I am having a hard time coming up with things to write about that are not related with the impending war in the Middle-East. But here we go trying to get on with life.
This weekend I watched the first movie in my three movie set of Daimajin!
These were made in the late 60's and combine two staples of the Japanese film industry, samurai movies or Chambara and giant monster movies or Daikaiju. I like both and Daimajin pulls off the fusion well into a very enjoyable movie experience.
ADV Rubber Suit division made one of the best American releases of a Japanese Daikaiju DVDs. The DVD is not full of extra features but it has a perfect high quality film transfer and good Subtitles and translation. The movie is a period piece but since the DVD was so good that it does not feel like an old movie due to film grain or scratches in the original source. Also the movie is widescreen the way that widescreen is meant to be shown.
It is a movie of a samurai coup in feudal Japan and a group of samurai loyal to the original lord of the castle trying to escape with the young prince and princess. The Daimajin is a pissed off stone warrior god who hangs out on his own mountain in the form of a stone statue. He gets pissed off every couple of years and needs to be calmed down with a ceremony performed by a female priest who's job it is to keep him from coming alive and squashing villages.
The samurai who escaped with the former prince and Princess is a friend of this priestess and they hide up on the Maijin's mountain at his shrine for ten years. So now the prince is old enough to take power but it is a little far fetched that they stayed up at the top of the mountain for ten years straight.
In a move to consolidate his power and be a general bad guy the new lord of the castle enslaves the peasants, kills the Maijin Priestess and succeeds pissing off the Daimajin enough to come to life and start kicking ass and mushing bad samurai underneath is giant stone feet. The last twenty minutes is what you really want to see and it does not disappoint in giant monster destruction.
The surprising thing is that the sets, costumes and special effects are actually really good and there is no cheesiness that you often get from Japanese films of this caliber. Sure it is not going to win any academy awards for best foreign film but Daimajin was a kick ass popcorn movie.
Don't forget that that set also includes "Return of Daimajin" and "Wrath of Daimajin." And you can get it for around $20. What a deal! Paramount charges more than that for just ONE movie with no extras! Greedy bastards.
Which reminds me, I think one of the reasons these movies are still so good these days(besides the giant monster) is because the story isn't really about the time period or Japan or samurais. It's about fundamental elements in human nature. Greed, power, faith, etc. Lord of the Rings is the same way, and I think that's one reason the story never seems to get old, even after so many years.
Anyway, the lesson is... Do not anger the gods! Or the land will be cleansed! With extreme force!