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“Smells Like Teen Spirit” music video, courtesy of the Nancy Hirsch Group.
Piano Rendition of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
Source: Nancy Hirsch Group press release
Official Site: elewrockjazz.com
Special Thanks to Rebekah Stein and Teddy Getz
Japanese filmmaker Ryuhei Kitamura— director of such movies as VERSUS, AZUMI, GODZILLA: FINAL WARS, and MIDNIGHT MEAT TRAIN— has directed the debut music video of Rockjazz Pioneer ELEW; a cover of Nirvana’s iconic rock anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Continued…
Classic Toho Soundtrack Re-mastered in a Deluxe Edition
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Source: Toho Music Store
Special Thanks to Mike Temple and Ed Godziszewski
Over the last two years, Toho Music has begun reissuing some of their non-Godzilla related special effects film scores in deluxe packaging with re-mastered sound. Joining the already re-released soundtracks to THE THREE TREAURES (Nippon Tanjo, 1959) and THE MYSTERIANS/BATTLE IN OUTER SPACE (Chikyu Boeigun, 1957/Uchu Daisenso, 1959) is Yuji Koseki’s score to MOTHRA (Mosura, 1961), released as a dual disc set at the end of July. Continued…
VIZ Pictures, an affiliate of VIZ Media, LLC that focuses on Japanese live-action film distribution, has announced that it has licensed from Toho Company, Ltd the North American theatrical and DVD distribution rights to the heavy metal live-action comedy, DETROIT METAL CITY. The DVD is scheduled for release later in the fall of this year.
DETROIT METAL CITY takes the zany rock antics inspired by films like THIS IS SPINAL TAP to hilarious new extremes in this film directed by Toshio Lee and based on the popular manga comic created by Kiminori Wakasugi. It features notable appearances by Gene Simmons from the legendary band, KISS, and Marty Friedman of Megadeth, and stars Kenichi Matsuyama, one of the most adored actors in Japan today and known widely for his role as ‘L’ in the DEATH NOTE films. Continued…
On July 1st, J-Pop’s #1 idol and Hello! Project singing sensation Erina Mano attended the world premiere of her feature film debut, KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO (怪談新耳袋-怪奇), at the world famous Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California. KAI-KI is the latest in series of films based on the hit Japanese TV franchise TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO AND ALL OVER JAPAN (怪談新耳袋*, Shin Mimi-Bukuro), which adapts actual urban legends collected from across the country by writer Kihara Hirokatsu.
Club Nokia hosted two screenings of KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO. A mini-concert followed each showing in which Erina Mano sang the film’s them song “Returning Home” as well as “Sekai wa Summer Party”, a happy pop song that from her first tour album. Both Miss Mano and Tales of Terror creator Kihara Hirokatsu took part in an autograph signing.
In addition, there was also a Q&A featuring Erina Mano, J-Idol producer Tamon Andrew Niwa and representatives from the Toyota Creative Lounge who financed the project. Toyota Creative Lounge reps included the prominent designers Agga B., Anna Fong, Melissa Serpico Kamhout (Serpico), and Lidia Wachowska (evil kitty); all of whom designed exclusive outfits for Mano-san to wear during her stay in Los Angeles. Continued…
Although retired from filmmaking, Koichi Kawakita (FX director of the Godzilla series from 1989-1995) has managed to find a new way to stay in the public eye these days, promoting a series of products related to Toho special effects films. In January he appeared at Super Festival, introducing two new books concerning the Godzilla films, the DVD of ZERO FIGHTER (Ozora no Samurai, 1976), and some miscellaneous goods. Then in February he was at Wonder Festival promoting a garage kit replica of the Oxygen Destroyer from GODZILLA (Gojira, 1954).
And since late last year, he has been doing interviews in the booklets for each of DeAgostini’s DVD book releases of Toho special effects films. In Volume 18 of this Toho SFX DVD Collection series (DESTROY ALL MONSTERS), issued during May, Kawakita appears promoting even more goods related to Toho films. Continued…
Back in 2004, during Godzilla’s 50th Anniversary, Toho Music Announced they would be reissuing all the Godzilla soundtracks remastered in a series of box sets, each limited to 1,954 pressings of each (to commemorate the year of the original Godzilla). What fans didn’t know was just how long it would take for them to be released. The first set went on sale September 20th, 2004 and was highly regarded for its improved sonics, especially on the 1954 disc. Box 2 came a short few months later in December, during the release of GODZILLA FINAL WARS. Box 3 followed in April of 2005, around the same time as the release of the GODZILLA FINAL BOX which contained all 28 movies on DVD.
What followed then was a wait of nearly a year and a half as the fourth box didn’t hit the streets until October, 2006 and it took only slightly less time for the fifth box to come out in January, 2008. Fan speculation ran high as to whether or not the final set would ever be released at all. But after a wait of over two years (the longest stretch between two sets), Box 6 was finally released in Japan on March 25th, and the collection is now complete. Continued…
Anime Expo, the nation’s largest anime/manga convention, begins tomorrow and runs through July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California. Check out the previous coverage here on SciFi Japan for full details on AX 2010, and enjoy these final updates regarding expo guests and events. Continued…
J-Pop Idol Erina Mano to Attend and Perform at Premiere Screening of Her Feature Film Debut
Source: Japan Film Society, BAM! Marketing, Publicity and Promotions press releases
Additional Material: Kai Saari
Official Site: Facebook.com/TalesofTerror (US), shinmimi.net (Japan)
Official Twitter Profile: Twitter.com/ShinMimi
J-Pop’s #1 idol and Hello! Project singing sensation Erina Mano will be attending and performing at the world premiere of her break-out feature film role in KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO (怪談新耳袋-怪奇) on July 1, 2010 (World Premiere at noon and 2nd screening at 3:00 pm) at the world famous venue, Club Nokia, in Los Angeles, California. Advance tickets for both events are now available at club2themax.com.
KAI-KI: TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO is based on the hit Japanese TV franchise TALES OF TERROR FROM TOKYO AND ALL OVER JAPAN and is comprised of two separate short stories: TSUKIMONO: THE POSSESSED and NOZOMI, both starring Erina Mano. The film was written by Ryuta Miyake and directed by Makoto Shinozaki (TOKYO ISLAND), and features the song “Returning Home” performed by Ms. Mano.
Erina Mano will be in attendance at both screenings and will also partake in a Q&A session with audience members and perform a mini-live concert at the event as well. In addition, she will also be take part in a fan meet & greet and a mini-autograph session for a limited time at the event. Also in attendance will be legendary J-Idol producer Andrew Tamon Niwa (the man behind Pocky 4 Sisters, Tokyo Shojo, and Miyazaki Aoi; in addition to Miss Mano) and the acclaimed horror/ghost-folktale aficionado and Tales of Terror author Hirokatsu Kihara, whose work inspired the hit Japanese TV series and now the highly anticipated theatrical release. Continued…
Located in Los Angeles, CA, Anime Expo is the nation’s largest anime/manga convention. The event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2010 will be held July 1 – July 4 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California.
Attendees, Press and Industry Members are invited to view the video coverage site of the 2009 convention at AXBackstage.org and to register for the 2010 convention at anime-expo.org.
This year’s Anime Expo is offering several interesting registration options for attendees. The new Premier Fan package, filled with fun and exclusive benefits, is available to anyone who registers for a 4-day pass and books a hotel room within the AX hotel block before June 21st. Attendees who purchase tickets to the AX concert will save 50% when bought along with a 4-day Expo pass. Visit the official site for complete details. Continued…
La La Land Records has made the announcement on their website that their great 2004 release of Akira Ifukube’s career defining score for GODZILLA (Gojira aka; Godzilla, King of the Monsters, 1954) is going out of print on March 31st. There are reportedly less than 120 copies left in their inventory so fans who missed out on this when it initially came out would do well to act fast. Another great incentive to purchase this CD is that it’s price has been reduced to $4.98!
La La Land’s release boasts a significant upgrade in sound quality and is a no-brainer alternative for fans who cannot afford to track down a rather expensive copy imported from Japan. The only Japanese import still in print is the version from the GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK PERFECT COLLECTION which cannot be bought on its own. The 1993 Toshiba/EMI release as well as the version that came packaged with the score to RODAN are both long out of print. Continued…
Tsuburaya Productions is touting their latest special effects extravanganza, MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY (Daikaiju Battoru Urutora Ginga Densetsu The Movie, 2009), as a rebirth for both the company and it’s long-running Ultraman franchise. The producers of the movie wanted a dramatic, Hollywood-style score to complement the updated visuals so they turned to an American composer, Mike Verta.
Mike Verta knew he wanted to make movie music after seeing the original STAR WARS at age five. He moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to become a film composer, but soon expanded into visual effects work as well. He established his own post-production company and has provided music, FX, sound design, and editorial work on a wide range of productions.
MEGA MONSTER BATTLE: ULTRA GALAXY is Mike’s first soundtrack for a Japanese theatrical feature film. He recently spoke with SciFi Japan’s Steve Ryfle about his work on the film, his approach to movie music, and his crash course introduction to 40+ years of Ultraman history. Continued…
ZATOICHI – THE BEST CUTS (1967-1973): LIMITED EDITION
Music by Shigeru Ikeno, Akira Ifukube, Isao Tomita and Kunihiko Murai
Limited Edition of 1500 Units
NOW SHIPPING
RETAIL PRICE: $19.98
LLLCD 1102
Presenting the original soundtrack music from Toho’s legendary “blind swordsman” series of ZATOICHI feature films. Famed GODZILLA composer Akira Ifukube, along with Shigeru Ikeno, Isao Tomita and Kunihiko Murai, provide the influential music on ZATOCHI – THE BEST CUTS (1967-1973): LIMITED EDITION, a compilation of dynamic original recordings from the ZATOCIHI films released between 1967-1973. This compilation was assembled from remastered elements from the Toho Studios’ vaults. In-depth liner notes by Randall Larson take you behind the scenes of The Blind Swordsman and his musical legacy. A Limited Edition of 1500 Units. Continued…
Upcoming German Audio Drama is a Homage to Classic Japanese Kaiju Movies
Author: Keith Aiken
Source: Sven Pyczak, Ralf Lorenz, The Gualagon Team
Offical Webste: Gualagon — Frankensteins Schreckengigant
Additional Material: Godzilla-Germany
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra
In Germany, a group of fans who grew up watching the likes of Godzilla and Gamera at their local cinemas have decided to honor the glory days of Japanese monsters with their own kaiju production; a German language audio drama entitled GUALAGON- FRANKENSTEIN’S GIANT OF TERROR (Gualagon- Frankenstein’s Schreckengigant).
In promotional materials for GUALAGON, the production group (known collectively as “the Gualagon Team”) explained that their idea was based on “the most beautiful films from the golden era of Japanese monster movies… It was during that time that most of the people involved in the project were introduced to the Godzilla movies. Those flicks usually played on Saturday or Sunday afternoons at the local cinemas in the kids matinee; and it was back then that we were first exposed to THE WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS [known in Germany as Frankenstein - Zweikampf der Giganten/ FRANKENSTEIN: DUEL OF THE GIANTS], the main source of inspiration for GUALAGON.”
SciFi Japan goes behind the scenes of GUALAGON- FRANKENSTEIN’S GIANT OF TERROR with exclusive information, artwork, and photos, plus a look at the German theatrical releases of the classic Japanese monster movies that inspired this upcoming tribute. Continued…
Japanese Version of Website Launched; MORNING MUSUME Announced as First Official Guests of Honor
Source: BAM! Marketing, Publicity & Promotions press releases
Official Site: anime-expo.org
Special Thanks to Chase Wang
Located in Los Angeles, CA, Anime Expo is the nation’s largest anime/manga convention. The event serves as a key meeting place for the general public to express their interest and explore various aspects of anime/manga, as well as for members of the industry to conduct business. AX 2009 will be held July 2 – July 5, 2009 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Southern California.
Attendees, Press and Industry Members are invited to view the video coverage site of the 2008 convention at AXBackstage.org and to register for the 2009 convention at anime-expo.org. In addition, the convention recently launched a Japanese language version of its newly re-designed fan-friendly site to be used as a welcome portal to Japanese industry, press, attendees and fans.
Event organizers have also announced the attendance and performance of Japan’s most celebrated and top all-girl music group Morning Musume(also referred to as “Momusu”) at AX 2009. Continued…
The Music of SPEED RACER, Then and Now
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Special Thanks to Bob Johnson
Nobuyoshi Koshibe interview translated by Shino Sumida
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. Continued…
The Highly Popular CLOVERFIELD End Credits Music to Be Released on iTunes
Author: John “Dutch” DeSentis
Source: Soundtrack Net, Film Score Monthly Online, CLOVERFIELD DVD
Official site: iTunes
On April 29th, iTunes will make available for download “ROAR!” the CLOVERFIELD overture. Written by frequent J.J. Abrams composer Michael Giacchino, “ROAR!” is a tribute to the classic style of monster movie scoring and has become a much sought after track among fans who enjoyed it during the closing credits of the 2008 film. Continued…
Reiko Yamada Plays Ifukube’s “Ritmica Ostinata”
Author: Ed Godziszewski Japanese Giants
On the evening of March 28, 2008, a rare performance of one of Akira Ifukube’s classical works, “Ritmica Ostinata”, was held in the city of Kalamazoo, Michigan. Seldom performed stateside, on this night Ifukube’s “Ritmica Ostinata” was tackled by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, featuring former Ifukube pupil Reiko Yamada as the orchestra’s principal pianist, as part of a program titled ‘Japanese Garden’. Continued…
Latest news on the next Godzilla CD collection
Author: James Ballard
Official Website: Toho Music
Following the release of the GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK PERFECT COLLECTION BOX 4 in October 2006, Toho Music have at long last decided that the release date for GODZILLA SOUNDTRACK PERFECT COLLECTION BOX 5 will be January 31st 2008. Altogether there will be 9 CDs in the set, with a list price of 10,500 Yen (approx US$90.) Pre-orders will begin early in the new year. The CD set will cover the music from the films GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA II (Gojira tai Mekagojira, 1993), GODZILLA VS. SPACEGODZILLA (Gojira tai Supeesugojira, 1994), GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH (Gojira tai Desutoroia, 1995) and GODZILLA 2000 (Gojira Ni-Sen Mireniamu, 1999). Also included is the first performance of the “SF Symphonic Fantasia” (1983) and “Ostinato”, both re-issues of discs previously released by King Record. Continued…
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. Continued…
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
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. Continued…
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