Day 8 @ MSPIFF 2016: 'Mad Tiger' Reviewed
The band Peelander-Z has been bringing their bizarre, punky and audience-participation-heavy stage show to American audiences for almost 15 years. They're like a marriage of Kiss, The Flaming Lips and Gwar, albeit a PG-13-rated version of the latter. And like Gwar had been for many years, the band is anchored by one man: Kengo Hioki, aka Peelander Yellow. He's Peelander-Z's heart and soul; a true believer who continually fights to keep his beloved project alive for as long as superhumanly possible.
Mad Tiger, which is the name of Peelander-Z's signature song, is a loving, warts-and-all tribute to Kengo and his outlandish band of mad men and women (including his wife, Yumiko Kanazaki, aka Peelander Pink). All members were born in Japan, but didn't meet up until each were living in New York City in the late 1990s. They've broken bones and teeth for their art through the years, and some members have had quite enough.
Longtime singer and bass player Kotaro Tsukada (Peelander Red) wants to get off the ride and try to open up his own bar, much to Kengo's violent dismay. While Kengo is largely a vibrant and lovable presence, he's also a tough commander to serve under, with an unyielding vision. Now approaching 50, he's forced to reassess his rock and roll dreams.
Peelander-Z will likely survive and thrive, ala Gwar, which has persevered through the loss of literally dozens of members, including its founder and leader. What this film does very well is capture the day-to-day struggle of a band to maintain its existence in the midst of internal strife and a dwindling audience. But most importantly, it captures the joy of music and performance, and that joy is contagious.
~Stephen Swanson
Mad Tiger is playing at 10 p.m. at Uptown Theatre in Minneapolis, and on Monday, April 18 at St. Anthony Main Theatre at 9:50 p.m.
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Other Highlights For Thursday, April 14
The Legend Of Swee' Pea (Benjamin May, USA) The true story of Lloyd Daniels, who made it to the NBA after struggling with crack cocaine addiction and surviving a brutal attempt on his life, is nothing short of riveting. (4:30)
They Will Have To Kill Us First (Johanna Schwartz, UK) Four different Malian musicians are highlighted in this documentary about the exile of artists in the Saharan country, which is trying to free itself of radical Islam. (4:35)
Schneider Vs. Bax ( Alex van Warmerdam, The Netherlands) A professional killer reluctantly takes a job on his birthday (much to the dismay of his dinner-party-throwing wife) to eliminate a boozy, middle-aged writer. (9:40)
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For the festival schedule, and a complete listing of all the movies being shown, click here. Ticket information is available here.
Throughout the entirety of the 2016 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival, WCCO.com will be spotlighting one notable movie each day, along with other notable screenings. To see WCCO.com's complete coverage on the MSPIFF, click here.
