21st Century Kaiju

21st Century Kaiju PDF

Author: Gordon Arnold

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2023-11-30

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1476689628

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Once dismissed as a fading genre with little to say to contemporary audiences, the giant monster movie roared back to life in the new millennium. In one of modern cinema's most surprising turnarounds, a wave of 21st-century kaiju films has delivered exciting and thought-provoking viewing to global audiences. In a variety of works that range from action-packed CGI spectacles to more personal, introspective productions commenting on real-world issues of the day, the new millennium has witnessed some of the most intriguing films in any genre, including movies from such acclaimed directors such as Guillermo del Toro, Bong Joon-ho and Peter Jackson. This book takes a sober, multidimensional look at the new class of giant monster movies. It examines the making of these films and their sometimes-obscure meanings. It also covers efforts to reinvent storied kaiju characters from the past, including Godzilla and King Kong, and to transform the genre with movies such as Cloverfield, The Mist, Colossal, and Pacific Rim that feature all-new creatures.

Giant Creatures in Our World

Giant Creatures in Our World PDF

Author: Camille D.G. Mustachio

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2017-09-29

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 1476668361

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Dismissed as camp by critics but revered by fans, the kaiju or "strange creature" film has become an iconic element of both Japanese and American pop culture. From homage to parody to advertising, references to Godzilla--and to a lesser extent Gamera, Rodan, Ultraman and others--abound in entertainment media. Godzilla in particular is so ubiquitous, his name is synonymous with immensity and destruction. In this collection of new essays, contributors examine kaiju representations in a range of contexts and attempt to define this at times ambiguous genre.

The Mammoth Book of Kaiju

The Mammoth Book of Kaiju PDF

Author: Sean Wallace

Publisher: Robinson

Published: 2016-01-14

Total Pages: 460

ISBN-13: 1472135652

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Giant monsters whose every roar and footstep shakes the earth, whose simple stroll through a city wreaks havoc: KAIJU! And even though humankind has never really seen such monsters - we tremble at the thought of them and love to shiver as their screen versions make mayhem: the beast from twenty-thousand fathoms, Godzilla demolishing Tokyo, the massive creature in Cloverfield destroying New York, all of Earth warring with the colossal monsters in Pacific Rim. Now, for the first time, a definitive anthology that gathers a wide range of larger-than-life short fiction with creatures that run a gargantuan gamut: the stealthy gabbleduck of Neal Asher's Polity universe; Gary McMahon's huge sea-born terror; An Owomoyela 's incredibly tall alien invaders; Frank Wu's city-razing, eighty-foot-high, fire-breathing lizard; Lavie Tidhar's titanic ship-devouring monstrosity; a really big Midwest US smackdown related by Jeremiah Tolbert . . . and many more mega-monster stories to feed your need for killer kaiju! With an introduction by Robert Hood, co-editor of the groundbreaking, Ditmar Award-winning Daikaiju: Giant Monster Tales and host of Undead Backbrain, the premier website for matters relating to giant monsters.

The Kaiju Film

The Kaiju Film PDF

Author: Jason Barr

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2016-01-28

Total Pages: 213

ISBN-13: 078649963X

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The Kaiju (strange monster or strange beast) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. Since the seminal King Kong 1933) and the archetypal Godzilla (1954), kaiju has mined the subject matter of science run amok, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism and pollution. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre--the major franchises, along with less well known films like Kronos (1957), Monsters (2010) and Pacific Rim (2013). The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how the genre continues to reflect national values to audiences.

Attack of the Kaiju

Attack of the Kaiju PDF

Author: Matthew Dennion

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-03-12

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 9781544655222

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Attack of the Kaiju: Volume 1 Age of Monsters is an anthology of giant monster stories that looks at Kaiju and their effect on humanity from various points of view. Stories range from witnessing and dealing with kaiju attacks from the perspectives of everyday people like businessmen, soldiers, scientists, special effects masters, and families. The anthology also deals with perspective of giant monster attacks from super heroes, spies, wizards, fairies, other kaiju, and even the great Sherlock Holmes himself! This anthology offers a wide arrange of writers from established Kaiju Novelists including; Zach Cole, Timothy Price, Jesse Wilson, and Matthew Dennion. Also featured are short story masters like Neil Riebe and Christofer Nigro. Most importantly this anthology offers several stories from first time writers who are on the precipice of becoming renowned kaiju authors in their own right! From of the uninhabited areas, such as the swamps of Florida to the bottom of the ocean. From the time of myth and legend, to the streets of early 19th century London, to the End of Days. The Attack of the Kaiju has begun!

Flying Saucers Over America

Flying Saucers Over America PDF

Author: Gordon Arnold

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2021-12-03

Total Pages: 228

ISBN-13: 1476687668

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On June 24th, 1947, a private pilot reported numerous dazzling objects rushing through the sky above Mount Rainier in Washington state. It was the start of the current UFO phenomena, one of the country's most perplexing and persistent mysteries. Within a few weeks, hundreds of sightings of flying saucers were reported to news media. Surprising reports of a UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico further added to the mystery that July. Since then, UFOs have sparked a slew of incredible claims and speculations. This is a sober and honest history of America's first major saucer craze, based on many sources including previously classified government records. The book cuts through decades of mystique and confusion, beginning with the 1947 UFO wave and ending with the launch of Project Blue Book in 1952. Balanced and comprehensive, this history provides background, social context and other tools for reframing perceptions of a controversial subject.

The Kaiju Film

The Kaiju Film PDF

Author: Jason Barr

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2016-02-17

Total Pages: 212

ISBN-13: 1476623953

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The Kaiju (strange monster or strange beast) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. Since the seminal King Kong 1933) and the archetypal Godzilla (1954), kaiju has mined the subject matter of science run amok, militarism, capitalism, colonialism, consumerism and pollution. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre--the major franchises, along with less well known films like Kronos (1957), Monsters (2010) and Pacific Rim (2013). The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how the genre continues to reflect national values to audiences.

Ishiro Honda

Ishiro Honda PDF

Author: Steve Ryfle

Publisher: Wesleyan University Press

Published: 2018-04-10

Total Pages: 368

ISBN-13: 0819577413

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“An appreciation of Japanese fantasy-film history through the eyes of a filmmaker whose name is obscure but populism remains influential.” —Chicago Tribune Ishiro Honda, arguably the most internationally successful Japanese director of his generation, made an unmatched succession of science fiction films that were commercial hits worldwide. From the atomic allegory of Godzilla and the beguiling charms of Mothra to the tragic mystery of Matango and the disaster and spectacle of Rodan, The Mysterians, King Kong vs. Godzilla, Honda’s films reflected postwar Japan’s anxieties and incorporated fantastical special effects, a formula that created an enduring pop culture phenomenon. Now, in the first full account of this overlooked director’s life and career, Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski shed new light on Honda’s work and the experiences that shaped it—including his days as a reluctant Japanese soldier, witnessing the aftermath of Hiroshima, and his lifelong friendship with Akira Kurosawa. The book features close analysis of Honda’s films (including, for the first time, his rarely seen dramas, comedies, and war films) and draws on previously untapped documents and interviews to explore how creative, economic, and industrial factors impacted his career. Fans of Godzilla and tokusatsu (special effects) film, and of Japanese film in general, will welcome this in-depth study of a highly influential director who occupies a uniquely important position in science fiction and fantasy cinema, as well as world cinema. “Provides the reader with a lasting sense of the man—his temperament, values, philosophies, dreams, and disappointments?behind some of cinema’s most beloved characters.” —Film Comment

The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies

The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies PDF

Author: John LeMay

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-06-15

Total Pages: 386

ISBN-13: 9781548145255

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Nessie. Bride of Godzilla. Gamera vs. Wyvern. Mothra vs. Bagan. Batman Meets Godzilla. All fans have heard of these tantalizing lost films, but few know of their full histories...until now. With information straight from the Japanese sources learn how Gamera was made in 1965 to make use of miniature sets made for a disastrous movie about giant rats called Giant Horde Beast Nezura which was partially shot in 1963. Marvel at a blind Godzilla's battle with the invisible monster Chamelegon in Tokyo S.O.S.: Godzilla's Suicide Strategy! Watch in amazement as Godzilla and Kong battle in the flames of Mt. Aso in Continuation: King Kong vs. Godzilla! Explore the tortured history of the Toho/Hammer team-up Nessie about a kaiju-sized Loch Ness Monster. Recoil in horror at the sights of Great Prophecies of Nostradamus, a 1974 film so controversial that a self-imposed ban was placed on it by Toho. Baffle at Hanuman, the monkey monster of Thailand's Chaiyo Studios which teamed with Ultraman and his brethren in 6 Ultra Brothers vs. the Monster Army. Puzzle over a psychedelic Italian colorized version of Godzilla, King of the Monsters! code-named "Cozzilla." Then uncover the $100,000 fan made epic Legendary Beast Wolfman vs. Godzilla! But that's not all-this book also contains essays by kaiju fan experts such as Dr. Ayame Chiba, Stan Hyde, Mark Jaramillo and Ted Johnson on subjects as diverse as unmade Kong films to heretofore unknown independent films like Atragon 2 and Wanigon vs. Gamaron!

Kaiju Epoch

Kaiju Epoch PDF

Author: Zach Cole

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2016-07-27

Total Pages: 298

ISBN-13: 9781523405053

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THE END OF THE WORLD DIDN'T START WITH A BANG... It started with a bump, when 20 year old Will Carver and Aaron Smith hit a small unearthly creature with their car. Unbeknownst to them this was an alien refugee named Marugrah, who was separated from his Queen, Marudon, upon their arrival to earth. Marugrah desperately searches for her, with the help of Will and his friends, as a deadly threat approaches Earth. A TREAT THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO DESTROY ENTIRE PLANETS. Will they be able to reunite with the Queen in time to stop the imminent invasion of Earth? And if they do, can they stop the giant monsters that fall from the sky and attack the world's major cities? Is this the end of the world, or is this the... KAIJU EPOCH.