Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday, Hedora! draconicverses, July 24, 2013 It was 42 years ago today, that Japanese audiences were introduced to one of Godzilla’s weirdest foes – Hedora, aka The Smog Monster, in Yoshimitsu Banno’s GOJIRA TAI HEDORA (1971). American audiences would see this as GODZILLA VS. THE SMOG MONSTER the following February. This featured the first in a… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday Mechani-Kong draconicverses, July 22, 2012 Today marks the 45th anniversary of the release of Ishiro Honda’s KINGU KONGU NO GYAKUSHU (1967). It would be released 11 months later in the USA as KING KONG ESCAPES (1968). Co-produced by Rankin-Bass, it’s a loose adaptation of the cult classic KING KING SHOW cartoon series, produced by Rankin-Bass… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Prince Sirki Summons a Shobijin draconicverses, June 27, 2012 Sad news from Japan. Apparently Emi Ito, half of the musical pop duo The Peanuts (along with twin sister Yumi) has passed away. For those of you not familiar of the work of the Sisters Ito, you’d probably know them as the Shobijin,or the twin Fairies who sang Mothra’s song…. Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Anniversary, H-MAN! draconicverses, June 24, 2012 It was 58 years ago today that Japanese audiences were introduced to the latest in the ‘Mutant Cycle’ of Toho Studios, Ishiro Honda’s Bijo To Ekitainingen (1958) (trans. Beautiful Girls and the Hydrogen Man), or THE H-MAN, as it was released in the U.S the following year. H-Man is a… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday, Akira Ifukube! draconicverses, June 1, 2012 I was remiss yesterday, in not taking note of what would’ve been composer Akira Ifukube’s 98th birthday. In case you don’t know who he was, Akira Ifukube was a classical composer who has found most of his fame in the West, as the prolific composer of many Japanese special effects… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Sirki’s Summons – March 23: That International Judas! draconicverses, March 23, 2012 Greetings from beyond The Veil, Effendi! It was 9 years ago today that Prince Sirki traveled to the Land of the Rising Sun, to call upon one of Toho’s most versatile character actors. His was a face you could recognize almost instantly, even if you didn’t know his name. In… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday, Mechagodzilla (Mk 1) & King Seesar! draconicverses, March 21, 2012 Wow. THIRTY EIGHT years ago today, the world was first introduced to the very first Mechagodzilla, as Toho released GOJIRA TAI MEKAGOJIRA (1974). It would be released thre years later in the US as GODZILLA VS THE BIONIC MONSTER (1977). That didn’t go over terribly well with Universal, because of… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday, GORATH! draconicverses, March 21, 2012 Here’s a BIG anniversary! It was 50 years ago today, that YOSEI GORASU (1962) was released in Japanese theatres. It would see release in the US as GORATH two years later, in May, 1964. This was Ishiro Honda’s third space opera, following BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (1959) and THE MYSTERIANS… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday X2 to Gamera (YET AGAIN!!) draconicverses, March 21, 2012 Hot on the heels of YESTERDAY’S double anniversary for Gamera movies, comes TODAY’S double anniversary. I guess Daiei had a thing about release dates. At any rate, today marks the 43rd anniversary of GAMERA TAI DAI KAIJU GIRON (1969) (Gamera vs. Guiron) being released to Japanese theatres. It would be… Continue Reading
Japanese Monster Movies Happy Birthday X2 to Gamera! draconicverses, March 20, 2012 Greetings, Kaiju-fans. Today marks a unique anniversary for the original mutant turtle, Gamera. Back in 1968, Japanese audiences were introduced to the tentacled space villain Viras, in GAMERA TAI UCHU KAIJU BAIRASU (Gamera vs Space Monster Biras) which US TV audiences would see as DESTROY ALL PLANETS a few years… Continue Reading