Perfect Blue, the 1997 Psychological Thriller Masterpiece, Hits the Big Screen with Anime Cinema Club This October
Satoshi Kon's debut, remastered in 4K, comes back to a real theater for one night only. Come as you are. Leave a little less sure who you are.
onlyno reruns
Perfect Blue © 1997 Madhouse. Poster art courtesy of GKIDS, used with permission.
An idol quits singing. Her fans aren't ready to let her go.
Rising pop star Mima has quit singing to pursue acting, but her fans aren't ready to see her go. When her handlers and collaborators begin turning up murdered, reality and fantasy meld into a frenzied paranoia.
As her stalker closes in — in person and online — the threat is more real than even Mima knows. Frequently hailed as one of the most important animated films ever made.
| Director | Satoshi Kon | Screenplay | Sadayuki Murai |
| Story | Yoshikazu Takeuchi | Animation | Madhouse |
| Music | Masahiro Ikumi | Mima | Junko Iwao |
"Dark, disturbing and insanely beautiful. The Stanley Kubrick of anime." — Vice
"Masterpiece." — Dazed
One night only.
First come, first seated.
Three ways in. $10 still gets you the 4K remaster and a poster. Every paid ticket helps us book the next film.
- Screening admission, open seating
- Free 11×17 ACC Perfect Blue poster at check-in
- Optional after-party nearby, around 9:00 PM
- Everything in GA
- Choice seating in the prime viewing area
- One raffle entry — Perfect Blue UHD 4K box set plus three mystery anime boxes
- Reserved VIP seating + free 11×17 poster
- Step-and-repeat photos if purchased by Oct 7
- Host shout-out, recap, and social footage after the night
Rated R · 17+. Face $10 / $15 / $100, plus Eventbrite's booking fee shown before you pay. Refunds up to 1 day before; tickets still transfer after that. Full refund if we cancel. Full ticket details →
Three honored guests.
Perfect Blue is a film about costumes and performance, so we asked three makers off the California convention circuit to spend the night in the room with it. All three are in the lobby at doors and again after the credits.
With years of experience under their belts, happily married couple Oliver "Kohalu" Holmes and Lilith "Liliphae" Holmes have become a staple of the Northern California cosplay community with their extreme costume builds and clean prop work.
Liliphae
Northern California cosplayer and model. 3D and resin printed props, armor, and accessories.
Photo @okeh.bokeh
Read more →
Kohalu Cosplay
Crafting expert. Extreme costume builds with Lilith "Liliphae" Holmes.
Photo @tammohawk.photography
Read more →
Poppy Lop Cosplay
Multi-media master craftsman from California. On October 15, her own red Mima dress.
Craft example (Magik). Photo Aleks Vu Photography (@aleksvuphotography)
Read more →Come in cosplay.
Get your money back.
That goes for the rest of the room too. Buy a General Admission or VIP ticket like everyone else so your seat is held, turn up at New People dressed as somebody, and we hand the money back to you in cash at the check-in desk. Any character, not just Mima.
No judging, no prizes — it isn't a contest, it's for fun. GA and VIP only; the $100 Co-Host ticket isn't refunded. There's no cosplay code to type into Eventbrite — the cash comes from us, in person, on the night.
Anime belongs in a theater.
We're a San Francisco screening series for people who think anime should be watched big, loud, and together. Real prints from real distributors, real theaters, a night worth leaving the house for.
Most of us first saw these films on a laptop at 2 AM. That's fine. But Perfect Blue was drawn for a dark room of strangers gasping at the same moment. This is Screening No. 1. Show up.
Meet the club →Curated, not random
Films chosen for how they play in a theater. Classics, cult favorites, new work.
Japantown, always
New People Cinema. Dinner before, drinks after, local businesses in the credits.
Licensed and legit
Booked directly with the distributor. Filmmakers and studios get paid. That's the point.
Cheap on purpose
$10 tickets. Anyone who loves the film should get in the door.
The practical stuff.
⚠ Content warning
Rated R, 17+. Stalking, sexual violence, graphic violence, a psychological break. Step out any time — the lobby is staffed and you're welcome back in.Getting there
New People Cinema1746 Post St, SF 94115 — basement level.
Muni 2/3/38/38R to Post & Webster. Paid parking: Japan Center Garage.
Timing
- 6:00 — doors + check-in (posters)
- 6:20 — welcome
- 6:30 — film (81 min)
- 8:30 — night ends
- ~9:00 — after-party nearby (TBA)
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible seating, companion seats and aisle seats available. Japanese with English subtitles.Photos
Lobby and after-party get photographed for our recap. Don't want in? Say so at check-in and we'll give you a no-photo sticker.Refunds + inbox
Refunds up to 1 day before. After that, transfer to a friend. Full refund if we cancel. Buying doesn't add you to our list. We never sell it.Satoshi
Kon
Kon got his start as a manga assistant to Katsuhiro Otomo (Akira) and as an animator on Roujin Z and Patlabor 2 before his directorial debut in 1997 with Perfect Blue. He spent the rest of his career re-examining the line between reality and performance. He died in August 2010 at 46; his fifth film, Dreaming Machine, remains unfinished.
Perfect Blue is where it all started — a critique of the idol industry that has only gotten sharper with time.
Who are you?
One theater, one night, and a film that's been waiting 29 years to mess with you in person.