JAGUMA in depth
The hit of last year’s Monsters and Masks Month was the aging collection of press stills from the 1961 Toei programmer Strike of the Jaguma (Kaiju Jaguma no Moshu). So this year I thought we’d take an in-depth look at the … Continued
Werewolves on Wires (Part 2)
A cheaper and more hastily produced sequel, Kibakichi 2 forgoes the wolf vs. samurai clan and whole village of monsters caliber of storyline in favor of a one-on-one conflict between the fanged hero and a female survivor of his same … Continued
Werewolves on Wires (Part 1)
A raggedy, reticent ronin meandering through the dusty Japanese wasteland letting his sword do the talking. Sounds all too familiar, but this particular bushido bum has a secret! Yep, he’s a mother fuckin’ werewolf!!! 2004 saw this promising follow-up to … Continued
Oni-masked villainess in EDO O KIRU V
Meet the “Demon Yasha” gang – a group of oni-themed, ninja-garbed, thieves and killers being chased down by one of feudal Edo’s many secret police forces in Edo O Kiru V. If you’re unfamiliar with 70’s and 80’s period cop … Continued
Sword girl and ninja pals vs. the monsters in SAKUYA YOKAIDEN
It’s ten years old, watches as good as the day it was made, and is arguably still the best yokai stuff ever filmed. Sakuya: Slayer of Demons (Sakuya Yokaiden) has its detractors, but I am FIRMLY in the lovers camp … Continued
DEMON SPIES
If you want some seriously grim and downright harsh oni-masked ninja action, Demon Spies (Oniwaban) is your huckleberry. Based on a manga by Kazuo Koike of Lone Wolf and Cub fame, the film follows five masked ninja trained from childhood … Continued
A little MAGIC SERPENT to start things off
Surely the apex of shinobi-kaiju cinema, Magic Serpent (for the Sandy Frank/AIP-exposed) or Kairyu Dai-Kessen, is a no brainer to start of Monsters and Masks 2010! This is a staged publicity shot, you rarely if ever get that clear a … Continued
Bounty Hunters and Bikini Yakuza!
Spotted on eBay: Long-format movie poster to one of Tomisaburo Wakyama‘s Shokin Kasegi (The Bounty Hunter) flicks. Tempted as I was to buy this slightly overpriced sheet, that is a nekkid tattoo’d chick after all, Wakayama’s Ron Jeremy-esque appearance sorta … Continued
Where’s Juri Manase?
Alright, who’s familiar with FuurinKazan? I’ve read from more than one source that the 2007 TV drama was superb, and Sonny Chiba‘s “last role” was arguably his best, but what I really want to see is his daughter in a … Continued
WATARI press stills (Part 2)
Pre-pubescent axe-weilding hero Watari goes through standard shinobi like shit through a goose, but things get a lot dicier when he encounters a bizarre rogues gallery of super-powered villains. Further Reading: I wrote a short plug for this film on … Continued