Kamikaze '89

This dystopian sci-fi film replete with off the wall production design is notable for starring auter filmmaker Rainer Werner Fassbinder. The disc features a documentary about it's star, a commentary, TV spots and essays by Nick Pinkerton and Samuel B. Prime.

A complicated cop chasing a murder case while dealing with his superiors and in a far flung neon drenched future society. No, not Decker, its Fasbinder! In a leopard print suit and matching revolver! Love this sunny low budget noir, it's futuristic like Alphaville is. . . and that makes it more realistic than 2049 probably.

Lets talk packaging. Embossed slip is sweet, booklet yes please, art is zehr gut. Extras are less than previous releases since they dropped the dvd. They also reused the previous scan, which is the worst aspect of the release. There is a constant central smudge and grey spots throughout the movie, especially visible in brighter moments or when the camera moves. Dirty lens you say? No, its every single shot, maybe it was a dirty scanner but its very distracting. Unfortunately this is the only way to watch this great final Fassbinder film in hd (he was literally dying of cancer during its filming) in probably his greatest role as a sweaty detective investigating the missing floor of a building.

A godsend for Fassbinder completists, this would be a great double feature with VS release DECODER which both tackle sci fi through 80’s social commentary on government control and dystopian societies. I had the soundtrack on vinyl so it’s nice that this is now widely available with not too shabby extras to boot.

If you want to see a lead star drugged out of his mind, sweating profusely while wearing leopard print suits and hunting down criminals in a cyberpunk future Germany, this simply cannot be beat. Cool slipcover, the transfer is pretty decent considering what the film is - a few issues throughout where the film looks kind of . . . greasy and cloudy I guess. . . but overall it looks pretty good most of the time. I'm glad I picked it up.

did not like the movie as much as I hope, the release is a good one