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Keizō Murase
was a Japanese suitmaker, stuntman, sculptor, modeler, and film director. He is particularly well known for his work in giant monster films, including '' Mothra'' (1961), ''King Kong vs. Godzilla'' (1962), and '' The Mighty Peking Man'' (1977). Life and career Murase was born in Ikeda, Tokachi, Hokkaido, Japan on October 5, 1935. In 1958, Toho hired Murase to sculpt the Varan suit for ''Varan the Unbelievable.'' An amateur photographer, Murase extensively documented his work which was published in his 2015 autobiography, ''Monster Maker: Keizo Murase''. After working for Daiei Film on ''Gamera'', he, Masao Yagi, and Akira Suzuki founded the modelling company, Ex Productions, he later left in 1972 to form his own company, Twenty. Murase died from cirrhosis of the liver on October 14, 2024, at the age of 89. Filmography Film * '' The H-Man'' (1958) * ''Varan'' (1958) – Varan sculptor / Miniature construction * '' Mothra'' (1961) – Mothra imago sculptor * ''King Kong ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ikeda, Hokkaido
is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Tokachi has almost year-round blue skies, which results in warm summers and cold winters. In the summer, temperatures reach 30 degrees Celsius and in winter up to minus 30 degrees Celsius. The clear skies in winter make perfect ice skating conditions, and Ikeda is known for producing world class speed skaters. In the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, a speed skater from Ikeda won a silver medal for Japan. The main industry in Ikeda is producing Tokachi wine but there are also livestock and vegetable farming industries. Population As of April 30, 2017, Ikeda has a population of 6,933. Like many small towns in Hokkaido, Ikeda has a declining population. Geography Ikeda is located in central/East Tokachi. It has an area of 371.91 square kilometres. It is mainly flat, but has some small hills to the North of the town. From these hills can be seen the beautiful Hidaka Mountains on clear days. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho Co., Ltd., five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the King of the Monsters, an epithet first used in '' Godzilla, King of the Monsters!'' (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film. Originally and in most iterations of the creature, Godzilla is a colossal prehistoric reptilian or dinosaurian monster that is amphibious or resides partially in the ocean, awakened and empowered after many years by exposure to nuclear radiation and nuclear testing. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the '' Lucky Dragon 5'' incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness,Souder, William (2012); On a Farther Shore - The Life and Le ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamera Vs
is a fictional giant monster, or '' kaiju'', that debuted in the eponymous 1965 Japanese film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's ''Godzilla'' film series. Since then, the franchise has become a Japanese icon in its own right and one of representatives of Japanese cinema, appearing in a total of 12 films produced by Daiei Film and later by Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Daiei Studio ( Kadokawa Corporation) respectively, and various other media such as novelizations, manga, video games, and more. Gamera is depicted as a giant, flying, fire-breathing, prehistoric turtle. In the series' first film, Gamera is portrayed as an aggressive and destructive monster, though he also saved a child's life. As the films progressed, Gamera took on a more benevolent role, becoming a protector of humanity, especially children, nature, and the Earth from extraterrestrial races and other giant monsters. Despite its popularity and extensive ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daimajin Strikes Again
is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' series centering on an eponymous fictitious giant warrior god. It initially consisted of a film trilogy shot simultaneously and released in 1966 with three different directors and predominantly the same crew. The series was produced by Daiei Film and contained similar plot structures involving villages being overthrown by warlords, leading to the villagers attempting to reach out to Daimajin, the great demon god, to save them. History Daimajin was originally designed to be the first foe of Gamera, and the concept developed into both Daimajin and Barugon appearing in the 1966 film '' Gamera vs. Barugon''. The filmmakers were also inspired by Jötunn from the Norse mythology, the Giant of the Snows from the 1912 film '' The Conquest of the Pole'', and the golem from the 1936 Czechoslovakian film ''Le Golem'', which was redistributed by Daiei Film in the post-war period. Expertise obtained during the production of the 1964 film '' Flight from Ashiya'', ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gamera (film)
is a 1965 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Noriaki Yuasa, with special effects by Yonesaburo Tsukiji. Produced and distributed by Daiei Film, it is the first film in the ''Gamera'' franchise and the Shōwa era. The film stars Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, and Junichiro Yamashita. In the film, authorities deal with the attacks of ''Gamera'', a giant prehistoric turtle unleashed in the Arctic by an atomic bomb. The success of '' The Birds'' and Toho's ''Godzilla'' films influenced studio head Masaichi Nagata to produce a similar film. In 1964, Daiei attempted to produce ''Nezura'', with Yuasa directing. However, the project was shut down by the health department, since the project was to have used dozens of live rats. Nagata then conceived Gamera to replace ''Nezura'' on the schedule. Due to a low budget and tight schedule, Yuasa was forced to use outdated equipment, faulty props, and faced belittlement from colleagues. Yuasa was determined to complete the film with Daiei's ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baragon
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1965 film '' Frankenstein vs. Baragon'', produced and distributed by Toho. Depicted as a burrowing, four-legged, horned dinosaur-like creature with large ears, Baragon appeared alongside Godzilla and other monster characters in films in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, also produced by Toho, including '' Destroy All Monsters'' (1968) and '' Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (2001). Overview Showa series In the film '' Frankenstein vs. Baragon'', Baragon is depicted as a kaiju that evolved from the fictional dinosaur ''Baranosdragon'', burrowed underground to escape the extinction of the dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures, and adapted and survived over the years. When the sounds of a nearby factory disturb and awaken it during the events of the film, Baragon emerges to attack the factory. It later attacks and destroys a village and eats all of a farm's livestock. As ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Frankenstein Conquers The World
is a 1965 ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film stars Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno and Tadao Takashima, with Koji Furuhata as Frankenstein and Haruo Nakajima as Baragon. An international co-production of Japan and the United States, it was the first collaboration between Toho and Henry G. Saperstein. In the film, scientists investigate the origins of a mysterious monster boy Frankenstein and his resistance to radiation that makes him grow to monstrous size, while another monster Baragon ravages the countryside. ''Frankenstein vs. Baragon'' was theatrically released in Japan on August 8, 1965, followed by a theatrical release in the United States on July 8, 1966 by American International Pictures as ''Frankenstein Conquers the World''. The film was followed by ''The War of the Gargantuas'', released on July 31, 1966. Plot Near the end of World War II in Nazi Germany, Nazi officers confiscate the living heart of the Frankenste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Ghidorah
is a fictional dragon-like alien monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', produced and distributed by Toho. The creature was initially created by Tomoyuki Tanaka, Eiji Tsuburaya, and Shinichi Sekizawa as an homage to the eight-headed mythological Japanese dragon ''Yamata no Orochi''. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was originally referred to as Ghidorah, Ghidrah, or Monster Zero in some English markets. Although King Ghidorah's design has remained largely consistent throughout its appearances (an armless, bipedal, golden and yellowish-scaled dragon with three heads, two fan-shaped wings, and two tails), its origin story has varied from being an Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial planet-destroying dragon, a Genetic engineering, genetically engineered monster from the future, a guardian monster of ancient Japan, or a god from another di ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
