Maybe every rock band on Earth has a crazy backstage existence, worthy of exploring in a documentary film. Nevertheless, directors Michael Haertlein and Jonathan Yi hooked into a doozy of a subject with their small but entertaining new film, “Mad Tiger.”
The band in question is Peelander-Z, a madcap punk combo that pitches their act somewhere between a Japanese game show and “H. R. Pufnstuf.” The band members wear color-coded outfits and perform bizarre stunts during their raucous live performances, including a bit where one member dresses as a squid and is rolled into a set of oversized bowling pins.
The members of Peelander-Z are Japanese, although they have been based in Long Island for years. The film doesn’t take long to establish the group’s driving force: Peelander-Yellow, whose real name is Kengo Hioki.
With his hair and beard dyed yellow and outfits to match, Kengo is a spectacle unto himself. He admits the band is not about musical competence, but creating theater that makes people “happy happy.”
His wife, known onstage as Peelander-Pink, offers an insight about the group’s appeal. Speaking of both band and audience, she says, “People don’t often get the opportunity to act stupid.” (This was filmed before the current U.S. election cycle, obviously.)
The motive for the documentary is that one longtime member, Peelander-Red, is quitting the act. We tag along on Peelander-Z’s final tour and Red’s last show.
Red’s real name is Kotaro Tsukada, and his quiet demeanor offstage contrasts nicely with his antics on the stage. The film reveals the way Kotaro plays a subservient role to Kengo, and is tired of being bossed and bullied by him — although Kotaro doesn’t come out and say so.
As yellow-hued Kengo must figure out what to do without his most flamboyant performer, “Mad Tiger” shifts its focus to what will come next. A melancholy trip home to Japan suggests Kengo will be out of place even with his family.
“Mad Tiger” achieves a tricky balance: It captures how Peelander-Z can generate authentic fun at their shows while suffering turmoil from the personalities within. The more we see of Kengo (including moments when he orders the filmmakers to cut out the revealing conversation they’ve just recorded), the more he comes across as a thorny egomaniac.
There’s a lesson for us all. Even being stupid is complicated.
“Mad Tiger” (3 stars)
A small but entertaining look at the Japanese performance art/punk band Peelander-Z, captured during one member’s farewell tour. The crazy live act is contrasted with the tensions inside the band, whose leader comes across as a thorny egomaniac. In Japanese and English, with English subtitles.
Rating: Not rated; probably PG for subject matter
Showing: Grand Illusion theater
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