May Cult Night: Perfect Blue and Ghost in the Shell

Name: May Cult Night: Perfect Blue and Ghost in the Shell
Start: 2026-05-23T17:30:00-05:00
Location: Rivoli Theatre and Pizzeria

Schedule

Sat, 23 May, 2026 at 05:30 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Rivoli Theatre and Pizzeria | La Crosse, WI

Whenever we ask our audience what they want to see at Cult Night, one answer stands above the rest: anime! So this month we’re proud to bring you our first Ani-MAY Cult Night, featuring two of the most critically acclaimed and influential Japanese anime films ever made as they were meant to be experienced - on the big screen!
This stunning animation double bill kicks off with the 1997 psychological thriller Perfect Blue, a beautiful, mind-bending trip that follows the life of a popstar turned actress desperate to stay one step ahead of a murderous superfan. Next up is the anime that needs no introduction: 1995’s classic Ghost in the Shell, a striking, prescient science fiction masterpiece that raised the bar for all things cyberpunk.
As always, you can expect themed cocktails, limited edition buttons, plus preshow entertainment full of film facts, anime trailers and interviews with the directors behind these two visually breathtaking works of art.
5:30pm doors open with special pre-show entertainment
6:00pm PERFECT BLUE, 1997, R
(Japanese dub with English subtitles)
The directorial debut of anime visionary Satoshi Kon (Millennium Actress, Paprika), Perfect Blue is equal parts compelling Hitchcockian thriller and horrific exploration of identity fracture, seeking to explore (among its many themes) the way that the mind can blur the lines between reality and fiction. As the mystery around Mima grows, her ability to tell fact from fiction begins to fracture, and the film provides no easy answers as to what is true, and what is imagined. Critically acclaimed since its original 1997 release, Perfect Blue is also a searing critique of the exploitative nature of pop culture, recognized as one of the first films to portray how the internet breaks down barriers between the celebrity and the fan, leading to new levels of toxic codependency.

An undeniable influence on the work of directors such as Christopher Nolan and Darren Aronofsky, Perfect Blue is a dark, challenging pillar of cinematic art, one that’s sure to leave you asking questions long after the credits roll.
8:00pm GHOST IN THE SHELL, 1995, R
(Japanese dub with English subtitles)
Based on the groundbreaking manga by Masamune Shirow, 1995’s Ghost in the Shell is largely credited as the film that launched anime into the worldwide phenomenon it’s become today. This was partially by design, as Ghost in the Shell was the first anime film to be released simultaneously in Japan, Britain, and the United States, thereby bringing the genre to a more mainstream audience in the UK and US. Theatrically, the plan didn’t work, but the home video market changed all that, as the film became an international sleeper hit on video and DVD, becoming the first Japanese film to ever top the Billboard video sales chart. Ghost in the Shell also garnered its fair share of high profile Hollywood fans, with director James Cameron calling it “the first truly adult animation film to reach a level of literary and visual excellence,” and the Wachowskis using it as the visual blueprint for The Matrix.
A pioneering work of animation, imagination, and cyberpunk storytelling, Ghost in the Shell remains in a class all by itself to this day, and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you as it was intended – offline.