Australia’s Madman Entertainment brings the Korean hits HAEUNDAE and CHAW to DVD. Photos courtesy of Madman Entertainment.
HAEUNDAE © 2009 JK Film / CJ Entertainment. CHAW © 2009 Big House/ Vantage Holdings and Lotte Entertainment

Natural Disasters and Mutant Animals Terrify and Entertain
Source: Madman Entertainment

Two of the biggest box office hits in Korea last year were the mega-tsunami thriller HAEUNDAE and the killer wild boar horror/comedy CHAW. The Australian distributor Madman Entertainment has picked up both films and is releasing them on Region 4 PAL DVD. HAEUNDAE went on sale last month, and CHAW is scheduled for April.

Neither movie has been released on home video in North America.
Continued…

Next month Kaiyodo launches a line of highly detailed and articulated figures based on popular science fiction and fantasy characters.
Photos courtesy of Anime Jungle. Alien © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. Daimajin © 1966 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc. © 2010 Kaiyodo Co., Ltd.

The Popular Toy Line is Expanded to Include Kaiju and Special Effects Movie Characters
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Translations: Jim Ballard
Source: Anime Jungle
Official Site: kaiyodo.co.jp/revoltech
Special Thanks to Tetsu Shiota

Fans and collectors are probably familiar with the brand Revoltech, which is owned by the Kaiyodo Company of Japan. It is a series of super-articulated figures in the 4-6 inch scale and based on various popular characters from manga, video games, television, film, and anime. The name itself reportedly means “Revolver Technology” as the revolver joint is what gives the figures their super-articulation.

Of interest to kaiju fans is the upcoming line, SCI-FI REVOLTECH, which will showcase popular characters from both east and west. The first figures up for release on April 1st are the Xenomorph from Ridley Scott’s ALIEN and the vengeful god DAIMAJIN from the Daiei movie series of the 1960s, followed on May 1st by Tsuburaya Productions’ friendly beast Booska and Toho’s Baragon (from FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD).
Continued…

Source: Monster Attack Team
Special Thanks to Michael G Keller and Edward Holland

Cover for Monster Attack Team Issue 8. Photo courtesy of
MAT. © 2010 Monster Attack Team

After far too long an absence, the popular fanzine Monster Attack Team returns!

Edward Holland and the late Joe Riley began Monster Attack Team (the name taken from the anti-monster team in RETURN OF ULTRAMAN) began in the early 1990s as a fan club for aficionados of Japanese science fiction and fantasy. It soon evolved into a Dallas, Texas cable access television show and a small newsletter that grew to become a fan favorite mag. The print version of Monster Attack Team ran for seven issues, edited by Ed Holland with the assistance of David May and Michael G Keller, and featured articles and contributions by authors such as Ed Godziszewski, Kip Doto, Bob Johnson, Kevin Grays, August Ragone, Daisuke Ishizuka, Norman England, and Damon Foster.

Nearly 15 years after the last issue, Ed Holland and Michael Keller have brought back Monster Attack Team with Issue 8. The editors have rounded up an “all star” group of tokusatsu writers and historians and produced a massive, 132 page edition that matches the quality of those truly great English language genre publications The Japanese Fantasy Film Journal, Markalite, and Japanese Giants.
Continued…

Cute Japanese high school girls become undead monsters in the splatter horror comedy VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL.
Photo courtesy of 4Digital Media. © 2010 Pony Canyon /Concept Film /Excellent Film Partners

Source: 4Digital Media, Arias UK Ltd. press releases
Official Movie Site: VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL (Japan)
Special Thanks to Chris Meyer

Cover art for the new British DVD of VAMPIRE GIRL VS
FRANKENSTEIN GIRL. Photo courtesy of 4Digital Media.
© 2010 Pony Canyon /Concept Film /Excellent Film Partners

From Yoshihiro Nishimura, the man behind the outrageousness of TOKYO GORE POLICE and THE MACHINE GIRL comes this crazed response to both TWILIGHT and LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, a film that consistently overwhelms the viewer in its sheer dementia…

Based on a manga by Shungiku Uchida, VAMPIRE GIRL VS FRANKENSTEIN GIRL (Kyuketsu Shojo tai Shojo Furanken, 2008) will be released on DVD (£15.99) in the UK by 4Digital Media on 15th March, 2010.

Handsome high school student Mizushima (Takumi Saito) receives Valentines Day chocolates from a new student, Monami Arukado (Yukie Kawamura). Little did he know that the chocolates contained traces of Monami’s vampire blood. He gets infected from eating them and Monami confesses that she wants to live with him forever as vampires. Keiko Furano (Eri Otoguro), Mizushima’s girlfriend, sees the two on the school rooftop kissing and in a state of hysteria, attempts to throw Monami off the roof but falls off herself instead.

Keiko dies but her father, Kenji Furano (Kanji Tsuda), the mad scientist, resurrects her as Franken girl. Thus begins a deadly combat between Franken Keiko and Vampire Monami in the name of love. As we all know, this kind of Vampire vs. Frankenstein conflict can only be solved by fighting, beating, stabbing, chewing, clawing and a showdown high atop Tokyo Tower!
Continued…

Burning Godzilla roars over the crowd at Winter WonderFest 2010. Photo by Ed Godziszewski. © 1995 Toho Co., Ltd.

A Look at the Winter Model and Toy Collectors Show Held in Tokyo on February 7, 2010
Author: Ed Godziszewski
Official Site: Wonder Festival

Owing to an accident in 2008 which occurred at the Tokyo Big Sight, former home of Wonder Festival, this biannual mega collectors event was canceled for the year 2009. But after securing a new venue at Makuhari Messe, WonderFest is back and bigger than ever.

Ed Godziszewski presents a look Winter WonderFest with nearly three dozen photos of the latest Godzilla, Gamera, and Ultraman collectibles coming from Japan.
Continued…

Harumi Kiritachi, Eiji Funakoshi, and Yoshiro Uchida run for their lives in the original GAMERA. The movie will finally get an official DVD release in America as
GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER. Photo courtesy of Shout! Factory. © 1965 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Shout’s Cliff Macmillan Discusses the First Official Region 1 Release of the Early Gamera Movies
Author: Keith Aiken
Official Site: Shout! Factory
Special Thanks to Bob Johnson

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

An early look at the cover art for Shout! Factory’s
GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER DVD. Photo courtesy of
Shout! Factory. © 1965 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

The original series of Gamera movies is finally getting a licensed and authorized Region 1 DVD release, courtesy of the Los Angeles-based entertainment company Shout! Factory.

On May 18, 2010, Shout! will unleash GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER – SPECIAL EDITION on DVD for the first time in its unedited original version, with English subtitles — in anamorphic widescreen from an all-new HD master. The DVD includes a 12-page booklet with an essay by director Noriaki Yuasa, a photo gallery, trailers and more. The collectible GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER – SPECIAL EDITION DVD is priced to own at $19.93.

SciFi Japan is pleased to present an early look at the DVD cover art for GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER, a look back at Gamera’s release history in the United States, and an interview with Cliff Macmillan, Vice President of DVD Production and Acquisitions for Shout! Factory. Enjoy!
Continued…

For nearly 30 years, Bandai has been producing and amazing variety of vinyl figures based on characters from the Godzilla, Toho, and Gamera films.
Photos courtesy of Mike Russo, Bob Johnson, and John DeSentis. © Toho Co., Ltd. © Bandai Co., Ltd.

An Overview and Price Guide for the Bandai Godzilla Toy Market
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Special Thanks Mike Russo, Jean Carbajal, Brandon Shields, Bob Johnson, Greg Cordaro, Andy Shields, and James Bond

A SciFi JAPAN EXCLUSIVE

Tag for Bandai’s Godzilla 1984, one of the earliest
figures released in “The Godzilla Collection”.
© 1984 Toho Co., Ltd. © 1984 Bandai Co., Ltd.

Welcome to the market overview and price guide to Bandai Godzilla collectibles. The Bandai Company for decades now has been the standard for producing toys based on popular Japanese characters; they are essentially the Mattel of Japan. As it pertains to this article, they began producing toys based on characters in the Godzilla Series in 1983. Over the years since, both the output and quality of the company has steadily increased. The figures themselves are made of vinyl and have been primarily produced in two sizes, 6 inch and 8 inch scale, with the 8 inch scale being the most popular with collectors. There are also larger figures which vary between the 14 and 24 inch scale.

The decision to focus on the Bandai market is due to the company’s immense popularity among Godzilla fans and a general need to know where the toys currently stand as far as pricing and rarity. We have done research and kept our eyes on general trends from sales on the internet and at shows throughout the year such as G-Fest (the annual celebration of Godzilla and Toho Sci-Fi), the San Diego and New York Comic-Cons, Chiller Theater (the legendary toy and horror film expo in New Jersey), and other collector shows and marketplaces such as Frank & Son (in California) and the like. We also keep our eye on shops in the major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. Finally, we also go to the people closest to the toys— dealers and collectors— to get their opinions and observations.

Also included in this market report is pricing on GODZILLA-related Bandai figures such as the REBIRTH OF MOTHRA trilogy, the GAMERA series, and even Toho’s YAMATO TAKERU (OROCHI THE EIGHT HEADED DRAGON). We are not, however, pricing DX (deluxe), battery operated, or candy toys. This article strictly covers the standard figures in their various scales.
Continued…

Voltron Lands this Summer
Source: Privateer Press press release
Official Sites: monsterpocalypse.com, voltron.com

An early look at the packaging for the new VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE
battle miniatures game. Photo courtesy of Privateer Press. © 2010 Privateer
Press, Inc. Voltron is © 2010 World Events Productions, Ltd.

Privateer Press has announced that the highly anticipated VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE battle miniatures game (PIP 50030) for MONSTERPOCALYPSE will be released July 2010 with an MSRP of $49.99.

The VOLTRON game will include everything two players need to stage epic battles between the forces of Voltron and the Galaxy Alliance and Lo-Tron of the fiendish Drule Empire. Part of the popular MONSTERPOCALYPSE line, VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE will be completely compatible with all current MONSTERPOCALYPSE series.

In celebration of the release, Privateer Press is offering the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE Launch Kit (PIP 50033, MSRP $399.92) to brick-and-mortar retailers. The kit includes eight copies of the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE battle miniatures game and two limited edition Mega Voltron figures for use in promoting the game’s release in the store. Retailers can pre-order the VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE Launch Kit through their distributor now.
Continued…

Source: Privateer Press press release
Official Site: monsterpocalypse.com

An early look at the Unit Booster and Monster Booster game packs for April’s
MONSTERPOCALYPSE SERIES 5: BIG IN JAPAN. Photos courtesy of Privateer Press.
© 2010 Privateer Press, Inc.

Privateer Press of Bellevue, WA has announced that the next expansion for its collectible miniatures game MONSTERPOCALYPSE will be released in April 2010. The expansion, SERIES 5: BIG IN JAPAN, takes the monsters and minions of MONSTERPOCALYPSE to the heart of Japan with new iconic buildings from the Tokyo skyline. BIG IN JAPAN will be available in Monster Boosters and Unit Boosters.

To celebrate the release of BIG IN JAPAN, Privateer Press is offering two special promotions to retailers and players. Players can get a limited edition Mega Mechathugrosh figure free from participating retailers by ordering the BIG IN JAPAN Mega Kit (PIP 50915). The kit includes one case of BIG IN JAPAN Boosters, one case of BIG IN JAPAN Unit Boosters, and one Mega Mechathugrosh figure.

The second promotion is available to retailers who order the BIG IN JAPAN Launch Kit (PIP 50916). The kit includes six of the BIG IN JAPAN Mega Kits and two free limited edition Mega White Dajan figures for the retailer to use in supporting the launch of BIG IN JAPAN. Both the BIG IN JAPAN Mega Kit and the BIG IN JAPAN Launch Kit are limited, and players and retailers are encouraged to pre-order so as not to miss out on these special offers.
Continued…

Japan’s yokai as they appeared in the classic YOKAI MONSTERS trilogy made by Daiei Motion Picture Company in the 1960s. © 1968 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Authors: Melanie Bourgeois and Dan Ross
Source: VIZ Media
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

Author Matt Alt signs Yokai Attack! for fans at the Yokai University exhibit.

From October 23rd though November 6th, Viz Media and the New People Center in San Francisco’s Japantown hosted a spooky gallery of Japanese goblins known as yokai. The “Yokai University: San Francisco Campus” exhibit located in the lobby of Viz Cinema showcased original woodblock prints from classic Ukio-e master Hokusai to more contemporary manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, creator of GeGeGe No Kitaro. Along with the prints were video reels of yokai street parades and in glass cases, many classic and modern netsuke and toys. All in all a colorful, fun and educational display.

On October 31st at Viz Cinema, Matt Alt, founder of AltJapan and co-writer of the book Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, gave a free presentation on what yokai are all about. My wife Melanie and I attended. After Matt’s informative and fun talk and a book signing in the lobby, Melanie and I caught up with him for a few minutes to talk about the presentation from both our perspectives, and also looked in on the latest happenings at AltJapan.
Continued…

Director Shusuke Kaneko is in Korea for the 2009 Megabox Japanese Film Festival, which will screen all three 1990s Gamera films.
Photo courtesy of Megabox. GAMERA 3: AWAKENING OF IRYS © 1999 Kadokawa Pictures, Inc.

Heisei Trilogy will be screened at Japanese Film Festival in Korea
Author: Kim Song-ho
Official Site: The 6th Megabox Japanese Film Festival

Poster art for the 6th Megabox Japanese Film Festival.
Photo courtesy of Megabox. © 2009 Megabox

The Heisei Gamera trilogy — GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (Gamera: Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen, 1995), GAMERA 2: ADVENT OF LEGION (Gamera 2: Region Shurai, aka GAMERA: ATTACK OF LEGION, 1996) and GAMERA 3: AWAKENING OF IRYS (Gamera 3: Iris Kakusei, aka GAMERA: REVENGE OF IRIS, 1999) — will be screened in Korea at the 6th Megabox Japanese Film Festival, running November 11 to 15 (Korean date). Shusuke Kaneko, director of the Gamera trilogy, is visiting Korea for the festival and will meet the audience in person for most of the showings.

Megabox Japanese Film Festival (J-MEFF) is a collaboration between Megabox Cineplex, a large cinema chain in Korea, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs of Japan. Since the premiere festival in 2004, J-MEFF is held in November. Each year it introduces both new and classic Japanese films to Korean audiences and is now one of the most well-known Japan-related film festivals among Korean film buffs.

Kim Song-ho previews what attendees can expect to see at this year’s Megabox Japanese Film Festival, and looks back at the history of Gamera in South Korea.
Continued…

The giant monster Geharha faces off with mankind’s new superweapon in GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER. The film is now available on
Japanese DVD and Blu-ray. © 2009 NHK ‘Geharha’ Project.

2009 TV Kaiju Movie on Japanese DVD and Blu-ray with English Subtitles
Author: James Bonney
Official Site: Geharha (Japan)
Special Thanks to James Ballard

GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER (Chouhatsu Daikaiju Gehara, 2009), the short, shot for television film that tells the bizarre story of a mysterious monster that rises up from the depths to wreak havoc on Japan has been released onto DVD in it’s native country. It is a treat for kaiju fans worldwide… that is if you can get past region code blockage and the rather expensive conversion rates and shipping, which is a typical situation amongst foreign buyers of Japanese DVDs.
Continued…

Space Station Gamma III is menaced by THE GREEN SLIME. The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention is hosting a 40th anniversary
screening with stars Robert Horton and Luciana Paluzzi. © 1969 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

Stars Robert Horton and Luciana Paluzzi to Attend Screening at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention
Official Site: Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention

US poster art for THE GREEN SLIME. © 1969 Metro-
Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc.

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Japanese/US/Italian co-production THE GREEN SLIME (Gamma Sango Uchu Daisakusen, 1968) with a special screening and appearance by two stars of the sci-fi cult classic at the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. The convention will show a rare film print of THE GREEN SLIME at 12:00pm on Sunday, November 8th. Actors Robert Horton and Luciana Paluzzi will attend from 11:00am-4:00pm to sign autographs and take part in post-screening interview about the making of the movie.

This weekend’s screening will be included as part of the general admission for the Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention. Robert Horton and Luciana Paluzzi are charging for autographs, but each signatures includes a choice of photo.
Continued…

The Killer Mutant Boar Continues the Hunt Next Month on Home Video
Author: Kim Song-ho
Source: OZ DVD, Madmad
Official Movie Site: CHAW

Cover art for the Korean Region 3 DVD of CHAW. © 2009
Polygon Entertainment LLC/Soo Jack Films

On November 4, the Korean killer wild boar movie CHAW will be released on DVD in its native country. Along with the movie itself, the 2-disc edition will feature a variety of added materials such as a director and cast audio commentary, featurettes, deleted scenes, Korean theatrical premiere footage, poster gallery, and trailers.

The DVD will also include English subtitles.

Previously, the German company Ascot Elite Home Entertainment announced the Blu-ray release of of CHAW, due in that country on December 10. No news of a Korean Blu-ray (or an American) release has been announced.
Continued…

Advertisement for the VIZ Cinema screenings of BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO. Photo courtesy of VIZ Pictures. © 2009 Kamogawa Horumo Film Partners

NEW PEOPLE Yokai Event Celebrates the Halloween spirit Japanese style!
Source: VIZ Media, MediaLab press releases
Official Site: NewPeopleWorld.com
Special Thanks to Erik Jansen

Kitaro and his yokai friends appear in promotional art
for the free “Yokai University San Francisco Campus”
exhibit starting this week at NEW PEOPLE. Photo
courtesy of VIZ Media. © 2009 VIZ Media, LLC

Did you know that the Japanese yokai (immortal spirits) are attending their fall semester in San Francisco?

NEW PEOPLE, the new pop culture center in San Francisco’s Japantown, delivers Halloween— Japanese style— as it opens “Yokai University: San Francisco Campus”, a fun and spooky free exhibition of demons, monsters and other creepy creatures running October 23rd through November 6th at the VIZ Cinema lobby. The event will feature yokai related books, art prints and other media, including Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints by master artist Hokusai Katsushika, and artwork by yokai manga pioneer Shigeru Mizuki, creator of the popular series GeGeGe No Kitaro.

To complement the exhibit, VIZ Cinema will host a special premiere of the new yokai combat action-comedy film BATTLE LEAGUE HORUMO (Kamogawa Horumo, 2009).

As part of the two week celebration, NEW PEOPLE invites the public to an informative free yokai lecture by Tokyo-based writer Matt Alt, who chronicled Japan’s long love affair with monsters and spirits in Yokai Attack!: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide, the first-ever English language yokai guidebook. Matt Alt gives history and insights on its culture on Saturday, October 31st from 1:00 – 2:30pm at VIZ Cinema. His book and a special collection of yokai themed products will also be available for purchase.
Continued…