Reviews (13)

Too Good to be True. Breathtaking.
Mothra is perhaps one of the best movies Toho co has ever made. I admit, the specail effects aren't all that great, however I gave Mothra a five because of its epic story. This movie will be enjoyed by people of all ages but to young children it teaches a lesson to not get greedy or be punished ( like how Nelson was by causing the twin girls to call Mothra ). I really think Godzilla fans will enjoy this a lot because Mothra appears in G-Films such as Godzilla vs. Mothra, Ghidra the Three- Headed Monster, Destroy All Monsters, and Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth. No matter how films progress, Mothra will always be one of the greatest Toho films ever made.

Tinkerbell's cousins.
A giant moth flips its lid and attacks Japan. If Walt Disney ventured into the realm of Japanese sci-fi, this movie could have been the result. Chuckle-headed, camp humor is evident, but another wacky monster fest is not the director's real purpose. The emphasis is on a juvenile fantasy story that features "The Peanuts," petite female fairies. Tinkerbell's cousins. Twins, no less. (If this was a fantasy film of another kind, the mathematical possibilities would be endless). The Peanuts serve as high priestesses to Mothra, a primitive deity. Their haunting rendition of Mothra's theme song holds a special place in the Japanese sci-fi hall of fame. When ruthless men kidnap the girls, Mothra follows them to Japan. Mothra first appears as a giant caterpillar that scoots across the countryside like an electric train. The most thrilling part of this epic is the attack on Tokyo. In the midst of the fiery destruction, the caterpillar attaches itself to Tokyo Tower, and spins a huge cocoon. Atomic heat ray machines fail to destroy the cocoon, and a giant moth emerges. The wind from Mothra's flapping wings gives off typhoon type wind. Buildings crumble, fire rages, and vehicles whip around like toys. Of course, the cars and trucks really are toys, but don't get technical. The military fights back with tanks, rockets, and planes, but to no effect. Considering the lousy track record of the Japanese military in these monster epics, the government of Japan might want to re-think its military resources. The special effects reflect the limitations of the budget and the era. Don't expect computer-generated razzle-dazzle. Suspend disbelief and go with the flow. Good for kids under seven and hard core Japanese sci-fi fans. ;-)

Mothra the Original
This Mothral flick was indeed boring when I saw it but the reason I rate it high because for one it teaches you a lesson
in this movie and the other reason Its the original mothra black and white film!!The original twins in this movie gets capture and taken on display for money not until they call on mothra to come help them.Overal this movie is alright but dont expect a lot of mothra action cus overal its a good story rather then a cheesy monster flick.

The other film with those unforgettable twins....
...which another viewer asked about was, I believe, Ghidrah: the Three-Headed Monster.

This one is Great, but searching for my all time favorite
This is the first Mothra movie I saw a a child and remains one of my favorites. I like the plot where the girls get kidnapped from Infant Island by the greedy bad guys, they sing for Mothra, and Mothra of course comes to their rescue. I have never seen the new Mothra movies, nor do I care to - I prefer to honor the oldies but goodies.

There is another fabulous Mothra movie for which I am seeking but cannot seem to find. Unfortunately, I do not know the exact title. It is a Mothra v Godzilla (Godzilla v Mothra?) movie where there is a third (flying) monster in it as well. It is NOT the 1964 Godzilla v Mothra movie that is currently advertised on the Internet for sale (where Mothra dies but has offspring that team up against Godzilla), however some parts of it sound similar and it must have been made around the same time.

The twins are also in the version I am seeking and sing the Mothra song longer, more beautifully and with better stereo sound than the "Mothra" movie featured here. They live in a dollhouse built especially for them while captured, wear beautiful outfits and walk past a tropical fish tank while singing their Mothra song. As a girl, I enjoyed seeing Mothra and Godzilla fight, however I loved and watched the movies expecially because of the twins and their song.

Anyway, the plot, from what I recall is:
There is an earthquake and/or hurricaine, the Mothra egg on the Island is exposed. It is discovered and stolen from the Island, the twins are kidnapped, Godzilla is awakened, a third flying monster comes into play somehow (I don't recall the details)... Eventually, all three monsters are fighting and Mothra almost gets defeated. He retreats, but returns to team up with either Godzilla against the flying monster -or- with the flying monster against Godzilla (I don't remember). He saves the planet and leaves with the girls, of course.

Unlike the 1964 Mothra vs Godzilla version currently featured on the Internet, Mothra does not die, there are no Mothra offspring...etc. It is definately not the same movie.

Does anyone know the version I am describing? What is the title? Is it for sale? I definately want this one in my collection. Thank you!!!!! ... Read more

Description

For his chilling portrait of a serial killer, master director Shohei Imamura enters a world where impulse is reason enough for grisly murder.Based on police records and the prize-winning book by Ryuzo Saki, Vengeance Is Mine chronicles the terrifying crime spree of Iwao Enokizu.Actor Ken Ogata delivers a compelling character study. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

On many complexities of the human soul...
In the beginning of Vengeance, there is a key scene of the film's main character. He is unrinating, in order to wash his hands off the blood of his victim. He then notices he's under a tree, wipes his hands with his jacket and picks an apple. He takes a bite and spits.

However, the point -we understand as the story unfolds engrossingly to contain many other characters in similarly true moments- is in fact to lay bare the human soul.

Immamura achieves very successfuly this main objective, through his immense storytelling powers: the over the top performances he pulls from his superb cast and his brilliant melding of the many subplots.(The editing here, in my opinion, is one the best works ever done in a movie.)

In a little over two hours, Vengeance speaks volumes about the many complexities of the human soul and offers many opportunities to confront its dark side. Thus, it is not an easy movie to watch. Yet it offers many insights to the Japanese culture, and is a great point to start knowing the Japanese cinema as well. Highly recommended.

gripping from start to finish
In this highly ambiguous tale of moral uncertainty--both in terms of the killer himself and all those around him (his father, his wife, his lover and her mother), Imamura is at the top of his game. I saw this film at a film festival in Berkeley the first time and it haunted me for a long long time. The commentary on the back cover of the VHS says it best "Imamura's refusal to either despise or forgive his protagonist makes the movie a devestating experience."

REVEALING LOOK AT A COLD BLOODED MURDERER
Imamura constucts a telling portrait of an impassive sociopath. The pacing is purposefully slow and minimal, giving the killer character ample room to reveal himself while both doing the simplest things and, especially, when interacting with those around him. This film is the higher brained cousin of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer.

I think its important to note that the killer in Vengeance is Mine, is by no means a serial killer. I've heard him described as that, and its a misinformed judgement. A serial killers pathology revolves around sex. In this film, the killer murders out of a distance, a coldness for human life. He kills for money, shelter, for survival, having little care (although he does try) for anyones life but his own. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Originally broadcast in September of 1980 as a 5-part, 12-hourminiseries, Shogun stood out from the pack of television events at the time with its boldness of action and calculated risks. Based on JamesClavell's epic novel, Shogun stars Richard Chamberlain as JohnBlackthorne, a 17th-century English pilot commanding a Dutch ship that wrecks off the coast of Japan. Viewed suspiciously by local authorities, Blackthorneis at first in some danger of being executed. But with little hope ofreturning to Britain anytime soon, he begins to assimilate into the feudalsociety, befriending a powerful warlord (Toshiro Mifune) and wearing therobes of a samurai. Inevitably, Blackthorne begins to think of himself asJapanese, defending his hosts in battle, learning the language, and falling in love with an interpreter (Yoko Shimada). At the same time, his presence there exacerbates a problem with would-be European colonialists gazing at Japan covetously. Directed by journeyman Jerry London, Shogun immediatelycaught on with its blend of romance, exoticism, and compelling myth of anoutsider's reinvention--a story that becomes sadder as it becomes clear that Blackthorne may never see his home again. The production deliberately pushed hard against various television taboos and audience expectations, including the extensive use of Japanese dialogue, startling violence, near nudity, and profane behavior. That all looks tamer now, of course, but Shogun is still a unique entry in the phenomenon of prestige miniseries from the late 1970s and early '80s. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Viewing this will only make you yen for the original...
I just spent the weekend watching the complete video tape version of this classic mini-series and I thought I would give the one tape version a second viewing. To be fair, this version is, as others have noted, an above average job of reducing "Shogun" to a single cassette. But doing so really takes away a complete dimension from this epic. Ultimately it is comprehensible only to those who have read the book and/or seen the complete mini-series. You will constantly be thinking back to what they have cut out, filling in all of the jettisoned backstories of the supporting characters who gave "Shogun" its breadth and depth (especially Lord Yabu and Omi). You also lose the sense of the political intrigue, focusing more on the love affair between Pilot-Major Blackthorne and Mariko. Consequently, viewing this edited version is only going to make you want to go back to the complete mini-series or Clavell's novel. Therefore, you should just go do that in the first place. "Shogun" is on a level with "Roots" and "I, Claudius." Can you imagine them doing this to either of those classics?

Of course this begs the question: Why did they even bother to make this version? If memory serves, this was released at a time when no one had really tested the market in terms of making an entire mini-series available on tape. Fortunately, our local library has not only "Shogun" but just about every other major mini-series you can mention. Once I month I grab one for a major weekend viewing session. It is truly the only way to go.

a guro
I was waiting for this movie to end. It was so boring and just empty in content. Don't waste your time on it.

Cliff Notes
At this point in my young life I have learned to love literature in all ways possible. For the past few weeks I have been reading "Shogun", and I must say that it is worth it. However, while I was in the begining of the book, my parents encouraged me to watch the movie/TV. mini-seris "Shogun". So, as the story continues, I bought the two-hour version, and I must say it is horrible! The editers cut out three-quarters out of the book, so i must assume the same went for the original edition of "Shogun- The Epic Story". Basically if you have not read the book you will be completely lost, and if you have read the book, you would be appaled. This movie is merely, cliff notes, and nothing more than that. If you intend to receive the true meaning of the book, with out reading it, than i suggest to buy the original five day made-for-TV. movie, on Amazon, and sell it back used. Overall, the movie did not carry the theme of the book, so all "Shogun" fans if you buy this, do not expect much. Besides, the movie was extremly chopy. The person, whoever edited the movie did a fairly poor job.

SORRY BUT I WAS TERRIBLE
Shogun is a condensed movie, which has been edited from a mini-series. Therefore the entire story is not told. It is rather cut down to the base essentials of the plot, which consist of describing the experiences of the main character, a sea pirate for sailed for Japan. The story describes his experiences when he reaches Japan. By the editing of the footage the story can be followed but it makes less sense. For example, why does the main character the enemy of the translator. Or why is the main character drawing a map in another of the scenes. The editing allows the views to receive an idea of the plot but not really get into it in full force. The movie puts the Japanese into a poor light, especially at the beginning of the movie. They are presented as savages who lack compassion for the lives of those who have landed onto their island. One English speaking pirate exclaims, "Everything in this rotten country is upside-down." In this movie, which takes place in Japan, they characters who are Japanese speak their native language. The characters who know English speak in English as they really would. Therefore the experience is as thought you were really in Japan and everyone is speaking their native tongue. Apparently I am supposed to simulate the main character's experience of being in a native land in which I do not know the language. This method certainly makes the translations given more effective. However, it is quite annoying not be know the predominant amount of speak that is occurring in this film. When the main character learns the language, as he does, we still have yet to learn it (other than the word for yes) and so do not synthesize the main character's experience. Perhaps subtitles would have been more effective? This special effects were not the best in this film. For instance the rain sounded like static. Even the speak of the characters could sometimes not be understood (perhaps this is because of their heavy accent) For example, a character said, "I cannot live with out shame." I thought she said, "I cannot leave with out shame," and was left to ponder where she could not leave. (This method of threatening to kill themselves to get what they demanded was used quite effectively twice in the movie) All in all this was not a terrible movie, but it does not receive my recommendation because it is very difficult to remain interested in the movie when it is spoken like it is a foreign movie without subtitles. Perhaps the movie would have been more effective if it did not have the characters speak in Japanese quite as much. They could still speak about ¼ or the time but the movie would be mostly in English-therefore we would be able to understand what was going on, and not be left in the darkness.

good
It could only get the five stars if it was the full version. Does anyone know where I can get the full version? I need it, or at least want it pretty bad. ... Read more