The Legend of The Stardust Brothers is a 1985 Japanese musical comedy film written, edited, and directed by Makoto Tezuka and based of original music written by Haruo Chicada. The film follows punk rocker Kan and new wave singer Crooner two are brought together by a shady music mogul and transformed into the Stardust Brothers. They become a synth-pop duo and a sensation as their number one fan dreams of a music carer as well. Legend of the Stardust Brothers is a crazy wacky over the top comedy film that is worth a watch.
The direction in the film is good. The film has a great weird surreal style with different effects, the colour pallet in the film makes it look like a music video with the Stardust Brothers singing their musical song with a dance number. The film has an interesting style with the colour of the film turning black and white when they perform, as the film has a good weird crazy zany over the top style that works with the film’s comedy. The film is very meta with forth wall breaking moments as the film showcases the changing times of music with punk killing new wave. Within the film the music producer is like God as the classic band in the film are the other bands rivals and they have a fear of being left in the dust showing the ever-changing nature of the industry. The two rival bands the Stardust Brothers originally come from are a punk band and a new wave band. The film is shot is music video style with it being about music, this links into the themes of the music industry with the contract they are given is symbolic of a deal with the devil as well as selling out musically.
The film shows that in the music industry money controls all, as shown with the music company building is big and imposing. There is a lot of great surreal imagery such as the gurl they save form thugs turns into a turtle; the film also shows the power of the music industry as the thugs in the film submit to the company. One of the characters in the film is an over-the-top terrible female singer. When the three of them meet the record producer it is symbolic of meeting the devil as when they sign the contract to become stars it is symbolic of a deal with the devil. The producer creates a fake mythology around their music as a form of marketing. The film then showcases a montage sequence of the Stardust Brothers become big by preforming, this sequence shows that even though this is somewhat against their will as they are becoming styled and changed but they kind of like it. This film shows the rise of famous singers with media and singing training. Within the film they are literally and symbolically shown to be puppets and animals as their record is pumped out to the masses. This is a never-ending cycle with them getting richer. This is all juxtaposed with the reality of it all with them being exhausted and working like dogs, as this symbolically shows the corruption of power. This is all further shown in their assassination of them gaining fame and popularity. Through this montage they have a typical rise of famous rock stars. They have merchandise, are chased by girls, have photoshoots for magazines, go on talk shows, make music videos, are mobbed by fans, and accept awards. However, the film also shows the dark side of the entertainment industry with Minami experiencing sexism.
The film containing a brilliant surreal sequence where one of the members is lying down drunk and being attended to by a woman. The woman then turns into a monster creature with a brain for a head with a sucker on it. The guy is then chased by stop motion monsters and zombies. These zombies are doctors and nurses as they turn him into a bird as he flies through a field who is shot down as one of the members catches form an egg and is eaten. The film then switches to animation inside of the stomach as zombified versions of the band and fans chase after him, finally he then wakes up passed out drunk. This is an amazing surreal sequence that is brilliantly creative in its surrealism. Singo insists to perform despite being passed out drunk as people go and collect him and sober him up as Kan doesn’t care, this shows the classic situations stars go through during the music business. As this is all going on the companies are using them to control the world. This shows the classic rock star antics of the industry with producers and companies controlling all. The film Juxtaposes the rising star of Minami with the Stardust Brothers bad drunk rock star performance. The Stardust Brothers become washed up rock stars. Out with the old in with the new as Kaoru becomes another new rising star, knocking the Stardust Brothers out of the water as he is the son of an influential politician. This shows how money and power control all in these industries. The Stardust Brothers now have weighing fame as Kauro wants a scandal to get the girl as he is also a vampire. This shows the real-world effects of fading stars and scandals breaking up bands.
The film is a great mixture of surrealism and slapstick as shown with the teleporting car. Within this sequence the car drives through a random family’s house as they dress up in wedding dresses and suits. The film as great slapstick comedy moments with Minami turning into an Indiana Jones style ball and flattening them all. The film has a joyous nature to it, as well as a surrealness with Hitler being the mastermind behind it all. The film is comically surreal with the four of them teleporting under Hitler’s desk. It is revealed that Hitler is Kaoru’s father where it turns out its all a party. Minami is the accedently shot by kauro who he throughout was Marimo but was Singo in a dress who is arrested. The film despite all the zaniness as a sad tragedy to it. Minami dies in a beautifully stylised way signing doing a musical number. The film ends back in the present with Kan and Shingo still performing as the Stardust Brothers however they have fallen far form fame and now perform to an uninterested crowed. This shows the tragedy of washed up one hit wonders having dying careers. They then get shot and dies as Shingo and Minami drive of in the afterlife leaving Kan. The two of the lay there dead as the crowd applauds of the first time all night. This shows a tragic irony in the ending as in death they have finally found their love and appreciation for the first time in a long time.
The acting in the film is good. Shingo Kubota does a good job as Shingo a new wave signer turned on half of the Stardust Brothers. Kan Takagi does a good job as Kan a punk singer that becomes the other half of the Stardust Brothers. Kiyohiko Ozaki does a good job as Atomic Minami a music tycoon who controls everything. Kyoko Togawa does a good job as Marimo a up and coming female signer. Issay does a good job as Maoru a up and coming rival male signer.
The writing in the film is good. The film starts out in a classic 50s film style as the Stardust Brothers perform their song. The film shows them as washed-up rock stars as they get drunk on stage as the performance is sponsored by alcohol as throughout the show, they get no applause and argue all the time. They are a band out of time, the film then flashbacks to the beginning were a music producer sees potential in both of there original bands. Backstage it is shown they were both park of different bands just trying to make it big, as another band bigger than both is leaving them both in the dust. A music producer then approaches the singers of both bands, Kan of the punk band London Boots and Singo of the new wave band Supercars. He offers them a large sum of money and says he can make the stars in a week if they sign however hey must perform as a duo. This showcases the themes of the producer controlling all and manipulating the stars. However, its shown money controls all as they both rock up to the dystopian looking building. They end up saving a girl from being beaten up by two thugs as she begs them to help her see the president but is terrible, highlighting the problems of normal people wanting to be stars. A spy robot drone in the studio then chases after her. The record producer sates he can make them stars in a week if they sign the contract and work together as a duo like a deal with the devil. At first, they decline and get into an augment, but Marimo calms them down stating she will make all the fans. Shingo gives him his bands tape, but it is destroyed. The producer is in command as they a to be reborn anew with their own fake mythology under the name the stardust brothers.
The film then has a montage sequence of the stardust brother becoming big. The film shows the music signer troupes with them performing and against their will and being stylised and changed however they kind of like it, as they have media and singing training. They are being treated like literally puppets and animals as the record is being pumped out and adored by the masses as the cycle continues and they all get richer. The brothers end up tired, wondering if they can become stars the company says they are both half a star and they and become one, which showcases how artificiality creates stars. Marimo also now has some level of power being the president of the fan club. They ascend gaining fame and popularity through a montage. This is shown through merchandise, them being chased by girls, having photoshoots for magazines, going on talk shows, doing music videos, being mobbed by fans, and accepting awards. This shows the craziness of there rise to stardom. Kauro by comparison is treated a lot like a pet whilst Singo and Kan are treated like Rockstar’s going out on partiers. The film has a fantastic surreal dream sequence were one of the members is lying there drunk and is being attended to by a woman. The woman then turns into a monster creature with a brain head and sucker as well as zombie stop motion monsters. Zombie doctors and nurses then turn him into a bird as he flies though a field who is shot down and hatches from an egg and is eaten. In his stomach there is an animation sequence as his swarmed by zombies’ bands and fans however it turns out he was just passed out drunk.
Singo ends up unable to perform as he is pass out drunk and people go and collect him and sober him up for the gig despite Kan not caring showcasing how they are out of control egotistical Rockstar’s as they are using them to control the world. As a result, Marimo sings a song to audience and becomes a new rising star, in juxtaposition to this Singo preforms solo and runs around stripping naked he is a washed-up Rockstar. By comparison Kaoru is another rising Rockstar now knocking the stardust brothers out of the water as he is the son of an influential politician, the stardust brothers by comparison now have weighting fame playing in bars. The stardust brothers are now getting beaten up by the same thugs that used to kiss their arses, as Kauro uses his power to save them. This is to show the stardust brothers as weighting stars. The stardust brothers have now become down on their luck bums, but Marimo states she will help them as she’s a rising star, Kan however refuses and is fed up with it all he wants to start again, and they deice to do so form scratch. As this is going on Issay want a scandal to get Marimo as he malfunctions like a robot. The stardust brothers beat up the guards and find out where Marimo is as Kauro chases he down in a slapstick car chase, as the car teleports and drives through a random family’s house as they dress up in wedding dresses and suits. Minamo then turns into an Indiana jones ball flattening them all as Kauro is swarmed by his fans as they escape. They use the teleporting car to disappear as the mastermind behind it is Hitler in an inane crazy over the top twist. All four of them teleport under Hitler’s desk as Hitler is revealed to be Kaoru’s son as it all turns into a party. Minami ends up accidently shot by Kauro who he thought was Minamo but it was actuality Singo in a dress who is arrested as Minami dies singing doing a musical number in a genuine emotional moment. The film climaxes back in present day as Kan and Shingo still performing as the Stardust Brothers, however they have fallen far from fame and perform to an uninterested crowd. They then get shot and die on stage as Shingo and Minamo drive off to the afterlife leaving Kauro behind. The two of them lay there dead as the crowd applauds them form the first time all night. This showcases how even the biggest stars are now reduced to a failed at and die with people not caring.
The cinematography in the film is good. The film has a good use of black and white old looking film and colour footage. The film has a good use of upside-down camerawork, as well as colour and black and white footage. The film has decent cinematography throughout as the film is shot like a music video. The film as good use of harsh moody lighting and a good use of montage editing. The film has a good use purple lighting and a good spinning camera technique. The film uses monochrome as well as fast forward footage as well as old fashioned footage of an audience being used as the acts perform.
The special effects in the film are enjoyably cheesy. The film uses good practical effects of a giant dollar bill and enjoyable green screen effects. The film has cool particle props like a turtle shell, the film also has a cool artificial look to it with the building and light sky city with shooting stars. The film has good effects with exploding radios and cool set design with a keyboard staircase. The film has a good use of costume design with monster and zombie costumes. The film has cool practical effects of a bird and an egg. There is good effect were a small version of Mair falls out of a ball, the film also has a good teleporting effect of the car disappearing. The film has a cool latex mask of Hitler and blood effects. The film has good gun shot effects like fireworks, the film also has good greenscreen effects and star effects.
Legend of the Stardust Brothers is a great, cool, wacky, crazy over the top film that cult film fans should watch.