Tsukamoto Shinya’s latest update of his most famous movie has been chosen to compete at the upcoming 66th Venice Film Festival. “Tetsuo the Bullet Man” is the renowned director’s second sequel to his now 20-year-old cult movie “Tetsuo” (Tetsuo: The Iron Man) and his first English-language work. It’s not due for release until next year, but movies fans got the first 10-minute peek at the Comic-Con event in San Diego earlier this month. The original 1989 arthouse classic is regarded as one of the most groundbreaking and influential cyberpunk movies to have come out of Japan (or anywhere). Disturbing and nightmarish, it makes use of stop motion, a hardcore industrial soundtrack, and brutally stark imagery so that sitting through the relatively short 67 minutes is quite a challenge. The first sequel, “Tetsuo: Body Hammer,” was released in 1992. The lead character in the new movie is played by American actor Eric Bossick and all the dialog is in English, but the setting is once again Tokyo, which Tsukamoto describes as “a true cybercity – the most cyberpunk city in the world.” Though there are parallels that can be drawn with the 1988 cult anime movie “Akira,” Tsukamoto (49) has said his films have no connection with that movie’s Tetsuo character.
Snowblood’s Excellent review of the original “Tetsuo”.