SciFi Japan

    Godzilla gets caught in an ice storm in SON OF GODZILLA, showing this month on Turner Classic Movies. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Source: Turner Classic Movies Godzilla makes his first appearance on Turner Classic Movies this month when the cable channel airs SON OF GODZILLA at 2:15 pm EST on Thursday, July 31. SON OF GODZILLA (1967): Scientists get caught in the middle when Godzilla fights to protect his newborn son from prehistoric monsters. 86 mins, Eastmancolor, Letterbox Format Director: Jun Fukuda Cast: Tadao Takashima (Dr Kusumi) Akira Kubo (Goro Maki) Beverly Maeda (Reiko Matsumiya) Akihiko Hirata (Fujisaki) Yoshio Tsuchiya (Furukawa) Kenji Sahara (Morio) Susumu Kurobe (Pilot) Director Of Photography: Kazuo Yamada Writers: Shinichi Sekizawa & Kazue Shiba Producer: Tomoyuki Tanaka Editing: Ryohei Fujii Music: Masaru Sato Art Director: Takeo Kita Visual Effects: Eiji Tsuburaya & Sadamasa Arikawa Sound: Shin Tokai Production Company: Toho Company Ltd

    Catch Godzilla on the big screen this weekend in San Francisco. © 2001 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, and Baragon return to California Source: San Francisco Bay Guardian This weekend’s “midnight movie” at San Francisco’s Landmark Clay Theatre will be GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (Gojira, Mosura, Kingughidora: Daikaiju Soshingeki, 2001), the popular Godzilla film from director Shusuke Kaneko (the Gamera trilogy, DEATH NOTE). GMK will be shown both Friday, November 17 and Saturday, 18 at 11:59pm. The Landmark Clay is located at 2261 Filmore (at the corner of Clay) in San Francisco, CA 94115. Tickets can be ordered from Moviefone on their website or at 771-FILM #096. For additional info, contact the theater at (415) 267-4873.

    Catch GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH and GMK on the big screen this weekend! © 1995/2001 Toho Co., Ltd.

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    The Dryden Theatre screens GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH and GMK this weekend Source: John Yeara Official Site: George Eastman House Godzilla returns once again to the Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY: FRIDAY, AUGUST 11 DOUBLE FEATURE: Two films for one regular admission price! 7:00 PM – GODZILLA VS DESTOROYAH (Gojira tai Desutoroia, 1995) A monster spawned from the Oxygen Destroyer challenges Godzilla, who is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown! Director Takao Okawara, 103 minutes, English language version 9:00 PM – GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK (Gojira, Mosura, Kingughidora: Daikaiju Soshingeki, 2001) Godzilla returns to symbolic roots as he faces off with three guardian monsters in this acclaimed film. Director Shusuke Kaneko, 105 minutes, in Japanese with English subtitles The double feature will be introduced by Rochester’s local Godzilla authority John Yeara. John will briefly discuss the most popular actors and actresses from the Godzilla series,

    The original Japanese GODZILLA will be playing at the Dryden Theatre this Friday night. Photo courtesy of Rialto Pictures. © 1954 Toho Co., Ltd./© 2004 Rialto Pictures

    Godzilla - Toho

    The Dryden Theatre Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Rialto Pictures with GODZILLA on December 7 Source: John Yeara Official Site: George Eastman House GODZILLA (Gojira) returns to Rochester, New York this week with a special screening of the original, uncut Japanese version of the 1954 classic. The film is being shown as part of the "Ten Years of Rialto Pictures" tribute at the historic Dryden Theatre. Founded by Bruce Goldstein in 1997, Rialto Pictures specializes in re-releases of classic movies. Starting with the Mike Nichols hit THE GRADUATE (1967), the company has released some of the most acclaimed films in international cinema— Jean-Luc Godard`s CONTEMPT (Le Mepris, 1963) and BAND OF OUTSIDERS (Bande a Part, 1964), Federico Fellini`s JULIET OF THE SPIRITS (Giulietta degli Spiriti, 1965) and NIGHTS OF CABIRIA (Le Notti de Cabiria, 1957), Jean-Pierre Melville’s LE CERCLE ROUGE (1970), Carol Reed’s THE THIRD MAN

    Godzilla returns to the big screen! The New York Asian Film Festival is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance for free tickets to the New York premiere of ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2. Godzilla is © Toho Co., Ltd. © 2007 Always2 Film Partners

    Godzilla - Toho

    See the Award-Winning Film (and Godzilla’s Cameo) for Free, Courtesy of NYAFF and SciFi Japan Source: Subway Cinema/New York Asian Film Festival Special Thanks to Madalena Tran and Grady Hendrix ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2 (Always-Zoku San-Chome no Yuhi) 2007, 147 min., 35mm. Directed by Takashi Yamazaki. With Hidetaka Yoshioka, Shinichi Tsutsumi and Koyuki. In Japanese with English subtitles. Co-presented with JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Film. New York Premiere. Another lavish blockbuster from Japan, but this time around the residents of Third Street return and the good times are killing them. Tokyo`s hosting the 1964 Olympics, the economy is booming, houses are filling up with modern appliances but something`s gotten lost in the shuffle. Will Third Street be destroyed by Japan`s bubble economy? Or maybe it`ll be destroyed by Godzilla? Seriously… The sequel to the 2005 blockbuster ALWAYS- SUNSET ON

    Godzilla fans can vote on which of these four new monsters will make it into the new GODZILLA: UNLEASHED video game. Top row: Magmouth and Firelion. Bottom row: The Visitor and Lighning Bug. Photos courtesy of Atari, Inc. © 2007 Atari, Inc.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Godzilla Fans - Vote Now! Source: Atari, Inc. Special Thanks to John “Dutch” DeSentis Atari and Pipeworks present the first ever GODZILLA: UNLEASHED New Monster Vote. Now is your chance to shape the future of Toho`s Godzilla universe and help bring a completely new monster to life. Running until April 4th, IGN is hosting the vote where fans get to choose one of four new monsters to be created for the GODZILLA: UNLEASHED video game that will be coming out fall 2007 from Atari. For more information and to vote now please visit the IGN website. The art team responsible for designing the new monsters explained, “Throughout the entire process, our underlying goal was to arrive at monsters that we felt were fresh, would fit into the Godzilla genre, and would fit into the group factions as delineated in the design doc for the game. We initially

    On August 3, the Egyptian Theatre will premiere BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE. The all-new documentary features exclusive interviews with filmmakers behind Japan`s greatest monster movies and shows. Top row: Toho President/Executive Producer Shogo Tomiyama, GODZILLA star Akira Takarada, MOTHRA star Hiroshi Koizumi, Tsuburaya Dream Factory President Akira Tsuburaya, Godzilla series FX Director Teruyoshi Nakano. Bottom row: Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima, Ultraman series Producer/Director Takeshi Yagi, the Toho special effects art staff (Toshio Miike, Akinori Takagi, Yasuyuki Inoue, Toshio Aoki), Millennium Godzilla suit actor Tsutomu Kitagawa. © 2008 Classic Media, Inc.

    Godzilla - Toho

    BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE and Two Toho Classics at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood! Source: American Cinematheque Special Thanks to Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle Japanese giant monsters return to Hollywood with a great Toho triple feature at the Egyptian Theatre. First up will be the premiere screening of Classic Media`s brand-new, Toho authorized documentary BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE. Filmed entirely on location in Japan, BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE includes exclusive interviews with filmmakers, special-effects artists, monster suit actors and the stars of GOJIRA, MOTHRA VS. GODZILLA, INVASION OF ASTRO-MONSTER and other classic films. Featuring appearances by Akira Takarada, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Shogo Tomiyama, Haruo Nakajima, Kenpachiro Satsuma, Tsutomu "Tom" Kitagawa, Shusuke Kaneko, Teruyoshi Nakano, Akira Tsuburaya, Ryuji Honda, Shinichi Wakasa, Yasuyuki Inoue, Toshiro Aoki, Akinori Takagi, Toshio Miike, Shiro Sano, others, plus original music by GMK and Gamera composer Kow Ohtani. After

    The series starts this Saturday with a double feature of 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH and SON OF GODZILLA. © 1957 Columbia Pictures

    Godzilla - Toho

    Official Site: Detroit Film Theatre Special Thanks to Kyle Byrd Starting this Saturday at 2:00pm, the Detroit Film Theatre in Detroit, MI presents seven consecutive weekends of monster and fantasy movie matinees on the big screen. The first half of each double feature will be a restored 35mm print of one of Ray Harryhausen`s classic stop-motion animation films, followed by a bonus second movie from Toho Studios. From the theater website: Saturday, June 16, 2:00 PM 20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH (USA—1957—directed by Nathan Juran) An American rocket ship returns from a trip to Venus, splashing down near the coast of Sicily. Along with its sole human survivor is a very much alive Venusian monster known as an Ymir, which soon grows to mammoth proportions in Earth’s atmosphere. Hopped up on his diet of sulphur and none too pleased with being poked and prodded by

    Godzilla faces off with Kumonga in SON OF GODZILLA preproduction art by Yasuyuki Inoue. Illustration courtesy of the artist. © 1967 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    An Appreciation for an Unappreciated Film Author: Aaron Cooper Special Thanks to Bob Johnson and Jim Ballard Contents: SON OF GODZILLA: THE SCORE Certain films get very little respect, and not always for the correct reasons. Some of us at SciFi Japan decided to take a fresh approach at lesser appreciated films and at least argue the merits of why they deserve another glance. Why is a film like SON OF GODZILLA so reviled by fans? Perhaps it is the introduction of an offspring for the monster, or how that offspring is portrayed? Or the wildly different Godzilla design used for the suit in this film? Perhaps the South Seas Island backdrop is disappointing for those wanting more urban destruction? Maybe it’s a foggy nostalgia mixing Saturday night creature features with Saturday morning cartoons? It seems many people

    The original Japanese version of MOTHRA plays Rochester, New York next month. © 1961 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    The Dryden Theatre presents two Toho kaiju films on the big screen this July Official Site: George Eastman House On July 27, Godzilla returns to Rochester, New York for the third year in a row as the historic Dryden Theatre hosts a Toho kaiju double-feature. From the Dryden Theatre website... FRIDAY, JULY 27 DOUBLE FEATURE: Two films for one regular admission price! 7:00 PM - MOTHRA (MOSURA, Ishiro Honda, Japan 1961, 91 min., Japanese with subtitles, 35mm) Two identical six-inch princesses (who sing and talk in unison) are kidnapped from their remote island home by an evil showman. They are pursued all the way to Tokyo by their protector, a giant caterpillar that smashes buildings, spins a cocoon, and becomes a giant moth. Perhaps the only contender for Godzilla’s title of most-beloved Japanese monster movie, MOTHRA, shown here in its original Japanese-language version, is a true classic.

    Ad for the Austin Wind Symphony`s 'Creature Features' concert. Advertising art © 2007 Austin Wind Symphony

    Godzilla - Toho

    Concert Features Akira Ifukube’s Music for KING KONG VS GODZILLA Source: The Austin Wind Symphony Just a reminder for all the Godzilla fans in Texas that The Austin Wind Symphony`s "Creature Features" concert will take place this Friday, October 19th. The show starts at 8:00 p.m. and will be held at the Bethany Lutheran Church in South Austin. For directions and a list of the pieces being performed visit the "Creature Features" website. The concert will feature music from JAWS (1975), BATMAN (1989), GREMLINS (1984), PSYCHO (1960), BEETLEJUICE (1988), JURASSIC PARK (1993), plus a special tribute to STAR WARS. It will be of special interest to Godzilla fans as it includes a world premiere performance of a suite of music from KING KONG VS GODZILLA. Prepared specially for The Austin Wind Symphony, the suite will include some of the most recognizable pieces from the incredible 1962

    Tadao Takashima and his frequent co-star Yu Fujiki woo the natives of Faro Island in KING KONG VS GODZILLA. © 1962 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Author: Oki Miyano and Keith Aiken Source: NTV, Sports Hochi On June 26 at 9:00pm, Japan’s Nippon Television Network will air a 2 hr drama entitled BATTLE AGAINST DEPRESSION- THE STORY OF THE TAKASHIMA FAMILY: SIX YEARS OF LOVE AND FIGHTING. The television movie chronicles actor Tadao Takashima’s (KING KONG VS GODZILLA, ATRAGON, FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD) long struggle with depression. Born July 27, 1930 in Kobe, Takashima was a talented jazz drummer and musician before switching to acting. He joined Shintoho in 1951 and appeared in such movies as YOUTHFUL JAZZ DAUGHTER (Seishun Jazu Musume, 1953) and FEARFUL INVASION OF THE FLYING SAUCERS (Sora to Guenban Kyonu Shingeki, 1956). After moving to Toho Studios, Takashima was paired with Yu Fujiki (GODZILLA VS THE THING) for a handful of musicals and salaryman comedies. In 1962, director Ishiro Honda chose the duo for leading

    BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE documentary producer Steve Ryfle (right) interviews GODZILLA star Akira Takarada. Ryfle finds himself on the other side of the microphone for this week`s radio show OFF-RAMP. © 2008 Toho Co., Ltd. /Classic Media, Inc.

    Godzilla - Toho

    OFF-RAMP interview with documentary producer Steve Ryfle airs tomorrow Source: NPR Offical Site: Off-Ramp The National Public Radio show OFF-RAMP covers news and events in Southern California. For this week`s show, OFF-RAMP takes a look at the new documentary BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE, which will premiere August 3 at the Egyptian Theatre. Host John Rabe also interviews BRINGING GODZILLA producer Steve Ryfle. From the press release... OFF-RAMP with John Rabe -- August 2, 2008 This time: We go panning for gold in the San Gabriel River just 15 minutes from Azusa. Learn panning techniques, hear the toll the obsession exacts on its victims, and meet the “mayor” of Nugget Alley. When Charlie Perry took the LA Times buyout this year, the paper lost a renaissance man. We’ll start a series of interviews with Perry, who resume includes rooming with a counterculture icon, observing the

    The popular GMK is back on the big screen this weekend. © 2001 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    The Dryden Theatre presents two Toho kaiju films on the big screen Author: John Yeara Official Site: George Eastman House On Friday, July 27th, the historic Dryden Theatre in Rochester, NY continues it`s summer tradition of monster double features. This time they are showing the original MOTHRA and, in a change from the original schedule, they will be following that with GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK. The originally scheduled GODZILLA VS KING GHIDORAH could not be obtained as Sony Pictures has had a problem with the print. Both films will be preceded by brief lectures from local Godzilla authority John Yeara. From the Dryden Theatre website... FRIDAY, JULY 27 DOUBLE FEATURE: Two films for one regular admission price! 7:00 PM - MOTHRA (MOSURA, Ishiro Honda, Japan 1961, 91 min., Japanese with subtitles, 35mm) Two identical six-inch princesses (who sing and talk in

    Godzilla rocks out today with two hours of Japanese monster music on the HORROR HOLOCAUST show. © 2006 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Source: Portland Radio Authority, Kyle Yount Today Friday, November 23 at 2:00pm the Portland Radio Authority’s show HORROR HOLOCAUST will have an episode devoted to “Japanese Monster Mayhem”. For two hours, hosts DJ Fulci and Damien Karras will play music, audio clips, and rarities from Godzilla, Gamera, Rodan, Ghidorah, Mothra, Mechagodzilla and other Japanese monster movies, mixed with conversation with special guest Kyle Yount of the Shrine of Gamera. HORROR HOLOCAUST can be heard on the Portland Radio Authority website. Just click on one of the "128 mp3 stream" links to open the show in a web-enabled mp3 player and spend the day after Thanksgiving enjoying two hours of kaiju music!

    ACCURACY OF DEATH. Photo courtesy of NYAFF. © 2008 SWEET RAIN Film Partners

    Godzilla - Toho

    Source: Subway Cinema Special Thanks to Madalena Tran and Grady Hendrix NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2008 JUNE 20 - JULY 6 at the IFC Center and Japan Society The New York Asian Film Festival is back like a bad dream, ready to cleanse the dirt from your soul with a barrage of sparkling, super-powered movies straight out of Asia. It’s a seventeen day orgy of new films from Takashi Miike, Johnnie To, Hur Jin-Ho, Koji Wakamatsu and Shinji Aoyama. Plus, our first-ever documentary (YASUKUNI) and our first movies from Indonesia (KALA) and Vietnam (THE REBEL). For the first fourteen days (June 20-July 6), NYAFF 2008 screenings will take place at the IFC Center. The final four days of the Festival (July 3 – July 6) will be held at Japan Society, where we’ll be co-presenting several films as part of their JAPAN CUTS:

    The American Cinematheque will screen 12 classic Akira Kurosawa films this month at the Aero Theatre. RASHOMON © 1950 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. YOJIMBO, RAN, SEVEN SAMURAI © Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Source: American Cinematheque Beginning tomorrow and running thru the end of January, the American Cinematheque`s Aero Theatre will screen a dozen films by the legendary director Akira Kurosawa. The lineup includes such masterpieces as RASHOMON, YOJIMBO, RAN, THRONE OF BLOOD, and SEVEN SAMURAI. The Aero Theatre is located at 1328 Montana Avenue at 14th Street in Santa Monica, CA 90403. Ticket prices to the theater are $10.00 general, $8.00 students and seniors, and $7.00 for American Cinematheque members. Double features are two films for one ticket price. Tickets can be purchased at the theater box office and on fandango.com. Complete ordering instructions, parking info, and directions are available on the Aero Theatre website. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ In A Lonely Place - Akira Kurosawa Retrospective Series compiled by Gwen Deglise Program notes by Chris D. and William Boodell Special Thanks: Sarah Finklea/JANUS FILMS; WELLSPRING; Jessica Rosner/KINO INTERNATIONAL; Marilee Womack/WARNER BROS.

    Godzilla makes his grand entrance in GOJIRA (1954). ©1954 Toho Co., Ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Author: Sean Kotz This year, for the first time, American audiences have a chance to see the original Japanese version of GOJIRA on a truly large scale thanks to Classic Media’s new double DVD set. Better yet, with GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS right beside the original, there is good reason to believe many non-Japanese, or gaijin, are making comparisons in their living rooms all across the USA. As has been said numerous times by many writers that while Terry Morse’s GODZILLA is an entertaining B-movie at most, Honda’s GOJIRA is a brilliant anti-war and nuclear protest film of substance. But, the power and resonance of the film for Japanese audiences extend beyond the nuclear metaphor and evocative images of Tokyo in flames. Honda’s original film also visually and thematically stresses a concept at the core of Japanese society called “wa”, or harmony of the group,

    Original Poster for Toho`s INVASION OF ASTRO MONSTER aka MONSTER ZERO. ©1965 Toho Co., ltd.

    Godzilla - Toho

    Author: Sean Kotz MONSTER ZERO (Kaiju Daisenso) comes right in the dead center of the 1960s (like me) and it is one of those films that has been needled by critics for its limitations and zanier elements--like Godzilla`s cartoonish victory dance on Planet X. As the TV Guide review put it in back in 2004: “This sixth entry in the Godzilla series is one of the last to make a pretense that it will be viewed by anyone over the age of 12. Evil aliens attempt to take over the Earth in a plot that does little but kill time prior to the climactic battle among Godzilla, the three-headed dragon Ghidrah, and the flying lizard Rodan.” Despite the derisive tone, the comment about the age of the audience is accidentally rather astute. In fact, Godzilla films in the mid-sixties were in a transition from more

    Catch KING KONG ESCAPES on the big screen this month at Thrillville in CA. © 1967 Toho CO., Ltd./Advertising art © 2008 Thrillville Productions

    Godzilla - Toho

    KING KONG ESCAPES, But Not From the Universal Fire! Source: Thrillville Productions On June 12, "Thrillville Goes Ape" at the Cerrito Speakeasy Theater with a rare big screen showing of KING KONG ESCAPES, courtesy of Universal Studios: The criminal mastermind Dr Who is hired by a villainous nation looking for the Element X needed to build their nuclear arsenal. Who constructs the massive Mechani-Kong to mine the rare mineral, but radiation from Element X shorts out the robot. After the real Kong is discovered on Mondo Island by a UN research team led by Carl Nelson, Dr Who kidnaps Kong and Nelson`s team. Will the evil scientist force the strongest creature on earth to dig up Element X, or will King Kong escape? (1967, Universal, 96 min, English Dub) KING KONG ESCAPES was Toho`s second Kong film (following KING KONG VS GODZILLA) and was based on

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