Mothra
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's '' 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recurring monster 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 several 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 silkworms, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family Saturniidae. The character is often depicted hatching of ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mothra Vs
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's ''Mothra (film), 1961 film of the same name'', produced and distributed by Toho. Mothra has appeared in several Toho ''tokusatsu'' films, often as a recurring monster in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient larva (caterpillar) or imago, accompanied by two miniature fairies speaking on her behalf. Unlike several other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture,''Mothra (film), 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, silkworms, their imagos, and those of giant silk moths in the family Saturniida ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Mothra (film)
is a 1961 Japanese Kaiju, ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho, 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 the film, an expedition to an irradiated island brings civilization in contact with a primitive native culture. When one sensationalist Entrepreneurship, entrepreneur abducts two doll-sized priestesses for exploitation, their ancient deity, known as Mothra, arises in retaliation. 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 film), King Kong'' (1933) and ''Godzilla ( ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Godzilla (franchise)
is a Japanese Monster movie, monster, or ''kaiju'', franchise centering on the Godzilla, titular character, a prehistoric reptilian monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. The films series are recognized by the ''Guinness World Records'' as the "longest continuously running film series", having been in ongoing production since 1954, with several hiatuses of varying lengths. There are 38 ''Godzilla'' films: 33 Japanese films produced and distributed by Toho, Toho Co., Ltd., and five American films; one by TriStar Pictures and four films (part of the Monsterverse franchise) by Legendary Entertainment, Legendary Pictures. The original film, ''Godzilla (1954 film), Godzilla'', was directed by and co-written by Ishirō Honda and released by Toho in 1954. It became an influential classic of the genre. It featured political and social undertones relevant to Japan at the time. The 1954 film and its special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya are largely credited for establishin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Eiji Tsuburaya
was a Japanese special effects director, filmmaker, and cinematographer. A co-creator of the ''Godzilla (franchise), Godzilla'' and ''Ultraman'' franchises, he is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the history of cinema. Tsuburaya is known as the having pioneered Japan's special effects industry and introduced several technological developments in film productions. In a career spanning five decades, Tsuburaya worked on approximately Eiji Tsuburaya filmography, 250 films—including globally renowned features directed by Ishirō Honda, Hiroshi Inagaki, and Akira Kurosawa—and earned six Japan Technical Awards. Following a brief stint as an inventor, Tsuburaya was employed by Japanese cinema pioneer Yoshirō Edamasa in 1919 and began his career working as an assistant cinematographer on Edamasa's ''A Tune of Pity''. Thereafter, he worked as an assistant cinematographer on several films, including Teinosuke Kinugasa's ''A Page of Madness'' (1926). ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Kaiju
is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Its widespread contemporary use is credited to ''tokusatsu'' (special effects) director Eiji Tsuburaya and filmmaker Ishirō Honda, who popularized the ''kaiju'' film genre by creating the ''Godzilla (franchise), Godzilla'' franchise and its spin-offs. The term can also refer to the monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other creatures. ''Godzilla (1954 film), Godzilla'' (1954) is often regarded as the first ''kaiju'' movie. When developing it, Honda and Tsuburaya drew inspiration from the character of King Kong, both in its influential King Kong (1933 film), 1933 film and in the conception of a giant monster, establishing it as a pivotal precursor in the evolution of the genre.King Kong’s influence on the giant monster genre: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * During their formative years, ''kaiju'' movies were generall ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ishirō Honda
was a Japanese filmmaker who directed 46 feature films in a career spanning five decades. He is acknowledged as the most internationally successful Japanese filmmaker prior to Hayao Miyazaki and one of the founders of modern disaster film, with his films having a significant influence on the film industry. Despite directing many Drama (film and television), drama, War film, war, Documentary film, documentary, and Comedy film, comedy films, Honda is best remembered for directing and co-creating the ''kaiju'' genre with special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya. Honda entered the Japanese film industry in 1934, working as the third assistant director on Sotoji Kimura's ''The Elderly Commoner's Life Study''. After 15 years of working on numerous films as an assistant director, he made his directorial debut with the short documentary film ''Ise-Shima'' (1949). Honda's first feature film, ''Aoi Shinju, The Blue Pearl'' (1952), was a critical success in Japan at the time and would lead ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Haruo Nakajima
was a Japanese actor and stuntman. A pioneer of suit acting, he is best known for playing Godzilla in 12 consecutive films, starting from the original ''Godzilla'' (1954) until '' Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972). Nakajima also played various other ''kaiju'' in Toho's ''tokusatsu'' films, including: '' Rodan'' (1956), '' Mothra'' (1961) and '' The War of the Gargantuas'' (1966) and also appeared in a minor roles in Akira Kurosawa's '' Seven Samurai'' (1954), '' Yojimbo'', and '' Stray Dog'' (his film debut). Career Nakajima was born in the city of Sakata in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, on January 1, 1929. His first credited role in a motion picture was in the 1952 film '' Sword for Hire''. He began his career as a stunt actor in samurai films and he acted in a small role in the 1954 film '' Seven Samurai'', portraying a bandit slain by master swordsman Kyūzo ( Seiji Miyaguchi). He was considered by many to be the best suit actor in the long history of the Godzilla franchise. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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. Life and career Tezuka was born in Tokyo, Japan on August 31, 1912. 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 and stuntman. A pioneer of suit acting, he is best known for playing Godzilla in 12 consecutive films, starting from the original ''Godzilla'' (1954) until '' Godzilla vs. Gigan'' (1972). Nakajima also played various other .... Filmography Film References Sources * * External links * * 1912 births Year of death missing Japanese male film actors {{Japan-film-actor-stub ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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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]   |
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Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter noted for his immense contributions to several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films. He also contributed material to the original ''Ultraman'' series and several Tōei Dōga films such as '' Gulliver's Travels Beyond the Moon'' and '' Jack and the Witch''. His first screenplay was for the independently produced film (though distributed by Shintoho Studios) ''Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers'', which was also his sole directing credit. His scripts for kaiju films have been noted for their inventiveness and for having a more lightweight, "fun" tone than those written by Takeshi Kimura (aka Kaoru Mabuchi), another leading writer of kaiju films, whose scripts had a darker, more serious sensibility. Before embarking on his screenwriting career, he briefly attended an animation school with famed manga artist and animator Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu'', – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga a ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Godzilla Vs
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', that debuted in the Godzilla (1954 film), eponymous 1954 film, directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international Godzilla in popular culture, pop culture icon, appearing in Godzilla (franchise), various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho, Toho Co., Ltd., Godzilla (franchise)#American films, five American films, and numerous List of Godzilla games, video games, novels, Godzilla (comics), comic books, and Godzilla (franchise)#Television, 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 Mesozoic, prehistoric reptilian or dinosaurian monster that is Semiaquatic, amphibious or resides partially in the ocean, awakened and empowered after many years by exposure to Radioactive decay, nuclear ra ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects. Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, ''tokusatsu'' mainly refers to science fiction film, science fiction, War film, war, fantasy film, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such technology but is also occasionally dubbed a genre itself. Its contemporary use originated in the Mass media in Japan, Japanese mass media around 1958 to explain special effects in an easy-to-understand manner and was popularized during the ":ja:第一次怪獣ブーム, first monster boom" (1966–1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as or shortened . Subgenres of include ''kaiju'' such as the ''Godzilla (film series), Godzilla'' and ''Gamera'' series; superhero such as the ''Kamen Rider Series, Kamen Rider'' and ''Metal Hero Series, Metal Hero'' series; Kyodai Hero, ''Kyodai'' Hero like ''Ultra Series, Ultraman, and Gridman the Hyper Agent, D ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |