We all know Mystery Science Theater 3000 as the show in which a human host and a couple of robots make fun of bad movies. According to in-universe lore, the movies come via mad scientist members of the Forrester family, who test the sanity of a human subject by forcing them to watch terrible films. The humans — beginning with Joel Robinson (series creator Joel Hodgson), followed by Mike Nelson (Michael J. Nelson), Jonah Heston (Jonah Ray), and Emily Connor (Emily Marsh) — fight back by riffing on the films, a task made easier not just by the robot sidekicks Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo, but also by the genuine awfulness of the movies.
But MST3K didn’t always have mockery in mind as its central premise. As seen in the recently-unearthed early episodes recorded for Minneapolis public access channel Ktma, Joel spent more time enjoying Invaders from the Deep and Revenge...
But MST3K didn’t always have mockery in mind as its central premise. As seen in the recently-unearthed early episodes recorded for Minneapolis public access channel Ktma, Joel spent more time enjoying Invaders from the Deep and Revenge...
- 8/24/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
From Marine Boy and Thundercats to Cities Of Gold and Akira, we look at the TV shows and movies that introduced the UK to Japanese anime
One evening in 1994, the BBC screened a documentary simply called Manga. Presented by Jonathan Ross, it showcased the rising popularity of Japanese animation, largely focusing on the output of Manga Entertainment, whose dubbed VHS releases had made a huge impact on anime fans and caused a certain amount of consternation among the mainstream press.
For British viewers, the anime boom took a long time to arrive. In America, Japanese shows like Kimba The White Lion, Gigantor and Astro Boy were a common sight on television in the 1960s, yet it took until the late 70s and 80s, and a string of European-Japanese co-productions, before anime finally began to find a hold on UK television.
As a youngster at the time, I didn't necessarily know...
One evening in 1994, the BBC screened a documentary simply called Manga. Presented by Jonathan Ross, it showcased the rising popularity of Japanese animation, largely focusing on the output of Manga Entertainment, whose dubbed VHS releases had made a huge impact on anime fans and caused a certain amount of consternation among the mainstream press.
For British viewers, the anime boom took a long time to arrive. In America, Japanese shows like Kimba The White Lion, Gigantor and Astro Boy were a common sight on television in the 1960s, yet it took until the late 70s and 80s, and a string of European-Japanese co-productions, before anime finally began to find a hold on UK television.
As a youngster at the time, I didn't necessarily know...
- 3/24/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Sneak Peek new live-action footage from Nikkatsu Productions' "Gatchaman", the feature length adaptation of the 1970's animated TV series "Battle Of The Planets".
In North America, the original "Battle of the Planets" animated series was produced in 1978 by Sandy Frank Entertainment, adapting the 1972 Japanese anime series "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman".
Premise follows 'G-Force', 'Mark', 'Jason', 'Princess', 'Keyop' and 'Tiny', who protect Earth from planet 'Spectra' and other attacks from beyond space, led by the evil 'Zoltar' who receives orders from the wraith-like 'Luminous One'.
The main ship of the G-Force team is the 'Phoenix' deploying four smaller vehicles, including a futuristic race car with various hidden weapons, the 'galacti-cycle', the 'Space Bubble' all-terrain submersible tank and a futuristic jet fighter.
The G-Force team themselves use a combination of martial arts skills, ninja-like weapons and 'cerebonic' powers to dispatch enemy soldiers, in bird-like costumes with capes that fan out,...
In North America, the original "Battle of the Planets" animated series was produced in 1978 by Sandy Frank Entertainment, adapting the 1972 Japanese anime series "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman".
Premise follows 'G-Force', 'Mark', 'Jason', 'Princess', 'Keyop' and 'Tiny', who protect Earth from planet 'Spectra' and other attacks from beyond space, led by the evil 'Zoltar' who receives orders from the wraith-like 'Luminous One'.
The main ship of the G-Force team is the 'Phoenix' deploying four smaller vehicles, including a futuristic race car with various hidden weapons, the 'galacti-cycle', the 'Space Bubble' all-terrain submersible tank and a futuristic jet fighter.
The G-Force team themselves use a combination of martial arts skills, ninja-like weapons and 'cerebonic' powers to dispatch enemy soldiers, in bird-like costumes with capes that fan out,...
- 6/22/2013
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
According to reports, Japanese film house Nikkatsu are developing a live-action version of the 1970's animated TV series "Battle Of The Planets" for delivery in 2013.
In North America, "Battle of the Planets" series was produced in 1978 by Sandy Frank Entertainment, adapting the 1972 Japanese anime series "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman".
Premise follows 'G-Force', 'Mark', 'Jason', 'Princess', 'Keyop' and 'Tiny', who protect Earth from planet 'Spectra' and other attacks from beyond space, led by the evil 'Zoltar' who receives orders from the wraith-like 'Luminous One'.
The main ship of the G-Force team is the 'Phoenix' deploying four smaller vehicles, including a futuristic race car with various hidden weapons, the 'galacti-cycle', the 'Space Bubble' all-terrain submersible tank and a futuristic jet fighter.
The G-Force team themselves would use a combination of martial arts skill, ninja-like weapons and 'cerebonic' powers to dispatch enemy soldiers, with bird-like costumes that include capes that fan out,...
In North America, "Battle of the Planets" series was produced in 1978 by Sandy Frank Entertainment, adapting the 1972 Japanese anime series "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman".
Premise follows 'G-Force', 'Mark', 'Jason', 'Princess', 'Keyop' and 'Tiny', who protect Earth from planet 'Spectra' and other attacks from beyond space, led by the evil 'Zoltar' who receives orders from the wraith-like 'Luminous One'.
The main ship of the G-Force team is the 'Phoenix' deploying four smaller vehicles, including a futuristic race car with various hidden weapons, the 'galacti-cycle', the 'Space Bubble' all-terrain submersible tank and a futuristic jet fighter.
The G-Force team themselves would use a combination of martial arts skill, ninja-like weapons and 'cerebonic' powers to dispatch enemy soldiers, with bird-like costumes that include capes that fan out,...
- 10/23/2012
- by M. Stevens
- SneakPeek
The gang from the Satellite of Love are back, and this time their tackling the first five Gamera films. When being sent the new set (in a glorious tin, to boot!) I really couldn’t believe my eyes. Some of the crown jewels in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 line were the Gamera films, which were the Sandy Frank produced dubs of the films that he sold to American cinemas. Considering he sued them, there was little to no chance we fans thought we’d ever get these films on DVD unless we were at a convention of some sort and had to buy the bootlegs. But not anymore, thanks to Shout! Factory. And they hold up as fresh as when they first aired.
It all began in season three of the show, when they took on the black and white classic Gamera in the season’s second episode. The...
It all began in season three of the show, when they took on the black and white classic Gamera in the season’s second episode. The...
- 8/3/2011
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
During the original 1988-89 run of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Ktma in Minneapolis, the show drew heavily from the library of Sandy Frank Entertainment, a company that made a few dollars over the years importing and dubbing Japanese movies and TV shows for American distribution. After Comedy Central picked up MST3K—back when it was still The Comedy Channel—host Joel Hodgson and company revisited the Sandy Frank catalog, riffing on some of the same movies they’d tackled three years earlier. Among those titles were five entries in the Gamera series, a post-Godzilla giant-monster rip-off featuring a six-story-tall ...
- 7/27/2011
- avclub.com
If your a fan of Japanese giant monster movies and Mystery Science Theater 3000, then you know that the Holy Grail of MST3K is the five elusive "Gamara" episodes. Shout! Factory has announced that the next MST3K box set will be the five "Gamara" movies. The Episodes Include "Gamara", "Gamara vs. Barugon", "Gamera vs. Gaos", "Gamera vs. Guiron", and "Gamera vs. Zigra". There has been a long rumor that syndicator Sandy Frank would never renew the…...
- 5/12/2011
- Horrorbid
Gamera is really neat. Gamera is filled with meat. We'll all be eating Gamera this August when Shout! Factory releases the latest "Mystery Science Theater 3000" box set comprised entirely of the five old school Gamera movies featured on the show back in its prime.
The announcement that the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" Gamera episodes will finally be getting their long-anticipated DVD release is news many hardcore "MST3K" fans had begun to think they'd never hear. There was a long running rumor that syndicator Sandy Frank wouldn't allow them to renew the distribution rights for any episodes featuring his movies because he was angry over some good-natured ribbing he received from the series, but "MST3K" writer Kevin Murphy confirmed it was always just a dispute over money. With Shout! Factory releasing special editions of all of the old Gamera movies, it should come as no surprise they could put this DVD set together.
The announcement that the "Mystery Science Theater 3000" Gamera episodes will finally be getting their long-anticipated DVD release is news many hardcore "MST3K" fans had begun to think they'd never hear. There was a long running rumor that syndicator Sandy Frank wouldn't allow them to renew the distribution rights for any episodes featuring his movies because he was angry over some good-natured ribbing he received from the series, but "MST3K" writer Kevin Murphy confirmed it was always just a dispute over money. With Shout! Factory releasing special editions of all of the old Gamera movies, it should come as no surprise they could put this DVD set together.
- 5/12/2011
- by Foywonder
- DreadCentral.com
Carlsbad - LEGOs…those colorful blocks that snap together so easily. Many view them as a childhood toy, but they’re serious fun among collectors and adult builders. They can vacation at the American LEGOland. They can get those rare pieces at Lego stores across the country in malls. Lego video games featuring Star Wars, Batman and Indiana Jones are all the rage. Keeping up with what’s happening in Lego is about as foreboding a task as your mother keeping up with your LEGOs.
Joe Meno organizes the Lego universe through BrickJournal magazine. The periodical announces upcoming products, events and how-to articles by top buildings. It’s a coffeetable magazine featuring all the Lego pieces your kids lost under the sofa. The pages are addictive even for someone mildly interested in Lego with illustrations that show how the plastic building blocks can snap into amazing works of art. For...
Joe Meno organizes the Lego universe through BrickJournal magazine. The periodical announces upcoming products, events and how-to articles by top buildings. It’s a coffeetable magazine featuring all the Lego pieces your kids lost under the sofa. The pages are addictive even for someone mildly interested in Lego with illustrations that show how the plastic building blocks can snap into amazing works of art. For...
- 9/24/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
The second DVD featuring some Gamera rumbles this week from Shout! Factory is a fun duo of films, dealing with a kaiju knife fight and some World’s Fair action. And we get a shoddy return of a villain in such a way that itwill draw a giggle or two. Many people say this was the beginning of the end for the franchise, but I’m a bit of an optimist when it comes to these films.
Gamera Vs. Guiron is an interesting film from 1969. It has one of my favorite baddie movie monsters of all time (Guiron) and has one of my favorite kill scenes as well. It wasn’t until now that I got to see this film uncut the way it was supposed to be, due to rights issues and Sandy Frank butchering it like he does. It tells the story of Akio and Tom, who spot...
Gamera Vs. Guiron is an interesting film from 1969. It has one of my favorite baddie movie monsters of all time (Guiron) and has one of my favorite kill scenes as well. It wasn’t until now that I got to see this film uncut the way it was supposed to be, due to rights issues and Sandy Frank butchering it like he does. It tells the story of Akio and Tom, who spot...
- 9/23/2010
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
Shout! Factory has come back strong this week with two new DVDs in their recent acquisition of the Gamera franchise. And they’ve taken the next four films in the series and made two double feature DVDs, which makes for a fun and balanced viewing session.
Gamera Vs. Gyaos (or Gamera Vs. Gaos here in the States) from 1967 is the direct sequel to Gamera Vs. Barugon has Gamera playing more of a hero role this time around, helping Japan fight a new threat to the land, Gyaos, who is a huge bat creature. How could you go wrong with Gamera fighting a gigantic vampire bat? You really can’t, to be honest, and we have some typical battles between the two throughout the film. As usual, mankind somehow awakens/irritates this evil and it starts to devour people and destroy anything in its path. Gamera tries to protect Eiichi Kanamura,...
Gamera Vs. Gyaos (or Gamera Vs. Gaos here in the States) from 1967 is the direct sequel to Gamera Vs. Barugon has Gamera playing more of a hero role this time around, helping Japan fight a new threat to the land, Gyaos, who is a huge bat creature. How could you go wrong with Gamera fighting a gigantic vampire bat? You really can’t, to be honest, and we have some typical battles between the two throughout the film. As usual, mankind somehow awakens/irritates this evil and it starts to devour people and destroy anything in its path. Gamera tries to protect Eiichi Kanamura,...
- 9/22/2010
- by James McCormick
- CriterionCast
We have an interesting bunch of DVD titles this week as well as a special book appearance. On the DVD list we have foreign monsters (from UK & Japan) competing with each other as well as against remakes of big screen features. There is also a special on Norwegian black metal that some may find more interesting. Finally, the book is the second in a trilogy of books co-authored by Guillermo Del Toro.
The Experiment
Directed by Paul Scheuring
This shocking psychological thriller unfolds when 24 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a study designed to evaluate the affects of power and control. Values are tested and lines are crossed when seemingly normal participants are pushed to the breaking point as the experiment spirals out of control. The Experiment is a remake of Das Experiment (review) and stars Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Clifton Collins Jr.,...
The Experiment
Directed by Paul Scheuring
This shocking psychological thriller unfolds when 24 men are chosen to participate in the roles of guards and prisoners in a study designed to evaluate the affects of power and control. Values are tested and lines are crossed when seemingly normal participants are pushed to the breaking point as the experiment spirals out of control. The Experiment is a remake of Das Experiment (review) and stars Adrien Brody, Forest Whitaker, Clifton Collins Jr.,...
- 9/20/2010
- by kwlow
- DreadCentral.com
Gamera vs. Barugon Directed by: Shigeo Tanaka Written by: Nisan Takahashi Starring: Koji Fujiyama, Kojiro Hongo, Kyoko Enami, Takuya Fujioka Barugon is the most grounded monster in the original Showa Gamera series, a beast that shoots ice from the tip of its tongue and a rainbow from its back. That says something for what was to come next. It's important that Barugon (not to be confused with rival Toho's creation Baragon) provides something to look at, something that makes him interesting, because he dominates this film. Despite the title, the infamous flying, flame-spitting terrapin Gamera is physically on-screen for all of about ten minutes the entire movie. In fact, the opening sequence, detailing Gamera's escape from the Z-Plan rocket used to remove him from the planet in the original film, is all rather pointless in terms of story and progress, although it is quite a sight. Arriving back on Earth,...
- 7/29/2010
- by Matt P.
- FilmJunk
A rubber-suited-monster franchise is an unlikely place for a sequel to improve on its original, but that’s what happens with Gamera Vs. Barugon. And Shout! Factory’s new DVD finally allows its qualities to stand out for American viewers, following the cropped and dubbed version released to television by Sandy Frank Productions in the ’80s and ’90s and, before that, the cropped, dubbed and edited cut syndicated in the ’60s and ’70s by Aip-tv as War Of The Monsters.
- 7/14/2010
- by gingold@starloggroup.com (Michael Gingold)
- Fangoria
Durham - Once more The Full Frame Documentary Film Festival is a four day film festival that plays like it should last a week They show so many films that it’s impossible to even come close to seeing them all. Five theaters are going at once and the only repeats are the award winning movies. It’s hard to pick while going through the schedule. I’ve yet to hear anyone complain about the movie they saw so much as wishing they could have seen two or three of the other ones that were showing concurrently. This is the best festival for documentary film viewers. The 2010 edition kept up the lofty standards with films about basketball, pork, pastries, scoundrels, nomads and undiscovered superstars.
Steve James created the greatest film about the dirty business of Chicago high school basketball in Hoop Dreams. Espn gave him a chance to look into...
Steve James created the greatest film about the dirty business of Chicago high school basketball in Hoop Dreams. Espn gave him a chance to look into...
- 5/14/2010
- by UncaScroogeMcD
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