A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series PDF Download

Author: David Kalat
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 286

View

Book Description
Examines over two dozen Godzilla movies made between 1933 and 1995, emphasizing the cultural differences underlying the changes US distributors have made in the Japanese films. Provides exhaustive data for both versions of each, along with plot synopses, casts, credits, and detailed production notes. Also discusses the various political and social subtexts of the films. No illustrations. c. Book News Inc.

Author: David Kalat
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 1476632650
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 286

View

Book Description
This thoroughly updated and revised critical account of the Godzilla movie franchise explores the fascinating story behind Japan’s most famous movie monster and its development from black-and-white arthouse allegory to international commercial juggernaut. Reviled by critics but boasting a dedicated cult following, the films of the Godzilla franchise provide a unique window into the national identities of both Japan and the United States. This work focuses on how differences in American and Japanese culture, as well as differences in their respective film industries, underlie the discrepancies between the American and Japanese versions of the films. It features detailed filmographic data for both the American and Japanese versions of each film, including plot synopses, cast, credits, and detailed production notes.

Author: William Tsutsui
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 113705557X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 260

View

Book Description
This year, to mark the fiftieth anniversary of his first appearance on the screen, the original, uncut version of Godzilla was released in American theaters to the delight of Sci-Fi and B-Movie fans everywhere. Ever since Godzilla (or, Gojira, as he is known in Japan) crawled out of his radioactive birthplace to cut a swath of destruction through Tokyo, he has claimed a place alongside King Kong and others in the movie monster pantheon. He is the third most recognizable Japanese celebrity in the United States, and his fan base continues to grow as children today prove his enduring appeal. Now, Bill Tsutsui, a life-long fan and historian, takes a light-hearted look at the big, green, radioactive lizard, revealing how he was born and how he became a megastar. With humorous anecdotes, Godzilla on My Mind explores his lasting cultural impact on the world. This book is sure to be welcomed by pop culture enthusiasts, fans, and historians alike.

Author: Jason Barr
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 078649963X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 213

View

Book Description
The Kaiju (strange monster or strange beast) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. Since the seminal King Kong 1933) and the archetypal Godzilla (1954), kaiju has mined the subject matter of science run amok, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism and pollution. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre--the major franchises, along with less well known films like Kronos (1957), Monsters (2010) and Pacific Rim (2013). The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how the genre continues to reflect national values to audiences.

Author: Steve Ryfle
Publisher: ECW Press
ISBN: 1550223488
Category : Godzilla (Fictitious character)
Languages : en
Pages : 376

View

Book Description
Bigger, badder, and more durable than Hollywood's greatest action heroes, Godzilla emerged from the mushroom cloud of an H-bomb test in 1954 to trample Tokyo. More than 40 years later, he reigns as the undisputed monarch of movie monsters, with legions of fans spanning several generations and countless international boundaries.

Author: Robert Marrero
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781888214017
Category : Godzilla films
Languages : en
Pages : 143

View

Book Description
As the premiere book to list and review all Godzilla movies, this book lists, reviews and critiques each and every Godzilla movie ever made. Each listing is accompanied by cast and credit information, alternative titles, availability on video, and production notes.

Author: Steve Ryfle
Publisher: Wesleyan University Press
ISBN: 0819577413
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 368

View

Book Description
“An appreciation of Japanese fantasy-film history through the eyes of a filmmaker whose name is obscure but populism remains influential.” —Chicago Tribune Ishiro Honda, arguably the most internationally successful Japanese director of his generation, made an unmatched succession of science fiction films that were commercial hits worldwide. From the atomic allegory of Godzilla and the beguiling charms of Mothra to the tragic mystery of Matango and the disaster and spectacle of Rodan, The Mysterians, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Honda’s films reflected postwar Japan’s anxieties and incorporated fantastical special effects, a formula that created an enduring pop culture phenomenon. Now, in the first full account of this overlooked director’s life and career, Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski shed new light on Honda’s work and the experiences that shaped it—including his days as a reluctant Japanese soldier, witnessing the aftermath of Hiroshima, and his lifelong friendship with Akira Kurosawa. The book features close analysis of Honda’s films (including, for the first time, his rarely seen dramas, comedies, and war films) and draws on previously untapped documents and interviews to explore how creative, economic, and industrial factors impacted his career. Fans of Godzilla and tokusatsu (special effects) film, and of Japanese film in general, will welcome this in-depth study of a highly influential director who occupies a uniquely important position in science fiction and fantasy cinema, as well as world cinema. “Provides the reader with a lasting sense of the man—his temperament, values, philosophies, dreams, and disappointments?behind some of cinema’s most beloved characters.” —Film Comment

Author: August Ragone
Publisher: Chronicle Books
ISBN: 9780811860789
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 216

View

Book Description
Behind-the-scenes hero to anyone who's thrilled by giant monsters duking it out over Tokyo, Eiji Tsuburaya was the visual effects mastermind behind Godzilla, Ultraman, and numerous Japanese science fiction movies and TV showsbeloved around the world. The first book on this legendary film figure in English, this highly visual biography details his fascinating life and career, featuring hundreds of film stills, posters, concept art, and delightful on-set photos of Tsuburaya prompting monsters to crush landmark buildings. A must-have for fans, this towering tribute also features profiles of Tsuburaya's film collaborators, details on his key films and shows (most available on DVD), and features on the enduring popularity of the characters he helped create.

Author: John LeMay
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781548145255
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 386

View

Book Description
Nessie. Bride of Godzilla. Gamera vs. Wyvern. Mothra vs. Bagan. Batman Meets Godzilla. All fans have heard of these tantalizing lost films, but few know of their full histories...until now. With information straight from the Japanese sources learn how Gamera was made in 1965 to make use of miniature sets made for a disastrous movie about giant rats called Giant Horde Beast Nezura which was partially shot in 1963. Marvel at a blind Godzilla's battle with the invisible monster Chamelegon in Tokyo S.O.S.: Godzilla's Suicide Strategy! Watch in amazement as Godzilla and Kong battle in the flames of Mt. Aso in Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla! Explore the tortured history of the Toho/Hammer team-up Nessie about a kaiju-sized Loch Ness Monster. Recoil in horror at the sights of Great Prophecies of Nostradamus, a 1974 film so controversial that a self-imposed ban was placed on it by Toho. Baffle at Hanuman, the monkey monster of Thailand's Chaiyo Studios which teamed with Ultraman and his brethren in 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army. Puzzle over a psychedelic Italian colorized version of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! code-named "Cozzilla." Then uncover the $100,000 fan made epic Legendary Beast Wolfman vs. Godzilla! But that's not all-this book also contains essays by kaiju fan experts such as Dr. Ayame Chiba, Stan Hyde, Mark Jaramillo and Ted Johnson on subjects as diverse as unmade Kong films to heretofore unknown independent films like Atragon 2 and Wanigon vs. Gamaron!

Author: Alastair Phillips
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134334214
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 466

View

Book Description
Japanese Cinema includes twenty-four chapters on key films of Japanese cinema, from the silent era to the present day, providing a comprehensive introduction to Japanese cinema history and Japanese culture and society. Studying a range of important films, from Late Spring, Seven Samurai and In the Realm of the Senses to Godzilla, Hana-Bi and Ring, the collection includes discussion of all the major directors of Japanese cinema including Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kurosawa, Oshima, Suzuki, Kitano and Miyazaki. Each chapter discusses the film in relation to aesthetic, industrial or critical issues and ends with a complete filmography for each director. The book also includes a full glossary of terms and a comprehensive bibliography of readings on Japanese cinema. Bringing together leading international scholars and showcasing pioneering new research, this book is essential reading for all students and general readers interested in one of the world’s most important film industries.