Interview with Godzilla sculptor Thomas Tvrdik
Author: Bob Johnson
Source: Far East Monsters, American Greetings

Tom Tvrdik sits on his deck at home with his work. © Toho Co., Ltd.

Many Godzilla fans, well to be honest, just about all Godzilla fans rabidly collect Godzilla figures, toys and merchandise. A few move on the next step and get involved in selling or dealing. An even smaller percentage get into the actual creation of the products. Thomas Tvrdik is one of the lucky few in this country that has a hand in the design, creation and eventual marketing of Godzilla goods! Working for American Greetings and then co-creating Far East Monsters, Thomas has been responsible for not only the yearly Godzilla ornaments coming out, but also the DESTROY ALL MONSTERS diorama that is being sold piece by piece, allowing fans to recreate the epic battle atop Mt. Fuji in the safety of their own homes.

We recently caught up with Thomas and found out how he got involved in all this and exactly how he comes up with the concepts for the product he creates.
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Spanish-speaking horror fans may enjoy Horrormanía: La Enciclopedia de cine de terror, a new book published in Madrid.

From the press release…
HORRORMANÍA: ENCICLOPEDIA DE CINE DE TERROR (Horrormania: The Encyclopedia of Terror Cinema)
Author: José Manuel Serrano Cueto
Editor: Alberto Santos (Madrid, Spain, 2007).
480 pages, SRP: 26.50 € (approximately $37.50 US)

THE GRUDGE 2 is featured on the cover of
Horrormanía. Enciclopedia de cine de terror.
© 2007 José Manuel Serrano Cueto/Imagica

Horrormanía is the most complete horror cinema dictionary published in Spanish. The book features more than 2,500 references: actors (Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney, Jr., Paul Naschy, Robert Englund, etc.), directors (John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, Jesús Franco, Dario Argento, James Whale…), musicians (Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone, Marco Beltrami…), writers (Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice…), movies (THE EXORCIST, A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, THE BIRDS, THE OTHERS…), critics (David J. Skal, Carlos Aguilar, Danilo Arona…), and magazines (Fangoria, Gorezone, Famous Monsters of Filmland…).

Horrormanía includes all epochs and nationalities, with a good sample of Japanese horror cinema: Ishiro Honda, Michiaki Watanabe, Takashi Shimizu, Takashi Shimura, THE RING, GOJIRA, Takashi Miike, Michio Yamamoto, Masao Yonezawa, Kimika Yoshino, Ataru Oikawa, DARK WATER and more.

About the author: José Manuel Serrano Cueto is a prestigious Spanish writer specialized in cinema, especially horror and science-fiction. He has published the books Vincent Price: El terror a cara descubierta (Vincent Price: Describing the Face of Terror) and De monstruos y hombres: Los reyes del terror de la Universal (Of Men and Monsters: The Kings of Universal Terror).

For more information, contact the publisher at imagica@telefonica.net.

EVA-01 returns to DVD in the deluxe NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: PLATINUM PERFECT COLLECTION from ADV Films. © 1996 GAINAX/Project Eva, TV Tokyo

Collectible Tin Commemorates 20 Years of GAINAX
Source: ADV Films

ADV Films presents the NEON GENESIS EVANGELION: PLATINUM PERFECT COLLECTION, compiling the popular anime series in a collectible tin. This commemorative collection also includes all the extras from the original individual disc releases. This limited edition release will hit store shelves November 27, in plenty of time for the holiday gift-giving season. EVANGELION is widely regarded as the most popular anime show ever, and it was recently named by both Anime Insider and Newtype USA as the top series of all time. Now with EVANGELION beginning its broadcast run on [adult swim] October 20, hundreds of thousands of new viewers will soon discover this modern classic for themselves.
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The Latest Info on What’s New and What’s Next for Younggu Art Entertainment
Author: Loomis (Kim Song-ho)
Source: Cine 21, KOBIS, various
Official Site: DRAGON WARS.com

One of the many Korean poster designs for DRAGON
WARS. © 2007 Younggu Art Entertainment Co., Ltd.

DRAGON WARS: D-WAR is the most talked-about film of the year in Korea, spawning intense critical reaction, a hugely loyal fan following, and tremendous box office numbers. SciFi Japan’s Korean correspondent Loomis takes a look at the reviews and the marketing strategy that explain how and why the film has been doing so well in its native country.

In addition, we present the latest news on some recently announced upcoming projects from Younggu Art Entertainment Company that include a DRAGON WARS sequel, marauding fish, and the return of Marlon Brando (!?!).
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CD cover art for THE MONSTER PROJECT. © 2006 The Monster Project

Eclectic Rock Arrangements of Classic Godzilla and Monster Themes
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Source: The Monster Project
Special Thanks to Bob Johnson

Well now this is something that you certainly don’t hear very much. THE MONSTER PROJECT is a collection of rock arrangements of classic monster music, most of which is dedicated to the music of Godzilla. According to the group’s website, The Monster Project is a progressive rock outfit of seven people from New York City and presents faithful arrangements of classic monster movie scores. The group apparently had a short life, only performing between 2005 and 2006 before dissolving. Somewhere in that timeline, they managed to record this 65 minute album of material they had performed.

So just what does THE MONSTER PROJECT offer? Well that certainly depends on your taste and if you can accept eclectic rock arrangements of the music you know and love. As far as Godzilla goes, two composers are represented here: Akira Ifukube and Richiiro Manabe.
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Ryuk the Shinigami death god lurks over the shoulder of Light Yagami (Tatsuya Fujiwara) as the young man plans to murder in the name of justice.
Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2006 “DEATH NOTE” FILM PARTNERS

Based on the Popular Anime and Manga Series that have Taken Japan and North America by Storm
Source: VIZ Media

VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced that it has licensed from Nippon Television (NTV) the North American theatrical and DVD distribution rights to the live-action feature film DEATH NOTE (Desu Noto) and its sequel, DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME (Desu Noto 2), based on the DEATH NOTE anime and manga series which have gained massive followings in Japan and North America. VIZ Media is the exclusive North American publisher and distributor of the DEATH NOTE anime and manga series.
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A closeup look at YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP, now on DVD from MGM. © 1967 Keukdong Entertainment Company

A Look Back at Korea’s First Giant Monster Movie as It Finally Gets an Official Region 1 Release
Author: Keith Aiken with Loomis (Kim Song-ho)
Source: MGM Home Entertainment, Fox Home Entertainment, Talking about Korean Movies: The Korean Movie Renaissance 1, Korean Film Archive
Special Thanks to James Owsley, Gary Teetzel, Shinichi Wakasa, and Callie Jernigan

Cover art for the new YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP
/KONGA DVD. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home
Entertainment. © 1967 Keukdong Ent. Co. /© 1961 MGM

The same week that South Korea’s DRAGON WARS began its US run, that country’s first giant monster movie received a long-overdue official Region 1 DVD release. YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP (1967)— described as “the quintessential giant monster movie of Korea” — is now available as a “MGM Midnite Movies” double-feature disc with the British giant ape picture KONGA (1961).

Known in its homeland as THE GREAT MONSTER YONGGARY (Daeguesu Yonggary), the film was produced by the Keukdong Entertainment Company (Keukdong Heungup) in cooperation with the Japanese studio Toei Co., Ltd. Among the crew were fx technicians who had worked on the Godzilla and Gamera movie series. THE GREAT MONSTER YONGGARY was a huge production in its day, but is now sadly a lost film in Korea.

SciFi Japan takes a look back at the making of the movie and presents information never before available in English. Rounding out our coverage is an interview with James Owsley, the former Director of Technical Services for MGM and the man who supervised the new widescreen transfer and DVD of YONGARY, MONSTER FROM THE DEEP.
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Author: Keith Aiken
Official website: One Missed Call Movie

Detective Jack Andrews (Edward Burns) and Beth Raymond (Shannyn Sossamon)
are trapped in a supernatural murder mystery in the US remake of ONE MISSED
CALL. © 2007 Warner Bros.

Warner Bros has launched their official website and trailer for ONE MISSED CALL, the American remake of the J-horror hit. The original ONE MISSED CALL (Chakushin Ari, 2004) was directed by Takashi Miike, and the film’s success led to a pair of sequels; ONE MISSED CALL 2 (Chakushin Ari 2, 2005) and ONE MISSED CALL: FINAL (Chakushin Ari Saishusho, 2006).

Shortly after ONE MISSED CALL 2 opened in theaters across Japan, Kadokawa Pictures announced that they were partnering with Warner Bros on an American remake of the first film. The new ONE MISSED CALL was produced by Alcon Entertainment, a production company whose films are financed and distributed by Warners.
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La-La Land Records Brings the Long Unreleased Score to Disc
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Official Site: La-La Land Records, David Arnold.com
Special Thanks to Robert Saint John

Front cover art for La-La Land Records’ GODZILLA: LIMITED EDITION
2 CD Set. © 1998 TriStar Pictures/ Toho Co., Ltd.

In the history of Godzilla fandom, there are few events that had as much of an impact on the image and perception of Godzilla globally than the release of TriStar’s “remake” in 1998. One of the shining spots that most people will universally regard as being the strength of the film is David Arnold’s fantastic score. Most fans will recognize Arnold’s name from the modern James Bond era. He entered that series after his album of reinterpretations of classic Bond themes (SHAKEN AND STIRRED: THE DAVID ARNOLD JAMES BOND PROJECT) came to the attention of John Barry, who recommended him by name to producer Barbara Broccoli during the production of TOMORROW NEVER DIES. In an age when mindless action movies are plagued by the likes of Hans Zimmer clones that simply program the loop machine and slap on some standard rhythm sequences, David Arnold’s music has always had a wonderfully organic life. The GODZILLA score and his scores to INDEPENDENCE DAY and STARGATE are often coupled together being as they all have similar musical subject matter as well as being his only collaborations with director Roland Emmerich.
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Toho’s LATITUDE ZERO finally comes to DVD in a
deluxe 2 disc set. Photo courtesy of Media
Blasters. © 1969 Toho Co., Ltd.

New Info, Cover Art, and Release Dates for Asian DVDs on the ‘Tokyo Shock’ and ‘Exploitation Digital’ Labels
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Media Blasters, Inc.
Special Thanks to Richard York

Media Blasters has provided new information on their upcoming Tokyo Shock and Exploitation Digital DVDs through the end of 2007.

For the updated release schedule, cover art, and DVD specs for SCRAP HEAVEN with Chiaki Kuriyama, Toho’s long-awaited LATITUDE ZERO, the adult action film LADY NINJA KASUMI 3: SECRET SKILLS, the Toho “pinky violence” sequels RICA 2: LONELY WANDERER and RICA 3: JUVENILE’S LULLABY, and the rarely-seen monster movie LEGEND OF DINOSAURS AND MONSTER BIRDS check out the coverage here on SciFi Japan.

Media Group Takes Controlling Interest in Ultraman Company
Source: JCN Network, Japan Today, various
Official Site: TYO Group
Special Thanks to Oki Miyano

© Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.

Tsuburaya Productions, the studio behind the long-running Ultraman franchise, will soon become a subsidiary of the Japanese media group TYO Inc. On September 12, TYO announced that they will acquire a 68% stake in TPC and an 80% share in parent company Tsuburaya Enterprises Co. for Y80 million.

Founded in 1963 by special effects legend Eiji Tsuburaya, Tsuburaya Productions created the incredibly popular series ULTRA Q (Urutora Kyu, 1966), ULTRAMAN (Urutoraman, 1966), and ULTRA SEVEN (Urutora Sebun, 1967). The company’s latest projects have included ULTRAMAN MEBIUS (Urutoraman Mebiusu, 2006) and the upcoming TV shows ULTRASEVEN X (Urutorasebun Ekkusu) and ULTRA GALAXY: GIANT MONSTER BATTLE (Urutora Gyarakushii Daikaiju Batoru).
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The main characters for Tsuburaya’s new late night series ULTRASEVEN X. © 2007 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./Ultraseven X Project

Something X-tra for Ultra Seven’s Anniversary
Author: Bob Johnson, James Ballard, and Oki Miyano
Source: Sponichi Annex, Hyper Hobby Magazine, Oricon Style, various
Official Site: UltrasevenX
Translations by: Oki Miyano and James Ballard

As Tsuburaya Productions ends a year of celebrating the 40th anniversary of Ultraman, they turn their Ultra-Eyes to another commemoration. Next month begins the 40th anniversary of one of their most critically celebrated characters, Ultra Seven. To mark the occasion, Ultra Seven will be returning to the airwaves this fall in an all-new series, ULTRASEVEN X. The series will debut the first week of October on three Japanese networks. The show starts on TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) at 2:25am and on the high-definition service CBC (Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting) from 2:15am on Friday, October 5th, followed by MBS (Mainichi Broadcasting System) on Saturday, October 6th at 3:25am. There will be 12 episodes in all.
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Buraki the Evil Imoogi attacks Los Angeles in DRAGON WARS: D-WAR. The cast and crew of will attend the US premiere on September 13 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. Photo courtesy of D-War Production Office. © 2007 Younggu Art Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Egyptian Theatre Hosts a Special D-WAR Event
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: American Cinematheque, Younggu Art Entertainment
Official Site: DRAGON WARS.com

The night before DRAGON WARS: D-WAR opens in theaters across the United States, Younggu Art Entertainment and Freestyle Releasing will host a Hollywood premiere for the big budget Korean monster movie. On Thursday, September 13 the cast and crew will be at the Egyptian Theatre to see the film on the big screen and enjoy an after-film reception with attendees and invited guests.
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Advertisement for JACCC’s samurai exhibit and film festival. © 2007 Japanese American Cultural and Community Center

Source: Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Japan Foundation

Beginning September 15 and running through November 10, the Japan Foundation of Los Angeles presents “Bugu: The Spirit of Samurai Warrior”, an extensive exhibition of traditional Japanese arms and armor for the samurai warrior and ninja. The exhibit will include video displays of Kendo, sumo and yabusame bouts and a section for gallery-goers to try on replica armor.

Coinciding with the exhibition is the samurai film festival “Katsudo Shashin (Moving Pictures)” on September 30. The festival features movies by directors Hideo Gosha, Masaki Kobayashi, and Akira Kurosawa.
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ULTRA GALAXY’s space survery team ZAP SPACY ready for action!
From left: Kumano, Captain Hyuuga, Rei, Haruna and Oki, with the
monster Gomora looming in the background. © 2007 Tsuburaya
Productions Co., Ltd./Bandai

Another new Ultra series in the works!
Author: James Ballard
Source: Terebi-Kun, Hyper Hobby

With Tsuburaya Productions’ first late-night Ultra hero series ULTRASEVEN X (Urutorasebun Ekkusu) premiering on October 5th for a 12-week run, the company has already announced the next Ultra show. ULTRASEVEN X will be followed with a new TV series, ULTRA GALAXY: GIANT MONSTER BATTLE (Urutora Gyarakushii Daikaiju Batoru), a spin-off of the popular video game GIANT MONSTER BATTLE.

The announcement in Terebi-Kun reads:

GIANT MONSTER BATTLE will become a TV series of great power! Using the Battle-nizer, with the ability to freely manipulate the giant monsters, a grand adventure unfolds for the man of mystery Rei and the companions of the space survey team ZAP SPACY!

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Ethan Kendrick (Jason Behr) and Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks) run for their lives from Buraki the Evil Imoogi in DRAGON WARS: D-WAR.
Photo courtesy of D-War Production Office. © 2007 Younggu Art Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Younggu Art Entertainment
Official Site: DRAGON WARS.com
Special Thanks to Annie Kim

With the US release of DRAGON WARS: D-WAR only a week away, Younggu Art Entertainment has provided some interesting info on events leading up to opening day. Take a look at what’s happening this weekend, and check back with SciFi Japan for more news in the next few days.
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Source: DreamWorks LLC/Paramount

DVD cover art for the TRANSFORMERS Two-Disc Special
Edition. Photo courtesy of DreamWorks LLC/Paramount.
© 2007 DreamWorks LLC and Paramount Pictures.
TRANSFORMERS are © 2007 Hasbro.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIF. – (September 5, 2007) The armies of CYBERTRON invaded theaters with a juggernaut fury that shook the summer of 2007, but on October 16, 2007 fans of all ages will discover that there is far “More Than Meets The Eye” to the massive mechanical behemoths when TRANSFORMERS arrives on Earth in spectacular DVD and HD DVD two-disc Special Edition sets as well as on a single disc from DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures; distributed by Paramount Home Entertainment.

The TRANSFORMERS Special Edition two-disc sets provide an incredible experience with an arsenal of bonus material that delivers excitement and fun for long-time fans, as well as for viewers who are new to the TRANSFORMERS universe. The extensive special features include commentary by Michael Bay and two multi-part in-depth documentaries exploring the human elements of the film as well as the phenomenal robot stars. Presented in multiple parts, “Our World” and “Their War” include segments with Steven Spielberg discussing his love for the franchise and the early concept for the movie, the extensive casting process, the training, consultants and real-world weapons provided by the military to lend authenticity to the film, the evolution of the robots from Hasbro’s iconic toy line to big-screen stars, the unique vehicles created for the movie, a discussion with ILM’s legendary digital artists and much more.
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Ryuk the Shinigami death god overlooks the land of the dead in the anime series DEATH NOTE.
Photo courtesy of VIZ Media. © Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/Shueisha © DNDP, VAP, Shueisha, Madhouse

Source: VIZ Media
Official Site: DEATH NOTE Anime Site

The first DVD volume of the highly anticipated anime series DEATH NOTE makes its debut in stores on November 20, 2007. DEATH NOTE is the latest addition to VIZ Media’s SHONEN JUMP Home Video line. The DVD is rated T+ for Older Teens, and features four original and uncut episodes with English dub and Japanese with English subtitles for $24.98.

DEATH NOTE, based on the Shueisha manga series of the same name, is currently one of the hottest properties in Japan. Published in North America by VIZ Media, the manga consistently ranks as one of the top performing graphic novels on BookScan, and depicts the adventures of Light Yagami, an ace student with great prospects but is bored out of his mind. All of that changes when he finds the Death Note, a notebook dropped by a rogue Shinigami death god named Ryuk. Any human whose name is written in the notebook dies, and now Light has vowed to use the power of the Death Note to rid the world of evil. But when criminals begin dropping dead, the authorities send the legendary detective L to investigate, and he is soon hot on the trail of Light, who must now reevaluate his once noble goal.
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View the DEATH NOTE Anime trailer here.

The heck with Oscars… the design of the
2007 Hugo Award stars Ultraman! Hugo
Awards © 2007 World Science Fiction
Society. Ultraman is © 1966 Tsuburaya
Productions Co., Ltd.

Source: Nippon 2007
Official Site: The Hugo Awards
Special Thanks to David Chapple

The 65th World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) took place this past weekend in Yokohama, Japan. Dubbed Nippon 2007, the event marked the first Worldcon ever held in that country. The guest of honor was Sakyo Komatsu, the acclaimed science fiction author whose works include the novels Japan Sinks (made into the hit movies SUBMERSION OF JAPAN and SINKING OF JAPAN) and Sayonara Jupiter (made into a less successful film by Toho in 1984).

Since 1955, each Worldcon has included the annual Hugo Awards ceremony for science fiction’s most prestigious prize. The design for the Hugo Award changes every year, and with the 2007 Worldcon taking place in Japan, the awards handed out on August 31 featured Japan’s greatest hero, Ultraman. This is the first time a Hugo Award has featured a character or image in addition to the prerequisite rocket ship.
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Source: American Cinematheque

Japanese Outlaw Masters Return 2007
September 6 – 9 at the Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028

SWORD OF DOOM. © 1966 Toho Co., Ltd.

More of the wildest, fastest and most uncompromising from the Golden Age of Japanese genre cinema (and many are not on DVD)! We’ve got SWORD OF DOOM (a sought-after, awe-inspiring and hard-to-see-on-the-big-screen samurai classic) and Shohei Imamura’s emotional cyclone of a movie, VENGEANCE IS MINE, about a real-life serial killer; plus a double feature from Seijun Suzuki — eye-dazzling pop confections, including the action-packed, ultra-mod DETECTIVE OFFICE #23 – GO TO HELL, BASTARDS! As part of our mini-tribute to the late Imamura, we’ve also got PIGS AND BATTLESHIPS a savagely satirical tragi-comedy about crime in the slums. And don’t miss Kon Ichikawa’s controverial PUNISHMENT ROOM (all but banned in1950′s Japan) that surpasses REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE in youth-on-the-rampage pyrotechnics. Strap yourself in and get ready for one helluva ride!
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Source: ADV Films
Official Site: Newtype USA

© 2007 Newtype USA, Inc.

Newtype USA leads off the fall anime season with an exclusive cover and feature on THE STORY OF SAIUNKOKU. Already a hit with both male and female viewers, SAIUNKOKU takes its royal setting and infuses it with enough modern drama and action to satisfy all kinds of fans.

But that’s not all! The September 2007 issue has another incredible exclusive—a behind-the-scenes tour of THE MELANCHOLY OF HARUHI SUZUMIYA, including in-depth interviews with the cast and crew! Plus, Newtype USA comes stuffed with extras, including a DVD with three full anime episodes: XENOSAGA, RED GARDEN and RAMEN FIGHTER MIKI. The pullout poster features Misaki Nakahara from WELCOME TO THE NHK, and manga maniacs will adore the latest installment of CLAMP’s KOBATO, inserted right into the middle of September’s issue.

Also in the issue are features on MUSHI-SHI, SHIN CHAN , .hack//ROOTS, MY-OTOME and WELCOME TO THE NHK; sneak previews of nine new shows playing only in Japan; the latest on the EVANGELION movies; con coverage blowout; the official art of GUNBUSTER 2; and every new anime DVD and manga reviewed!

Newtype USA Vol. 6, Issue 9 will be available September 1.