|
Katsumi Tezuka
was a Japanese actor. He is best known for playing monsters in several Toho science fiction and horror films directed by Ishirō Honda. Career Tezuka was born in Tokyo, Japan. His first credited role in a motion picture was in the 1940 film ''Haruyo Izuko''. He played a number of monster roles as an assistant to Haruo Nakajima was a Japanese actor best known for playing Godzilla in 12 consecutive films, starting from the original ''Godzilla'' (1954) until ''Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972). He also played various other giant monsters in '' kaiju'' films, including ''Mothra .... Filmography Film References Sources * * External links * * Year of birth missing Year of death missing Japanese male film actors {{Japan-film-actor-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godzilla Raids Again
is a 1955 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Motoyoshi Oda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the second film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla and Katsumi Tezuka as Anguirus. In the film, Japan struggles to survive Godzilla's return, as well as its destructive battle against its ancient foe Anguirus. Executive producer Iwao Mori instructed producer Tomoyuki Tanaka to immediately commence production on a second ''Godzilla'' film, fearing to lose the momentum of the first film's success. Oda was chosen to direct the film as Ishirō Honda was busy directing '' Lovetide''. ''Godzilla Raids Again'' was released theatrically in Japan on April 24, 1955. A re-edited, English dubbed version was released theatrically in the United States on June 2, 1959, by Warner Bros. Pictures, under the title ''Gigantis, the Fir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Three Treasures
is a 1959 Japanese film directed by Hiroshi Inagaki. The film is based on the legends ''Kojiki'' and '' Nihon Shoki'' and the origins of ''Shinto''. The film was the highest-grossing film of 1959 for Toho and the second highest grossing domestic production in Japan for the year. The film was shown in Japan in 1959 as ''Nippon Tanjo'' (''The Birth of Japan'') with a running time of 182 minutes, but it was released in the United States in December, 1960 as ''The Three Treasures'', edited down to only 112 minutes. It was also shown internationally under the title ''Age of the Gods''. Plot ''The Three Treasures'' retells the story of the Yamato Takeru legend, and features a recounting of the great battle between Susanoo and the legendary dragon Orochi. Cast * Toshiro Mifune as Prince Yamato Takeru and Susanoo * Takashi Shimura as Elder Kumaso * Kōji Tsuruta as Younger Kumaso * Nakamura Ganjirō II as Emperor Keikō * Akira Takarada as Prince Wakatarashi * Kinuyo Tanaka as Pri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mothra Vs
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film ''Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva (caterpillar) or imago, accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture,''Mothra'' (1961). Directed by Ishirō Honda. Toho the Earth''Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (1992). Directed by Takao Okawara. Toho and Japan.'' Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (2001). Directed by Shusuke Kaneko. Toho. Mothra's design is influenced by silk worms, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family Saturniidae. The character is often depicted hatching offspring (in some cases, twins) when approaching death, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mu (mythical Lost Continent)
Mu is a mythical lost continent introduced by Augustus Le Plongeon (1825–1908), who identified the "Land of Mu" with Atlantis. The name was subsequently identified with the hypothetical land of Lemuria by James Churchward (1851–1936), who asserted that it was located in the Pacific Ocean before its destruction. The place of Mu in both pseudoscience and fantasy fiction is discussed in detail in ''Lost Continents'' (1954, 1970) by L. Sprague de Camp. Geologists dismiss the existence of Mu and the lost continent of Atlantis as physically impossible, as a continent can neither sink nor be destroyed in the short period of time asserted in legends and folklore and literature about these places. Mu's existence is considered to have no factual basis. History of the concept Augustus Le Plongeon The mythical idea of the "Land of Mu" first appeared in the works of the British-American antiquarian Augustus Le Plongeon (1825–1908), after his investigations of the Maya ruins in Yucatán. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Atragon
is a 1963 Japanese tokusatsu science fiction film produced and distributed by Toho. It is based on ''The Undersea Warship: A Fantastic Tale of Island Adventure'' by Shunrō Oshikawa and ''The Undersea Kingdom'' by Shigeru Komatsuzaki. The film is directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya and stars Jun Tazaki, Tadao Takashima, Yōko Fujiyama, Yū Fujiki, and Ken Uehara. The film was released in Japan on December 22, 1963, and in the United States in 1965 via American International Pictures. A two-episode anime OVA titled ''Super Atragon'', based on the same novels, was produced by Phoenix Entertainment in 1995. Plot The legendary empire of the lost continent of Mu reappears to threaten the world with domination. While countries unite to resist, an isolated World War II captain has created the greatest warship ever seen, and possibly the surface world's only defense. While on a magazine photo shoot one night, photographers Susumu and Yoshito witness a car ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Matango
is a 1963 Japanese horror film directed by Ishirō Honda. The film stars Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno and Kenji Sahara. It is partially based on William Hope Hodgson's short story "The Voice in the Night" and is about a group of castaways on an island who are unwittingly altered by a local species of mutagenic mushrooms. ''Matango'' was different from Honda's other films of the period as it explored darker themes and featured a more desolate look. Upon the film's release in Japan, it was nearly banned due to scenes that depicted characters resembling Hibakusha, victims of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The film was released directly to television in the United States in a shortened form. Retrospective reviews generally commented on how the film varied from Honda's other work, with its darker tone. Plot In a hospital in Tokyo, a university professor named Kenji Murai is visited by a man who asks him about the events that led him to the hospital. The story is about a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Attack Squadron!
is a 1963 Japanese film directed by Shue Matsubayashi, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. The film is about Lt. Colonel Senda (Toshiro Mifune) who commands three fighter squadrons, eventually being dominated by Allied forces in June 1944. Release ''Attack Squadron!'' was released in Japan on 3 January 1963 where it was distributed by Toho. The film was Toho's second highest-grossing film of the year and the 9th highest-grossing domestic film production in Japan in 1963. The film was released theatrically in the United States by Toho International with English subtitles on February 1, 1975. It was released to home video by Combat Home Video in 1988 as ''Kamikaze'' with an English-language dub. Stuart Galbraith IV commented on this release, stating that it was panned-and-scanned with "some of the wore telecine work ever done; the entire film appears to have been mastered showing only the extreme left side of the image." Cast * Toshiro Mifune as Senda * Yūzō Kayama as Taki ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Kong Vs
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the title may refer to tribal kingship. Germanic kingship is cognate with Indo-European traditions of tribal rulership (c.f. Indic ''rājan'', Gothic ''reiks'', and Old Irish ''rí'', etc.). *In the context of classical antiquity, king may translate in Latin as '' rex'' and in Greek as '' archon'' or '' basileus''. *In classical European feudalism, the title of ''king'' as the ruler of a ''kingdom'' is understood to be the highest rank in the feudal order, potentially subject, at least nominally, only to an emperor (harking back to the client kings of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire). *In a modern context, the title may refer to the ruler of one of a number of modern monarchies (either absolute or constitutional). The title of ''king'' is us ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gorath
is a 1962 Japanese epic science fiction disaster film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Based on an idea by Jojiro Okami, the film is about mankind's efforts to move Earth out of its orbit to prevent it from colliding with a runaway white dwarf star. The film was extensively edited for its American release. Plot On September 29, 1979, the Interstellar Exploration Agency launches a Japanese rocket ship, the ''JX-1 Hawk'', into space on a nine-month journey to investigate Saturn. At its conclusion, however, the crew is given a new mission after scientists discover a runaway star, which the International Astronomical Union nicknamed "Gorath", is somehow running amok. Upon encountering and while investigating Gorath's rapid movement through the Solar System, the ''JX-1 Hawk'' crew discover it is smaller than Earth, yet has 6,000 times its gravity. They manage to transmit their data back to Earth before an enormous gravity well destroys the ship, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mothra
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that first appeared in the 1961 film '' Mothra'', produced and distributed by Toho Studios. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, most often as a recurring character in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva (caterpillar) or imago, accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture,'' Mothra'' (1961). Directed by Ishirō Honda. Toho the Earth'' Godzilla vs. Mothra'' (1992). Directed by Takao Okawara. Toho and Japan.'' Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack'' (2001). Directed by Shusuke Kaneko. Toho. Mothra's design is influenced by silk worms, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family Saturniidae. The character is often depicted hatching offspring (in some cases, twins) when approaching ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mothra (film)
is a 1961 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd, it is the first film in the ''Mothra'' franchise. The film stars Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyōko Kagawa, Jerry Ito, and The Peanuts. In 1960, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka hired Shin'ichirō Nakamura to write an original story for a new ''kaiju'' film. Co-written with Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta, ''The Glowing Fairies and Mothra'' was serialized in a magazine in January 1961. Screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa later adapted the story into a screenplay, patterning his version after ''King Kong'' (1933) and ''Godzilla'' (1954). ''Mothra'' was theatrically released in Japan on July 30, 1961. An edited, English dubbed version was released theatrically in the United States on May 10, 1962 by Columbia Pictures. The titular monster, Mothra, would become Toho's second most popular ''kaiju'' character after Godzilla, appearing in eleve ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
