The 1961 film MOTHRA was a solo monster flick, featuring a giant caterpillar that then turns into a giant moth. This was not a versus movie but by introducing the character, it opened up many versus movies for the future. Mothra became a very popular monster in the Toho universe. For this synopsis I am using the DVD release on the ICONS OF SCI-FI TOHO COLLECTION, put out by Columbia Pictures. I watched the original Japanese version with English subtitles.
I started watching Godzilla movies at such an early age that to be honest, I do not remember a time when Toho monsters were not in my life. One monster that always stood out to me was Ghidorah, the three-headed space dragon. It’s design is wonderful and in my opinion, it is the greatest looking of all of Godzilla’s foes. According to WIKIZILLA, Ghidorah has appeared in eight films, though for me, his design in his original appearance, in the 1965 film GHIDORAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, is his best. For this KAIJU KONNECTION I am watching the Japanese version with English subtitles on the Classic Media DVD.
For this entry of KAIJU KONNECTION I am covering the first of a trilogy of Gamera movies that came out in the 90s known as the Heisei series. What Daiei was able to do with these three films was to exceed what could be done with special effects, both in the past and since! They have set the bar on men in a rubber suit movies showing that it is still a very viable way to make these films. For this blog, I am using the Blu-ray version of this film that came in the GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION by Arrow Films, reviewed by me HERE. I watched the Japanese-language version with English subtitles.
Welcome to another edition of KAIJU KONNECTION. In this entry I will be discussing the 1957 movie THE MYSTERIANS (CHIKYU BOEIGUN in Japanese, translated to Earth Defense Force), that came out a year after RODAN on December 28, 1957. This was the first Toho movie to utilize the new widescreen format known as TohoScope. For this film, director Ishiro Honda wanted to take a break from giant monsters and just do a science fiction film. The studio insisted that a kaiju be included though because of the popularity of both GODZILLA (1954) and RODAN (1956).
I grew up on Godzilla and Gamera movies. I just could not get enough of them and would scour the weekly TV Guide, trying to find any listings for these movies to be shown the following week. This was prior to VCR’s, so if I wanted to see the movie, I would have to be available at the time of broadcast or be made to wait until the next time it was put into rotation. Ahhh…the growing pains of being a child in the 1970’s.
One of my favorites of the Toho movies is the 1956 film RODAN, or Sora no Daikaijū Radon as it was known by its original Japanese title. This film was released in Japan on December 26, 1956 and then later in the United States on August 6, 1957. Personally I prefer the Japanese versions over the United States’ dubs but thankfully, in the case of RODAN, care was taken to maintain its serious tone and some of the editing actually helped the pacing of the film.
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