Young American singer moves to Japan to find success. When this film opened, Carrie Hamilton got the kind of raves a novice actress can only dream about. Above the movie's advertisement in the L.A. Times were blurbs from critics claiming her to be the next big thing (they reminded me of the reviews Liza Minnelli got for "The Sterile Cuckoo"). Unfortunately, few people went to see "Tokyo Pop"; one look at it and you'll know why. The low-budget film relies too much on its pallid soundtrack and the main character's sass, leaving no room for local flavor or any sort of lasting ambiance. Years later, Sofia Coppola showed how this sort of thing should be done, but "Tokyo Pop" didn't have the right people behind it. Hamilton is fair, but needed a stronger script and director; the bubblegummy material she works with here would defeat anybody. * from ****
Review of Tokyo Pop
