In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Friday, 24 April 2015

The Kaijū Collection

Kaijū eiga (often shortened to kaijū in the West) is a Japanese term for what are essentially giant monster movies. More often than not it’s an actor in a rubber suit laying waste to amazingly detailed scale model towns, but the best have an important subtext that explores deeper concerns.
The most famous is Toho’s Gojira/Godzilla, affectionately called King of the Monsters, but there’s more than just Godzilla in the pantheon, so if you're interested in the merits of the genre, don't stop there:

Genre films:
01. Godzilla (1954—)
02. Rodan (1956—)
03. Mothra ((1961—)
04. Gamera (1965—)
05. Daimajin I, Daimajin II, Daimajin III (1966)
06. The X from Outer Space (1967)
07. King Kong Escapes (1967)
08. Daigoro vs. Goliath (1971)
09. The Last Dinosaur (1977)
10. Attack of the Super Monsters (1982)

Influenced by:
01. The Host (2006)
02. Cloverfield (2008)
03. Pacific Rim (2013)

See also:
01. Daimajin Kanon (2010) TV Series on our sister site, Nut Box.
02. Godzilla comics on our sister site, Nut Ink.

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