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gamera

Eiji Tsuburaya’s Death and the Changing Face of Kaiju Films

On January 25th in 1970, the landscape of kaiju films changed forever. Eiji Tsuburaya had started work on a new television series by this point, a horror anthology show known as The Unbalance Zone. The… [more]

Where the Kaiju Things Are: All Monsters Attack

After Destroy All Monsters, Toho took the Godzilla franchise in a controversial direction. The studio decided to throw their biggest director at their smallest film yet, birthing one of the least popular Godzilla movies ever.… [more]

Tsuburaya and Honda’s Last Charge: Destroy All Monsters

There was another big number coming down Toho’s pipe shortly after they’d celebrated their anniversary. Their next kaiju film would be the twentieth they had directed, something worthy of celebration. However the celebration was to… [more]

Metal Monsters: Tsuburaya Returns to Kong

1967 was a big year for Toho. Not because of the introduction of Godzilla’s son, but because it was their thirty-fifth anniversary. Eiji Tsuburaya and Ishirō Honda reunited to work on their penultimate collaboration for… [more]

A Vengeful Statue: Daiei’s Daimajin Trilogy

In the years after his death, the capital city was struck by heavy rain and lightning, and his chief Fujiwara adversary and Emperor Daigo’s crown prince died, while fires caused by lightning and floods destroyed many of residences. [more]

Godzilla’s Heartbeat: Sea Monsters, Chameleons, and a New Team for Toho

Cancer. The Crab is said to have been put among the stars by the favour of Hera, because, when Hercules had stood firm against the Lernaean Hydra, it had snapped at his foot from the swamp. Hercules, enraged at this, had killed it, and Hera put it among the constellations. [more]

If I Cannot Inspire Love, I Will Cause Fear: More Frankesteins and Flying Turtles

” The starry sky, the sea, and every sight afforded by these wonderful regions, seems still to have the power of elevating his soul from earth. Such a man has a double existence: he may suffer misery, and be overwhelmed by disappointments; yet, when he has retired into himself, he will be like a celestial spirit that has a halo around him, within whose circle no grief or folly ventures.” [more]

Sixties Cinema and Serial Killers: Violence at Noon

At some point while examining my stack of DVDs, many of which clearly display my Criterion addiction, I realized something odd. I own nearly fifty movies (not DVDs mind you, some of the DVDs have… [more]

Baptized in the Fires of the H-Bomb: Eiji Tsuburaya, Godzilla, and the Birth of Kaiju

With my eleven Gamera movies watched and reviewed and the last outlier on its way I decided it was time to delve into more kaiju films, specifically as many of them, in chronological order, as… [more]

Blind Swordfighting and Consumption: The Tale of Zatoichi

So Amazon is telling me that Gamera the Brave might not ship for months. Months! So while I’m waiting to finalize that particular series I thought I’d start another series I’ve been planning to review.… [more]

The End of Gamera

So not only is this the last of Kaneko’s trilogy it’s the last Daiei Gamera movie and the last Gamera movie distributed by Toho, all of which is sort of a big deal. So even if this isn’t the last Gamera movie I’ll review it’s still a bit of a milestone. [more]

Gamera 2: Advent of Legion: The Best Gamera Movie?

The creatures plan to spread their species to other planets by launching the pod in the centre of the flower. Gamera, genetically designed Atlantean guardian of the world that he is, isn’t having any of this. [more]

Chan-Wook Park Does Vampires: Thirst

Thirst is wonderful director Chan-Wook Park’s vampire movie. It’s a fascinating project filled with symbolism and gore. [more]

Elbow Spikes and Atlantis: Gamera: Guardian of the Universe

Gamera gets gritty. And it is good. Surprisingly good. [more]

Sharks, Superheroes, and the End of the Showa Era

In which I review two Gamera movies, involving underwater fire breathing, superheroes, Star Destroyers, and more! [more]

Too Little Too Late: Thoughts on True Detective

The way the show incorporated meta moments was key to understanding the ending. True Detective displayed an undeniable desire to poke and prod at the edge of the frame containing it. [more]

Halloween Binge: Genocide

Genocide is a bleak, nihilistic, Japanese horror film with killer bugs. It’s also not so secretly about war time atrocities. Like you do. [more]

The Movie With a Million Titles: Gamera vs. Jiger

Validate me, watch along and let me know what you thought:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yISxIM1EJZs My least favourite Gamera movie was Gamera vs. Barugon. The second Gamera movie ever made and the first to feature an opposing kaiju.… [more]

Space Cannibals and Guillermo del Toro: On Gamera vs. Guiron

The influence behind Knifehead. And a whole bunch of nonsense in this surprisingly violent entry in the Gamera series. [more]

Boy Scouts and Tentacles: Gamera vs. the Space Monster Viras

Pointy squids. Giant turtles. Precocious Boy Scouts. A complete lack of budget. Way to much recycled footage. This movie is an experience. [more]

Rubber on Planes: Gamera vs. Gyaos

Aerial battles you guys! Because flying turtles are cool looking. Right? Right?! This is actually a solid and enjoyable kaiju film with a cool villain. [more]

Terrible Monster Design and Boring People: Gamera vs. Barugon

Japanese people in blackface, coincidence ridden jungle adventures, and the worst Kaiju fight scenes I’ve seen. Ugh. [more]

Sword of Doom: So Close

I feel like this may be the start of many samurai reviews I do. This one was good, but also not? [more]

Fire-Breathing Turtles and Rubber Suits: On Gamera

In which I talk about a movie with a fire-breathing, flying turtle. I’m also wildly insecure and ask for you, the reader, to pitch in on future reviews… But mainly fire-breathing turtles. [more]