Toho, the most famous of all Japanese movie studios, first made
its name in the West for the extraordinary masterworks of Akira
Kurosawa. But they really struck box office gold with the wildly
colorful kaiju eiga (monster movies) that began in 1954 with the
original GODZILLA (Gojira), the creation of director Ishiro Honda
and special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya. Now for the first time
on DVD -- and in their original Toho aspect ratios -- Sony
Pictures presents three Honda classics that display the enormous
breadth of the Toho magic during its glory years. The H-Man,
Battle in Outer Space and Mothra are presented in both their
Japanese and U.S. versions. So travel back to the days before
CGI, when special effects were real and the results were
spectacular!
.com
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Here's a treat for fans of classic '60s science fiction from
Japan: a trio of genuinely entertaining adventure-fantasies from
Toho, the company that unleashed Godzilla upon an unsuspecting
world. The giant lizard is nowhere to be found in this set, but
his director of choice, the underappreciated Ishiro Honda, is at
the helm for each of the films included here, and thanks to the
inclusion of the original Japanese version of each picture along
with the American re-edit, fans can finally see his true vision
for each project. 1962's Mothra is perhaps the best known of the
trio--the spectacular monster-god moth was a ste in Godzilla's
exploits for over four decades, and its origin story retains all
the city-wrecking excitement of the best Toho monster rallies,
but with a level of humor and depth that wasn't always present in
their subsequent efforts. 1960's Battle in Outer Space and 1958's
The H-Man may be familiar only to the most devoted Toho fans, but
they both offer their respective pleasures to newcomers; Battle
is a charmingly naive and pulpy alien invasion story driven by
the impressive miniature work of Toho's resident special effects
wizard, Eiji Tsuburaya, while H-Man is a moody thriller that
addresses the lingering aftereffects of the atomic bombing of
Japan through its chief villain, an irradiated gangster whose
touch dissolves his victims. Tonally, it's a far cry from the
other titles in the collection, but its noirish vibe, unsettling
violence, and catchy score (by Masaru Sato) should make it a
terrific discovery for those only familiar with Toho's monster
movies.
The Toho Collection spreads its features over three discs, which
have been packaged in an unfortunate and potentially damaging
arrangement that stacks all three discs on a single spindle;
thankfully, the extras make up for this decision (and the
unappealing cover art). Toho historians and authors Steve Ryfle
and Ed Godziszewski, who have contributed informative and
thoughtful commentaries to Classic Media's spate of Toho/Godzilla
DVDs, deliver the same for Battle and Mothra; their contributions
here not only include recorded interviews with members of the
film's cast and crew, but their passion for the projects and
Honda's work do much to dispel the decades of dismissive
criticism. Unfortunately, no commentary is present for H-Man (in
its stead are trailers for other Sony collections). The quality
of the restoration to both the American and Japanese versions of
the films is also exceptional. --Paul Gaita
Stills from Icons of Sci Fi To Ho Collection--Battle for Outer
Space, H-Man, and Mothra (Click for larger image)
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