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Sentai announced today that it acquired rights to WICKED CITY (妖獣都市, Yōjū Toshi, 1987), the acclaimed psychological horror feature directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri and based on the novels by Hideyuki Kikuchi, creator of VAMPIRE HUNTER D, for audiences in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Beyond the boundaries of our ordinary existence lies a dark and dreadful parallel world where demons dwell and humans dare not tread. For centuries, peace has existed between our world and theirs. To preserve that fragile balance and to ensure the survival of humankind, a new deal must be brokered, but dark and powerful forces lust to destroy the accord. When a militant group rises from the shadows, two elite agents are mobilized to counter the destructive forces and preserve the balance of our universe. Continued…
The first Japanese science fiction film to be made in color, Koji Shima’s WARNING FROM SPACE (宇宙人東京に現わる, Uchūjin Tokyo ni Arawaru, 1956) features eye-popping special effects from the same team at Daiei Studios that would bring Gamera to life a decade later.
As Japan is rocked by mysterious sightings of UFOs over Tokyo and large one-eyed aliens attempting contact, scientists collaborate to investigate the unexpected rise in extraterrestrial activity. Unbeknownst to them, one of the aliens has already assumed human form and is about to deliver a very important message… that could be humanity’s last hope for survival.
With a witty script by Hideo Oguni (screenwriter of several Akira Kurosawa classics including SEVEN SAMURAI) and iconic starfish-like aliens designed by avant-garde artist Taro Okamoto, the original Japanese version of WARNING FROM SPACE finally makes its official English-language video debut. Continued…
NOTZILLA is a new American monster comedy film set to release August 18. It is written and directed by Mitch Teemley. A parody of kaiju films, particularly those in the Godzilla franchise, the film stars Frederic Eng-Li, Tifani Ahren Davis, Tim Bensch, Samantha Russell, and Michael Bath.
Thanks to Avery Guerra, I was able to get a little more insight about this movie from Writer/Director Mitch Teemley, Director of Photography/Special Visual Effects Coordinator Jeff Barklage and Notzilla Suitmaker/Actor Jacob Kyle Baker. Continued…
Sentai announced today that it acquired DEMON CITY SHINJUKU (魔界都市〈新宿〉, Makai Toshi: Shinjuku, 1988) — aka MONSTER CITY — the Madhouse-produced epic that numbers among the trailblazing works that launched the 80s anime boom. Sentai will distribute DEMON CITY SHINJUKU in the United States, Canada and Mexico and will include the original English dub.
Ten years ago, the mad psychic Levi Rah opened a gateway to hell in the center of Tokyo, slaying the great hero Genichiro and transforming the ward of Shinjuku into a city of demons. Not even the military dares enter the nightmare that Shinjuku has become, while Levi Rah plots to destroy the rest of the world. When Rah’s minions kidnap the World President, however, the insane tyrant fails to anticipate two things: the president’s headstrong daughter, Sayaka, who storms into Shinjuku to save her father, and Sayaka’s reluctant protector, Kyoya, Genichiro’s son, who is destined to inherit his father’s legendary abilities… if he can survive long enough! Human courage and forged steel cut their way through a living wall of fangs, claws and tentacles as the fate of the world hangs in the balance in DEMON CITY SHINJUKU! Continued…
Distributor SRS Cinema has licensed North American home media rights to the critically acclaimed and fan adored kaiju film HOWL FROM BEYOND THE FOG (狭霧の國, Sagiri no Kuni, 2020). Written and directed by Daisuke Sato (GODZILLA MOTHRA KING GHIDORAH GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK, GODZILLA FINAL WARS, GAMERA THE BRAVE, ULTRAMAN MEBIUS & ULTRAMAN BROTHERS), the movie was made by using classic Japanese practical FX techniques including traditional bunraku puppetry, miniatures and suitmation, and features work by legendary Toho monster maker Keizō Murase (MOTHRA, KING KONG VS GODZILLA, FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD, GAMERA). Continued…
This November, SRS Cinema and distributor MVD Entertainment present a Blu-ray Double Feature of REIGO: KING OF THE SEA MONSTERS (深海獣レイゴー, Shinkaijū Reigō, 2005/2008) and RAIGA: GOD OF THE MONSTERS (深海獣雷牙, Shinkaijū Raiba, 2009). The two daikaiju films were written, produced and directed by Shinpei Hayashiya. Continued…
SciFi Japan contributor Benjamin Chaffins’ first book, Discovering Tokusatsu: Interviews With The Makers of Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, And Other Kaiju Eiga is now available for preorder at amazon.com.
The book contains interviews with Yoko Higuchi on SHIN GODZILLA; Xavier Frazier, Alan Maxson, TJ Storm, Jason Liles and Richard Dorton on GODZILLA KING OF THE MONSTERS (2019); Norman England on GAMERA 3: THE REVENGE OF IRIS and the Millennium Godzilla series; Shinpei Hayashiya on the fan film GAMERA 4: TRUTH; Peter Hayes Brothers on his books; Daisuke Sato on HOWL FROM BEYOND THE FOG, Hiroto Yokokawa on NEZURA 1964; Akira Ohashi on GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION and GAMERA 3; John LeMay on his books; Yuichi Kikuchi on ULTRAMAN: THE NEXT and ULTRAMAN NEXUS (an exclusive to the book); Shizuo Nakajima on THE LEGENDARY WOLFMAN VS. GODZILLA; Minoru Kawasaki on THREE GIANT MONSTERS GOURMET: MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS; and Yoshikazu Ishii on ATTACK OF THE GIANT TEACHER, ULTRAMAN MAX, ULTRAMAN SAGA, ULTRAMAN MEBIUS, ULTRAMAN GINGA/GINGA S, ULTRA ZERO FIGHT and more. 128 pages total, Ben’s book covers details about each film and television show and explains how these interviews came to be. Continued…
THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL (大仏廻国, Daibutsu Kokaiku) will have a week-long theatrical run at the large scale cinema Ikebukuro Humax in Tokyo this September 4-10 (this same venue will host the Birth Of Godzilla event in November). While the movie is currently touring international film festivals worldwide, the Ikebukuro Humax screenings will present a new, extended cut “Final Edition” not seen elsewhere.
The Final Edition will include additional footage with two kaiju film legends who recently joined the cast. New scenes featuring legendary ULTRAMAN star Bin Furuya and fan-favorite Godzilla/ kaiju film star Shiro Sano will be filmed in early August for inclusion in THE GREAT BUDDHA ARRIVAL. Continued…
This October, SRS Cinema and distributor MVD Entertainment present the independent kaiju comedy ATTACK OF THE GIANT TEACHER (アタック・オブ・ザ・ジャイアントティーチャー, Atakku Obu Za Jaianto Tīchā, 2019) from director Yoshikazu Ishii (ULTRAMAN GINGA).
Kenzo Miyazawa is an earnest teacher who works at a night high school. His class is filled with unique and slightly odd students. Suddenly, the night school witnesses a drop in student numbers and has no choice but to shut down by the end of the year. Mr. Miyazawa’s class decides to create a musical for the school’s last festival. Then, an alien beast invades Earth and begins destroying the town. Mr. Miyazawa challenges the alien beast to a fight. Continued…
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra
#KAIJUDEFEAT COVID
#Capsulemonster
The organizers of KAIJU DEFEAT COVID! have released a new trailer and TV spot for the project intended to help inspire kaiju and anime fans worldwide to be safe and get through the COVID-19 pandemic pandemic together. Continued…
Arrow Video has provided a new trailer for GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, a deluxe Blu-ray box set of the Gamera movie series. For the first time ever worldwide, all twelve tales of everyone’s favorite titanic terrapin are collected together in high definition with lossless Japanese and English audio, along with hours of new and archive bonus features, expert commentaries, interviews with cast & crew, the worldwide Blu-ray premiere of GAMMMERA THE INVINCIBLE (American theatrical version), a hardback 120-page comic book, and a perfect-bound 80-page book including a new retrospective on the series kaiju X-ray illustrations, and much more! Continued…
SciFi Japan contributor Benjamin Chaffins is preparing to release his first book, Discovering Tokusatsu: Interviews With The Makers of Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, And Other Kaiju Eiga. The PDF will be submitted to Amazon self-publishing (KDP) on July 27th for an August 2020 release. Continued…
Available for First Time in U.S. and Canada in Both Original Japanese and English Dub as Digital Download and on DVD and Blu-ray
Source: Shout! Factory, Publicity Partners press release
Official Site: digimon-adventure.net (Japan)
Special Thanks to Tom Chen and Scott Barretto
Fans will soon welcome the DigiDestined into their homes to watch the long-awaited, 20th anniversary feature film DIGIMON ADVENTURE: LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA (デジモンアドベンチャー LAST EVOLUTION 絆, Dejimon Adobenchā LAST EVOLUTION Kizuna, 2020). This fall, Toei Animation and Shout! Factory are bringing this new animated movie to North America for the first time ever as both a digital and home video release. On September 29, DIGIMON ADVENTURE: LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA will debut first as a digital download available in original Japanese with English subtitles or English dub on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Microsoft and Sony PlayStation Network; followed a week later on October 6 with the retail home video release on DVD and Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD from Shout! Factory). Continued…
A trailer has been released for the award-winning kaiju comedy spoof NOTZILLA. Creepy Ex-Boyfriend Productions has joined forces with distributors Indie Rights for digital and Allied Vaughn for the physical media releases of the movie in North America on August 18, 2020. Continued…
Source: 3Y Film
Official Site: nezura1964.com (Japan)
Special Thanks to Avery Guerra
A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE
Popular kaiju suit actor Akira Ohashi has joined the cast of the new kaiju film reboot NEZURA 1964 (ネズラ1964). Ohashi will be the motion capture performer to play the CG version of the movie’s monster, Mammoth Nezura. The film will use CG, traditional suitmation, and miniatures to bring the FX sequences to life. Continued…
Arrow Video US is offering SciFi Japan readers a chance to win the new Blu-ray of ZOMBIE FOR SALE (기묘한 가족, Gimyohan Gajok, 2019), an infectiously funny slice of modern Korean cinema where TRAIN TO BUSAN, THE QUIET FAMILY and WARM BODIES collide to create a memorable rom-zom-com from first time director Lee Min-jae.
When the illegal human experiments of Korea’s biggest Pharmaceutical company go wrong, one of their “undead” test subjects escapes and ends up in a shabby gas station owned by the Park family — a band of misfits spanning three generations who hustle passers-by to make ends meet. When the Park family uncover their undead visitor, he bites the head of their household, who instead of transforming into an undead ghoul becomes revitalised and full of life! The family then hatch a plan to exploit this unexpected fountain of youth, allowing locals to pay to be bitten too, until things go wrong… With a cabbage-munching zombie who prefers ketchup over blood, and a dysfunctional family that gives the Kim family of PARASITE a run for their money, ZOMBIE FOR SALE will warm the deadest of hearts and breathe some new life into the zombie genre. Continued…
The Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton, PA is sure to delight monster and sci-fi movies fans with great events this July and August.
First up is SCHLOCK-O-RAMA IV, a 10 film event the kicks off Friday, July 24 and features such greats as KING KONG VS GODZILLA, VALLEY OF GWANGI, FORBIDDEN PLANET, WAR OF THE GARGANTUAS and BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS.
Then on Tuesday, August 4, the Toho classic DESTROY ALL MONSTERS will be screened in 35mm. Continued…
Kaiju Con-line press release
Source: Special Thanks to Kyle Yount
Mark your calendars, Monster Kids! Due to the cancellation of conventions and festivals around the globe, several dedicated daikaiju fans have joined forces to create a new event for the monster masses.
Kaiju Con-Line is a free “virtual” event being held on July 11th and 12th, the same weekend that would have hosted the annual gathering of Godzilla fanatics in Chicago; once that cancellation was announced, a clawful of motivated monster fiends converged to form this online convention that kaiju enthusiasts from around the world can enjoy from the comfort of their own home. Continued…
Author: Benjamin Chaffins*
Special thanks to Edward L. Holland
#KAIJUDEFEAT COVID
#Capsulemonster
The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken the entire world to its core and the spread of the nasty virus has only gotten worse after countless cases have been confirmed across the globe. In order to address this pandemic, directors Shinji Higuchi, Katsuro Onoue, and many others participated in KAIJU DEFEAT COVID!, a project to help inspire kaiju and anime fans worldwide to be safe and get through this pandemic together. Continued…
Source: Arrow Films, Justin Cook Public Relations
Special Thanks to Justin Cook
Arrow Video has provided a new trailer for GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, a deluxe Blu-ray box set of the Gamera movie series. For the first time ever worldwide, all twelve tales of everyone’s favorite titanic terrapin are collected together, from the “friend of all children” in Gamera’s more lighthearted earlier films, to the Guardian of the Universe in the groundbreaking 1990s reboot series, often hailed as three of the best kaiju films ever made. Continued…
Creepy Ex-Boyfriend Productions has joined forces with distributors Indie Rights for digital and Allied Vaughn for the physical media releases of the hilarious award-winning kaiju comedy spoof NOTZILLA for an August 18, 2020 day and date release! Continued…
With a record number of people practicing social distancing and caution, quality home entertainment is more highly valued than ever before! With that in mind, Media Blasters Inc. is back at work and pleased to announce that the live-action sci-fi actioner ZEIRAM 2 (ゼイラム2, Zeiramu 2, 1994) will makes its premiere on Blu-ray and finally return to DVD on September 22, courtesy of the Tokyo Shock label.
ZEIRAM 2 comes from the imagination of filmmaker and prolific character designer Keita Amemiya (ZEIRAM, GARO, MECHANICAL VIOLATOR HAKAIDER). Upon successfully wrapping up an important case, the beautiful alien bounty hunter Iria returns to Earth. Along with her computer, Bob, and her assistant, Fujicrow, she is assigned a new android trainee. Unfortunately, inside the android resides the most evil, cunning combat life form known in the universe — a vicious Zeiram unit! When the android is damaged during combat, Zeiram emerges and begins to terrorize Iria and her comrades soon becoming a planetary threat that must be stopped at all costs! Continued…
New Titles Include ZOMBIE FOR SALE, The 12-Film GAMERA COLLECTION, CREEPSHOW 2, BLOODSTONE, BLACK RAINBOW & MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE
Source: Arrow Video Channel press release
Special Thanks to Justin Cook
Arrow Video is excited to announce the July slate of titles on their subscription-based Arrow Video Channel, including acclaimed undead comedy ZOMBIE FOR SALE and GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, all twelve films starring mankind’s greatest defender: a fire-breathing mutant turtle. Continued…
Source: Arrow Films
Special Thanks to James Flower
Arrow Films has provided the complete product specs for GAMERA: THE COMPLETE COLLECTION, a deluxe Blu-ray box set of the Gamera movie series. For the first time ever worldwide, all twelve tales of everyone’s favorite titanic terrapin are collected together… the set includes GAMERA THE GIANT MONSTER (1965), GAMERA VS. BARUGON (1966), GAMERA VS. GYAOS (1967), GAMERA VS. VIRAS (1968), GAMERA VS. GUIRON (1969), GAMERA VS. JIGER (1970), GAMERA VS. ZIGRA (1971), GAMERA SUPER MONSTER (1980), GAMERA THE GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE (1995), GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION (1996), GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRIS (1999) and GAMERA THE BRAVE (2006). Continued…
Pro wrestling legend, cult actress, and singer Mach Fumiake makes her long-awaited return to acting in the new kaiju film reboot NEZURA 1964 (ネズラ1964).
Fumiake first came to fame as a teenage professional wrestler in the early 1970s, defeating Jumbo Miyamoto to win the WWWA (World Women’s Wrestling Association) Championship in March, 1975. The following month she made her big screen debut, playing herself in the Toei action adventure GREAT CHASE (華麗なる追跡, Kareinaru Tsuiseki, 1975). Fumiake would go on to make frequent television appearances, star in a handful of films, launch a singing career and host a radio show. She is best known to kaiju movie fans for her role as Kilara, the leader of a trio of alien superwomen in Daiei’s GAMERA: SUPER MONSTER (宇宙怪獣ガメラ, Uchū Kaijū Gamera, 1980), the final Showa era Gamera film. Continued…
The legendary horror franchise JU-ON (aka THE GRUDGE) is set to once again shake the world as Netflix Japan presents its first-ever horror original series, JU-ON: ORIGINS (呪怨: 呪いの家, Ju-On: Noroi no Ie). The 6 episode season will premiere in the United States on July 3, 2020. Continued…
Minoru Kawasaki is an independent filmmaker who has gained an international following for his cult movies such as THE CALAMARI WRESTLER (いかレスラー, Ika Resurā, 2004), THE WORLD SINKS EXCEPT JAPAN (日本以外全部沈没, Nihon Igai Zenbu Chinbotsu, 2006), CRAB GOALKEEPER (かにゴールキーパー, Kani Gōrukīpā, 2006), MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT! (ギララの逆襲／洞爺湖サミット危機一発, Girara no Gyakushū / Tōyako Samitto Kiki Ippatsu, 2008), EARTH DEFENSE WIDOW (地球防衛未亡人, Chikyū Bōei Mibōjin, 2014) and KAIJU MONO (大怪獣モノ, Daikaijū Mono, 2016). His latest project is MONSTER SEAFOOD WARS (三大怪獣グルメ San Daikaijū Gurume), a new tokusatsu film that is set for a limited theatrical run in Japan over the next few months. Continued…
