Kaiju Battle
  • Home
  • Features
    • Kaiju Battle Vision
    • Saturday Showcase
    • Creature Feature
    • Creator Close-Up
    • Classic Comics
    • Character Close-Up
    • FanWorks >
      • Artwork/Customs
      • FanFics/Projects
      • Events/Cons
    • Godmera's Fandom
  • Movies/Media
    • Godzilla/Toho
    • Godzilla/Legendary
    • Gamera
    • Pacific Rim
    • King Kong
    • Ultra Universe
    • Other Kaiju
  • Collectibles
    • Godzilla/Toho Collectibles
    • Monsterverse Collectibles
    • Gamera Collectibles
    • Pacific Rim Collectibles
    • Ultra Universe Collectibles
    • Other Kaiju Collectibles
  • Comics/Books
    • IDW Godzilla
    • Marvel Comics
    • Legendary/Monsterverse
    • Pacific Rim Comics
    • Other Kaiju Comics
    • Magazines/Books
  • Databases
    • Figure Database >
      • X-Plus Toho/Daiei/Other >
        • X-Plus 30 cm Godzilla/Toho Part One
        • X-Plus 30 cm Godzilla/Toho Part Two
        • X-Plus Large Monster Series Godzilla/Toho Part One
        • X-Plus Large Monster Series Godzilla/Toho Part Two
        • X-Plus Godzilla/Toho Pre-2007
        • X-Plus Godzilla/Toho Gigantic Series
        • X-Plus Daiei/Pacific Rim/Other
        • X-Plus Daiei/Other Pre-2009
        • X-Plus Toho/Daiei DefoReal/More Part One
        • X-Plus Toho/Daiei DefoReal/More Part Two
        • X-Plus Godzilla/Toho Other Figure Lines
        • X-Plus Classic Creatures & More
        • Star Ace/X-Plus Classic Creatures & More
        • X-Plus North America
      • X-Plus Ultraman >
        • X-Plus Ultraman Pre-2012 Part One
        • X-Plus Ultraman Pre-2012 Part Two
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2012 - 2013
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2014 - 2015
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2016 - 2017
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2018 - 2019
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2020 - 2021
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2022 - 2023
        • X-Plus Ultraman Gigantics/DefoReals
        • X-Plus Ultraman RMC
        • X-Plus Ultraman RMC Plus
        • X-Plus Ultraman Other Figure Lines
        • X-Plus Tokusatsu
      • Bandai/Tamashii >
        • S.H. MonsterArts Part One
        • S.H. MonsterArts Part Two
        • S.H. Figuarts Part One
        • S.H. Figuarts Part Two
        • S.H. Figuarts Part Three
        • Figuarts Other Ultraman Lines
        • Ultra-Act
        • Tamashii/Bandai Pacific Rim
        • Bandai Creation
      • Banpresto
      • HIYA >
        • HIYA Monsterverse
        • HIYA Godzilla/Toho
      • NECA >
        • NECA Godzilla/Kong
        • NECA Pacific Rim
      • Medicom Toys >
        • Medicom Toys Part One
        • Medicom Toys Part Two
        • Medicom Toys Part Three
        • Medicom Toys Part Four
        • Medicom Toys Other Figure Lines
      • Kaiyodo/Revoltech
      • Diamond Select Toys
      • Funko/Jakks/Others
      • Playmates Toys
      • Art Spirits
      • Mezco Toyz
    • Movie Database >
      • Toho Godzilla Movies
      • Toho Monster Movies
      • Legendary Monsterverse Movies
      • Gamera/Daiei Movies
      • U.S. Monster Movies
      • International Monster Movies
      • Monster Suits
    • Comic/Book Database >
      • Comicbook Database
      • Book Database
  • Marketplace
  • Kaiju Addicts

EVENTS/CONS

Kaiju Masterclass Online Convention Info, Organizers, Guests & More

9/21/2020

0 Comments

 
Picture
As we all know one by one live conventions have been canceled due to the ongoing pandemic, while some have moved online fans and content creators have also started creating their own. Earlier this year Kyle Yount created Kaijucon-line to replace the canceled G-Fest and overall it was a big success, now a group of creators have announce Kaiju Masterclass.

Kaiju Masterclass (no it's not an actual class but something much better) looks to bring a different spin by looking at the backstory behind the creation and the creators of the kaiju genre. Those behind this project include authorities and enthusiasts of the genre including Steve Ryfle (co-author, ISHIRO HONDA: A LIFE IN FILM, FROM GODZILLA TO KUROSAWA), Erik Homenick (AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG), John DeSentis (conductor/creator KAIJU CRESCENDO), Patrick Galvan (writer, SYFY.COM), Matt Parmley and Kyle Byrd (co-hosts, KAIJU TRANSMISSIONS podcast), and Kyle Gilmore (filmmaker and artist, VINTAGE REEL PRODUCTIONS)(bios below); that will bring together creators, researchers, and scholars of Japanese sci-fi cinema and television for three days of in-depth conversations and panels to learn about the history of the genre, the film-making process, the art of film scoring, unmade projects, and more.

Kaiju Masterclass will be held on October 2-4, 2020, Friday and through Sunday. (A schedule is coming soon.) This is a free event to attend, with all panels streaming on the Kaiju Masterclass YouTube channel. Panels will include original interviews with people who’ve worked in the kaiju genre. Special guests include directors Shusuke Kaneko and Shinji Higuchi, suit maker Shinichi Wakasa, and GODZILLA (1998) composer David Arnold, and many, many more (full list below). More on this convention to come including schedule, and panels. Check back here as we will update on all the Kaiju Masterclass info.

Update: schedule/panels have been added below.

Organizers

Picture
Steve Ryfle
Steve Ryfle is a film journalist whose work has appeared in CINEASTE, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, POV, SHOCK CINEMA, and many other publications. He is co-author, with Ed Godziszewski, of ISHIRO HONDA: A LIFE IN FILM, FROM GODZILLA TO KUROSAWA (Wesleyan Univ. Press), and author of JAPAN’S FAVORITE MON-STAR (ECW). He has contributed audio commentaries to numerous kaiju films on home video, and co-produced the documentary feature BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE (Classic Media/Toho, 2008). His forthcoming book is GODZILLA VS. THE WORLD: A POLITICAL HISTORY OF JAPAN’S DISASTER MONSTER (Univ. of Texas Press).
Picture
​Erik Homenick
Erik Homenick is a doctoral candidate in Literature at the University of California, San Diego. He is also the webmaster of AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG, the official English language website about the famous daikaiju eiga composer Akira Ifukube. On the website, Erik is writing the first ever authorized, full-length, and comprehensive biography of the composer in a language other than Japanese. Erik’s doctoral dissertation will examine the narrative and semiotic potential of Ifukube’s film music, especially in the Godzilla series. Erik will also be a contributing writer to Steve Ryfle’s forthcoming book GODZILLA VS. THE WORLD: A POLITICAL HISTORY OF JAPAN’S DISATER MONSTER (Univ. of Texas Press)
Picture
​John DeSentis
John DeSentis is a film composer, music producer, musician, and sound designer. His recent works include UNREST (2020), the multi-award winning short THE CONDUIT (2018), feature film EPIDEMIC (2018), and short IMTK (2018) starring Tony Todd. In addition, he has conducted the works of Japanese composers Akira Ifukube, Masaru Sato, and Kow Otani on stage, working with the latter directly on the performance SYMPHONIC FURY! THE MUSIC OF JAPANESE MONSTERS. For this concert, John also arranged an orchestral performance of Akira Ifukube’s World War II composition, KISHI MAI, from his handwritten manuscript for military wind band. Most recently, he worked with famed composer Michiru Oshima on the live performance, KAIJU CRESCENDO: AN EVENING OF JAPANESE MONSTER MUSIC, the highlight of which featured her conducting her Godzilla score music live. A CD recording is forthcoming.
Picture
Patrick Galvan
Patrick Galvan is a film journalist whose articles on Japanese cinema have appeared on websites such as TOHOKINGDOM.COM and SYFY.COM. His writing includes retrospectives on kaiju films and examinations of the careers of individual artists who’ve contributed to the genre. Recently, he contributed guest essays for a forthcoming issue of THE LOST FILMS FANZINE and the upcoming book SF: THE JAPANESE SCIENCE FICTION FILM ENCYCLOPEDIA.
Picture
Matt Parmley
Matt Parmley is co-host of KAIJU TRANSMISSIONS, a podcast exploring giant monsters and Japanese fantasy film. He has conducted a number of original interviews, including with director Kiyotaka Taguchi, action-star Sonny Chiba, and Godzilla suit-actor Tom Kitagawa. Matt has also presented several panels at G-FEST and has appeared on the podcasts MOVIE GRAVEYARD and MONSTERS VS. MEN.
Picture
Kyle Byrd
Kyle Byrd is co-host of the podcast KAIJU TRANSMISSIONS and former co-host of the podcast IF IT BLEEDS, WE CAN KILL IT. In the past, he has made appearances talking about science fiction and horror films on numerous other podcasts. He graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a Bachelor of Science in electronic media and film studies and has written pieces for SCIFIJAPAN.COM, THE LOST FILMS FANZINE and the recent book, KONG UNMADE: THE LOST FILMS OF SKULL ISLAND.
Picture
Kyle Gilmore
Kyle Gilmore is a filmmaker/artist living in West Monroe, Louisiana. After establishing himself in advertising and commercial production, Kyle joined a global missions organization as a documentary filmmaker, and subsequently co-founded VINTAGE REEL PRODUCTIONS with his wife, Brandi A. Gilmore. He co-produced and directed the children’s science program DINOSAURIA (Meridian Releasing Group, 2017), and the short post-apocalyptic action thriller WHITE KNIFE (Vintage Reel Productions/Plugged-In Creative, 2018). During the Covid-19 pandemic, he wrote, directed, and acted in the short supernatural thriller UNREST (Vintage Reel Productions, 2020). Currently he is writing and illustrating the young adult gothic horror comic series THE HORROR CHRONICLES (Vintage Reel Productions, 2020).

Guests

Picture
Shusuke Kaneko
Filmmaker Shusuke Kaneko is perhaps best known to genre fans for his acclaimed 1990s trilogy GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE, GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION, and GAMERA 3: REVENGE OF IRYS, as well as his revisionist take on the king of monsters, GODZILLA, MOTHRA, AND KING GHIDORAH, GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK, and for episodes of ULTRAMAN MAX and ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY. But this is just one aspect of a wide-ranging, award-winning career that also includes the thriller PYROKINESIS, the hit manga adaptations DEATH NOTE and DEATH NOTE 2, and forays into sci-fi, horror, action, comedy, and musicals.
Picture
Shinji Higuchi
Shinji Higuchi is an award-winning filmmaker whose directorial credits include LORELEI, the ATTACK ON TITAN movies, and SHIN GODZILLA, for which he won a Japanese Academy Prize. He is also well-known for directing the special effects for Shusuke Kaneko’s Heisei GAMERA trilogy and as one of the founders of Daicon/Gainax. Higuchi contributed to the hit anime series NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, directed by close friend Hideaki Anno, with whom he later collaborated on such projects as GIANT GOD WARRIOR APPEARS IN TOKYO and the upcoming SHIN ULTRAMAN.
Picture
Shinichi Wakasa
Shinichi Wakasa is one of Japan’s most acclaimed tokusatsu artists, a special effects wizard specializing in creature creation, sculpting, modeling, and makeup effects. His company Monsters Inc. has created kaiju suits for numerous films, including three Heisei-era Godzilla features beginning with GODZILLA VS. MECHAGODZILLA II; Shusuke Kaneko’s GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF THE LEGION; and Toho’s REBIRTH OF MOTHRA trilogy. But he is perhaps best known for his stunning redesigns of Godzilla for the millennium era, as seen in five films including GODZILLA 2000, GODZILLA: TOKYO SOS, and GODZILLA FINAL WARS.
Picture
Michiru Oshima
Michiru Oshima is an award-winning composer who has written more than 100 original scores for film, television, anime, video games, and concerts. She is well known among kaiju fans for scoring GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS, GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA, and GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. For the 2019 concert KAIJU CRESCENDO: AN EVENING OF JAPANESE MONSTER MUSIC, Oshima conducted suites of her three Godzilla scores and premiered a new piece of music, GODZILLA IN CHICAGO, written specifically for the event.
Picture
Bear McCreary
Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer Bear McCreary burst onto the scene scoring the influential and revered series BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. He has since become one of the most sought-after talents in the music industry today, scoring such projects as THE WALKING DEAD, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., Sony PlayStation’s award-winning game GOD OF WAR, 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE, and the Universal/Blumhouse smash hit HAPPY DEATH DAY. He joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to discuss his work on Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS.
Picture
David Arnold
Grammy and Emmy Award-winning composer David Arnold has a distinguished career going back three decades in which he has composed music for the legendary JAMES BOND series, the acclaimed TV series SHERLOCK, and blockbuster films such as INDEPENDENCE DAY and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS among so many others. Born in Luton, England, Arnold’s breakthrough score for Roland Emmerich’s STARGATE propelled him to being one of the most sought after composers of the 1990s and beyond. Arnold joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to discuss his memorable score from Tri-Star Pictures’ GODZILLA (1998).
Picture
Tab Murphy
Oscar-nominated screenwriter Tab Murphy (GORILLAS IN THE MIST) has worked extensively in feature animation. His credits include Disney’s HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, TARZAN, ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE, and BROTHER BEAR, plus the DC animated features BATMAN/SUPERMAN: APOCALYPSE and BATMAN: YEAR ONE. He is now writing a remake of the cult ghost story THE CHANGELING. Murphy will discuss writing GODZILLA 2, the unmade sequel to Roland Emmerich’s GODZILLA, for TriStar. 
Picture
Ricardo Delgado
Ricardo Delgado is a film and comic book artist who has worked on TV shows including STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, and films including THE INCREDIBLES, MEN IN BLACK, APOLLO 13, SPECIES, THE MATRIX RELOADED, THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, THE HAUNTED MANSION, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES (2014), APOLLO 13, ROBOTECH: THE SHADOW CHRONICLES, EVAN ALMIGHTY, ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE, and others. He created the Age of Reptiles comic book series for Dark Horse. He joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to discuss his creature design work on Jan DeBont’s unmade GODZILLA 1994 project.
Picture
Carlos Huante
Carlos Huante was born in East L.A. and attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. His pro career in animation lasted for many years before he began working in the film industry. He’s worked for Rick Baker, Rob Bottin, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Guillermo Del Toro, the Chiodo Bros., and many others, on such films as MEN IN BLACK (I and II), MIGHTY JOE YOUNG, HELLBOY, & WAR OF THE WORLDS. He has also worked for ILM at Lucas Digital as part of the creature development team. Carlos joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to discuss creature designs for Jan DeBont’s unmade GODZILLA 1994 project.
Picture
Norman England
Norman England is a filmmaker, journalist, and photographer who moved to Japan from New York City in 1992. He began covering Japanese movie sets with GAMERA 3 in 1998, writing for publications such as Fangoria, Starlog, The Japan Times, etc. He directed the documentary BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE, and his first film, THE IDOL, was recently released in the US by SRS Cinema. Today, Norman lives in Tokyo where he subtitles feature films, shoots production stills on Japanese movie sets, and writes a monthly column for Eiga Hiho, Japan’s biggest selling cinema magazine.
Picture
Ed Godziszewski
Ed Godziszewski is the editor and publisher of Japanese Giants magazine and author of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Godzilla. He is co-author, together with Steve Ryfle, of Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, From Godzilla to Kurosawa (Wesleyan Univ. Press). Together with Steve Ryfle, he has contributed to several audio commentaries for Japanese science fiction and monster films, and co-produced the documentary film BRINGING GODZILLA DOWN TO SIZE.
Picture
Stuart Galbraith IV
Film historian Stuart Galbraith IV’s books include The Emperor and the Wolf, a joint biography of Akira Kurosawa and Toshiro Mifune, which inspired the documentary MIFUNE: THE LAST SAMURAI; Monsters are Attacking Tokyo!, an oral history of Japanese sci-fi film; Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films, the first English-language study of the genre, and The Toho Studios Story. He has contributed audio commentaries, essays, and other content to video releases of RASHOMON, SEVEN SAMURAI, MUSASHI MIYAMOTO and many other films. He joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to discuss the work of Jun Fukuda.
Picture
Brad Warner
For over 15 years, Brad Warner worked for Tsuburaya Productions, the company founded by Eiji Tsuburaya and the creators of Ultraman. He has appeared in a number of Ultraman TV shows and movies, and he contributed to the creation of ULTRAMAN TIGA, ULTRAMAN GAIA, and other Ultraman TV shows and theatrical features. He is the author of Letters to a Dead Friend About Zen, Hardcore Zen, Sit Down and Shut Up, Don’t Be a Jerk, and several other books about Zen Buddhism. He was ordained a Zen Buddhist priest by Gudo Nishijima Roshi. He grew up in Akron, Ohio and Nairobi, Kenya.
Picture
Allyson Adams
Allyson Adams is an award-winning costume designer, screenwriter, playwright, educator, and activist. She has had numerous plays produced in both Los Angeles and in Montana, where she now lives and works. In 2005 she produced and starred in PEACE IS A WOMAN’S JOB, a PBS docudrama about Montana’s first Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin, and toured the one-woman show for a decade. She published the book The Rebel & The King written by her late father, actor Nick Adams, about his friendship with Elvis Presley. She joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to discuss her father’s work at Toho studios in the 1960s.
Picture
Pat Saperstein
Pat Saperstein is Deputy Editor of the entertainment industry publication Variety, where she oversees breaking news, obituaries, restaurants, books, and film. She started her career as U.S. editor of Le Film Francais and has an extensive background in international and independent film and documentaries. A frequent film festival juror and moderator for panels and Q&As, she has contributed to books including Cannes: Fifty Years of Sun Sex and Celluloid, Boffo, EAT: Los Angeles, and DRINK: Los Angeles. Pat will discuss her father, producer Henry G. Saperstein, and his collaborations with Toho.
Picture
Stan Hyde
Stan Hyde has been involved in science fiction fandom most of his life, going to his first World Science Fiction Convention at 17, and starting clubs like the Science Fiction Association of Victoria, and Monster Attack Team-Canada, a science fiction and monster model building club that has been active since 1989. He joins KAIJU MASTERCLASS to talk about his experiences attending EXPO ‘70, where the film GAMERA VS. JIGER takes place.
Picture
Sean Linkenback
Sean Linkenback is an Atlanta-based attorney, who is known in the collectibles world as the author of The Unauthorized Guide to Godzilla Collectibles, the first comprehensive guide on the subject in the English language, and The Art of Japanese Monsters, a comprehensive guide to worldwide movie posters from Japanese genre films. A longtime collectibles expert and historian, Sean is a former advisor to the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and Warren’s Movie Poster Price Guide. He has written frequently on Godzilla, comics, and film posters, including a column in Movie Collector’s World.
Picture
John LeMay
John LeMay is the author of more than 20 published books, many of them on film history. He is also the editor and publisher of The Lost Films Fanzine and has been published in magazines like Cinema Retro, G-Fan, and Mad Scientist.
Picture
Kevin Derendorf
Kevin Derendorf is a lifelong fan of Japanese genre fiction, resulting the creation of the Maser Patrol blog (maserpatrol.wordpress.com) and the book Kaiju for Hipsters: 101 “Alternative” Giant Monster Movies. You can find him at anime conventions talking about tokusatsu, at tokusatsu conventions talking about anime, as a guest on various podcasts, and generally being a nuisance on social media.
Picture
Patrick Macias
Patrick Macias is the author of TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion, the editor-in-chief of Otaku USA magazine, and a contributor to home video releases from The Criterion Collection and Arrow Video. He lives in Japan and is working on a new book for Sutherland House titled An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla.
Picture
Bob Eggleton
Bob Eggleton is a nine time Hugo Award-winner for Best Pro Artist in science fiction and fantasy. His illustrations have appeared in Dark Horse Comics, Random House Godzilla books, IDW’s Godzilla comic series, and on covers for Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. In motion pictures, he has worked as a concept artist on SPHERE (1997), JIMMY NEUTRON BOY GENIUS (2001), and THE ANT BULLY (2006). He also illustrated matte paintings on the film THE iDOL (2007) and was an extra in GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002).
Picture
Matt Frank
Matt Frank is a comic artist and illustrator, whose work can be found in most of the IDW Godzilla comic series, including Godzilla: Rulers of Earth and Godzilla: Rage Across Time. Other kaiju-related projects of his include a poster celebrating the Funimation home video release of SHIN GODZILLA, collaborating with Tsuburaya Productions on a new Redman: The Kaiju Hunter comic, and serving as a associate producer and the main artist for the Blu-ray set Gamera: The Complete Collection. Matt has also made packaging art for KONGA TNT and HOWL FROM BEYOND THE FOG for SRS Cinema, with more to come!

Schedule

All sessions are free and will be live-streamed on the Kaiju Masterclass YouTube channel.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2020

5pm PST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST (9am Japan Time, 10/3)
WELCOME
Opening remarks from the KAIJU MASTERCLASS team: Erik Homenick (emcee), Steve Ryfle, John DeSentis, Patrick Galvan, Kyle Byrd, Matt Parmley, Kyle Gilmore.

6pm PST / 8pm CST / 9pm EST (10am Japan Time, 10/3)
INTERVIEW: SHINICHI WAKASA
The acclaimed creature creator and special effects artist who updated Godzilla for the new millennium discusses his amazing monster-making career and the craft of designing and building kaiju suits. 


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2020

9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST (1am Japan Time, 10/4)
INTERVIEW: DAVID ARNOLD
The Grammy and Emmy-winning film composer discusses his epic scores for Roland Emmerich’s GODZILLA (1998) and other blockbuster films. (Moderator: John DeSentis)

10am PST / 12pm CST / 1pm EST (2am Japan Time, 10/4)
TOHO’S TOKUSATSU TELEVISION
From ZONE FIGHTER to GREENMAN, RAINBOWMAN and beyond, author Kevin Derendorf (Kaiju for Hipsters) dives into the deep cuts of Toho Co. Ltd.’s ventures into tokusatsu television.

11am PST / 1pm CST / 2pm EST (3am Japan Time, 10/4)
NICK ADAMS & HENRY SAPERSTEIN IN JAPAN
In the 1960s, Hollywood producer Henry G. Saperstein took Oscar-nominated actor Nick Adams to Japan to star in FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD and MONSTER ZERO at Toho. Playwright and actress Allyson Adams and journalist Pat Saperstein discuss their fathers’ joint adventures in Japanese sci-fi cinema. (Moderator: Steve Ryfle)

12pm PST / 2pm CST / 3pm EST (4am Japan Time, 10/4)
INTERVIEW: BOB EGGLETON
The Hugo Award-winning artist, whose kaiju illustrations have appeared in Dark Horse Comics, Random House Godzilla books, IDW’s Godzilla comic series, and on the cover of Famous Monsters of Filmland, discusses the history and evolution of kaiju-themed art. (Moderator: John DeSentis)

1pm PST / 3pm CST / 4pm EST (5am Japan Time, 10/4)
POSTERS & PROMOTION IN KAIJU FILMS
Authors Sean Linkenback (The Art of Japanese Monsters) and Ed Godziszewski (The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Godzilla) provide an overview of the art and creative advertising materials that helped make Godzilla and kaiju eiga an international phenomenon. (Moderator: Kyle Yount)

2pm PST / 4pm CST / 5pm EST (6am Japan Time, 10/4)
EXPO ’70 50th ANNIVERSARY
A look back at the 1970 World Expo in Osaka, Japan, which featured major contributions from Eiji Tsuburaya and other leading tokusatsu creators, and which influenced a number of later kaiju eiga. Stan Hyde—who was there at Expo ’70 in person!—is joined by Matt Parmley and Kevin Derendorf.

3pm PST / 5pm CST / 6pm EST (7am Japan Time, 10/4)
INTERVIEW: BEAR McCREARY
The Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning composer behind THE WALKING DEAD, MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., and of course GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS 2019 discusses the art of creating epic monster movie music. (Moderators: John DeSentis and Erik Homenick)

4pm PST / 6pm CST / 7pm EST (8am Japan Time, 10/4)
INTERVIEW: MICHIRU OSHIMA
The award-winning composer of GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS, GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA, and GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S., as well as dozens more original scores for film, TV, video games, and anime talks about reviving the king of monsters with epic music for a new millennium. (Moderators: John DeSentis and Erik Homenick)

5pm PST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST (9am Japan Time, 10/4)
INTERVIEW: NORMAN ENGLAND
Japan-based writer and filmmaker Norman England discusses the making of his independent sci-fi satire feature THE IDOL and his upcoming book detailing his adventures on the sets of numerous kaiju and other films as a journalist, photographer, and sometimes actor. (Moderator: Steve Ryfle)

6pm PST / 8pm CST / 9pm EST (10am Japan Time, 10/4)
INTERVIEW: SHUSUKE KANEKO
Interview with the acclaimed director of GODZILLA, MOTHRA AND KING GHIDORAH, GIANT MONSTERS ALL-OUT ATTACK, the GAMERA trilogy, DEATH NOTE, and many other classic genre films. (Moderator: Steve Ryfle)


SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020

9am PST / 11am CST / 12pm EST (1am Japan Time, 10/5)
INTERVIEW: BRAD WARNER
Author and ordained Zen monk Brad Warner (Hardcore Zen) recalls his years working at Tsuburaya Productions and his behind-the-scenes contributions to the ULTRAMAN franchise as a contributing writer, sometimes actor, and consultant. (Moderator: Steve Ryfle)

10am PST / 12pm CST / 1pm EST (2am Japan Time, 10/5)
GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE: THE LOST COMMENTARY
Genre historian and author Ed Godziszewski (Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, From Godzilla to Kurosawa) provides a deep dive into the hugely popular 1989 Godzilla film directed by Kazuki Omori.

11am PST / 1pm CST / 2pm EST (3am Japan Time, 10/5)
ATOMIC REQUIEM: AKIRA IFUKUBE’S ATOMIC BOMB TRILOGY
Erik Homenick and Patrick Galvan discuss the content and music of three atomic bomb films scored by Akira Ifukube (including the original Godzilla), who himself had a history with radiation.

12pm PST / 2pm CST / 3pm EST (4am Japan Time, 10/5)
DESIGNING GODZILLA 1994
Creature designers Ricardo Delgado and Carlos Huante discuss working on director Jan DeBont’s unmade 1994 GODZILLA for Tristar Pictures, which would have pit the king of monsters against a new creature called The Gryphon. (Moderator: Keith Aiken)

1pm PST / 3pm CST / 4pm EST (5am Japan Time, 10/5)
GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH 25th ANNIVERSARY
Kaiju Transmissions podcast hosts Kyle Byrd and Matt Parmley join authors Kevin Derendorf and John LeMay to provide a deep dive into the production of the Heisei Godzilla series’ epic finale.

2pm PST / 4pm CST / 5pm EST (6am Japan Time, 10/5)
THE KAIJU ART OF MATT FRANK
Artist and illustrator Matt Frank provides a live drawing and discusses his involvement in IDW Godzilla comics and the Arrow Video Gamera set. (Moderator: Matt Parmley)

3pm PST / 5pm CST / 6pm EST (7am Japan Time, 10/5)
TAB MURPHY TALKS GODZILLA 2: THE LOST SEQUEL
The Oscar-nominated screenwriter of GORILLAS IN THE MIST and numerous animated features from Disney and DC discusses writing GODZILLA 2, the unmade sequel to Roland Emmerich’s GODZILLA (1998).

4pm PST / 6pm CST / 7pm EST (8am Japan Time, 10/5)
BREAK (1 hour)

5pm PST / 7pm CST / 8pm EST (9am Japan Time, 10/5)
MAN OF ACTION: THE FILMS OF JUN FUKUDA
Authors Stuart Galbraith IV (The Emperor and The Wolf, Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo!) and Steve Ryfle (Japan’s Favorite Mon-Star) join film journalist Patrick Galvan to discuss the often overlooked yet highly influential director of five Godzilla movies and many other action-packed features.

6pm PST / 8pm CST / 9pm EST (10am Japan Time, 10/5)
INTERVIEW: PATRICK MACIAS
Author Patrick Macias (Tokyoscope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion and the forthcoming An Eternal Thought in the Mind of Godzilla) talks about his journey deep into the world of Japanese pop-culture criticism and how Godzilla and kaiju eiga provided a path. (Moderator: Steve Ryfle)

7pm PST / 9pm CST / 10pm EST (11am Japan Time, 10/5)
INTERVIEW: SHINJI HIGUCHI
Perhaps no one has revitalized Japan’s special-effects cinema more than Shinji Higuchi. KAIJU MASTERCLASS closes the weekend with a discussion of the revolutionary director’s amazing career, from the Heisei Gamera series to SHIN GODZILLA, from the Gainax anime studio to ATTACK ON TITAN, SINKING OF JAPAN, and many others. (Moderator: Steve Ryfle)

9pm PST / 11pm CST / 12am EST (1pm Japan Time, 10/5)
THAT’S A WRAP
The KAIJU MASTERCLASS team briefly reassembles to sign off and say a heartfelt thank you.
0 Comments

Kaiju Crescendo: An Evening of Japanese Monster Music Kickstarter

3/21/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture
Michiru Oshima and John DeSentis have announced their concert, and Kickstarter, to happen at this years G-Fest. Kaiju Crescendo will include works by Michiru Oshima as well as other selections, check out many of the details below and head on over to Kickstarter to support this awesome project.

About Kaiju Crescendo
Japanese Monster Music Returns to Chicago in July, 2019!
Fans and attendees of G-FEST 2014 and 2015 were treated to two incredible and memorable nights of their favorite kaiju music. "IFUKUBE 100: A LEGACY OF MONSTER MUSIC" and "SYMPHONIC FURY: THE MUSIC OF JAPANESE MONSTERS" brought many kaiju fans and professionals together to celebrate the tapestry of wonderful scoring that has been the Godzilla series. After a three year break, monstrous music is back in a big way with the most varied offering yet. "KAIJU CRESCENDO: AN EVENING OF JAPANESE MONSTER MUSIC" will bring some of the most incredible Tokusatsu film scores together for an unforgettable performance during G-FEST XXVI weekend, July 12-14th, 2019. 
This year, musical director and concert conductor John DeSentis teams with Godzilla series composer Michiru Oshima to bring her music to life with a live orchestra. "KAIJU CRESCENDO: AN EVENING OF JAPANESE MONSTER MUSIC" will showcase music from Oshima's three powerful and dynamic Godzilla scores. Highlights will be selected from "Godzilla vs. Megaguiras" (2000), "Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla" (2002), and "Godzilla: Tokyo SOS" (2003). Not only that, Michiru Oshima will be writing a brand new work inspired by the upcoming concert that will have its world premiere that night! 

It has been so rare even in Japan that a Godzilla series composer conducts their own music with an orchestra live. Even the great Akira Ifukube always tended to let others conduct his monster music in concert. This performance will be an incredibly unique experience in that regard, as Michiru Oshima takes to the podium to lead the orchestra and electrify the crowd. Her presence on stage will undoubtedly make this an experience to remember. And speaking of which....
Picture
Composer Michiru Oshima
​MICHIRU OSHIMA WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

Which of the cues from her three scores do you want to hear the MOST? Please leave a comment, or write a message to this Kickstarter page and let us know about your favorite musical tracks and we will take a consensus as we finalize the set list! YOU can help decide the program!

​In addition, John will be stepping up to perform some of the most requested score highlights from the Godzilla series and other beloved films from the Golden Era of Tokusatsu. The legacy of Akira Ifukube will be celebrated beginning with "Rodan" (1956) which is the most requested film score by the maestro to get the live treatment with the orchestra. 
Picture
John DeSentis conducts the "Ifukube 100: A Legacy of Monster Music" orchestra in 2014. Photo by Len Medlock.
Also being honored: the great Masaru Sato and his scores from "Son of Godzilla" (1967) and "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla" (1974). These two works represent some of the most popular of his distinguished career and Mr. Sato's musical legacy is one that we cannot wait to salute.

​All works will be appropriately licensed for recording and performance from JASRAC (Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers, and Publishers) through the Harry Fox Agency in the United States as well as ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers). The CDs will be manufactured professionally and be of the highest quality, as will any other rewards.

​Please join us in helping to create yet another memorable and incredible night of Japanese monster music. Remember that even if you cannot attend the concert, your contribution becomes a building block toward the ultimate goal and we have some exciting ways to thank you. Take a look at the Kickstarter rewards we have to offer and pick the one that works best for you (financially or otherwise).
Picture
Composer Akira Ifukube. Photo provided by Erik Homenick
Picture
Japanese composer Masaru Sato.
1 Comment

BAM's Ghosts And Monsters: Postwar Japanese Horror

10/25/2018

0 Comments

 

Ghosts and Monsters: Postwar Japanese Horror from BAM on Vimeo.

Brooklyn Academy of Music is holding the Ghosts and Monsters: Postwar Japanese Horror film festival, that features a number of Japanese horror and monster films. It is part of the larger BAMcinĆ©matek which presents classic films, premieres, festivals, and retrospectives, with appearances by filmmakers, actors, and critics. There will be a number of showings of each film (listed below). It takes place Oct 26 to Nov 1 at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Peter Jay Sharp Building, BAM Rose Cinemas 30 Lafayette Ave Brooklyn, NY, 11217

​​In the wake of World War II and profound social upheaval, Japanese filmmakers channeled national trauma into a rich and distinctive horror cinema. As Toho Studios created new mythologies in the form of iconic kaiju—pop culture-conquering monsters like Godzilla and Mothra—visionary stylists like Kenji Mizoguchi, Kaneto ShindĆ“, and Masaki Kobayashi drew from the past, spinning atmospheric ghost stories from classic Japanese folklore. Fantastical, otherworldly, and wildly unique, these tales of rampaging beasts and supernatural terror are triumphs of cinematic imagination.
Picture
GODZILLA
Fri, Oct 26, 2018
2pm, 4:30pm, 7pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 96min
FORMAT: DCP
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by IshirƓ Honda | 1954
With Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata
When a series of underwater nuclear tests awaken a long-dormant, radioactive reptile, it’s only a matter of time before the towering, indestructible Gojira stomps his way to Tokyo—and into pop culture immortality. Atomic age anxiety spawned the most iconic (and most subsequently franchised) movie monster of the 20th century, turning national trauma into pulp mythos.
Picture
UGETSU
Sat, Oct 27, 2018
7pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 96min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi | 1953
With Masayuki Mori, Machiko KyƓ, Kinuyo Tanaka
Master director Kenji Mizoguchi interweaves social realism and the supernatural in this ravishing adaptation of a pair of 16th-century ghost stories. In the midst of civil war, a prideful potter’s desire for wealth draws him away from his faithful wife—and into the arms of a phantom princess. The exquisite elegance of the director’s signature long takes pushes this shivery tale of patriarchal folly into the realm of the sublime.​
Picture
MOTHRA
Oct 27—Nov 1, 2018
Sat, Oct 27, 2018
4:30pm
Thurs, Nov 1, 2018
7:00pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 101min
FORMAT: DCP
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
​Directed by IshirĆ“ Honda | 1961
With Frankie Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyōko Kagawa
The Toho-verse of mythic beasts continued to expand with the addition of its first female monster: Mothra, a winged avenger who unleashes pandemonium when the fairy-inhabited jungle island she protects is disturbed by explorers. Introducing a rich strain of fantasy and mysticism to his patented kaiju-gone-wild formula, IshirƓ Honda crafts a pop art marvel of supreme wonder and strangeness.
Picture
Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell
Sat, Oct 27, 2018
9:30pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 84min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by Hajime SatƓ | 1968
With Teruo Yoshida, Tomomi SatƓ, EizƓ Kitamura
After their plane crash lands on a remote island, a motley band of strangers find themselves menaced by an oozing, blob-like alien with a thirst for blood—and a hatred of the human race. Writ in blazing, supersaturated Fujicolor, this alternately hypnotic and thoroughly bonkers sci-fi freakout delivers an apocalyptic blend of outrĆ© grotesquerie and potent Vietnam-era social commentary.
Screening from a rare archival print of an English dubbed version of the film.
Picture
Kwaidan
Sun, Oct 28, 2018
2pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 183min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
​Directed by Masaki Kobayashi | 1964
With Rentarō Mikuni, Tatsuya Nakadai, Keiko Kishi
Among the most visually splendorous horror movies ever made, Masaki Kobayashi’s ghostly fantasia brings together four quietly chilling tales of otherworldly encounters adapted from Lafcadio Hearn’s collections of Japanese folklore. The phantasmagoric art direction—a riot of painted backdrops and expressionistic lighting—and haunting Tōru Takemitsu score create an uncanny, all-enveloping sensory experience.
Picture
Jigoku
​Sun, Oct 28, 2018
5:30pm
LOCATION:Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 101min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by Nobuo Nakagawa | 1960
With Shigeru Amachi, Utako Mitsuya, YƓichi Numata
Nobuo Nakagawa—Japan’s Roger Corman and Mario Bava rolled into one—drags us through the pits of hell in this head-spinningly hallucinatory cult classic. After he flees the scene of a hit-and-run that leaves a yakuza dead, a young man earns a one way ticket to the underworld, envisioned by Nakagawa as an abstract, Boschian nightmare of ceaseless carnage and cruelty.
Print courtesy of Japan Foundation
Picture
Pitfall
Tue, Oct 30, 2018
7pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 97min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by Hiroshi Teshigahara | 1962
With Hisashi Igawa, Kunie Tanaka, Hideo Kanze
The feature debut of Hiroshi Teshigahara was the first of his visionary collaborations—including Woman in the Dunes and The Face of Another—with writer Kōbō Abe and composer Tōru Takemitsu. Blending documentary realism with a jagged modernism, it’s an unsettlingly surreal tale of murder, conspiracy, and corporate exploitation in a desolate mining town—part anti-capitalist screed, part eerily atmospheric ghost story.​
Picture
​Kuroneko
Wed, Oct 31, 2018
7pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 99min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by Kaneto ShindƓ | 1968
With Kichiemon Nakamura, Nobuko Otowa, Kei SatƓ
Hell hath no fury like the seriously wronged undead ladies in this mesmeric tale of witchy revenge. After being brutally murdered by a band of samurai, a mother and daughter-in-law return as feline spirits who set about getting even by ripping open the throats of the men they ensnare. Shot in glittering, gorgeous widescreen black and white, Kaneto ShindÓ’s spectral shocker drips with dreamlike dread.​
Picture
Onibaba
Wed, Oct 31, 2018
9:30pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 102min
FORMAT: 35mm
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
​Directed by Kaneto ShindĆ“ | 1964
With Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Sato
In the marshlands of 14th-century Japan, a mother and daughter-in-law survive by robbing and murdering lost samurai—until primal passions, twisted mind games, and a demonic mask pit them against one another. Awash in psychosexual menace and indelible chiaroscuro images, Kaneto ShindÓ’s nightmare vision of feudal Japan lays bare the dehumanizing horrors wrought by poverty and war.
Picture
DESTROY ALL MONSTERS (this may be tentative as it it not listed with the other films on the main page on their site)
Thu, Nov 1, 2018
7pm
LOCATION: Peter Jay Sharp Building
BAM Rose Cinemas
RUN TIME: 90min
FORMAT: Digital
GENERAL ADMISSION: $15
MEMBERS: $7.50 (free for Level 4 and above)
Directed by IshirƓ Honda | 1968
​With Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi.
Under the control of a squadron of shimmery femme-aliens intent on conquering Earth, an all-star cast of
kaiju—including Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah—romp and stomp their way across the
globe, from New York to Moscow to Beijing. The 20th installment in Toho’s giant monster cycle
culminates in the awesome spectacle of an epic, all-beasts-on-board battle atop Mt. Fuji.
0 Comments

L.A. Comic Con Kaiju Panels Including Secrets Of The Monsterverse

10/16/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
L.A. Comic Con has a list of panels up on their website including a few kaiju related panels and one that may give us a hint into the Monsterverse and 2019's Godzilla: King Of The Monsters.  Check out some of the panel info below. The Con takes place Oct 26th - 28th at the Los Angles Convention Center.
Godzilla: Secrets of the Monsterverse
Saturday, Oct 27
3:00 PM
403B
As excitement builds for the return of Godzilla to the big screen in 2019, Legendary Comics, a division of Legendary Entertainment, is proud to present an exclusive glimpse behind the scenes to explore the secrets of Legendary’s Monsterverse from the page to the screen and beyond! This in-depth hour will take you through the history of Monarch: the Monsterverse’s secret organization of monster chasers introduced in the 2014 blockbuster hit Godzilla, and expanded on the pages of comic adaptations Godzilla: Awakening and Skull Island: Birth of Kong. With Monarch set to return bigger than ever in 2019 with Godzilla: King of the Monsters, join Legendary’s team of Monsterverse experts: Barnaby Legg, SVP of Creative Strategy, George Tew, Mythology Manager, as well as Robert Napton, SVP of Comics, and illustrator Drew Johnson as they reveal Legendary Comics’ plans for Godzilla in 2019, and grant declassified access to the Monarch data archives in an info-packed panel that fans won’t want to miss! The first 500 fans in attendance will receive an exclusive signed Godzilla poster only available at the panel!
Giant Robots VS Monster Kaiju Attack Los Angeles Comic Con!
Saturday, Oct 27
12:00 PM
306
Who doesn’t love giant monsters and robots?!? From movies like ‘Godzilla’ and ‘Pacific Rim’ to TV shows like ‘Power Rangers’ and ‘Transformers’, we’re obsessed with big things that stomp on cities and send us running around like ants! Join us for a panel celebration where we discuss kaiju monsters and giant robots with a group of experts on the subject! What Godzilla films are the best? How did shows like Power Rangers influence films like Pacific Rim? Which giant robot or monster could win in a fight? And why are all these mega-sized things so awesome! Come dressed as your favorite robot or monster and join the celebration!
Sketch to Screen: Ready Player One, Rampage, and Beyond...
Saturday, Oct 27
11:00 AM
403A
Visionary concept artist, Aaron Sims (Stranger Things, Wonder Woman, Planet of the Apes Trilogy) and the ASC artist team reveal the secrets behind our character and world-building concept designs, previsualizations and visual effects for some of the most iconic film and television franchises of a generation. Through a series of designs, key scenes, 3D models, and VFX breakdowns, we’ll showcase our latest work in bringing to life the characters and worlds of Ready Player One, Rampage, Lost In Space, and more.. from Sketch-to-Screen.
Make Mine Mecha
Saturday, Oct 27
12:30 PM
303
From the early days of Tetsujin-28 to the inescapable Evangelion, Super Robots have defined anime. This panel will explore the long time history of the super robot genre spanning from the late 1960s to modern day and how each title built the world of giant robots righting monsters (and other robots).
0 Comments

Kaiju Vs. Heroes: Mark Nagata's Journey Through The World Of Japanese Toys

9/18/2018

0 Comments

 
Picture
The Kaiju Vs. Heroes: Mark Nagata's Journey Through The World Of Japanese Toys is an event at the Japanese American National Museum, at 100 N. Central Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90012, that is running from Sept 15, 2018 to March 24, 2019. Check out the details below as well as details for a free showing of Godzilla 1954.

​About the Exhibition
With mighty fangs, menacing horns, and iridescent gold scales, the lizard monster Drazoran crushes an imaginary city while Captain Maxx, wearing a bright red suit, flies in to save the day. Drazoran and Captain Maxx are two of the monsters and heroes that emerged from the creative mind of Mark Nagata, a toy designer and fervent toy collector. At JANM, Drazoran and Captain Maxx join hundreds of dazzling vintage and contemporary Japanese vinyl toys on display in Kaiju vs Heroes: Mark Nagata’s Journey through the World of Japanese Toys.

In California in the 1970s, Mark Nagata was living an all-American childhood. When he was nine, an aunt and uncle serving on a US military base in Japan sent him a box filled with colorful figures packaged with art-laden header and backing cards featuring alien-looking beings—kaiju and heroes—engaged in battle. These Japanese toys would eventually change Nagata’s life forever. That seemingly simple gift sparked a passion for Nagata that continues this day. Those toys and the artwork of their packaging inspired him to study art, to zealously collect vintage Japanese vinyl toys, and to become a toy designer himself.

Kaiju translates to “strange creature” in English but has come to mean “monster” or “giant monster” referring to the characters that became popular on Japanese film and television soon after World War II. The anxiety surrounding the lasting physical effects of radiation after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki no doubt helped give birth to super-sized monsters like Godzilla, Mothra, Ghidorah, and Rodan, and the advent of these monsters brought about the creation of characters to combat them. Hence the emergence of pop-culture heroes like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and Kikaida.

After the war, the United States closely monitored the types of industries allowed to revive in Japan. The toy industry was one of the first to be enabled to reinvent itself, and the kaiju films and television shows helped fuel it. Additionally, the toy industry helped stimulate Japan’s economy during the early postwar reconstruction period. These new artistic and economic factors fused with kaiju and hero characters to set the stage for a golden age of Japanese popular culture—one that Nagata first became enamored with as a nine-year-old boy.

Nagata’s pursuit of these Japanese toys took him on an unexpected journey that brought new realizations about his cultural identity as an American of Japanese ancestry. As a Sansei (third-generation Japanese American), Nagata once felt removed from his Japanese heritage. After the incarceration experience of the Issei (first generation) and Nisei (second generation), there was an unspoken shedding of openly Japanese cultural practices in America. Proving one’s “Americaness” meant pursuing and embracing a Euro-centric American lifestyle. The children of Nisei were encouraged to follow this path, with only cursory participation in Japanese culture (mostly eating food and celebrating holidays).

Nagata’s story mirrors that of many of his generation, who sought to recover their ethnic heritage and reconnect with their ancestral homelands by studying Japanese, living in Japan as college exchange students, or participating in cultural pursuits such as bon odori dancing and taiko drum ensembles. One of the most accessible sources of a Japanese American connection for youth was through toys and popular culture. It was through this connection that Nagata entered a world that would eventually lead him to explore his cultural roots. Now, we invite you to immerse yourself in the same colorful universe of kaiju and hero toys that inspired one Sansei to delve into his cultural connections.
Outdoor Movie Night: Godzilla 1954 (Free)

JANM presents the granddaddy of all monster movies, the original Japanese Godzilla (a.k.a. Gojira)!

Made at a time when Japan was still recovering from the World War II atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this remarkably human drama has spawned more than 30 remakes and sequels. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the rampaging radioactive beast destroy an intricately detailed miniature of Tokyo as it was meant to be seen—on the big screen!

Presented in conjunction with Kaiju vs Heroes and in partnership with Haunted Little Tokyo. Supported by Los Angeles County Arts Commission.

Thursday, October 25, 2018 @ 7:00 PM
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Godzilla Night 4 At The Bal TheatreĀ 

5/21/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
From Facebook 
Join BAFE for the 4th annual Godzilla Night at the Historic Bal Theatre!

This year we are presenting a mini film fest based on the brand new documentary called "Kaiju Gaiden"!

"Kaiju" is the Japanese word for "monster", meaning "strange beast". "Gaiden" is a Japanese word which means "outside story". It normally refers to a supplemental story or spin-off. KAIJU GAIDEN is the continuing story of the giant monster genre.

KAIJU GAIDEN is also the title of a documentary film by director/producer David Hall spotlighting various Japanese filmmakers who have continued the tradition of tokusatsu (special effects) movies. It is part of the Independent Kaiju Project, an endeavor by producer Mark Jaramillo to track down, catalog, and promote independently made kaiju films that have languished in obscurity.

KAIJU GAIDEN is the first documentary which assemble various filmmakers who have produced their own movies featuring gigantic monsters stomping cities and engaging in savage battle with one another. Although made at different time periods, the directors still utilize traditional special effects techniques unique to the genre, sometimes supplemented with modern technology. The directors will tell their respective stories of their love for the genre, their inspirations, and the issues involved in making a special effects film.

These are the untold stories of giant monsters and the men who make them. This is KAIJU GAIDEN.

Picture
Mark Jaramillo will be on hand to present some of the amazing shorts that will make up the documentary, including Gamera 4, Gehara, Wolfman vs. Godzilla and others!

And if that wasn't monstrous enough, our co-feature is the absolute classic of Japanese monster cinema, the film that started it all, the original GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (1956). This version of the original film has not been seen on Bay Area theater screens since we showed it in 2004 at the Castro Theatre for Godzillafest!

And to add to the excitement, this year we have an additional matinee! An encore of the first film we launched Godzilla Night with, KING KONG VS. GODZILLA!

Also back is the Great Godzilla Raffle and an amazing Art Contest that will allow audience members to vote for their favorite pieces! Details can be found at https://www.facebook.com/events/655612747905679/

All this, plus prizes and merchandise from BAFE's Kevin deAntonio, Kaiju Vinyl Legion's James Osborne and art by Gaz Gretsky! Plus other cool surprises!!

An amazing time is guaranteed for all! Check out all the details and info here.

0 Comments

NYCC Day One Highlights

10/11/2014

0 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Godzilla SDCC Recap Video From Warner Bros

8/2/2014

0 Comments

 
0 Comments

    Archives

    October 2021
    September 2020
    July 2020
    March 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    February 2017
    February 2016
    May 2015
    March 2015
    October 2014
    August 2014


    Categories

    All
    Artwork
    Cosplay
    G Fest
    G-Fest
    Godzilla
    Kaiju Cons
    King Kong
    Monster Music
    NYCC
    Pacific Rim
    SDCC


    RSS Feed


About Kaiju Battle
Links & Friends
Contact Us
Privacy Policy

© 2011-2025 Kaiju Battle. All Rights Reserved.
Visit Our Social Media Sites
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Features
    • Kaiju Battle Vision
    • Saturday Showcase
    • Creature Feature
    • Creator Close-Up
    • Classic Comics
    • Character Close-Up
    • FanWorks >
      • Artwork/Customs
      • FanFics/Projects
      • Events/Cons
    • Godmera's Fandom
  • Movies/Media
    • Godzilla/Toho
    • Godzilla/Legendary
    • Gamera
    • Pacific Rim
    • King Kong
    • Ultra Universe
    • Other Kaiju
  • Collectibles
    • Godzilla/Toho Collectibles
    • Monsterverse Collectibles
    • Gamera Collectibles
    • Pacific Rim Collectibles
    • Ultra Universe Collectibles
    • Other Kaiju Collectibles
  • Comics/Books
    • IDW Godzilla
    • Marvel Comics
    • Legendary/Monsterverse
    • Pacific Rim Comics
    • Other Kaiju Comics
    • Magazines/Books
  • Databases
    • Figure Database >
      • X-Plus Toho/Daiei/Other >
        • X-Plus 30 cm Godzilla/Toho Part One
        • X-Plus 30 cm Godzilla/Toho Part Two
        • X-Plus Large Monster Series Godzilla/Toho Part One
        • X-Plus Large Monster Series Godzilla/Toho Part Two
        • X-Plus Godzilla/Toho Pre-2007
        • X-Plus Godzilla/Toho Gigantic Series
        • X-Plus Daiei/Pacific Rim/Other
        • X-Plus Daiei/Other Pre-2009
        • X-Plus Toho/Daiei DefoReal/More Part One
        • X-Plus Toho/Daiei DefoReal/More Part Two
        • X-Plus Godzilla/Toho Other Figure Lines
        • X-Plus Classic Creatures & More
        • Star Ace/X-Plus Classic Creatures & More
        • X-Plus North America
      • X-Plus Ultraman >
        • X-Plus Ultraman Pre-2012 Part One
        • X-Plus Ultraman Pre-2012 Part Two
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2012 - 2013
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2014 - 2015
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2016 - 2017
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2018 - 2019
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2020 - 2021
        • X-Plus Ultraman 2022 - 2023
        • X-Plus Ultraman Gigantics/DefoReals
        • X-Plus Ultraman RMC
        • X-Plus Ultraman RMC Plus
        • X-Plus Ultraman Other Figure Lines
        • X-Plus Tokusatsu
      • Bandai/Tamashii >
        • S.H. MonsterArts Part One
        • S.H. MonsterArts Part Two
        • S.H. Figuarts Part One
        • S.H. Figuarts Part Two
        • S.H. Figuarts Part Three
        • Figuarts Other Ultraman Lines
        • Ultra-Act
        • Tamashii/Bandai Pacific Rim
        • Bandai Creation
      • Banpresto
      • HIYA >
        • HIYA Monsterverse
        • HIYA Godzilla/Toho
      • NECA >
        • NECA Godzilla/Kong
        • NECA Pacific Rim
      • Medicom Toys >
        • Medicom Toys Part One
        • Medicom Toys Part Two
        • Medicom Toys Part Three
        • Medicom Toys Part Four
        • Medicom Toys Other Figure Lines
      • Kaiyodo/Revoltech
      • Diamond Select Toys
      • Funko/Jakks/Others
      • Playmates Toys
      • Art Spirits
      • Mezco Toyz
    • Movie Database >
      • Toho Godzilla Movies
      • Toho Monster Movies
      • Legendary Monsterverse Movies
      • Gamera/Daiei Movies
      • U.S. Monster Movies
      • International Monster Movies
      • Monster Suits
    • Comic/Book Database >
      • Comicbook Database
      • Book Database
  • Marketplace
  • Kaiju Addicts