The Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition of the original is here, covering over 25 new films including Warning from Space (1956), Half Human (1957), The Birth of Japan (1959), The Whale God (1962), The Lost World of Sinbad (1963), Great Yokai War (1968), Voyage Into Space (1970), Submersion of Japan (1973), 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army (1974), The Bermuda Depths (1978) and Attack of the Super Monsters (1982) to name only a few. And, delve even deeper into the Japanese kaiju movies that you love with new trivia and production information on every entry from the Godzilla, Gamera and Daimajin series.
Nessie. Bride of Godzilla. Gamera vs. Wyvern. Mothra vs. Bagan. Batman Meets Godzilla. All fans have heard of these tantalizing lost films, but few know of their full histories...until now. With information straight from the Japanese sources learn how Gamera was made in 1965 to make use of miniature sets made for a disastrous movie about giant rats called Giant Horde Beast Nezura which was partially shot in 1963. Marvel at a blind Godzilla's battle with the invisible monster Chamelegon in Tokyo S.O.S.: Godzilla's Suicide Strategy! Watch in amazement as Godzilla and Kong battle in the flames of Mt. Aso in Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla! Explore the tortured history of the Toho/Hammer team-up Nessie about a kaiju-sized Loch Ness Monster. Recoil in horror at the sights of Great Prophecies of Nostradamus, a 1974 film so controversial that a self-imposed ban was placed on it by Toho. Baffle at Hanuman, the monkey monster of Thailand's Chaiyo Studios which teamed with Ultraman and his brethren in 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army. Puzzle over a psychedelic Italian colorized version of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! code-named "Cozzilla." Then uncover the $100,000 fan made epic Legendary Beast Wolfman vs. Godzilla! But that's not all-this book also contains essays by kaiju fan experts such as Dr. Ayame Chiba, Stan Hyde, Mark Jaramillo and Ted Johnson on subjects as diverse as unmade Kong films to heretofore unknown independent films like Atragon 2 and Wanigon vs. Gamaron!
"What's this?" you ask, "Another crudely fan produced book of reviews and boring synopses of Toho's Godzilla films?" Not quite, if you're a seasoned Godzilla fan like the author eager for new information on old classics, this is in fact the book for you. Not only does it cover Toho's dai kaiju eiga (even the rarely seen Daigoro vs. Goliath), but for the first time in America offers reviews, trivia and detailed production information on all of Daiei's classic Gamera films, Toei's Legend of Dinosaurs and Monster Birds, and even the Shaw Brother's Mighty Peking Man to name a few. Still think you already know it all about Japanese giant monster films? Did you know that King Seesar originally had antlers and was named King Barugan? Or that Tadao Takashima refused to fly to Guam for on location filming for Son of Godzilla? Or that Katsumi Nimiamoto, who played Titanosaurus in Terror of Mechagodzilla, was also the acrobatic hero of Ultraman Leo on TV? Don't know who Tadao Takashima or Katsumi Nimiamoto are, don't worry this book will tell you that too. If you think you've already read every good book on Japanese Giant Monsters think again. Wait there's more!!!! This book also offer bonus entries on non-kaiju films like Battle in Outer Space, Toho's Hammer horror inspired "Bloodthirsty Trilogy" and Agon the Atomic Dragon to name only a few. What other authors are saying about The Big Book of Japanese Monster Movies: "John LeMay's wonderful The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Vol. 1 (1954-1980) is a love letter to all those great Showa Era sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies from the Land of the Rising Sun. LeMay's enthusiasm is contagious, his prose pumped, his insights enjoyable. And besides all that, LeMay offers great trivia about these movies, some of which even an oldster like me didn't know! Highly recommended nostalgic fun for new and old fans alike. Now I can't wait for Volume 2!"-Mike Bogue, author of Atomic Drive-In "John LeMay has done it again! The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies is loaded with fun facts, well written reviews and loads of interesting historical footnotes and trivia. John has this informal yet formal writing style that makes the book a breeze to read and yet well layered as well. I kind of hate him for making it look so easy! I highly recommend this book, and hopefully it will come out in a non-digital edition for us old fogies that like to hold actual books when we read them!"-David McRobie, Editor of Xenorama Magazine
From the 1950s onwards, far eastern filmmakers from Japan, China, and Korea--but mostly Japan--cranked out a bevy of dai kaiju ("giant strange beast") movies. This guidebook covers not only all the Godzilla and Gamera movies produced during Japan's Showa Era (1954-1989), but also offshoots like Yongary, Monster From the Deep (1967), Agon, the Atomic Dragon (1968), Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972), Legend of Dinosaurs and Monster Birds (1977), and more! Also covered are a bevy of famous tokusatsu ("special effects") films like Invisible Man vs. the Human Fly (1957), Submersion of Japan (1973), and Virus (1980). From classics like King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) to obscure rarities like 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army (1974), this book has got it all!
The Kaiju (strange monster or strange beast) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. Since the seminal King Kong 1933) and the archetypal Godzilla (1954), kaiju has mined the subject matter of science run amok, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism and pollution. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre--the major franchises, along with less well known films like Kronos (1957), Monsters (2010) and Pacific Rim (2013). The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how the genre continues to reflect national values to audiences.
Special effects films from Japan are about as inventive as they come. But wait until you read about the ones they didn't make such as FRANKENSTEIN VS. THE HUMAN VAPOR, INVISIBLE MAN VS. THE HUMAN TORCH, and AFTER JAPAN SINKS. Also covered are rare films that never made their way to America, like FEARFUL ATTACK OF THE FLYING SAUCERS (1956).
A collection of reviews for the 1,000 most important, popular, and influential movies of all time. While critiques of beloved Hollywood milestones from Stanley Kubrick, Steven Spielberg, Alfred Hitchcock, and Orson Welles are all included, this book is notably a resource for the modern cinema buff and student. Nowhere else can one find this curated collection of reviews with such special features as lists of best films by category and year, as well as unique recommendations and sidebars for the modern viewer--including what to watch and how: from DVD and Blu-Ray to streaming platforms. In an era when most students and fans of film simply rely on the Internet for information, this category killer will prove its worth as a relevant and indispensable gift and reference.
So, think you know all there is to know about the Heisei and Millennium Godzilla and Gamera films? Think you couldn't possibly learn anything new about them? Think again, this sequel to The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies Vol 1: 1954-1980 picks up in 1984 covering not only The Return of Godzilla, but even the kaiju space whales of Sayonara Jupiter. From there explore the bizarre history of Pulgasari (1985) shot in North Korea by a director kidnapped by Kim Jong-Il, then take a dip with the plesiosaur prop from Toho's aborted Nessie movie used in Princess from the Moon (1987). Next up, chart the highs and lows of Toho's Heisei Godzilla series and Yamato Takeru (1994). Witness the ascension of Gamera and Mothra after the death of Godzilla in 1995's Godzilla vs. Destroyah. Then wonder at the many strange dai-kaiju eiga produced after the Millennium Godzilla series finished its run such as Big Man Japan (2007) and Monster X Strikes Back (2008). Still think you know it all about dai kaiju eiga? Did you know the original story concept for Mothra 3 had the big bug battling Rodan in feudal Japan? Or that Yumi Kanayama was the first ever female suit performer as Super Gyaos in Gamera Guardian of the Universe? Did you know 1984's The Return of Godzilla actually evolved from an attempt to revive 1955's aborted Bride of Godzilla script? Or that the 1998 Godzilla actually caused popular toy company Trendmasters to go bankrupt? If you think you've already read every good book on Japanese Giant Monsters, think again! Wait there's more!!! This book also offers reviews of Tsuburaya Production's Ultraman movies starting with 2004's Ultraman: The Next going all the way up to 2012's Ultraman Saga in addition to Bonus Reviews for films like Toho's Gunhed (1989).
In 1954, a massive irradiated dinosaur emerged from Tokyo Bay and rained death and destruction on the Japanese capital. Since then Godzilla and other monsters, such as Mothra and Gamera, have gained cult status around the world. This book provides a new interpretation of these monsters, or kaiju-ū, and their respective movies. Analyzing Japanese history, society and film, the authors show the ways in which this monster cinema take on environmental and ecological issues--from nuclear power and industrial pollution to biodiversity and climate change.
“An appreciation of Japanese fantasy-film history through the eyes of a filmmaker whose name is obscure but populism remains influential.” —Chicago Tribune Ishiro Honda, arguably the most internationally successful Japanese director of his generation, made an unmatched succession of science fiction films that were commercial hits worldwide. From the atomic allegory of Godzilla and the beguiling charms of Mothra to the tragic mystery of Matango and the disaster and spectacle of Rodan, The Mysterians, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Honda’s films reflected postwar Japan’s anxieties and incorporated fantastical special effects, a formula that created an enduring pop culture phenomenon. Now, in the first full account of this overlooked director’s life and career, Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski shed new light on Honda’s work and the experiences that shaped it—including his days as a reluctant Japanese soldier, witnessing the aftermath of Hiroshima, and his lifelong friendship with Akira Kurosawa. The book features close analysis of Honda’s films (including, for the first time, his rarely seen dramas, comedies, and war films) and draws on previously untapped documents and interviews to explore how creative, economic, and industrial factors impacted his career. Fans of Godzilla and tokusatsu (special effects) film, and of Japanese film in general, will welcome this in-depth study of a highly influential director who occupies a uniquely important position in science fiction and fantasy cinema, as well as world cinema. “Provides the reader with a lasting sense of the man—his temperament, values, philosophies, dreams, and disappointments?behind some of cinema’s most beloved characters.” —Film Comment
