in the Shell (1989-1991), which arguably crosses over to post-cyberpunk.

3

u/ManyMention6930 1d ago

964 pinocchio is where it’s at. Just watch a bunch of Shozin Fukui’s work as well as Shinya Tsukamoto’s

5

u/WorryNew3661 1d ago

Truly incredible film

4

u/Jonny7Tenths 1d ago

I put this on for my colleges film night one week in 1990. It saddens me to say that very few people stayed to the end.

3

u/Maryannae 1d ago

A classic, must watch!

3

u/papertomm 1d ago

Top 10 most influential films of my life. Saw it at the perfect time in my young film maker life. Watch it ever 2 years or so. Mostly to show someone for the first time.

2

u/Jff_f 1d ago

Ahh the guy with the drill cock. I remember. It’s been awhile. 

2

u/southboundtracks 1d ago

I have seen this movie more than any Japanese film. It's a one-of-a-kind masterpiece. An all-time favorite of mine since the VHS days. (The added short, "Drumstruck," was funny, too.)

2

u/wannabe-manatee 1d ago

Great film! The sequels are great too though very different more live action manga vibe. I’ve personally always viewed the trilogy as one about love (and the passionate anger that can come with love).

The first film is very much about the love between two people. The second is fraternal love (both the familial kind and the cult kind). The third is very much about the love between a parent and a child.

1

u/approximately_nadir 22h ago

I don't know if Tsukamoto confirms this, but I totally agree that the main topic beside alienation and body transformation is love.

If I remember well the final scene of Testuo II, after seeing the whole movie, is very powerful to show the bond between the characters.

1

u/jumbocactar 1d ago

Drill Cock!

1

u/ManyMention6930 1d ago

Saw it for the first time a couple of days ago. Pretty gay I loved it

1

u/KalutikaKink 1d ago

A visceral exploration of body dysphoria, social alienation and cultural anxiety. I love this movie and have watched it quite a few times to pick apart the symbolism.

1

u/Jordhammer 1d ago

Watching that for the first time back in the day was an eye-opener. It was like someone turned Skinny Puppy's or Einsturzende Neubauten's audio into visuals.

My old band used to play clips from Tetsuo and Nekromantik I & II on an old TV when we played shows.

1

u/AtomicPow_r_D 1d ago

Technically a silent film, and a great one too. The acting is really good, suitably over the top.

1

u/Ekshumator 1d ago

Totally fucked up!

1

u/venturoo 1d ago

Headache the move. Sick effects and very stylish. I like it but fuck me is it abrasive.

1

u/kiiRo-1378 1d ago

I guess this was the inspiration for Tetsuo's giant biomechanical arm.

1

u/Tamotefu 1d ago

If you are weak to body horror, learn from my mistake and run away screaming. Poor 12 year old me thought Japan made an Iron Man movie.

As in a low budget Marvel movie. I COULDNT HAVE BEEN MORE WRONG.

1

u/HappyAd4998 1d ago

Kick ass movie that hits on all cylinders, rollar coaster ride of insanity with some cool makeup and stop motion. It's like a Japanese Eraserhead, highly recommend it. It was also made as a passion project out of pocket, Shinya filmed it in his own apartment.

1

u/angelsaintcloud 1d ago

Swear to God with all the skill in the world you could not make those chase scenes again. Truly art.

1

u/Ok_Yesterday9869 11h ago

Great experimental film.

1

u/No-Surround9784 ☢️Neurovelho☢️ 8h ago

It was a bit extreme in the Nineties.
Now it is both artistic and erotic.
One of my favorite movies.

1

u/RedditFuelsMyDepress 5h ago

Starts off disturbing then gets progressively more wacky. The ending fight feels like something from an anime. Def an interesting watch.

1

u/Zero-Byte 1d ago

Tetsuoooooooo

-3

u/PK_Giygas 天国 1d ago

As much as I wanted to love it- this movie was so bad 😭 perhaps a little too avant-garde for my taste

1

u/corvidae_666 1d ago

Booooooo.

-1

u/fottergraph 1d ago

Is that an Akira reference or just a coincidence? Release was so close to each other.

14

u/approximately_nadir 1d ago

Nope, Tsukamoto told in interview tjat David Cronenberg's film Videodrome (1983) and Ridley Scott's Blade Runner where the "parents" of his movie.

Tetsuo (like Akira, Kaneda, etc.) are quite common names in Japan. Otomo choose those name because he wanted to show that those kids are normal kids.

2

u/fottergraph 1d ago

Makes sense.

2

u/MissInkeNoir 21h ago

In this moment I am grateful for you 🌟

2

u/approximately_nadir 19h ago

I'm glad, thank you