Releasing on Blu-Ray
today from Third Window Films, Tokyo Pop is a 1988 Romantic Comedy starring the
late Carrie Hamilton. The film follows Wendy (Carrie) as she leaves
New York for Japan to chase her dream of becoming a singer. With no real plans
on how to support herself, she ends up working in a karaoke bar before meeting
Hiro (Diamond Yuka). The pair bond through their love of music and Wendy becomes the
lead singer in Hiro’s band but the pair begin to struggle as Wendy has identity issues as a
foreigner in a city she can’t easily engage with and Hiro wonders what type of musician he would be without relying on Wendy to carry his band's Western inspired image.
The movie’s star, Carrie Hamilton, is the daughter of American comedy legend Carol Burnett. Carrie sadly died due to cancer complications in 2002 but had starred in project like 1988’s TV movie Hostage alongside her mother and had a prominent role in the TV version of Fame from 1986 to 1987. Tokyo Pop was a leading theatrical role for Carrie and allowed for her to show off the singing talent she had previously showcased in Fame, specifically with a scene where she covers the song (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and a ending sequence performing the main song "Never Forget".
The movie had fallen into obscurity by the time the Japan Society screened it in 2019. After the screening, preservation organization IndieCollect offered to restore the movie. With the original Canadian distributor no longer in business and only VHS copies on the market, IndieCollect sought out original prints for the film with the help of donations from Carrie’s mother Carol and known names like Dolly Parton. With the restoration now complete, this Blu-Ray is available to UK audiences for the first time and celebrates the unfulfilled potential of an actress taken too soon.
The Blu-Ray comes with a commentary track from director Fran Rubel Kuzui, most famous for directing Buffy the Vampire Slayer in 1992 (the movie, not the TV show of the same name). The slipcase edition of the release also comes with a booklet written by Fran about the creation of the movie and the efforts it took to restore the project.
Sources:
Third Window Films
