Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. (1990)

A streetwise New York police officer transforms into the world's most unusual superhuman hero.

Directors:

Michael Herz, Lloyd Kaufman

Writers:

Lloyd Kaufman (screenplay), Andrew Osborne (screenplay)

Stars:

Rick Gianasi, Susan Byun, Bill Weeden

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Rick Gianasi	...	Harry Griswold / Sgt. Kabukiman
Susan Byun	...	Lotus
Bill Weeden	...	Reginald Stuart
Thomas Crnkovich	...	Rembrandt
Larry Robinson	...	Rev. Snipes
Noble Lee Lester	...	Capt. Bender
Brick Bronsky	...	Jughead
Pamela Alster	...	Connie LaRosa
Shaler McClure	...	Felicia
Jeff Wineshmutz	...	Hernandez
Joe Fleishaker	...	Josephs
Fumio Furuya	...	Sato
Masahiro Yamaguchi	...	Ichiro
Traci Mann	...	Ichiro's Wife
The Blonde Fox	...	Waitress

Storyline

Harry Griswald is a NYPD cop who is possessed with the spirit of a great Kabuki master. This has made him 'the chosen one' to do battle with 'the evil one'. He is also out to do good deeds and fight crime in the name of the law. The only problem is that a number of corrupt people in the community and their henchmen want him dead so that they can gain power when 'the evil one' come to take over the world. Sgt. Kabukiman must use his special superpowers to outsmart and out-fight the bad guys.

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Plot Keywords:

murder of a nude woman | nudity | non comic book superhero | character name as title | nypd | 

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Taglines:

Fatal Sushi ... Lethal Chopsticks .. And As American As Apple Pie!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Fantasy | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Troma

Country:

Japan USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 March 1991 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Kabukiman

Filming Locations:

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Namco Tales Studio Ltd., GAGA, Troma Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The footage of the car crashing and flipping over has become a Troma trademark and in-joke. It was used again in Tromeo and Juliet (1996) and then as another inside joke (for those who spotted it in all three films) in Terror Firmer (1999).

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Goofs

When Lotus and Kabukiman are flying back up and past the villains, the camera and cameraman's shadow is cast behind them.

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Quotes

Lotus: Remove yourself from my body, you filthy oaf!

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Crazy Credits

Telephone Operators - Buzz E. Signal; Juan Morering

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Alternate Versions

In the PG-13 version, the murder of two children, three scenes of female topless nudity, a scene of cocaine use, all bloody impact wounds, a scene that implies fellatio and a woman being eaten by a tiger are censored or removed completely. They can be seen in the unrated director's cut.

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Connections

Edited into Tromeo and Juliet (1996)

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Soundtracks

Un Bel Di Vidremo
Performed by the Hamburg Radio Symphony Orchestra
Soprano: Bruna Rizzoli
Conductor: Napoleone Annovazzi
From the library of the Southern Library of Recorded Music, Los Angeles, California

User Reviews

Joeseph Campbell-esque metaphor on Society: A Smash of a Hit!

There are few artistic achievements that our race as a whole have produced, especially in the field of motion picture, that truly resonate within our psyche, leaving us profoundly altered. This film, Sgt. Kabuki Man, NYPD, is one of those achievements. It is a pure lancet of truth and hope that slices through the gossamar chains of society's current state of disrepair, a beacon in the fog for lost souls to reclaim there lives. Using the classic Joeseph Campbell idea of 'hero' and 'quest', this novel script shows that anyone, even one as societally dominated and oppressed as the protagonist Harry Griswold, possess the ability to totally revamp their lives into something meaningful and worthwhile. And indeed, it is the brilliantly woven script (by freshman writer Robert Koffey) that keeps the plot taunt and titillating, steeped in rich metaphors and symbolism. For example, during the initial kabuki transformation sequence after the goons have shot up the theater and the explosions have gone off, the main character can be seen frenching an old guy and then eating some worms. This is a perfect microcosm for the greater ideas that directors Michael Hurtz and Lloyd Kaufman feel we need to come to grips with in our own lives- suffer embarrassment and pain to feel redemption. Thank you, noble angels. I only hope your genius-work finds a receptive audience in the vapid teenage wasteland of suburban America.