From the director of House (1977) & His Motorbike, Her Island (1986).
Released months before lead Hiroko Yakushimaru’s breakthrough hit Sailor Suit and Machine Gun, Nobuhiko Obayashi’s first groundbreaking teenage idol picture is a dazzling mix of special effects and blue-screen artifice—a stylistic flair perfected in Obayashi’s debut House, now utilized for the onset of an alien invasion. Ordinary schoolgirl Yuka’s (Yakushimaru) new term comes to an odd start when she inexplicably stops an accident by using latent psychic powers. Troubled by her newfound abilities, Yuka also senses a strange force start to take hold of the school, with students turning into mind-controlled fascists, patrolling school halls, stifling dissent and mandating the re-education of freethinkers. A psychotronic fantasy forged into a young girl’s destiny to defend the planet, School in the Crosshairs is a cosmic overload of extraterrestrial tyrants, preternatural powers and Obayashi’s uniquely adroit filmmaking abilities, underlaid with an existential cry for free will.
Cult Epics website Exclusive: Reversible Slipcase art by Sam Smith + Japanese theatrical poster Postcard. Limited Edition of 500.
- Product Info
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Blu-ray Exclusive
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DVD
Special Features
- 2K Transfer & Restoration
- Audio Commentary by film critic Max Robinson
- Sailor Suits and Sound – Visual essay by Phillip Jeffries
- Obayashi Film Poster Gallery
- Theatrical Trailers
- New improved English subtitles
- New Slipcase art design by Sam Smith
- Reversible sleeve with original Japanese poster art
- First Pressing includes repro Japanese booklet (pamphlet)
- Web Exclusive: Reversible Slipcase art by Sam Smith (500)
- Web Exclusive: Japanese theatrical poster Postcard (500)
Technical Specs
Japan / 1981 / Color / Original Aspect Ratio 1.85:1 / 90 Mins / Japanese language with optional English subtitles / LPCM 2.0 Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround / DTS-HD MA 5.1 Surround
Special Features
- 2K Transfer & Restoration
- Audio Commentary by film critic Max Robinson
- Sailor Suits and Sound – Visual essay by Phillip Jeffries
- Obayashi Film Poster Gallery
- Theatrical Trailers
- New improved English subtitles
Technical Specs
Reviews
What sets School in the Crosshairs apart is its dreamlike atmosphere, courtesy of Ôbayashi’s innovative direction. The film’s use of vibrant colors, eerie landscapes, and unconventional narrative structure will keep you on the edge of your seat. – SIMKL
The School in the Crosshairs sees Obayashi uphold the same surrealist sensibility and relentless visual experimentation that marked his seminal horror opus House (1977), styled like a live action manga. – TheSpinningImage
If you loved the super colorful and crazy visuals of House, then you’ll adore the look and feel of School in the Crosshairs. – Forty90.com
