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Kaiju Productions, San Francisco, CA (2025)

01/03/2025

NEW TOHO 4K RESTORATIONS BOW IN JAPAN! Debuting this month in select Japanese cinemas are two of Toho’s finest science fiction films from the 1960s directed by Ishiro Honda with visual effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. GORATH (Yosei Gorasu, 1962) and ATRAGON (Kaitei Gunkan, 1963) will play at two sets of venues, juxtaposed as Group A and Group B, from January 3rd-January 16th and January 17th-January 30th, as they switch groupings. This a tribute to "Eiji Tsuburaya, The God of Special Effects" during this year's "10:00 AM Film Festival 14."

From their website: "Starting with the 'Indiana Jones' trilogy, this time we will also screen two masterpieces by Wim Wenders, the monumental 'Mad Max' series. Others include Crime Thrillers, War Dramas, Hong Kong Noir, and Musicals. From Japan, we will screen two titles by Yasujiro Ozu to celebrate his 120th birthday, as well as a pair of Toho special effects films. 27 masterpieces that are sure to excite you will be screened."

Hopefully, Toho will issue GORATH and ATRAGON (as well as the 4Ks of RODAN, THE MYSTERIANS, MOTHRA, etc.) on physical media before too long.

Photo talbain_3rd

01/03/2025

CELEBRATING THE BIRTHDAYS OF ACTORS HARUO NAKAJIMA & KUMI MIZUNO Born eight years apart on January 1st, both Mr. Nakajima and Ms. Mizuno were important figures during Japanese Cinema's Golden Age (1950s-1970s) and are especially held in high esteem by generations of fans of Toho's Science Fiction and Fantasy Films. The spirited Mr. Nakajima was Eiji Tsuburaya's go-to actor to play Godzilla and other monstrous creations, and Ms. Mizuno was the "Madonna" amongst the studio's roster of striking and talented actresses at Toho. Sadly, Mr. Nakajima left us in 2017 at the age of 88, while Ms. Mizuno is still with us.

12/09/2024

KING GHIDORAH IS TURNING 60: YEAH, "THREE MIGHT BE DUENDE, IN FACT"! Solo shot of the triple threat on the slopes of this Mt. Fuji set during a break in shooting the climactic confrontation for Toho's THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH (1964). One of Toho's best creations and Godzilla's greatest rival, King Ghidorah is a badass. Released in the US at the end of 1965 as "Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster," Toho now markets the film outside of Japan as "Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster."

12/01/2024

KING GHIDORAH IS TURNING 60: HEY, WATCH OUT! GODZILLA'S GOT A ROCK! Here's a great shot captured between takes during the production of Toho's THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH (1964), with Godzilla about to throw a rock at the triple threat to distract him from attacking Rodan. Looks as if Mothra is egging the Big G by whispering, "Throw it now, Godzy! Right upside Ghidorah's heads!" This spectacle was released across the US as "Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster" in 1965, and is currently being globally marketed by Toho as "Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster."

11/27/2024

KING GHIDORAH IS TURNING 60: PLEASE DON'T CALL HIM "GHEE-DOOR-AH"! This is a magnificent shot of the golden triple threat taken during the press day junket on the set of THREE GIANT MONSTERS: THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH (San Daikaiju Chikyu Saidai-no Kessen, 1964). This Toho spectacle hit US screens in 1965 as "Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster," and today is known outside of Japan as "Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster."

(*Ghidorah is pronounced "Ghee-doh-rah.")

11/15/2024

KING GHIDORAH IS TURNING 60: THREE HEADS ARE STILL BETTER THAN ONE "Mr. Tsuburaya, we're ready for our close-up!" Here's a tight shot of the triple-threat for the press day before special effects production commenced on THREE GIANT MONSTERS: THE GREATEST BATTLE ON EARTH (San Daikaiju Chikyu Saidai-no Kessen, 1964). The following year, the movie hit Stateside screens as "Ghidrah, The Three-Headed Monster." Toho is currently marketing the fifth entry in the Godzilla series abroad as "Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster."

11/13/2024

60 YEARS OF GHIDORAH! HERE'S THE NARRATION FROM THE US TRAILER: "Nothing the screen has ever shown before can surpass the thrills of GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER! Created from an atomic fireball hurled from outer space, GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER threatens man's very existence on Earth! GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER battles Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan for mastery of the world! Men quake before the terror of their unleashed fury! All new! All never to be forgotten! A new high in screen terror! GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER!"

11/02/2024

IT'S NOVEMBER 3RD IN JAPAN: DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR GODZILLAS ARE? Start celebrating, kaiju freaks, as Japan is 16 hours ahead across the international dateline from Pacific Standard Time! So, the Big G's 70th anniversary is already in motion. Tonight at 8:00 PM PDT, Toho's official Godzilla Channel on YouTube will begin streaming this year's "Gojirafesu" (Godzillafest), which will run live for 6.5 hours! While this simulcast will be in Japanese, as with previous years, you can use the Closed Captioning and select English (automated translation), which is better than nothing at all for the Japanese-language impaired.

Among the highlights will be interviews with G-personalities, upcoming products and toys will be previewed, two all-new short films will be premiered (CGI and live action), and there should be some information on the next Big G motion picture from Oscar-winning director of GODZILLA MINUS ONE, Takashi Yamazaki, and a whole lot more! Personally, I'm really hoping for some news on more Godzilla 4K restorations coming to physical media. Of course, this year is also the 50th & 60th for the Big G's greatest rivals, Mechagodzilla and King Ghidorah.

Let's see what they have in store for fans around the world tonight at 8:00 PM PDT/11:00 PM EDT: https://www.youtube.com/live/P-y9dzKixzY

10/31/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 30, 1971: Monstrous movie station, KBHK-44, proliferated their sizeable horror film cache in a number of regular programs during the 1970s. From 1968 through 1972 they scheduled a (untitled) Saturday night show at 7:00 pm (later switching to 7:30 pm), that eventually ran into KBHK picking up Ohioan horror host, "The Ghoul" in 1973. On the eve before Halloween, KBHK presented Edward Bernds' RETURN OF THE FLY (1959). Starring Vincent Price, Brett Halsey, David Frankham, and Danielle De Metz. "Cecile! Help me! I'm here on the floor! Cecile! Help me!"

10/31/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 29, 1983: Halloween weekend would not be the same without KTVU's "Creature Features." Erudite San Francisco Chronicle film and television critic John Stanley had taken over the reigns from Bob Wilkins in 1979 and kept the beloved horror movie show running around the track until 1984. That Saturday night, Stanley presented Bob Kelljan's COUNT YORGA, VAMPIRE (1970), which gave audiences a fresh and contemporary take on the undead. YORGA starred Robert Quarry, Roger Perry, Michael Macready, Judy Lang, Donna Anderson, and Sybil Scotford. "I believe I brought a cape."

10/30/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 28, 1978: KBHK-44's long-running Saturday afternoon horror show, which changed titles (from "The World Beyond," "Monster Mash Movie," and "Monstrous Movie") more times than their socks between 1971 and 1984. On that Saturday at 1:30 pm, just before Halloween, they aired Robert Day's CORRIDORS OF BLOOD (1958). This Victorian medical shocker starred Boris Karloff, Christopher Lee, Adrienne Corri, Francis Matthews, Nigel Green, and Yvonne Romain. "He died peaceful, governor."

10/29/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 27, 1979: During the 1970s, KTVU-2, our biggest independent station, had amassed quite a sizeable library of classic and classy horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films. So many, in fact, that they could run two on Saturday afternoon and two on Saturday nights, with nearly zero overlap. On the Saturday "Chiller Diller Matinee" that October 27th at 12:30 pm was a masterpiece from Hammer: Terence Fisher's THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957) starring Peter Cushing, Hazel Court, Robert Urquhart, Valerie Gaunt, and Christopher Lee as Frankenstein's Creature. "Let's let our friend here rest in peace... while he can."

10/28/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 25, 1980: With the announcement of Bob Wilkins stepping down as the host of KTVU-2's "Creature Features," rival monster movie station KBHK-44, jumped on the bat wagon in January 1979 with Friday night's "Ghoulie Movie" (moving to Saturdays in June, directly competing with John Stanley's "Creature Features"). Ratings were poor, so the show was moved earlier to 8:00 pm to avoid KTVU's champ in 1980. On October 25th of that year, they presented Roy Ward Baker's SCARS OF DRACULA (1970), starring Christopher Lee, Patrick Troughton, Dennis Waterman, and Jenny Hanley. "What we shall be facing in a few hours' time is not a man. He is evil. He is the embodiment of all that is evil. He is the very Devil himself."

10/27/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 24, 1971: Even KGO-7, our local ABC affiliate, had time for monsters in the '70s, spooling out their horror, sci-fi, and fantasy movie packages that were originally run in the '60s as part of their "Chillers from Science Fiction" and "World's Greatest Chiller" presentations. "Science Fiction Movie" (later "Monster Movie") debuted Sunday nights between 11:30 pm and 1:00 am in 1970 with flicks that rated from great to grate. That night at 1:00 am was Sam Newfield's THE MAD MONSTER (1942). Poverty Row studio PRC's flea-bitten werewolf opus starred Johnny Downs, George Zucco, Anne Nagel, and Glenn Strange as the Mad Monster.

10/27/2024

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1974: "CREATURE FEATURES" WITH BOB WILKINS... On that temperate evening, as we cooled into fall, Bob Wilkins only hosted one movie that night on KTVU-2 at 12:30 am, due to another World Football League game (Memphis Southmen vs. Portland Storm). Insanity! But, not as insane as the "Creature Features" presentation that night: Anthony Lanza's THE INCREDIBLE 2-HEADED TRANSPLANT (1971) with an eclectic cast starring Bruce Dern, Pat Priest, Casey Kasem, John Bloom, Berry Kroeger, and Larry Vincent.

Despite starring in this film Oscar nominee Dern's career actually soared in the 1970s. Priest was best known as Marilyn in "The Munsters." Kasem became the host of "American Top 40." Bloom went on to roles in "Bachelor Party" and "The Hills Have Eyes II." Screen heavy Kroeger was winding down his 30 year career, with his last picture credit in 1977 as Petrosian in "The Demon Seed." Beloved by Los Angeles viewers, Vincent was known as the horror host, "Seymour."

Until next October, "Creature Features" freaks, always remember to "Watch Horror Films, Keep America Strong!"

10/26/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 23, 1976: During the 1970s, horror, sci-fi, and fantasy films dominated airwaves across the Bay Area on nearly every station. KTVU-2, our biggest independent, cornered the market cornered with two movies on Saturday nights on "Creature Features," and another pair for the "Chiller Diller Matinee" on Saturday afternoons. By October 1976, the second feature was dropped for the rest of its run through 1984. On October 23, 1976, they presented Reginald LeBorg's CALLING DOCTOR DEATH (1943) at 12:30 pm. The initial entry in Universal's "Inner Sanctum" series, based on the radio drama, starred Lon Chaney Jr., Patricia Morison, and J. Carrol Naish. "Somewhere out there at this moment, a murder is being contemplated, and all I can do is wait for death. I start at death, and I have to work my way back to life. And when I find life, I have to destroy it."

10/25/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 22, 1983: When KTVU-2 let their Universal Monsters package lapse in the early '80s, it was quickly snatched up by KBHK-44, and they programmed them with a lot of hype. In fact, they decided to directly compete with John Stanley's "Creature Features," by debuting a new, unhosted, horror movie show at 11:00 pm, a half-hour before Stanley, in September 1983: "Shock Theater." Unfortunately, that October 22nd, they shot themselves in the foot by slating Robert Hutton's THE SLIME PEOPLE (1963) against Robert Mulligan's far superior THE OTHER (1972) on "Creature Features." THE SLIME PEOPLE starred the director, Les Tremayne, Robert Burton, and Susan Hart. "Gee whiz, after sitting here talking to you, I don't even want to think about slime people!"

10/24/2024

SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA HALLOWEEN HORRORS PAST! OCTOBER 21, 1978: KBHK-44 was one of the big contenders for local horror and fantasy films, with several weekend afternoon and evening/late night presentations. They held onto theirs tightly, but also picked up scraps from other stations (when their rights expired). William Beaudine's JESSE JAMES MEETS FRANKENSTEIN'S DAUGHTER (1966) was acquired after KTVU-2's "Creature Features" let it lapse. Broadcast that Saturday at 1:30 pm via "Monstrous Movie," this bargain basement Euro Gothic meets flea-bitten Western starred John Lupton, Narda Onyx, Estelita Rodriguez, Jim Davis, and Nestor Paiva. "You should have stayed in Europe and given pink pills to sweet old ladies!"

(It was originally released in theaters with BILLY THE KID MEETS DRACULA - starring John Carradine - I kid you not.)

Kaiju Productions

01/03/2025

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