Covers for Monster Attack Team issues M8 (illustration by Kevin Grays) and M9 (art by Matt Frank).
Photos courtesy of MAT. © 2011 Monster Attack Team

Japanese SF Movie Zine to be Distributed by Diamond
Source: Monster Attack Team
Special Thanks to Michael G Keller and Edward Holland

In the 1990s, Monster Attack Team, a fanzine devoted to Japanese live action sci-fi and fantasy productions, ran for seven issues. After a fifteen year break, editors Edward Holland and Michael Keller revived MAT in 2010 with a massive, full-color 132 page eighth issue packed with informative articles covering a wide range of tokusatsu film and television programs.

And now Monster Attack Team is back in a big way. Holland and Keller are currently working with a team of top writers on MAT #9, another 100+ page, full-color special. Monster Attack Team has also been picked up for distribution by Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc., North America’s largest comic book distributor, making upcoming issues available to comic shops, book stores, and specialty shops across the country.
Continued…

Striking quad poster design for the upcoming UK theatrical release of the Japanese Academy Award winning thriller VILLAIN.
Photo courtesy of Third Window Films. © 2010 Toho Co., Ltd., Amuse Inc.

Source: Third Window Films, Rabbit Publicity
Official Movie Site: akunin.jp (Japan), thirdwindowfilms.com/villain (UK)
Special Thanks to Adam Torel and Davide Previti

Lovers Yuichi Shimizu (Satoshi Tsumabuki) and Mitsuyo Magome (Eri Fukatsu) are
on the run. Photo courtesy of Third Window Films. © 2010 Toho Co., Ltd., Amuse Inc.

With over twenty companies bidding for the film adaptation rights, and many of Japan’s top directors vying for the project, Lee Sang-il’s adaptation of Shuichi Yoshida’s award-winning novel Villain was one of the most hotly anticipated films of 2010. A critical hit at festivals both at home and abroad, VILLAIN swept the board at the Japan Academy Awards, receiving fifteen nominations in thirteen categories, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Score, and winning awards in all four acting categories. VILLAIN was also selected by the famous Kinema Junpo critics’ organization as best Japanese film of the year.

Directed by Lee Sang-il, whose inspirational and hugely popular HULA GIRLS (2006) won Best Picture at the Japanese Academy Awards, VILLAIN boasts a stellar cast headed by Satoshi Tsumabuki (THE MAGIC HOUR) and Eri Fukatsu (who won the Best Actress award at the 2010 Montreal World Film Festival for her stunning performance), with support from Hikari Mitsushima (LOVE EXPOSURE), Kirin Kiki (STILL WALKING), Akira Emoto (APRIL BRIDE), and Masaki Okada (CONFESSIONS). The music is composed by world-renowned Joe Hisaishi, who has scored many films by Hayao Miyazaki and Takeshi Kitano. VILLAIN will open in cinemas in the UK on August 19th through Third Window Films.
Continued…

MOTHRA 50th Anniversary Film Festival
Author: Tom Dougherty, Clawmark Toys

Actress Maya Fujisawa poses with a prop from REBIRTH OF MOTHRA.

The Ginza area of Tokyo is known as an entertainment district and it is only fitting that it was the site for a 50th anniversary celebration of the creation and release of the first ever Mothra movie in 1961. And what more fitting for a celebration of this exciting Japanese Kaiju film than an entire day devoted to Mothra films and the exciting stars that helped make the magic.

I had attended Kaiju film festivals in this Ginza Theater before and so I knew I was going to be in for a treat. The Cast Co. of Japan’s Nagata Daisuke and his wonderful hard working staff along with several other movers and shakers in the Japanese Kaiju movie fan world came together and made sure this was going to be a fitting MONSTER celebration! Since the earthquake, tsunami and related disaster, much of Tokyo is either doing without air conditioning or living with reduced air conditioning to save power. The theater was no exception and I was very glad I had worn my handy dandy light weight Clawmark Toys Tee shirt for the occasion! It was going to be warm, but lots of FUN!
Continued…

Source: Media Blasters, Inc. press release
Special Thanks to Carl Morano

Theatrical poster for the 1972 Japanese re-release of
DESTROY ALL MONSTERS. © 1968/1972 Toho Co., Ltd.

Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to announce the exciting extras and supplementary materials for the upcoming DESTROY ALL MONSTERS DVD and Blu-ray. Media Blasters have enlisted the renowned Godzilla scholars Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski to supervise and create the definitive release for the most beloved of all rubber-suit monster movies ever made.

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (怪獣総進撃, Kaiju Soshingeki, 1968) is universally considered a strong fan favorite of the entire Godzilla series! It’s an all-star monster rally of epic proportions featuring Toho’s greatest and wildest mammoth monsters in the ultimate, all-out rubber suit rumble! See Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, Minya, Spiega, Baragon, Gorosaurus, Manda and Varan in all their titanic glory! The film was directed by the famed Ishiro Honda, director of the original 1954 film and the last entry to feature the dream team of special effects supervisor Eiji Tsuburaya, music composer Akira Ifukube and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka.
Continued…

Author Sakyo Komatsu’s novels were adapted into several popular Japanese films. SUBMERSION OF JAPAN and ESPY © Toho Co., Ltd.
VIRUS © 1980 Haruki Kadokawa Films. SINKING OF JAPAN © 2006 “Sinking of Japan” Production Committee

Prolific Sci-Fi Author Passes Away at Age 80
Authors: Andrew Nguyen and Keith Aiken
Source: Nippon 2007, Science Fiction Studies, Mainichi Daily News, various

Sakyo Komatsu, the “King of Japanese SF”.

Japan’s science-fiction community lost one of its grand figures recently with the passing of Sakyo Komatsu on July 26, 2011 from pneumonia.

Born January 28, 1931 in Osaka, Komatsu graduated from Kyoto University with a degree in Italian Literature in 1954. In 1961 he entered the Hayakawa Science Fiction Competition, a story contest co-sponsored by Hayakawa Library, publisher of SF Magazine (SF Magajin), and the Toho Motion Picture Company. He received an Honorable Mention and 5000 yen for his entry Peace on Earth (Chi-ni Heiwa), a World War II story set in an alternate timeline where Japan did not surrender in the wake of the atomic bombings. The next year, Komatsu won the contest with his story Memoirs of an Eccentric Time Traveler (Ekisentoriki), which was published in SF Magazine.

Sakyo Komatsu soon became one of Japan’s most prolific and popular science fiction writers. His most famous novel was Japan Sinks (Nihon Chinbotsu), in which the shifting of the tectonic plates resulted in earthquakes across the entire nation and causes all of Japan to crumble into the sea. The book was published in March, 1973 and was a massive hit, selling over 4 million copies in Japan alone.
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Director Takashi Miike presents a melee of bloody carnage in 13 ASSASSINS, coming to DVD and Blu-ray in the UK.
Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 13 Assassins Film Partners

Source: The Associates press release
Official Site: 13assassins.jp (Japan), 13assassins.com (US)

DVD cover art for the UK release. Photo courtesy of The
Associates. © 13 Assassins Film Partners

Following a hugely successful UK theatrical release that saw it garnering a Five Star review in Time Out and Four Star reviews in Loaded, The Sun, the Daily Express, the Daily Mirror, the Daily Telegraph and Nuts magazine, 13 ASSASSINS (十三人の刺客, Jusan-nin no Shikaku, 2010) comes to DVD and Blu-ray this September riding a wave of critical acclaim hailing it as “one of the greatest samurai movies ever made… stunning” (Loaded), “one of the most memorable – and shocking – action films in an absolute age… brutal, bloody, brilliant” (Daily Mirror) and “an immediate action classic… magnificent” (Mail On Sunday).

13 ASSASSINS sees director Takashi Miike, the man behind such uncompromising and unforgettable movies as AUDITION and ICHI THE KILLER, indelibly stamping his trademark style on the Samurai genre with an ultra-violent, all-action, blood-spattered epic.

Nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival, this year 13 ASSASSINS was the winner of four Japanese Academy Awards (for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Lighting and Best Sound). 13 ASSASSINS (cert. 15) will be released on DVD and Blu-ray by Artificial Eye on 5th September 2011.
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Eriko Ayukawa (Ayumi Ito) struggles with the mystery of GANTZ. Photo courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

Japanese Sci-Fi Live-Action Film and New Sequel Set to Screen During 2011 San Diego Comic-Con
Source: MediaLab press release
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, a film division of NEW PEOPLE, Inc. that focuses on the licensing and distribution of Japanese films and media, has announced a series of special theatrical screenings of the live action sci-fi thriller GANTZ (前編, Gantsu, 2011) and its sequel, GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011), at the Pacific Gaslamp 15 Theatres in San Diego, CA.

GANTZ screens on Friday, July 22nd at 6:00pm and 9:00pm, while GANTZ II: PERFECT ANSWER screens on Saturday, July 23rd at 6:00pm and also at 9:00pm. Both films will be shown in Japanese with English subtitles. The film screenings will take place during the 2011 Comic-Con International, the country’s largest comic book, science fiction and pop culture event, which takes place at the nearby San Diego Convention Center.
Continued…

Kei Kishimoto (Natsuna Watanabe) and Masaru Kato (Kenichi Matsuyama) confront a big threat in GANTZ. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

Winners will See Both Movies for Free, Courtesy of NYAFF and SciFi Japan
Source: Subway Cinema/New York Asian Film Festival
Special Thanks to Kristen Osborne and Grady Hendrix

Thank you to everyone who entered New York Asian Film Festival and SciFi Japan’s contest for free passes to see GANTZ and GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER at NYAFF. The screenings takes place at the Japan Society on Saturday, July 9 starting at 12:30 pm. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th Street (between First and Second avenues), New York, NY 10017. Their box office number is 212-832-1155.

The randomly drawn winning entries are:

Dylan Bach
Greg Cordaro

Congratulations to the winners!

Each of you has won a pair of tickets to see the double feature of GANTZ and GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. Your passes will be available on the day of the show at the NYAFF table in the lobby of the Japan Society. Winners must present a photo ID in order to claim their prize.
Continued…

Kei Kishimoto (Natsuna Watanabe) battles weird aliens in GANTZ. Photo courtesy of Japan Society. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

See Both Movies for Free, Courtesy of NYAFF and SciFi Japan
Source: Subway Cinema/New York Asian Film Festival
Special Thanks to Kristen Osborne and Grady Hendrix

Next week sees the launch of the 2011 New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts: Festival of Contemporary Japanese Cinema. Running from July 1-14 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center and July 7 – 22 at Japan Society, the combined festival will feature dozens of films, international and world premiere screenings, Q&A’s with filmmakers, and other special events.

This year’s lineup a double feature of the new live action sci-fi movies GANTZ (前編, Gantsu, 2011) and GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER (前編 PERFECT ANSWER, Gantsu Pafekuto Ansaa, 2011). Presented back-to-back and in the original Japanese with English subtitles, the screenings will mark the New York Premiere of the subtitled GANTZ and the North American Premiere of GANTZ: PERFECT ANSWER. And if that’s not cool enough, our friends at NYAFF are offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win free tickets to see both movies!
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Check out SFJ’s breaking news on the GODZILLA VS MEGALON Blu-ray/DVD plus classic Gamera films streaming online for free.
GODZILLA VS MEGALON © 1973 Toho Co., Ltd. GAMERA VS GYAOS © 1967 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Source: Media Blasters, Inc., Golden Media Group
Special Thanks to Carl Morano and Roy McAree

SciFi Japan has received some news updates today that should be of interest to daikaiju fans…

• Media Blasters informed us that GODZILLA VS. MEGALON is scheduled for DVD and Blu-ray on November 29, 2011.

• In response to demand, the GooHead.com Internet Channel will add the original Japanese (with English subtitles) versions of the Gamera films to their lineup, beginning with GAMERA vs GYAOS (English dubbed versions are already available). All of the Gamera movies will be streamed for free.

For much more information on these topics, please see the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan:

• GODZILLA VS MEGALON Region 1 DVD/Blu-ray Rumors False
• Media Blasters Discusses DVD and Blu-ray Plans for DESTROY ALL MONSTERS and GODZILLA VS MEGALON

And:

• Gamera Movies and More Now Streaming Free on GooHead Internet Channel

DESTROY ALL MONSTERS— featuring eleven Toho daikaiju stars— is one of two classic Godzilla movies coming to Region 1 DVD from Media Blasters.
© 1968 Toho Co., Ltd.

Distributor Dispels Recent Rumors and Provides Details on New Toho Acquisitions
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Media Blasters, Inc.
Special Thanks to Carl Morano and Ed Godziszewski

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Gigan takes a swing at Godzilla in GODZILLA VS MEGALON. © 1973 Toho Co., Ltd.

On May 27th, the New York-based home video and theatrical distributor Media Blasters announced that they have acquired North American rights from Toho Co. for the Godzilla movies DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (怪獣総進撃, Kaiju Soshingeki, 1968) and GODZILLA VS MEGALON (ゴジラ対メガロ, Gojira tai Megaro, 1973). Both films will be released on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray through the company’s live-action Asian cinema division, Tokyo Shock.

Media Blasters has provided SciFi Japan with an official announcement on their new acquisitions. And Media Blasters Managing Director Carl Morano also agreed to clear up some recent internet rumors and misinformation regarding GODZILLA VS MEGALON and answer questions about the company’s plans for the two Godzilla films.
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Turner Classic Movies’ June schedule features several classic monster movies, including a half-dozen Japanese creature features.
Godzilla films, RODAN, and THE H-MAN © Toho Co., Ltd. THE MANSTER © 1958 United Artists Japan

Classic Monster Movies Every Thursday
Source: Turner Classic Movies

Thursdays this June, the cable station Turner Classic Movies will be airing a series of “Drive-In Double Features” of monster movies from the 1950s and 60s such as THEM!, THE VALLEY OF GWANGI, THE BLOB, TARANTULA, THE BEAST FROM 20000 FATHOMS, and THE THING. The lineup features fifteen movies never before aired on TCM, including four favorites from the Golden Age of Japanese movie monsters… GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS, RODAN, GHIDORAH THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER, and GODZILLA VS MONSTER ZERO. Also on the schedule are Toho’s THE H-MAN and the Japanese/American co-production THE MANSTER. All will be shown in their English language, US release versions.
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Cover art for the upcoming North American DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Set of the Japanese live action sci-fi adventure GANTZ.
Photos courtesy of NEW PEOPLE Entertainment. © Hiroya Oku/Shueisha © 2011 Gantz Film Partners

Source: NEW PEOPLE Entertainment, Warner Home Video
Official Movie Site: gantz-movie.com (Japan), gantzmovies.com (US)
Special Thanks to Shio Toyoda

This August, NEW PEOPLE Entertainment (formerly VIZ Pictures) is bringing the Japanese live action science fiction adventure GANTZ (前編, 2011) to DVD and Blu-ray in North America. The film is based on the hit manga series created by Hiroya Oku, which has sold over 15 million copies worldwide (published in America by Dark Horse Comics) and was previously adapted in a 26 episode anime series. Directed by Shinsuke Sato (THE PRINCESS BLADE) and starring Kazunari Ninomiya (LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA) and Kenichi Matsuyama (DEATH NOTE, DETROIT METAL CITY), GANTZ made its world premiere in the U.S. with screenings held at over 330 theaters nationwide. The movie went on to top the Japanese box office for four consecutive weeks, grossing over $40 million.
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The boy detective Conan Edogawa has entertained readers and audiences for 17 years. © Gosho Aoyama/ Shogakukan, Yomiuri-TV, TMS

Boy Detective Franchise Still Going Strong
Author: Andrew Nguyen
Source: FUNimation Entertainment, VIZ Media
Official Manga Site: websunday.net/conan (Japan), shonensunday.com/series/caseclosed (US)
Official Anime Site: ytv.co.jp/conan, conan-movie.jp (Japan), funimation.com/caseclosed (US)
Special Thanks to Jackie Smith

The boy detective Conan Edogawa and his true identity, teenager
Shinichi Kudo. Photo courtesy of FUNimation Entertainment.
© Gosho Aoyama/ Shogakukan, Yomiuri-TV, TMS

Shinichi Kudo is one of Japan’s most famous tantei (detective) due to his ability to solve even the most baffling cases. The press referred to him as the “Detective of the East” even though he is only a teenager. After finishing a date with his childhood friend Ran Mouri at a Tokyo amusement park, he inadvertently witnesses a shady deal between a Japanese businessperson and a mysterious man in black. But before Kudo can investigate further, he is ambushed and knocked out by another man in black. To eliminate Kudo while leaving no trace of their presence, the two men in black force-feed him APTX-4869, an untraceable experimental poison. Instead of killing him, the poison physically de-ages the teenager back to a 7-year-old child.

Acting on the advice of his neighbor, Dr. Hiroshi Agasa, Kudo goes to live at Ran’s house under the pseudonym “Conan Edogawa” (inspired by the writer Edogawa Rampo, who in turn based his pen name on Edgar Allen Poe). There Conan uses Ran’s father, Kogoro Mouri— a mostly incompetent detective— to solve the numerous cases that cross his path. To catch those responsible for his predicament, Conan works behind the scenes in the hopes of making Kogoro famous enough to receive a case dealing with the aptly-named Black Organization.
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Old-school Japanese monster action is back on the big screen in THE GOD OF CLAY, the new short film by FX crew members from the Godzilla and Ultraman series.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Bartok. © 2011 Marbling Fine Arts

Daikaiju Double Feature on June 23rd
Source: Bigfoot Crest Theater
Special Thanks to Dennis Bartok

On Thursday, June 23, the Bigfoot Crest Theater in Westwood, CA (near UCLA) will present a special giant monster/Godzilla-themed film event featuring the World Premiere of the Japanese giant monster short film THE GOD OF CLAY produced by Marbling Fine Arts, co-directed by Godzilla FX master Koichi Kawakita and featuring a veritable Who’s Who of some of the greatest names in Japanese monster special effects. Also on the schedule is a 35 mm screening of the classic Toho movie GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER.

Between the films there will be short discussion on the making of THE GOD OF CLAY and the history of Japanese giant monster movies with producer Norihiko Iwasaki of Marbling Fine Arts, Godzilla expert Steve Ryfle (Classic Media’s Toho Master Collection, Sony’s ICONS OF SCI-FI: TOHO COLLECTION) and film restoration expert Oki Miyano (RASHOMON).
Continued…

The new Toho SFX Actress Encyclopedia is a treasure trove of photos and information about the leading ladies of Toho’s fantasy films.
© 2011 Yosensha Co. Ltd./ Toho Co., Ltd.

Author: Loren Portillo
Official Site: Toho SFX Actress Encyclopedia

Released in Japan barely a month ago, the incredible softcover book Toho SFX Actress Encyclopedia (別冊映画秘宝　東宝特撮女優大全集, Toho tokusatsu jouyuu taizenshuu) covers 50 years of Toho special effects film actresses, from 1954 to 2004. Published by Yosensha Co. Ltd., this 158 page marvel includes a stunning amount of rare color and B&W photographs of some of the most beautiful women ever to grace the screens at Toho Studios.
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Director Takashi Miike remakes the classic 1963 samurai period action-drama THE THIRTEEN ASSASSINS. Photo courtesy of The Associates.
© 13 Assassins Film Partners

Takashi Miike’s Violent Samurai Tale Opens in Cinemas May 6th
Source: The Associates press release
Official Site: 13assassins.jp (Japan), 13assassins.com (US)

Takashi Miike, the director responsible for such uncompromising and unforgettable movies as AUDITION and ICHI THE KILLER indelibly stamps his trademark style on the Samurai genre with the ultra-violent, all-action, blood-spattered epic 13 ASSASSINS (十三人の刺客, Jusan-nin no Shikaku, 2010).

Nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the 2010 Venice International Film Festival, 13 ASSASSINS was also nominated for 10 Japanese Academy Awards including those for Picture of the Year, Director of the Year, Screenplay of the Year and Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Koji Yakusho).
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Original Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima holds up autographed Godzilla photo for Anime Jungle’s Tetsuo Shiota. Photo courtesy of Tetsu Shiota.

Toho Monster Makers Attend Convention in Burbank, CA
Source: Tetsu Shiota and Shinichi Wakasa

Filmmakers, fans, collectors, and dealers from around the world flocked to Monsterpalooza 2011, held April 8-10 at the Marriott Burbank Hotel and Convention Center. Among the guests were two key figures from Toho’s Godzilla movie series: Haruo Nakajima and Shinichi Wakasa. Both Mr Wakasa and Tetsuo Shiota of the collector’s shop Anime Jungle have provided from their time at Monsterpalooza.
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Doctors Eiko Kobayashi (Rei Dan) and Tsuyoshi Matsuoka (Satoshi Tsumabuki) race to stop a plague threatening to wipe out mankind in PANDEMIC, a sci-fi thriller
from TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting System) and Toho. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2009 PANDEMIC’ Production Committee

The End of the World is Near in Japanese Sci-Fi Thriller
Source: The Associates press release

Cover art for the UK DVD of PANDEMIC. Photo courtesy of
The Associates. © 2009 PANDEMIC’ Production Committee

Japanese director Takahisa Zeze (FLYING RABBITS; MOON CHILD) combines the apocalyptic excitement of the disaster movie with the high tension of a medical thriller in PANDEMIC (感染列島, Kansen Retto, 2009), which stars Satoshi Tsumabuki (DORORO; THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT), Kanningu Takeyama (MEMORIES OF MATSUKO) and celebrated veteran actor Tatsuya Fuji (IN THE REALM OF THE SENSES; EMPIRE OF PASSION) in a terrifyingly topical tale of a world threatened by a mysterious virus.

At a Tokyo hospital, a patient thought to be suffering from flu tests negative for the disease but then suffers from fever, pneumonia, bleeding, diarrhea, systemic infection and multiple organ failure. Doctors quickly determine that the cause was not avian flu. It was something much, much worse – a brand new form of flu, the likes of which has never been seen before. Early estimates suggest an outbreak of this deadly plague could infect 2.5 million people within the Tokyo area and kill around 640,000 within weeks.
Continued…

Who has Won Sets of Three Different Cover Editions for the Sold-Out Comic Book?
Source: IDW Publishing
Special Thanks to Chris Ryall, Carlos Guzman, Dirk Wood and Alonzo Simon

Alex Ross artwork for Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters
Cover A. Photo courtesy of IDW Publishing. © 2011
IDW Publishing/ Toho Co., Ltd.

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Thank you to everyone who entered IDW Publishing and SciFi Japan’s Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters comic book contest. The response from readers was fantastic with hundreds of entries submitted. The three randomly drawn winners are:

Marc Southerland
Veronica Weissman
Dillon Fisher

Congratulations to the winners! Each of you will receive a set of three Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters issue #1 cover variant editions featuring the artwork of Alex Ross and Eric Powell. The prizes will be shipped soon so keep an eye on your mailboxes.

In related news, IDW Publishing has announced that Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #1 sold out on the first day of release at comic book retail stores throughout North America. To meet the continued demand, a second printing of the issue will be released on May 11, 2011. The second printing of Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters#1 will feature the Alex Ross illustrated cover from the first printing with a new foil logo.
Continued…

Cult film director Takashi Miike’s 13 ASSASSINS comes to America this month from Magnet Releasing. Photo courtesy of Magnet Releasing.
© 13 Assassins Film Partners

Source: Magnolia Pictures
Official Site: 13assassins.jp (Japan), 13assassins.com (US)

US poster art for 13 ASSASSINS. Photo courtesy of Magnet
Releasing. © 13 Assassins Film Partners

Beginning this month, 13 ASSASSINS (十三人の刺客, Jusan-nin no Shikaku, 2010) will be distributed in the United States by Magnet Releasing, a division of Magnolia Pictures (THE HOST, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, MONSTERS). Cult director Takeshi Miike (ICHI THE KILLER, AUDITION) delivers a bravado period action film set at the end of Japan’s feudal era in which a group of unemployed samurai are enlisted to bring down a sadistic lord and prevent him from ascending to the throne and plunging the country into a wartorn future.

13 ASSASSINS is now available on Video On Demand and starts a limited theatrical run on April 29th. Check the Magnolia Pictures website for theater locations and dates.

The following press notes and images are courtesy of Magnet Releasing/ Magnolia Pictures.
Continued…

UK DVD and Blu-ray covers for the Japanese Academy Award-winning CONFESSIONS. Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2010 Confessions Production Committee

Third Window Films to Release Acclaimed Psychological Thriller on April 25th
Source: Third Window Films, The Associates press release
Official Movie Site: kokuhaku-shimasu.jp (Japan), thirdwindowfilms.com/confessions (UK)
Special Thanks to Adam Torel

Written and directed by Tetsuya Nakashima, CONFESSIONS was selected as Japan’s official entry in the Best Foreign Film category of the 83rd Annual Academy Awards and was the winner of the awards for Best Film, Best Screenplay and Best Director at the 34th Japanese Academy Awards earlier this year.

CONFESSIONS (cert. 15) will be released in the UK as a two-disc DVD (£14.99) and single-disc Blu-ray (£19.99) by Third Window Films on 25th April 2011. Special Features include: 70-minute featurette “Final Confession” by Tetsuya Nakashima; “Real Confessions” by students; interview with Tetsuya Nakashima; theatrical trailer; Third Window Films trailers.
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It looks like North American Godzilla fans will have to keep waiting for an official GODZILLA VS MEGALON DVD. © 1973 Toho Co., Ltd.

Media Blasters Not Releasing Special Edition Disc of 1973 Godzilla Film
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Media Blasters, Inc., Toho Co. Ltd, various
Special Thanks to Steve Ryfle, Carl Morano, and Emiko Jade Frost

Over the past few days, Godzilla fandom has been abuzz over rumors that the 1973 film GODZILLA VS MEGALON was being readied for a deluxe release on US DVD and/or Blu-ray. Well known Japanese film historian August Ragone (author of Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters) broke the news, providing details in several online postings and an article which ran on his blog March 31st.

The news was met with great enthusiasm from Godzilla fans. Unfortunately, it appears the report was incorrect.
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SciFi Japan readers can win a set of three different variant editions of IDW Publishing’s Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters comic book.
Photo courtesy of IDW Publishing. © 2011 IDW Publishing/ Toho Co., Ltd.

Win a Set of Three Different Cover Editions, Courtesy of IDW Publishing and SciFi Japan
Source: IDW Publishing
Special Thanks to Chris Ryall, Carlos Guzman, Dirk Wood and Alonzo Simon

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Today, IDW Publishing premieres the first issue of their new comic books series Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters. Based on the long-running Toho film series and characters, the ongoing comic stars the King of the Monsters and other fan favorites such as Mothra, Rodan, Anguirus, and King Ghidorah in stories by writers Eric Powell (The Goon) and Tracy Marsh and artists Phil Hester (Green Arrow, Firebreather) and Bruce McCorkindale (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Falling Man).

To celebrate Godzilla’s return to American comics, IDW is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win prize packs containing three different cover variant editions of Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters issue #1. The covers feature the artwork of Alex Ross (Marvels, Kingdom Come) and Godzilla comic writer Eric Powell.
Continued…

Issue #1 of IDW Publishing’s Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters comic book comes with multiple variant covers, including this tri-fold illustration by
Eric Powell for Cover B. Photo courtesy of IDW Publishing. © 2011 IDW Publishing/ Toho Co., Ltd.

Source: IDW Publishing
Special Thanks to Chris Ryall and Carlos Guzman

Cover A by Alex Ross. Photo courtesy of IDW Publishing.
© 2011 IDW Publishing/ Toho Co., Ltd.

The first issue of IDW Publishing’s Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters, comic book series will arrive on stores shelves Wednesday, March 30th. The ongoing series is being written by Eisner Award-winner Eric Powell (The Goon) and Tracy Marsh. Artwork is provided by penciller Phil Hester (Green Arrow, Firebreather), inker Bruce McCorkindale (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, The Falling Man) and Eisner-nominated colorist Ronda Pattison. The cover price is $3.99.

Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters begins as Godzilla emerges from the ocean off the coast of Japan and makes his way towards Tokyo. Military countermeasures seem powerless against the gargantuan beast, and the Japanese government may have to resort to some desperate measures to prevent further calamity. The destructive saga also features a host of beloved Toho monsters such as Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah, making their long-awaited debut to American comics.
Continued…

T-’s Facto presents the prototype Godzilla 54 sculpture, one of the the incredible kits sold at Winter WonderFest 2011.
Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1954 Toho Co., Ltd.

Godzilla, Ultraman, and More at Tokyo Model and Toy Collectors Show
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Wonder Festival

Once again, it’s that time of year for the winter season orgy of model kits, toys, and cosplay otherwise known as Wonder Festival. Hosted once again by toy and kit maker Kaiyodo, this year’s event again took place February 6, 2011 at the Makuhari Messe, just a few train stops down the Keio Line from Tokyo Disneyland. And as usual, this year’s show had its share of surprises as well as the weird, wacky, and wonderful.
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Sho Aikawa in director Takashi Miike’s DEAD OR ALIVE. Photo courtesy of Japan Society. © 1999 Kadokawa Shoten Co., Ltd.

Japanese Gangster Film Series Spans 50 Years, with 15 films and a Guest Appearance by an American Movie Legend
Source: Japan Society
Special Thanks to Shannon Jowett and Joshua Pagillo

New York, NY: Years before Coppola’s GODFATHER enthralled a nation and decades before SOPRANOS and BOARDWALK EMPIRE fed viewers’ insatiable appetites for serial gangster melodrama, the yakuza (Japanese mafia) were mainstays of the Japanese film industry.

From March 9-19, Japan Society presents the Globus Film Series “Hardest Men in Town: Yakuza Chronicles of Sin, Sex & Violence”, featuring 15 seminal films encompassing 50 years of snarling, swaggering, tattooed and inexplicably sexy cinema icons from Japan. In addition to celebrated classics by Hideo Gosha (THE WOLVES), Kinji Fukasaku (COPS VS. THUGS, BATTLES WITHOUT HONOR AND HUMANITY), the series includes lesser known titles and overlooked gems by Seijun Suzuki (YOUTH OF THE BEAST), Takashi Miike (DEAD OR ALIVE), Rokuro Mochizuki (A YAKUZA IN LOVE, ONIBI: THE FIRE WITHIN) and Sydney Pollack (THE YAKUZA), as well as contemporary incarnations of the genre such as Takeshi Kitano’s OUTRAGE.

Kicking off the festival, filmmaker Paul Schrader (dir.: BLUE COLLAR, AMERICAN GIGOLO; writer: TAXI DRIVER, LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST) appears March 9 to introduce THE YAKUZA, which he penned, and take part in a Q&A following the screening.
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Takashi Yamazaki Continues the Blockbuster Film Series… this Time in 3D
Authors: Keith Aiken and Jim Ballard
Source: NTV (Nippon Television Network), Cinema Today, various
Official Site: Always 3

Advance art for ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET ’64.
© 2012 Always Sunset on Third Street ’64 Film Partners

Fresh from the smash success of his live action SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO (SPACE BATTLESHIP ヤマト, Uchu Senkan Yamato, 2010), filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki is now at work on a third installment of the award-winning ALWAYS- SUNSET ON THIRD STREET movie franchise.

During a January press conference for ALWAYS- SUNSET ON 3RD STREET ’64, Takashi Yamazaki told the press that, “As the title clearly states, the film is set in 1964, when throughout Japan there was a heightened state of excitement for the Tokyo Olympics.” It wasn’t just the Tokyo Olympics; with the grand opening of the Tokaido bullet-train line and the rapid economic growth as a result of increasing tourism, the year was a critical juncture for the country. Coincidentally, 1964 was also the year that the director and ALWAYS cast members Shinichi Tsutsumi and Hiroko Yakushimaru were born.

This time period was never depicted in the Sunset on Third Street manga series, but creator Ryouhei Saigan gave his blessing to the new film and offered some story suggestions. Yamazaki explained, “We showed the plot to Mr. Saigan and incorporated some of his ideas. “I had a very difficult time creating the screenplay [with ALWAYS and ALWAYS 2 co-screenwriter Ryota Kosawa] while I was thinking about the significance of making a third movie.”
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Interview with IDW Cover Artist Matt Frank
Author: Bob Johnson
Special thanks to IDW Comics

As fans eagerly await the debut of IDW’s Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters comic, SciFi Japan caught up with cover artist Matt Frank and discussed the comic and what to expect in the months (years?) ahead. We also have an exclusive look at the Rodan cover for issue #2! So read on and enjoy!
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SciFi Japan mock cover by Matt Frank! ©2011 IDW Publishing and Toho Co., ltd. (note: this is not an official cover)

His Job is to Deliver a Message: Tomorrow You Die…
Source: The Associates press release

Cover art for the UK DVD of DEATH NOTICE: IKIGAMI.
Photo courtesy of The Associates. © 2008 IKIGAMI: The
Ultimate Limit Production Committee

Directed by Tomoyuki Takimoto (THE INVESTIGATION GAME), based on the best selling manga series written and illustrated by Motoro Mase, and sharing similar thematic elements with LOGAN’S RUN, BATTLE ROYALE, and 1984, DEATH NOTICE: IKIGAMI (イキガミ, Ikigami, 2008) paints a vivid and shocking portrait of a dystopian future Japan in which citizens are routinely killed, by law, “for the good of the nation”.

In the interests of national prosperity, in a near-future Japan all children are given an inoculation on their first day at school. One in every thousand of the injections contains a lethal nano-capsule, which will end the recipient’s life some time between the ages of 18 and 24. Having been randomly selected to die, prior to their termination these citizens are given 24 hours’ notification of their impending doom in the form of an “Ikigami”, a death notice allowing them one final day to say goodbye to loved ones and to come to terms with their fate.

DEATH NOTICE: IKIGAMI (cert. 15) will be released on DVD (Region 2, PAL) by MVM on 7th March 2011. The suggested retail price is £15.99.
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