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11 articles from 2009

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'Red Cliff' Just the Latest Film Re-Edited for American Consumption

26 November 2009 9:10 PM, PST | CinemaSpy | See recent CinemaSpy news »

Last Friday marked the arrival of Red Cliff (read our review here) the new war epic by Chinese action-meister John Woo. But this wasn’t the same version that graced Asian theaters prior to its international release: In its home country, Red Cliff was released as two films, the first in mid-2008; the second in early 2009.

Rather than unleash a nearly six-hour magnum opus on audiences worldwide, Woo pared both films down into a single two-and-a-half hour cut. In interviews, he said the deleted scenes mostly placed the film’s events in historical context, which might not have appealed to Westerners unfamiliar with Chinese history. Woo’s movie depicts the famous Battle of Red Cliffs, which was fought around early 200 A.D. between warlords from the northern and southern regions of China.

It’s too early to tell how successful Red Cliff will be with North American viewers (In mainland China, »

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Ultraman Creator Winning Back Rights

4 November 2009 3:58 AM, PST | HollywoodNorthReport.com | See recent HollywoodNorthReport.com news »

The Japanese creator of TV series Ultraman has won another court victory in securing the film/merchandising rights to his otherworldy character, created in 1966 for a live-action TV show in which 'Ultraman' and his family from the 'M-78 nebula' battle space aliens intent on harming humanity. Ultraman's creator was Eiji Tsuburaya from Tsuburaya Productions, a pioneer in special effects who was responsible for bringing Godzilla to the big screen in 1954. The show has since spawned TV follow-ups, cartoon series and theatrical features, generating an ancillary marketing 'bonanza'. Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek Ultraman... »

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New on DVD This Week

22 September 2009 5:37 PM, PDT | The Flickcast | See recent The Flickcast news »

Here’s a list of some of the new movie and TV shows coming to DVD and Blu-ray this week that we’re looking forward to seeing. Also, there’s some classic, and not-so-classic, movies hitting Blu-ray for the first time this week as well.

Of all the new releases, we’re particularly interested in the Blu-ray versions of movies and TV shows like Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Shaun of the Dead, Observe and Report, Castle: The Complete First Season and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles — which we are reviewing for next Tuesday’s DVD Review.

Check them out.

Movies

Battle for Terra ~ David Cross, Danny Glover Mark Hamill (DVD)

Clive Barker’s Book of Blood ~ Sophie Ward, Jonas Armstrong (DVD)

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past ~ Matthew McConaughey (DVD)

Gojira ~ Akihiko Hirata, Momoko Kochi (Blu-ray)

Observe and Report ~ Seth Rogen (DVD and Blu-ray)

Scooby-Doo: The Mystery Begins ~ Frank Welker, »

- Joe Gillis

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Weekly DVD & Blu-Ray Chopping List 8/18/2009

15 August 2009 10:00 PM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

Curious to know what frightful films and devilish discs will be available to view in the privacy of your own digital dungeon this week? Fango's got you covered.

Below the jump you'll find the full list of titles arriving in-stores this Tuesday, August 18, 2009 in our weekly version of the famous Fangoria Chopping List - updated with all the last-minute additions and deletions.

Note: Clickable links lead to Amazon.com

Death Note 3: L, Change The World

Inspired by the best-selling manga Death Note, Death Note: L, change the WorLd reveals how L spends the last 23 days of his life. For his final case he takes on a bio-terrorist group, and must also save the lives of two children who have no one else to turn to. Directed by Hideo Nakata (The Ring Two) and starring Kenichi Matsuyama (Death Note).

Dexter: The Complete Third Season (DVD & Bd)

Dexter is an »

- no-reply@fangoria.com (James Zahn)

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Death Kappa Preparing to Stomp Tokyo

27 July 2009 3:33 PM, PDT | DreadCentral.com | See recent Dread Central news »

Media Blaster' Fever Dreams label may be best known for splatteriffic Japanese insanity like Machine Girl and Tokyo Gore Police but now they're about to embark on bringing an old school giant monster movie to life with Tomoo Haraguchi, f/x whiz and director of Sakuya Yokaiden and the Kibikichi samurai werewolf flicks, at the helm. Look out world; here comes Death Kappa!

Twitch brings us word of Death Kappa, as well as the teaser trailer below that shows off some of Haraguchi's miniature work that will be used in the film, a film that will shun modern computer-effects technology in favor of recreating daikaiju mayhem the way Eiji Tsuburaya used to make it. Haraguchi is also familiar with this craft having done creature effects work on Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and its first follow-up, Gamera 2: Avent of Legion. We also get a peek at the Death Kappa itself, »

- Foywonder

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More Japanese monster faves arrive on DVD

15 June 2009 8:15 AM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced that it will release a trio of vintage genre features from director Ishiro Honda (who helmed the original Gojira and many subsequent Godzilla epics) under the title Icons Of Sci-fi: Toho Collection. The three-disc collection will feature digitally remastered versions of the Japanese and U.S. editions of each movie, and streets August 18.

The titles are: 1958’s The H-man, about radioactive creatures that dissolve their victims; 1959’s Battle In Outer Space, in which Earth forces attempt to save our planet from attacking aliens; and 1961’s Mothra, the kaiju favorite that introduced the titular giant caterpillar/moth, which wreaks havoc in Tokyo trying to rescue its kidnapped tiny priestesses.

Mothra and Battle In Outer Space will be accompanied by audio commentaries by J-cinema experts Ed Godziszewski and Steve Ryfle. Cover art is coming soon; retail price is $24.96. Pre-order yours through Amazon.com now for only $17.49 as of this writing. »

- no-reply@fangoria.com (Michael Gingold)

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San Francisco to get smashed by Godzilla & The Monsters Of Mass Destruction

11 May 2009 10:25 PM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

Fangoria #1 cover boy honored at Japanese Monster Film Festival in San Francisco to Celebrate the Man Who Played Godzilla!

Stomping into San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre this summer, Godzilla & The Monsters Of Mass Destruction, is a weekend celebration of Japan’s monster cinema, featuring ten classic films, presented in glorious 35mm, from the producers of the annual Shock It To Me! Horror Film Festival. Our special guest will be in the man in the Godzilla suit himself, Haruo Nakajima.

Starting his film career in the late 1940s, Mr. Nakajima appeared as one of the bandits in Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai (1954). After volunteering for the first Japanese fire stunt in the war film Eagle of the Pacific (1953), the team making Godzilla (1954) knew that he was the man for the job. From 1954 through 1972, Mr. Nakajima played Godzilla and various monsters on screen and television.

Mr. Nakajima will be in attendance throughout »

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Classic Media to unleash Godzilla (Gojira) on Blu-ray!

6 May 2009 10:57 PM, PDT | Affenheimtheater | See recent Affenheimtheater news »

Another announcement for a Blu-ray Disc release of a true Japanese cinema classic. Fangoria reports that Classic Media (distributed by Genius Products) will bring Ishiro Honda’s 1954 original Godzilla (Gojira) to Blu-ray Disc on September 22, 2009!

*insert mechanical roar here*

The disc will include the original Japanese version with English subtitles as well as the heavily edited Us cut Godzilla, King of the Monsters. Audio commentaries by “Godzilla experts” Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, several making of and trailers will be featured on the bonus side.

Since this is Classic Media’s first Blu-ray Disc release, I can’t say anything on their region code policy.

Share »

- Ulrik

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Gojira stomps onto Blu-ray

6 May 2009 1:39 PM, PDT | Fangoria | See recent Fangoria news »

Fango got the word from Classic Media that it will give the original 1954 kaiju classic Gojira (Godzilla) its Blu-ray debut this fall, distributed by Genius Products. The company also sent along a first look at the packaging, which you can see below.

This disc, which streets September 22, will replicate the contents of Classic Media’s previous double-dvd set, including: digitally remastered hi-def transfers of both the original, Ishiro Honda-directed Japanese version of the film with English subtitles and the heavily edited U.S. edition, Godzilla, King Of The Monsters, featuring new footage starring Raymond Burr; the audio commentaries by Big G experts Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski; the Making of the Godzilla Suit and Godzilla: Story Development featurettes; and the theatrical trailers. Retail price is $29.93. For more on Classic Media’s Japanese-monster releases, click here. »

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Monsters Vs. Aliens Primer: Larvasari

1 April 2009 9:32 AM, PDT | FilmJunk | See recent FilmJunk news »

In the third edition of my look at the influences behind Monsters Vs. Aliens, I turn my attention to one of the pivotal inspirations behind Insectosaurus. The obvious choice for this entry would be Mothra, or even Godzilla, but in truth there's another Japanese monster movie that looms large over Monsters Vs. Aliens, and that is エイプリルフール, or roughly translated, Larvasari. Never officially released outside of Korea, this film has only been shown in a handful of international film festivals after its original theatrical run, and is considered by many to be one of the most obscure kaiju films. In Larvasari, a young girl being escorted to her arranged marriage is abducted by a secret organization that detains those people afflicted with mutation caused by nuclear radiation. When Korea is attacked by the armies of a lost undersea kingdom, the girl and her fellow mutants are turned loose in order »

- Wintle

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Clips from Foreign Language Oscar Winner, 'Departures'

26 February 2009 4:29 AM, PST | GetTheBigPicture.net | See recent Get The Big Picture news »

In the long, proud tradition of Japanese cinema, Departures stands alone in its history. The film isn't just a Best Foreign Langauge Film winner at the Academy Awards, it's the only Japanese movie to ever win in that category at the Oscars.

Three movies in the 1950s were given honorary awards, Rashomon, Gates of Hell, and Samurai, The Legend of Musashi. The rules were slightly different then, as the honorary trophies were handed out to foreign language films that had exhibited in the United States the previous year. Now, they only have to open in their countries of origin.

The funny thing about it is that, after three honorary Oscars for Japanese films in a five-year span, the category became official the very next year, 1956, perhaps in part because Japanese films were so good and were gaining international attention thanks to directors like Akira Kurosawa and Ishiro Honda, who made Godzilla. »

- Colin Boyd

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2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2004 | 2000 | 1998

11 articles from 2009

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