Screen shots from G, the new independent daikaiju movie made by special effects artists from the Godzilla films.
Photos courtesy of director Kiyotaka Taguchi. © 2008 G-Project and Gokan

News and Photos from Director Kiyotaka Taguchi
Author: Norman England and Keith Aiken
Source: G-Project
Additional Translations by Oki Miyano

Promotional art for G. Photo courtesy of Kiyotaka
Taguchi. © 2008 G-Project and Gokan

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Recently, video clips from a new kaiju production entitled G surfaced online. Filled with crazy camerawork, extreme monster and robot action, over-the-top violence, slapstick comedy, and an assortment of special effects techniques, the preview footage quickly caught the attention of Japanese monster movie buffs.

For the past few weeks, fans on genre news sites and message boards have wondered if G was a new movie, a fan film, a short, or simply a trailer or FX highlight reel. There has been much speculation but little in the way of concrete information.

SciFi Japan is pleased to put the rumors to rest with news straight from the director/writer/editor/FX director of G. Filmmaker Kiyotaka Taguchi has provided an exclusive look at story details, cast and crew information, behind the scenes photos, promotional art, and dozens of screen shots from the latest monster movie from Japan.
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A closeup look at the monster of CLOVERFIELD, now on DVD and Blu-ray. © 2008 Paramount Pictures.

Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Paramount Pictures, various
Official Website: Cloverfield Movie
View the DVD trailer, courtesy of Paramount Home Entertainment

Cover art for the CLOVERFIELD DVD. Photo courtesy of
Paramount Pictures. © 2008 Paramount Pictures.

On the eve of his departure for Japan, Rob Hawkins (Michael Stahl-David) sees his going-away party as an opportunity to confess unresolved feelings and tie up loose ends. His agenda takes an unexpected turn when a jolt shakes the revelers.

Amid the human screams and one inhuman roar, Rob and his friends must traverse a landscape that has changed, overtaken by something otherworldly, terrifying, monstrous…

On July 3, 2007 Paramount Pictures’ blockbuster hit TRANSFORMERS opened in more than 4,000 theaters across the United States. Among the multitude of commercials and previews before the film, Paramount included a trailer for an unnamed monster movie from JJ Abrams’ production company Bad Robot. Beginning with a party and ending with the decapitated head of the Staue of Liberty smashing into a New York City street, the trailer captivated audiences and caused a wave of internet searches for any information about the mystery production.
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Fantastic artwork from the new MONSTERPOCALYPSE
Collectible Miniatures Game. Photo courtesy of
Privateer Press. © 2008 Privateer Press, Inc.

Source: Privateer Press
Official Site: Monsterpocalypse.com

The MONSTERPOCALYPSE is upon us!

Join Privateer Press and celebrate the world premiere of the MONSTERPOCALYPSE Collectible Miniatures Game. A limited amount of sneak preview starters and boosters will go on sale for the first time ever on Thursday, August 14th. The sneak preview contains a sampling of the figures in Series 1: Rise. The figures are not limited edition and are identical in all respects to the figures in Rise due out October 2008. Be among the very first to play MONSTERPOCALYPSE in its debut event at Gen Con Indy!

Purchase your product at the Privateer Press booth 1201, grab a ticket to play, bring a desire to level cities, and join us in rooms 105/106 for this participation event! This is not a sealed box event, so boosters are allowed and encouraged. You can participate in as many of the approximately hour-long matches as you like during this all-day event. Players who participate in TWO or more games will walk away with a limited edition figure, Mega Zor-Raiden!
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Director Hao Ning (left) and Chungeorahm CEO Choi Yong-bae at the Stoneman
Films office in Beijing, China. © 2008 Chungeorahm Film

Korean Studio Announces the Chinese Version of the Monster Sequel
Author: Kim Song-ho (Loomis)
Source: Chungeorahm Film official press release, various

The Korean production company Chungeorahm Film announced on June 25, 2008 (Korean date) that it will produce a ‘Chinese version’ of the sequel to THE HOST. This is a separate project from the already-announced THE HOST 2. The new film is a localized version, so it will feature Chinese performers and be produced in the Chinese language.

According to the press release, the Chinese version is a joint production of Chungeorahm and Stoneman Films, Ltd., a Chinese company. Hao Ning, an up-and-coming director of China and also CEO of Stoneman Films, will direct.
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The Music of SPEED RACER, Then and Now
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Special Thanks to Bob Johnson
Nobuyoshi Koshibe interview translated by Shino Sumida

Our demon on wheels, Speed Racer! ©2008 Tatsunoko Productions
and Speed Racer Enterprises.

If you were to ask any number of people, be they fans or non-fans, what they know and remember about SPEED RACER the most, chances are they will recall the great theme song which started each episode. In fact, the jingle has become so famous that to have anything Speed Racer related without it would be like having James Bond without the famous John Barry theme. Famous for its whirling beginning representative of a speed engine and catchy lyrics, the song is a recognizable and enjoyable piece of pop-culture.

Join SciFi Japan for a look back at the original MACH GO GO GO soundtrack, an interview with composer Nobuyoshi Koshibe, as well as a critical look at the score from the new SPEED RACER movie by Michael Giacchino.
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US Theatrical Release and DVD News
Source: ImaginAsian Entertainment, Media Blasters, Inc.
Official Movie Site: EXTE-Movie
Special Thanks to Adriana da Rosa

KILL BILL’s Chiaki Kuriyama stars in the J-Horror film HAIR EXTENSIONS. The movie
opens today for a week long run at the ImaginAsian Theater in NYC. Photo courtesy
of ImaginAsian Entertainment. © 2007 Toei Co.,Ltd

As if the start of the New York Asian FIlm Festival was not enough fun for the Big Apple, Media Blasters Releasing and Tokyo Shock have announced the exclusive New York City theatrical release of HAIR EXTENSIONS. The theatrical engagement begins today, Friday, June 20th and runs through Thursday, June 26th at The ImaginAsian Theater, 239 E. 59th Street in Manhattan.

HAIR EXTENSIONS (Ekusute a.k.a. EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS, 2007)
35mm/108 min./Color/1:85.1 Flat/Japanese language, English subtitles
The grisly discovery of a dead girl with a shaved head and a crazy dealer in human hair sets the stage for a bizarre series of events at a small village hair salon where a young stylist named Yuko gets entwined in the strands of an unraveling deadly curse.

The unrated HAIR EXTENSIONS stars cult actress Chiaki Kuriyama, Go Go Yubari of KILL BILL VOL. 1 and BATTLE ROYALE fame, and Ren Osugi from AUDITION, CURE, and ZEBRAMAN. Director Sion Sono is best known for his international hit, SUICIDE CLUB.
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Detail of the sculpt for the Rodan and Mothra “Godzilla
Destroy All Monsters Battlezone Collectible Series” piece.
Final licensor approval pending. Photo courtesy of Far
East Monsters. © 1968 Toho Co., Ltd./© 2008 Far East
Monsters Ltd.

Source: Bill Kerner and Tom Tvrdik
Official Site: Far East Monsters Ltd.

The Cleveland, Ohio-based company Far East Monsters Ltd. has sent along an early look at the latest additions to their “Godzilla Destroy All Monsters Battlezone Collectible Series” line.

Upcoming releases include:
1. the previously announced King Ghidorah figurine
2. an extremely limited Wizard World Chicago Exclusive Godzilla Battlezone Figurine
3. the long awaited Battlezone Figurine 3: Rodan and Mothra

SciFi Japan has photos, artwork, and additional information on all these great new items, so come see what’s on the horizon from Far East Monsters.
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Who Will Get to See ALWAYS 2 (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

Three fans have won tickets to see Godzilla’s return to the big screen in ALWAYS-
SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2. Godzilla is © Toho Co., Ltd. © 2007 Always2 Film
Partners

Thank you to everyone who entered New York Asian Film Festival and SciFi Japan’s contest for free passes to ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2. The screening takes place at Japan Society on Sunday, July 6, 2008 at 8:15pm. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street (between 1st and 2nd Avenues), New York, NY 10017.

The following randomly drawn entrants correctly answered all contest questions:

Scott Jones
Michael Calhoun
Andrew Wong

Congratulations to the winners!

Each of you has won a pair of ALWAYS 2 tickets. Your passes will be available “Will Call” at the Japan Society box office on July 6, 2008. You must present proper identification in order to claim your prize. NYAFF will be contacting you to confirm your attendance so keep checking your email. If one of the winners cannot attend, a replacement will be chosen from the runner up list.
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The monster Guilala returns from the depths of space to menace the G8 summit in Hokkaido. Photo courtesy of Shochiku Co., Ltd.
© 2008 Guilala Production Committee

The Japanese Studio Provides News and Photos for the Upcoming Sequel to THE X FROM OUTER SPACE
Source: Shochiku Co., Ltd.
Official Movie Site: MONSTER X STRIKES BACK
Introduction by: Keith Aiken

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

A monster from the 1960s cult panic movie THE X FROM OUTER SPACE comes back once again, now attacking the G8 Summit to finish the Earth once and for all!!

On January 29th, 2008, Shochiku Co., Ltd. surprised kaiju fans with the announcement that— 41 years after THE X FROM OUTER SPACE— they would be reviving the space monster Guilala for MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT!

The studio also revealed that Guilala’s return would be written and directed by Minoru Kawasaki, the cult filmmaker responsible for such movies as THE CALAMARI WRESTLER and THE WORLD SINKS EXCEPT JAPAN. In keeping with Kawasaki’s sensibilities, MONSTER X STRIKES BACK will feature the traditional trappings of the daikaiju genre (including monster suits and miniatures) combined with liberal doses of comedy.

Now, with the new movie premiering in Japan next month, Shochiku has provided SciFi Japan with exclusive early information on Guilala’s return.
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CURZON MIDNIGHT MOVIES Presents an Exclusive UK Preview of the J-Horror Film
Source: Curzon Cinemas
Official Movie Site: EXTE-Movie
Special Thanks to Nadia Attia

The J-Horror film EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS will have a UK preview screening at
the Curzon Soho. © 2007 Toei Co.,Ltd

The new J-Horror with brains…and HAIR! Chiaki Kuriyama stars as Yuko, a budding hair stylist who is unaware that the hair extensions she uses on her clients are actually cursed. and are out for revenge. A satirical horror that delivers both in scares and laughs, this film marks director Sion Sono as one to watch. See it before the inevitable US remake!

This past February, the Curzon Cinema in Soho, London launched a successful series of late night cult film events. The next event for CURZON MIDNIGHT MOVIES will be a special exclusive preview screening of the Japanese horror movie EXTE: HAIR EXTENSIONS (Ekusute, 2007) on Friday, June 27.
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THEATRICAL POSTER GIVEAWAY AT IMAGINASIAN CENTER AND IMAGINASIAN THEATER, JUNE 13
Source: ImaginAsian Entertainment
Official Movie Site: THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME
Special Thanks to Adriana da Rosa

The first 50 people to see THE GIRL WHO LEAPT
THROUGH TIME tomorrow night in LA and NYC will
receive a free theatrical sized movie poster. Photo
courtesy of ImaginAsian Entertainment. © 2006
TOKIKAKE Film Partners

The ImaginAsian and the ImaginAsian Center, New York and Los Angeles’ premier Asian American theater, will host the Japanese anime film THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME in an exclusive one-week (June 13-19) theatrical run. The film will play with an English language track in New York, and a Japanese language track with English subtitles in Los Angeles.

THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME (also known as TokiKake) was directed by Mamoru Hosoda with original character designs by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion) and features animation from Studio Madhouse. A continuation of the novel The Little Girl Who Conquered Time by Tsutsui Yasutaka, the film centers on a high school girl, Makoto, who gains the power to go backward in time after a neardeath accident at a train crossing. Since its release, the film has received great critical accolades and international awards including the “Best Animated Film” at the thirty-ninth Sitges International Film Festival, “Animation Grand Award” at the sixty-first Mainichi Film Awards, “Animation of the Year” at the thirtieth Japan Academy Prize, and received “Animation of the Year” at the Tokyo International Anime Fair.

Bandai Entertainment Inc. and Kadokawa Pictures USA have also announced that the first 50 people at the 7pm showing of THE GIRL WHO LEAPT THROUGH TIME at the ImaginAsian Center Los Angeles and the 6pm showing at the ImaginAsian Theater in New York will receive a free theatrical sized poster of the film.
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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

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…

ALWAYS 2 will have one of its first US screenings in New York City early next month during a co-presentation between New York Asian Film Festival and JAPAN CUTS. Now the good folks at NYAFF have offered SciFi Japan readers a chance to win free tickets to see the award-winning film (and Godzilla’s cameo) on the big screen!
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Source: Barbican Centre
Special Thanks to Laura Bushell, Sarah Harvey Publicity

Promotional art for Osamu Tezuka’s METROPOLIS. The
film is playing June 24 at the Barbican Centre in London.
© 2001 Tezuka Productions /Metropolis Committee

In the mighty city of Metropolis, powerful men jockeying for position under dictator Duke Red plot their own advancement, while detective Ban and his nephew come from overseas hunting an international criminal. Meanwhile the Duke is driving technology to its limits in pursuit of two insane dreams - control of a superweapon and recovery of a beloved, lost child - while another child yearns for his love and approval. All the while, the rumblings of dissent are growing, as a despised urban underclass seeks justice in this very contemporary classic.

On June 24, the Barbican Centre in London will host a theatrical screening of the 2001 anime film METROPOLIS, directed by Rintaro (GALAXY EXPRESS 999, DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS). The movie is based on the 1949 manga by the legendary Osamu Tezuka (ASTRO BOY, AMBASSADOR MAGMA), which in turn was inspired by a single image from Fritz Lang’s classic silent movie. Animated by a stellar team after Tezuka’s death, METROPOLIS is both a powerful tribute and a wonderful film in its own right, with memorable imagery and a jazz score that’s pure delight. (Japan 2001, 108 min, PG)

The Barbican Centre is the largest multi-arts centre in Europe, featuring art, film, music, theatre, dance and education all under one roof. It is located on Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS. For more information check the Cinema Hotline at 0845 120 7527.

METROPOLIS Tuesday June 24, 8.30pm
Standard ticket prices:
Adults: £8.50/£7.00 online
Barbican members/Over 60s/Students in full time education with valid student card/unwaged: £6.00

The screening will be introduced by Helen McCarthy, author of The Anime! Movie Guide, Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation, and founder of the magazine AnimeFX.

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:

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

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 the American animated series KING KONG by Rankin/Bass Productions (SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER). The movie was directed by Ishiro Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya, and a cast featuring Rhodes Reason, Akira Takarada, Linda Miller, Mie Hama, and Hideo Amamato. KING KONG ESCAPES marked the film debut of the cartoon show’s Mechani-Kong and also introduced the giant dinosaur Gorosaurus who would return the following year for the Godzilla classic DESTROY ALL MONSTERS.

Despite the only existing print of KING KONG ESCAPES being lost in the recent Universal Studios fire, next week’s screening of the movie at Thrillville will go on as scheduled!

In addition to the feature film, “Thrillville Goes Ape” will include a return appearance of Gorilla X and the tropical sounds of Apocalypso Now.

“Thrillville Goes Ape” will take place Thursday, June 12 at 9:15pm. The Cerrito Speakeasy Theater is located at 10070 San Pablo Ave in El Cerrito, CA. Tickets are $8.00 each.
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Just some of the many faces onscreen this month in New York City.
Godzilla is © Toho Co., Ltd. ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET- 2 © 2007 Always2 Film Partners, ACCURACY OF DEATH © 2008 Sweet Rain Film Partners,
L: CHANGE THE WORLD © 2008 L Film Partners, SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO © 2007 SUKIYAKI WESTERN DJANGO Film Partners,
DAINIPPONJIN © 2007 Yoshimoto Kogyo Co. Ltd.

The New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts Screen More than 50 Feature Films
Source: Japan Society, Subway Cinema

Beginning this month, New York City plays host to 24 days of Asian cinema. Subway Cinema’s New York Asian Film Festival (June 20- July 6) and Japan Society’s JAPAN CUTS: Festival of New Japanese Films (July 2 - July 13) combined will feature more than 50 movies, over 60 short films, a free feature film screening for the NYC community; exclusive Q&A’s with filmmakers and other special events. This year also marks the second collaboration between JAPAN CUTS and NYAFF, who will co-present nine films at the Japan Society from July 3-6.
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