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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] |
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] |
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] |
Godzilla (1954 Film)
is a 1954 Japanese epic film, epic ''kaiju'' film directed and co-written by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho, it is the first film in the Godzilla (franchise), ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, Takashi Shimura, Sachio Sakai, Fuyuki Murakami, Keiji Sakakida, Toyoaki Suzuki, Tsuruko Mano, Kin Sugai, Takeo Oikawa, Kan Hayashi, Seijiro Onda, and Toranosuke Ogawa with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, Japan's authorities deal with the sudden appearance of a giant monster, whose attacks trigger fears of nuclear holocaust in post-occupation Japan, post-war Japan. ''Godzilla'' entered production after a Japanese-Indonesian co-production collapsed. Tsuburaya originally proposed a giant octopus before the filmmakers decided on a dinosaur-inspired creature. ''Godzilla'' pioneered a form of special effects called suitmation in which a stunt performer wear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Godzilla Junior
also referred to as Baby Godzilla and Little Godzilla, is a kaiju which first appeared in Toho's 1993 film '' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II''. Overview Development During the production of '' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'', the decision to introduce a character similar to Godzilla's first adopted son, Minilla, was made in order to appeal to the largely female audience that made '' Godzilla vs. Mothra'' a financial success, despite objections by director Takao Okawara, who held a low opinion of the 1960s movies the character had previously been featured in. Okawara redesigned the new Baby Godzilla as more dinosaur-like than its predecessor, but strove to make it physically appealing in order to contrast it with the more brutish-looking Mechagodzilla. Baby Godzilla was portrayed by Hurricane Ryu, who wore a full-body suit with an animatronic mouth and eyes. The skin was also made smoother than Godzilla's in order to imply that Baby Godzilla had yet to be exposed to the mutageni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Minilla
is a fictional monster, or kaiju, who first appeared in Toho's 1967 film '' Son of Godzilla''. He is the adopted son of Godzilla, and is sometimes referenced as Minya, Godzilla Jr., and Baby Godzilla in the American dubbed versions. Overview Development According to director Jun Fukuda, Minilla's creation was not an attempt at appealing to child audiences, but was merely a new approach for the series.David Milner"Jun Fukuda Interview", ''Kaiju Conversations'' (July 1994) After filming '' Ebirah, Horror of the Deep'', Godzilla creator Tomoyuki Tanaka reportedly approached screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa and suggested the idea of giving Godzilla a son to commemorate the New Year. According to Godzilla historian Steve Ryfle, the character's creation was likely a response to the contemporary light-hearted Gamera films. Shōwa era (1967–1969) In his debut film, '' Son of Godzilla'', Minilla was born on Sollgel Island, when his egg was prematurely cracked open by a group of mutan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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] |
Kenpachiro Satsuma
known professionally as was a Japanese actor and stuntman. He is best known for portraying Godzilla (Heisei), Godzilla in all seven of the Godzilla (franchise)#Heisei era (1984–1995), Heisei films. Born in Kagoshima Prefecture, Satsuma began his acting career in the 1960s with small roles in samurai films. In 1971 he was offered the role of the smog monster antagonist Hedorah in ''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'', opposite Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla. He went on to play Gigan in two further Godzilla films. When Nakajima retired from the Godzilla role in 1972, substitutes were hired between 1973 and 1975 until Satsuma took over permanently in 1984. His portrayal took the character away from the humor of the character's portrayals over the past decades, returning to the more animalistic Godzilla persona of the original 1954 film. While filming ''Godzilla'' movies, Satsuma would regularly pass out on the set due to lack of oxygen while wearing the poorly ventilated and heavy rubber suits. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tomoyuki Tanaka
was a Japanese film producer, best known as the creator of Godzilla. He produced most of the installments in the ''Godzilla'' series, beginning in 1954 with ''Godzilla'' and ending in 1995 with '' Godzilla vs. Destoroyah''. He was one of the most prolific Japanese producers of all time, having worked on more than 200 films, including over 80 ''tokusatsu'' films and six of Akira Kurosawa's films, notably Yojimbo and Kagemusha. Biography Early life Tanaka was born on April 26, 1910, in Kashiwara, Osaka. As a child, he would often walk miles to the nearest theater to watch silent adventure and ninja films in the afternoons. At the age of 14, Tanaka saw the silent Western film ''The Covered Wagon'' and was so enamored by its cinematography that it remained his all-time favorite film. In his youth, Tanaka was once disowned by his parents because he focused more on his interests, films and acting, than on his studies. Tanaka studied economics at Kansai University, graduating in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godzilland
, or ''Godzillaland'', refers to a series of Japanese children's educational television series produced by Toho and based on the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The first series, a trivia show titled , aired on TV Tokyo in 1992. The series was intended to promote the film '' Godzilla vs. Mothra'', and features both live-action and chibi-style animated segments. It also features musical numbers, including one that doubles as an aerobic exercise. Toho then produced a second series, , which aired in 1993 as a promotion for '' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II''. These were followed by , a series of four OVAs released on VHS between 1994 and 1996 by Gakken Video. ''Get Going! Godzilland'' is aimed at teaching children how to read the hiragana alphabet, how to count and how to perform addition and subtraction. References External links ''Adventure! Godzilland''on IMDb IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tsutomu Kitagawa
is a Japanese actor and stuntman who is mostly known for playing Godzilla for the "Millennium" (or "Shinsei") series. He also played King Ghidorah for '' Rebirth of Mothra III''. He also played the costumed actor for the Blue (and occasionally, Black) Ranger in many of Toei Company's ''Super Sentai'' Series in the 1980s, better known in the United States as ''Power Rangers''. Kitagawa graduated from Sakuragaoka High School before joining Sonny Chiba's Japan Action Club in January 1975. Filmography Suit actor * ''Battle Fever J'' (1979) - Battle Kenya, Miss America 2 * '' Denshi Sentai Denziman'' (1980-1981) - Denzi Blue * ''Dai Sentai Goggle-V'' (1982-1983) - Goggle Black * ''Kagaku Sentai Dynaman'' (1983-1984) - Dyna yellow * '' Choudenshi Bioman'' (1984-1985) - Blue Three * ''Dengeki Sentai Changeman'' (1985-1986) - Change Pegasus * '' Choushinsei Flashman'' (1986-1987) - Blue Flash * '' Hikari Sentai Maskman'' (1987-1988) - Blue Mask * '' Sekai Ninja Sen Jiraiya'' (19 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
