SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D

SGT. KABUKIMAN N.Y.P.D

Bumbling NYPD cop becomes a superhero

Sergeant Harry Griswald is a perpetually scruffy New York cop — a man with no manners, no pressed suits, and no idea where his barber went. He dreams of going on a date with an attractive colleague, but his life is otherwise dull and uneventful — much like the voice-over narration he delivers in the style of classic film-noir detectives. One day, however, everything changes.

During a performance at the Kabuki Theater – a traditional form of Japanese stage art – Griswald foils an attack by brutal murderers targeting the Kabuki actors. One of the dying performers passes mystical powers to him through a kiss. The average cop transforms into a superhero in traditional kabuki makeup – Sergeant Kabukiman – and suddenly develops a taste for Japanese cuisine, enjoys raw fish, and bursts into operatic arias during fights. And quite impressively, too. Armed with new powers and deadly chopsticks, will he defeat evil and avenge the fallen actors?

This is a movie that simply couldn’t be made today. Only one man could have pulled it off – Lloyd Kaufman, one of the founding fathers of the legendary Troma Entertainment, and one of this year’s special festival guests. It’s been 35 years since the premiere of “Sergeant Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.”, yet it remains one of the most outrageous titles in Troma’s vast library. Cultural appropriation, bare breasts, savage satire, wildly funny takes on America’s social issues, and a slapstick story about a superhero in theatrical makeup – it’s all still as relevant today as ever. Perhaps even more so.

“Sergeant Kabukiman N.Y.P.D.” is widely regarded as one of the best films in the careers of Lloyd Kaufman and Michael Herz. Alongside “The Toxic Avenger,” this superhero became one of Troma’s signature icons and went on to appear in numerous other productions by the studio. Now, this cult phenomenon can finally be seen again on the big screen.