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Theme: Japanese Monster Movies


The Japanese monster movie (or Kaiju Eiga) began with Godzilla/Godzilla, King of the Monsters (1954). It has become its own genre niche since then with the studio Toho producing over 30 Godzilla films sequels. These range between efforts where Godzilla is a monster to in essence a superhero defending the country from other monsters, between serious efforts and juvenile efforts pitched to children, between live-action and animation.

Toho produced other monster movies too and then began to pit the monsters against one another in on-screen battles. Godzilla moved from rampaging aggressor to a heroic defender of Japan in his fifth film during the 1960s. The Godzilla series spawned other imitators such as rival studio Daiei’s long-running Gamera series.

Since the mid-1980s, both the Godzilla and Gamera series has undergone various overhauls and effort to rework the monsters with animatronic and CGI effects. There have also been efforts from other countries like South Korea’s Yongary films and several attempts to remake the Godzilla film for English language audiences.


Attack of the Monsters (1969)

2 April 200627 September 2019

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Noriaki Yuasa
Actors: Nobuhiro Kajima, Christopher Murphy, Reiko Kasahara, Hiroko Kai, …
Category: Science Fiction

Big Man Japan (2007)

8 September 201115 November 2019

Rating: ★★★

Giant Japanese Superhero Mockumentary

Director: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Actors: Hitoshi Matsumoto
Category: Fantasy

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

16 November 20003 December 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Akira Kubo, Yukiko Kobayashi, Jun Tazaki, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Category: Science Fiction

Dogora the Space Monster (1964)

2 September 2020

Rating: ★★½

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Yosuo Natsuki, Dan Yuma, Jun Tazaki, Susumu Fujita
Category: Science Fiction

Frankenstein Conquers the World (1966)

18 November 200017 December 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera 2: Assault of Legion (1996)

27 October 202027 October 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1999)

18 March 20011 April 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera: Super Monster (1980)

10 November 20151 April 2021

Rating: 0­

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Noriaki Yuasa
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera, The Guardian of the Universe (1995)

10 June 20021 April 2021

Rating: ★★★½

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera vs Barugon (1966)

18 April 201812 November 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Tanaka Shigeo
Actors: Kojiro Hongo, Akira Natsuki, Yoshiro Kitahara
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera vs Jiger (1970)

25 November 20131 April 2021

Rating: ★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Noriaki Yuasa
Actors: Tsutomu Takakuwa, Kon Omura, Akira Natsuki
Category: Science Fiction

Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

26 February 20071 April 2021

Rating: 0­

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Noriaki Yuasa
Category: Science Fiction

Gammera the Invincible (1965)

13 March 20061 January 2023

Rating: ★★½

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Noriaki Yuasa
Actors: Brian Donlevy, Albert Dekker, Yoshiro Kitahara, Dick O'Neill, …
Category: Science Fiction

Ghidrah the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

23 February 20089 April 2021

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Akiko Wakabayashi, Yuriko Hoshi, Yosuke Natsuki, Yumi Ito, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla (1954)

16 December 200111 May 2021

Rating: ★★★★

Giant Atomic Monster

Director: Ishiro Honda, Terry Morse
Actors: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kochi, Akihiko Hirata, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla 1985 (1984)

13 December 20023 December 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Giant Atomic Monster

Director: Koji Hashimoto, R.J. Kizer
Actors: Ken Tanaka, Raymond Burr, Yosuke Natsuki, Yasuko Sawaguchi, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla 2000 (1999)

26 August 20003 December 2020

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Takao Okawara
Actors: Takehiro Murata, Naomi Nishida, Shiro Sano
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)

28 December 20126 July 2021

Rating: ★★½

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Masaaki Tazuka
Actors: Akira Nakao, Kumi Mizuno
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992)

6 July 2021

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Takao Okawara
Actors: Tetsuya Bessho, Takehiro Murata, Megumi Odaka, Akira Takarada
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)

4 January 20193 December 2020

Rating: ★★★

Anime/Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Hiroyuki Sashita, Kobun Shizuno
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)

24 July 200522 October 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ryuhei Kitamura
Actors: Kazuki Kitamura, Akira Takarada, Kane Kosugi, Masato Ibu, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla, King of the Monsters (2019)

24 August 20199 April 2021

Rating: ★★

Giant Monster Bash

Director: Michael Dougherty
Actors: Kyle Chandler, Vera Farmiga, Millie Bobby Brown, Ken Watanabe, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)

14 November 200911 May 2021

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Shusuke Kaneko
Actors: Chiharu Niyama, Shiro Sano
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

18 February 20183 December 2020

Rating: ★★

Anime/Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Hiroyuki Seshita, Kobun Shizuno
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

7 April 20193 December 2020

Rating: ★★

Anime/Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Hiroyushi Seshita, Kobun Shizuno
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)

18 September 20136 November 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Kazuki Ohmori
Actors: Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshihiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima, Megumi Odaka, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs Gigan (1972)

16 April 19993 December 2020

Rating: 0­

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Jun Fukuda
Actors: Hiroshi Ishikawa, Kunio Murai
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla Vs. King Ghidorah (1991)

16 December 20013 December 2020

Rating: ★★★½

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Kazuki Omori
Actors: Megumi Odaka, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Katsuhiko Sasaki
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs Megaguirus (2000)

8 September 20113 December 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Masaaki Yezuka
Actors: Misato Tanaka, Shosuke Tanihara, Masato Ibu, Yuriko Hoshi
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs Megalon (1973)

6 December 20023 December 2020

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Jun Fukuda
Actors: Hiroyuki Kawase, Katsuhiko Sasaki
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs Space Godzilla (1994)

14 September 201525 November 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Kensho Yamashita
Actors: Megumi Odaka, Akira Emoto, Kenji Sahara
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs the Cosmic Monster (1974)

16 April 19997 April 2021

Rating: 0­

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Jun Fukuda
Actors: Akihiko Hirata, Hiroshi Koizumi
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs the Sea Monster (1966)

1 November 200211 May 2021

Rating: ★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Jun Fukuda
Actors: Toru Watanabe, Akira Takarada
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs the Smog Monster (1971)

24 November 20023 December 2020

Rating: ★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Yoshimitsu Banno, Lee Kresel
Actors: Akira Yamauchi, Hiroyuki Kawase
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla vs the Thing (1964)

19 October 20023 December 2020

Rating: ★★½

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Yoshifumi Tajima, Emi Ito, …
Category: Science Fiction

Godzilla’s Revenge (1969)

16 November 20003 December 2020

Rating: ★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Eisei Amamoto, Sachio Sakai, Kenji Sahara
Category: Science Fiction

King Kong Escapes (1967)

4 March 200110 April 2021

Rating: ★★★

Giant Ape/Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Ishiro Honda, Arthur Rankin Jr
Actors: Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Eisei Amamoto, …
Category: Science Fiction

King Kong Vs. Godzilla (1962)

6 December 200010 April 2021

Rating: ★★½

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda, Thomas Montgomery
Actors: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Mie Hama, Jun Tazaki
Category: Science Fiction

Majin, Monster of Terror (1966)

29 June 202129 June 2021

Rating: ★★★

Stone Deity Awakens

Director: Kimiyoshi Yasuda
Category: Fantasy

Monster Zero (1965)

17 November 20103 December 2020

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash/Space Opera

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Nick Adams, Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Jun Tazaki, …
Category: Science Fiction

Mothra (1962)

19 April 201019 October 2020

Rating: ★★★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Franky Sakai, Jerry Ito, Hiroshi Koizumi, Ken Uehara
Category: Science Fiction

Notzilla (2020)

28 November 202228 November 2022

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Movie Parody

Director: Mitch Teemley
Actors: Tifani Ahren Davis, Frederic Eng-Li, Tim Bensch, Samantha Russell, …
Category: Science Fiction

Rebirth of Mothra (1996)

19 September 201219 October 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Okihiro Yoneda
Category: Science Fiction

Shin Godzilla (2016)

29 April 201728 November 2022

Rating: ★★★½

Giant Atomic Monster

Director: Hideaki Anno
Actors: Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, Satomi Ishihara, Ren Osugi, …
Category: Science Fiction

Son of Godzilla (1968)

12 November 20022 May 2020

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Jun Fukuda
Actors: Akira Kubo
Category: Science Fiction

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1976)

16 December 20003 December 2020

Rating: ★★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Akihiko Hirata, Katsuhiko Sasaki
Category: Science Fiction

Varan the Unbelievable (1958)

2 August 201318 June 2020

Rating: ★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Myron Healey, Tsuruko Kobayashi, Clifford Kawada, Derick Shimatsu, …
Category: Science Fiction

War of the Gargantuas (1966)

20 May 201518 June 2020

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Bash

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Russ Tamblyn, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Jun Tazaki
Category: Science Fiction

The X from Outer Space (1967)

26 January 202226 January 2022

Rating: ★★

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Kazui Nihonmatzu
Actors: Toshiya Wazaki, Peggy Neal, Eiji Okada
Category: Science Fiction

Yog – The Monster from Outer Space (1970)

2 September 200318 June 2020

Rating: 0­

Japanese Monster Movie

Director: Ishiro Honda
Actors: Akira Kubo, Atsuko Takahashi, Kenji Sahara
Category: Science Fiction

Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967)

6 October 20216 October 2021

Rating: ★

South Korean Monster Movie

Director: Kim Ki-Duk (II)
Category: Science Fiction

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Theme Essays

  • Films About Atlantis
  • Werewolf Films
  • Virtual Reality
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  • Films Depicting NASA and the Space Program
  • Human Bloodsports and Death Games
  • Animals Attack Films
  • Films About Plague and Pandemic
  • Disaster Movies
  • Steampunk Films
  • Documentaries
  • Films About Halloween
  • Films About Prophecy
  • Magicians and Sorcerers
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  • Real-Life People in Fiction
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  • Twins in Fantastic Cinema
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  • Possession Films
  • Films About Imaginary and Magical Lands
  • Religion in Fantastic Cinema
  • Romantic Comedies
  • Film Noir
  • Spy Films
  • Jekyll and Hyde Films
  • Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being Based on True Stories
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© Copyright Richard Scheib 1999-2023

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