''Attack from Space'' is a 1965
science fiction
Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
compilation film
A compilation film, or compilation movie is a film composed of scenes and shots taken from two or more prior films and edited together so as to make a new film, whether on the same or a different subject. The most common example would be a docum ...
produced for American television. It is the third film, following ''
Atomic Rulers of the World
''Atomic Rulers of the World'' (or just ''Atomic Rulers'') is a 1965 film edited together for American television from films #1 and #2 of the 1957 Japanese short film series '' Super Giant''.
Plot
The story involves the superhero Starman (Sup ...
'' (1 and 2) and ''
Invaders from Space
''Invaders from Space'' is a 1964 film edited together for American television from films #3 and #4 of the 1957 Japanese short film series ''Super Giant''.
Plot
The story involves the superhero Starman who is sent by the Emerald Planet to protect ...
'' (3 and 4), to be comprised from the six installments of the Japanese short film series ''
Super Giant
is a Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial-like tokusatsu short feature films produced between 1957 and 1959 by Shintoho (the non-union branch of Toho). He is also known in Japan as , is known in The United States as Star ...
'' from
Shintoho
was a Japanese movie studio. It was one of the big six film studios (which also included Daiei, Nikkatsu, Shochiku, Toei Company, and Toho) during the Golden Age of Japanese cinema. It was founded by defectors from the original Toho company fol ...
.
It is available on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
as of June 2020
Plot
The superhero Starman, a human-like being created from the strongest steel by the Peace Council of the Emerald Planet, is sent by the leaders of that planet to protect Earth from belligerent aliens from the Sapphire Galaxy.
After avoiding the Sapphireans during his flight to Earth, Starman discovers their plot to destroy Earth, after they blow up a part of the Himalayas .
The Sapphireans (or "Spherions") kidnap Dr. Yamanaka and his family and force him to use his spaceship against the Earth.
It's up to Starman to save Dr. Yamanaka, his family and the Earth.
American adaptation
The nine ''Super Giant'' films were purchased for distribution to U.S. television and were edited into four films and cheaply dubbed by Walter Manley Enterprises for syndication by Medallion Films. The two original Japanese films that composed ''Attack from Space'' (''The Artificial Satellite and the Destruction of Humanity'' and ''The Spaceship and the Clash of the Artificial Satellite'') were each 39 minutes in duration. The two films were edited into one 76-minute film, resulting in only two lost minutes in the combined edit, probably consisting mostly of cast and credits. As a result, this compilation suffered least among the ''Super Giant'' films in its adaptation for American television, except in terms of cast and credits.
Although
Riichiro Manabe
(November 9, 1924 – January 29, 2015) was a Japanese composer. He wrote scores for numerous science fiction, horror, and kaiju films.
Filmography
* '' Suzaki paradise: Akashingō'' (洲崎パラダイス 赤信号 Suzaki paradaisu Ak ...
composed the music to the original two films, most of the original music was replaced by library tracks in the American adaptation, which were then credited to Chumei Watanabe. Additionally, the screen cast, which was identical to the one used for ''Atomic Rulers of the World'', includes names of performers not appearing in the film, and omits those of some performers who did.
Production
Follows the first two movie compilation of the series,
Atomic Rulers of the World
''Atomic Rulers of the World'' (or just ''Atomic Rulers'') is a 1965 film edited together for American television from films #1 and #2 of the 1957 Japanese short film series '' Super Giant''.
Plot
The story involves the superhero Starman (Sup ...
and
Invaders from Space
''Invaders from Space'' is a 1964 film edited together for American television from films #3 and #4 of the 1957 Japanese short film series ''Super Giant''.
Plot
The story involves the superhero Starman who is sent by the Emerald Planet to protect ...
. This movie compiles episodes #5 and #6 from 1957. The next film in the series is
Evil Brain from Outer Space
''Evil Brain from Outer Space'' is a 1964 film edited together for American television from films #7, #8 and #9 of the 1957/1958 Japanese Super Giant film series.
Synopsis
The film concerns Starman's efforts to save the Earth from the followers ...
Reception
This movie was found to be more coherent than most of the compilation, and although the movie lacks the imaginative monsters of the other in the series, Fantastic Musings found the movie to be fun and enjoyed the hero Starman.
DVD releases
''Attack from Space'' is currently available on two DVD releases.
Something Weird Video
Something Weird Video is an American film distributor company based in Seattle, Washington. They specialize in exploitation B to Z films, particularly the works of Harry Novak, Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman and Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Ins ...
with
Image Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 340 ...
released this film and the other compiled Starman film, ''
Evil Brain from Outer Space
''Evil Brain from Outer Space'' is a 1964 film edited together for American television from films #7, #8 and #9 of the 1957/1958 Japanese Super Giant film series.
Synopsis
The film concerns Starman's efforts to save the Earth from the followers ...
'' on a single disc on December 10, 2002. Alpha Video also released a budget-priced disc of the film by itself on March 23, 2004.
In other media
* The film was featured in the second episode of the
Ed the Sock
Ed the Sock is a sock puppet character, created and voiced by Steven Joel Kerzner, who first appeared on Canadian local cable television in 1987. He is best known for his hosting appearances in the 1990s on MuchMusic and his own late night talk ...
series ''
This Movie Sucks!
''This Movie Sucks!'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''TMS!'') is a Canadian comedy television series hosted by Ed the Sock, premiering on May 28, 2010, two years after '' Ed's Night Party'' went off the air. The show is similar to another former Ed th ...
'' with comedic commentary by Ed,
Liana Kerzner
Ed the Sock is a sock puppet character, created and voiced by Steven Joel Kerzner, who first appeared on Canadian local cable television in 1987. He is best known for his hosting appearances in the 1990s on MuchMusic and his own late night talk sh ...
and
Ron Sparks.
* Some quotes can be heard in the song "The Bomb" on the album ''This Means War'' by
synthwave
Synthwave (also called outrun, retrowave, or futuresynth) is an electronic music microgenre that is based predominantly on the music associated with action, science-fiction, and horror film soundtracks of the 1980s. Other influences are drawn fr ...
artist Volkor X.
* It also fell victim to mockery by
RiffTrax
RiffTrax is an American company that produces scripted humorous commentary tracks which are synced to mostly public domain feature films, education shorts, and television episodes. With the talents of former ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''M ...
, commentated by
Michael J. Nelson
Michael John Nelson (born October 11, 1964) is an American comedian and writer, most known for his work on the television series '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K''). Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's origi ...
,
Kevin Murphy and
Bill Corbett
William Daniel Corbett (born March 30, 1960) is an American writer and performer for television, film and theatre. He was a writer and performer on the cult television show ''Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K''), for which he voiced the r ...
.
See also
* ''
Super Giant
is a Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial-like tokusatsu short feature films produced between 1957 and 1959 by Shintoho (the non-union branch of Toho). He is also known in Japan as , is known in The United States as Star ...
''
References
Sources
*Ragone, August. ''THE ORIGINAL "STARMAN": The Forgotten Supergiant of Steel Who Fought for Peace, Justice and the Japanese Way'' Originally published in ''Planet X Magazine'', included in
Something Weird Video
Something Weird Video is an American film distributor company based in Seattle, Washington. They specialize in exploitation B to Z films, particularly the works of Harry Novak, Doris Wishman, David F. Friedman and Herschell Gordon Lewis.
Ins ...
's
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...
release.
External links
*
*
*
Attack From Space' at Monster Shack Movie Reviews
{{DEFAULTSORT:Attack From Space
1964 films
Super Giant films
1960s Japanese-language films
1960s science fiction films
1960s Japanese films