Win Tickets to MONSTER X STRIKES BACK and GEHARHA at the New York Asian Film Festival

See a Japanese Monster Double-Feature for Free, Courtesy of NYAFF and SciFi Japan Source: Subway Cinema/New York Asian Film Festival Special Thanks to Toyah Attwell and Grady Hendrix Next week sees the launch of the 2009 New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Films. Running from June 19-July 12 at the IFC Center (323 Sixth Avenue, at West 4th Street) and from July 1 - 5 at Japan Society (333 East 47th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues) in New York City, the combined festival will feature more than fifty movies, Q&A`s with filmmakers, and special events. The lineup also includes two new Japanese giant monster movies; MONSTER X STRIKES BACK: ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT! and the short GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER. The films will be shown as a double feature at the IFC Center on Friday, June 19 and Sunday, June 28. Now our friends at NYAFF have offered SciFi Japan readers a chance to win free tickets to attend the premieres of both movies— and a sneak preview of the next Tokyo Shock production, DEATH KAPPA— at the IFC Center on Sunday, June 28 at 11:00am! GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER (Chohatsu Daikaiju Gehara) INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE 2009, 17 minutes, 35mm, in Japanese with English subtitles Directed by: Kiyotaka Taguchi Starring: Ken Osawa, Mina Fujii, Shiro Sano, Tomorowo Taguchi, Kanji Tsuda, Yukihide Benny

Who says great cinema needs to push the two-hour mark? There’s more excitement, lunacy, and laughs in Kiyotaka Taguchi’s 17-minute GEHARHA: THE DARK AND LONG HAIR MONSTER than any kaiju romp of the past decade. A wild combination of monster movie and ghost story, GEHARHA looks and feels like what CLOVERFIELD would have been if it truly embraced its Japanese heritage. When an enormous, hairy monster springs from the ocean, everyone in Japan wants to know what the beast dubbed Geharha wants— and how to stop it. As the gargantuan hairball slams through both cities and countryside, it becomes terrifyingly clear that this ghoulish beast may be a force far more terrible than first expected. Featuring performances by kaiju regular Shiro Sano (GODZILLA 2000, GODZILLA, MOTHRA & KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK) and SAMURAI FICTION’s Ken Osawa. Director Kiyotaka Taguchi— drawing from his effects background on such films as GODZILLA VS MEGAGUIRUS, GMK, BATTLE ROYALE II, SINKING OF JAPAN, THE GRUDGE 2, 20TH CENTURY BOYS, and his own independent kaiju movie G— teams with executive producer Shinji Higuchi (the 90s Gamera trilogy, SINKING OF JAPAN) and creator/screenwriter Jun Miura to craft a visually-stunning ode to classic creature features. MONSTER X STRIKES BACK: ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT! (Girara no Gyakushu / Samitto Kiki Ippatsu!) NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE 2008, 98 minutes, digital projection, in Japanese with English subtitles Directed by: Minoru Kawasaki Starring: Akita Matsushita, Hide Fukumoto, Natsuki Kato, Kazuki Kato, and the voice of Takeshi Kitano

There is a director whose name makes audiences tremble. He is the man who brought them CALAMARI WRESTLER, the touching tale of a giant squid turned pro wrestler. He is the man who made EXECUTIVE KOALA about a koala working in an office and maybe murdering people. He is the legend who filmed CRAB GOALKEEPER about a crab who became a soccer goalie. And now Minoru Kawasaki has teamed up with the screenwriter of CALAMARI WRESTLER to make his first and only giant monster movie: MONSTER X STRIKES BACK!!! The leaders of the free world have assembled in Kyoto for the annual G8 Summit, but as the meeting descends into petty bickering an enormous alien being appears in the distance and begins to lay waste to Japan. It’s now up to Earth’s eight greatest world leaders to devise a plan of attack to stop this monster. The fate of the world is at stake! First seen in 1967’s THE X FROM OUTER SPACE, Guilala (who occasionally goes by easier-to-pronounce Monster X) has achieved notoriety by appearing in a recent series of American TV ads for job search company, The Ladders. Here he makes his welcome return to the big screen after 42 years, destroying period perfect miniature high-rises and spitting napalm in a film loaded with old school special effects. Kawasaki turns the “stupid” dial up to 11. The cast— which contains BATTLE ROYALE II’s Natsuki Kato, pop star Kazuki Kato, Susumu Kurobe and Bin Furuya of ULTRAMAN fame, and Godzilla series actor Yosuke Natsuke— have a blast hamming it up, while veteran kaiju actor Hurricane Ryu wears the rubber Guilala suit, giving an homage to giant monster performances past while showing the way for giant monster performances in the future. Takeshi Kitano is also present, lending his voice to the powerful kaiju, Take-Majin. Not present are a sense of decorum, a shred of good taste nor a single bit of sense. This is the motion picture as super-stupid kaiju fun. Plus: DEATH KAPPA Preview Media Blasters President John Sirabella will preview the next Tokyo Shock production, DEATH KAPPA, after the show of MONSTER X STRIKES BACK. He will present an exclusive video message from director and makeup effects legend Tomoo Haraguchi (the 90s Gamera trilogy, SAKUYA, KIBAKICHI, GAMERA THE BRAVE).

OFFICIAL CONTEST RULES and INFORMATION

Prize: A. There are three prizes in total. Each prize consists of two passes to see the feature film MONSTER X STRIKES BACK, the short film GEHARHA, and the DEATH KAPPA sneak preview on Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 11am; one for the winner, and one pass for a guest, for a total of two passes per winning entry. B. Passes will be available "Will Call" at the IFC Center box office on June 28, 2009. Winners must present a photo ID in order to claim their prize. The IFC Center is located at 323 Sixth Avenue (between 3rd and 4th Streets), New York, NY 10014. Box office: (212) 924-7771. C. In the event that a winner chooses not to (or cannot) accept a prize, he or she forfeits all claim to that prize. D. One entry per person. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitution of prizes allowed. E. These passes are for admission to the MONSTER X STRIKES BACK and GEHARA screening only. New York Asian Film Festival is providing complimentary admission with the condition that no other benefits are implied. Winners understand and acknowledge that they are responsible for all other expenses including transportation, food, and lodging. Furthermore, winners and their guests understand and acknowledge that New York Asian Film Festival and SciFi Japan are in no way liable for any injuries or other losses incurred by accepting the passes. Duration of contest: The contest runs from June 14 until 12:00am on June 23, 2009. How to enter: A. Complete and submit correct answers to the online questionnaire (see below). B. All entries must be complete, including entrant`s name, email address, home phone number, and responses to the questionnaire. Determination of winners: A. Only contestants who have submitted the requested information and the correctly answered questionnaire will be entered in the final drawing. The first three randomly drawn eligible entries will be judged the winners. B. SciFi Japan is not responsible for typographical, electronic or other errors in Internet operation affecting the offering, outcome, administration of the contest or the announcement of prizes. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. C. The decision of the New York Asian Film Festival and SciFi Japan is final. Entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and by the decisions of the SciFi Japan judges, which are final and binding in all respects. This is it! Just answer the following questionnaire and email it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Please mention "MONSTER X" in the subject line. Good luck! Name: Email address: Phone number: Questions: 1. MONSTER X Guilala first appeared in what 1967 movie? 2. Who directed GEHARHA: THE LONG-HAIRED GIANT MONSTER?

For full details on the New York Asian Film Festival and Japan Cuts, please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan:

Massive Asian Film Festival Returns to New York City

And for more photos and information on Guilala and MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT! please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan: