The Mysterians
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (December 2006) |
| The Mysterians | |
|---|---|
 original Japanese movie poster |
|
| Directed by | Ishirō Honda |
| Produced by | Tomoyuki Tanaka |
| Written by | Jojiro Okami Shigeru Kayama Takeshi Kimura |
| Starring | Kenji Sahara Yumi Shirakawa Takashi Shimura |
| Music by | Akira Ifukube |
| Cinematography | Hajime Koizumi |
| Editing by | Koichi Iwashita |
| Distributed by | Toho Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) |  December 28, 1957 May 15, 1959 |
| Running time | 88 min. 85 min. (USA) |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Mysterians, released in Japan as Chikyū Bōeigun (地球防衛軍? lit. "Earth Defense Force"), is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1957. It was directed by the "Golden Duo" of Ishirō Honda (drama) and Eiji Tsuburaya (special effects). It is notable for being the first tokusatsu filmed in TohoScope and the first Toho film to use Perspecta stereophonic sound. It is also known for its use of color, in particular its heavy use of day-for-night shots and bright alien costumes.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Scientifically advanced wanderers from the destroyed planet Mysteroid request a patch of land on Earth and the right to marry earthling women. After a demonstration of their destructive abilities from the help of their giant robot Moguera, mankind must decide whether to capitulate or to resist.
[edit] Cast
- Kenji Sahara - Jōji Atsumi
- Yumi Shirakawa - Etsuko Shiraishi
- Momoko Kōchi - Hiroko Iwamoto
- Akihiko Hirata - Ryōichi Shiraishi
- Takashi Shimura - Dr. kenjirō Adachi
- Susumu Fujita - General Morita
- Hisaya Itō - Captain Seki
- Yoshio Kosugi - Commander Sugimoto
- Fuyuki Murakami - Dr. Nobu Kawanami
- Tetsu Nakamura - Dr. Kōda
- Yoshio Tsuchiya - Mysterian Leader
[edit] International distribution
A November 1, 1957 report states that Southeast Asian distribution rights to The Mysterians were sold to Shaw & Sons of Hong Kong for the highest amount paid for a Japanese film to that time.[1] Rights to other parts of the world were sold for a record price for a Japanese film to Topaz Film Corp. in February of 1958.[2]
The film was released to the U.S. in May of 1959. In July, The New York Times called the film, "an ear-splitting Japanese-made fantasy, photographed in runny color and dubbed English," and concluded with, "This Metro release is crammed with routine footage of death rays and scrambling civilians, not one of whom can act. Tomoyuki Tanaka produced the mess and Inoshiro Honda directed it. Peter Riethof and Carlos Montalban are responsible for the 'English version,' and may it spread no further linguistically."
[edit] DVD releases
Mediablasters, 2005
- Japanese and English audio tracks
- Photo Gallery
- Audio Commentary by Koichi Kawakita(Godzilla vs Biollante) and Shinji Higuchi (Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack). Japanese with English subtitles
[edit] Cultural references
- A sequel was made two years later, titled Battle in Outer Space.
- The aliens in this film inspired Rudy Martinez to name his band Question Mark & the Mysterians.
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994) special effects director Koichi Kawakita redesigned the giant robot Mogera into an anti-Godzilla mecha for the later film, called "M.O.G.U.E.R.A." (Mobile Operation Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aerotype).
- Ryuhei Kitamura's Godzilla: Final Wars features an anti-kaiju defense organization called the Earth Defense Force (Chikyu Boeigun).
- In Destroy All Humans!, the Furons cannot reproduce because they also have lost their reproductive organs.
[edit] Footnotes
[edit] References
- H. H. T. "Screen: A Double Bill; ' Watusi' Arrives With 'The Mysterians'" (film review) The New York Times. July 2, 1959.
[edit] External links
- 地球防衛軍 (Chikyū Bōeigun) (Japanese). Japanese Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-07-13.
- The Mysterians at the Internet Movie Database
