2013 IS 1973: "KAMEN RIDER V3" February 17, 1973 - February 9, 1974

へ〜んしん、V３ゃ!


Jacket for Toei Video's current DVD release. ©Toei/Ishimori Pro

The second and the highest-rated Kamen Rider series of the 1970s, KAMEN RIDER V3 was especially memorable for its non-stop action, dynamic mutant designs, exciting music score, and a solid cast led by the legendary Hiroshi Miyauchi. A Japanese university student, Shiro Kazami (Miyauchi), vows to avenge the murder of his family by taking on the sinister Destron organization. After being mortally wounded, Shiro is revived as the mighty fighting cyborg, Kamen Rider V3, to take on the ruthless Destron syndicate. An updated Kamen Rider V3 appeared in the feature, KAMEN RIDER: THE NEXT (2007).

OWN IT TODAY: All 52 English-subtitled episodes of KAMEN RIDER V3 are available on DVD from JN Productions/Generation Kikaida in one six-disc box set fully-loaded with special features, and digitally remastered sound and picture. Click here to order your copy of arguably the best Henshin Hero series of the '70s!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHINICHI "SONNY" CHIBA! Cracking Skulls Since January 23, 1939!

お誕生日おめでとう、千葉真一様!


Late '60s-early '70s portrait of a real mean bastard: Sonny Chiba!

¡VIVA CHIBA! Read more about his life and career, here!

2013 IS 1973: JUMBORG ACE『ジャンボーグA』January 17, 1973 - December 29, 1973

エメラルド星からの贈り物、ジャンボーグAだ！


Current DVD release from Toei Video. ©Tsuburaya Productions

JUMBORG ACE was the second of three visual effects series produced in celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Tsuburaya Productions in 1973. Jumborg Ace is given to mankind by benevolent Ultraman-like beings to fight evil invaders who threaten to conquer the Earth. Transmogrifying from an ordinary-looking Cessna aircraft, the pilot operates this giant cyborg in a similar fashion to the Jaegers in Guillermo Del Toro's PACIFIC RIM (2013). A re-imagined version of Jumborg Ace, named "Jean-bot", appeared in the feature film, ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL (2010).

SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199: CHAPTER 5 Theaters April 14 & BD/DVD May 28!

『宇宙戦艦ヤマト2199』Vol. 5 BD/DVD 5月28日発売！


General and Mrs. Domel are featured on Nobuteru Yuuki's jacket!

With the fourth installment of the SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 saga, "Defense of the Galactic March", opening in twelve select cinemas across Japan this weekend (two additional from the previous releases), the official YAMATO: 2199 website has announced the release of the fifth theatrical feature, "The Sorrow of Intergalactic Space", featuring Episodes 15-18, opening April 14, 2013. The Blu-ray and DVD release will follow on May 28th.

Dynamic torpedoes away slipcase art by veteran Naoyuki Kato!

The home video release of Volume 5 will contain a total of four half-hour episodes (15-18), plus a selection of special features, clocking in at 130 minutes of content for ¥8,190 for the Blu-ray (BCXA-0489, Region-free) and ¥7,140 for the DVD (BCBA-4320, Region 2). The DVD will be presented in 16:9 Anamorphic, Dual Layer, and Dolby Digital Stereo. Conversely, the Blu-ray will be presented in AVCHD, BD50G, 1080p, 16:9 Anamorphic, and Linear PCM Stereo.



Special Features will include a conversation between director Yutaka Izubuchi and original Sound Effects Designer Mitsuru Kashiwabara, an Audio Commentary with voice actors TBA and director Izubuchi, Chapter 3 Digest, Theatrical Trailers 1, and a special insert booklet. Both releases will feature the same jacket art by character designer Nobuteru Yuuki, and a slipcase by legendary Yamato illustrator, Naoyuki Kato. While the DVD contains all of the same extras, only the Blu-ray boasts the most special feature of all: English Subtitles.



The Yamato continues on it's voyage to Iscandar as it makes it's way deeper into Gamilas territory, towards the mid-way point, planet Balun. General Domel regroups his forces to meet the Yamato head-on — while members of the crew begin to plot against Captain Okita. Will all be lost? These new episodes will be expanding beyond the original 1974 story, so we can all look forward to this fresh and fully-realized remake of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO!



The episodes on Volume 5 will include:

HERE BE SPOILERS: WARING! WARING! WARING!

Episode 15. THE POINT OF NO RETURN (帰還限界点): General Domel continues his relentless attacks against the embattled Yamato, while crew begins to voice their unrest over the feasibility of the "Yamato Plan". The Yamato quickly warps in order to dodge a Gamilas recon squadron, but warps out into the middle of a large Gamilas fleet — all an elaborate trap sprung by Domel himself.

Episode 16. ALTERNATIVE FUTURES (未来への選択): Bloodied but unbowed, the Yamato stops to resupply at Beemera, a planet with an environment closely matching that of the Earth — suitable for human migration. While Kodai leads a survey mission, the growing and restless anti-"Yamato Plan" faction aboard the ship breaks out in revolt. What will be the fate of Captain Okita and XO Sanada, whose very lives are threatened by the mutineers?

Episode 17. FROM THE FOREST OF MEMORIES (記憶の森から): Kodai returns from the ruins on Beemera with valuable data. By leveraging a Subspace Gate left by the planet's lost civilization, the possibility that a vast span of tens of thousands of light years may be achieved in a single leap. Kodai, Sanada, and Yuki go into the Satellite System in order to restart the gate, but...

Episode 18. TRANSCEND THE DWINDLING LIGHT (昏き光を越えて): Successfully engaging the Subspace Gate from Beemera, the Yamato arrives at planet Balun. A massive flotilla of Gamilas warships, numbering more than 10,000, has also gathered there. But, to reach the Large Magellanic Cloud, they must pass through Balun's Gate. Okita decides to flirt with death by making a break for it — by plunging straight through the Gamilas flotilla.

You can pre-order your copy of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 Volume 5, by clicking here to visit Amazon Japan (with English language support)! Stay tuned to this blog and the Cosmo DNA website for more news and information on SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO: 2199 as they develop — and soon, we'll be off to outer space, on shiny discs of blue!

ADDENDUM: In April 2013, the titles for Episodes 17 and 18 were officially announced as changed from those previously released and published on my blog. Those changes have been reflected, above, and the previous titles are noted, below: Episode 17: ENGRAVED WORDS, SLEEPING PAST (眠れる過去 刻まれた言葉) and Episode 18: OPERATION: BALUN BREAKTHROUGH (バラン星突破作戦).

2013 IS 1973: "FIREMAN" 『ファイヤーマン』 January 7, 1973 - July 30, 1973

アバン大陸のヒーロー、ファイヤーマン誕生！


Original DVD pressing from Geneon Entertainment, 2004. ©TPC

FIREMAN was the first of three visual effects series produced as part of the celebration of Tsuburaya Productions' 10th Anniversary in 1973. Although short-lived with only 30 episodes, FIREMAN was arguably the best of the three, and remains a fan favorite to this day, bolstered by some introspective teleplays, a generally darker tone, and the casting of actor Shin Kishida in the main cast. An updated and re-imagined version of Fireman, named "Glenfire", appeared in the feature film, ULTRAMAN ZERO: THE REVENGE OF BELIAL (2010).

2013 IS 1973: "BABLE II"『バビル2世』 January 1, 1973 - September 24, 1973

超能力少年バビル２世！


Rodem, Roporos, and Poseidon join Babel II against the evil Yomi!

Toei Animation's 39-episode series was based on the popular manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama, first published in 1971. A seemingly ordinary Japanese schoolboy, discovers the truth that he is the reincarnation of an extraterrestrial being, and the inheritor of latent, but tremendous psychic powers — and the command of three familiars: Rodem, a shape-shifting panther, Roporos, a flying dinosaurian creature, and Poseidon, a titanic, ocean-dwelling robot. Together, they fight the fiendish forces of Yomi. The series was remade as a direct-to-video series in 1992, and as a 13-episode series in 2001. The original 1973 boasts the first theme song from vocalist, and king of anime singers, Ichiro Mizuki.

LIVE ACTION "GAIKING" FEATURE IS NOW A GO! Produced by Toei Animation & Gale Anne Hurd

Art for the original 1976 series from Akio Sugino and Toei Animation!

After being announced as in development at 2010 Tokyo Animation Fair, heralded by an exciting promo trailer that set the web on fire around the world, the production of a live action adaptation of Toei Animation's popular 1976 super robot series, GIANT SPACE DRAGON: GAIKING (aka "Dino Mech Gaiking") fell silent. Initially, it was only announced that Toei's partners were to be Americans Jules Urbach (founder CEO Lightstage & Otoy) and Matthew Gratzner (visual effects supervisor of HUGO). Until now.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the story today that the film has now secured solid production partners in the form of veteran producer Gale Anne Hurd via Valhalla Entertainment, Toei Animation, and Danny Choo's All Nippon Entertainment Works (ANEW), who are teaming up to develop the property for the big screen. Of course, Hurd is no stranger to big-budget science fiction films, having produced such hits as ALIENS (1986), TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991), and is the executive producer of the AMC series, THE WALKING DEAD.

Here's the official press release from Valhalla Entertainment:

LOS ANGELES – December 18 , 2012 – Gale Anne Hurd’s Valhalla Entertainment (“The Walking Dead”) and Toei Animation have teamed with All Nippon Entertainment Works (ANEW) to develop Toei’s iconic anime property GAIKING. This marks a new push for Toei into the U.S. marketplace and the first development deal for ANEW. GAIKING follows a young man who is recruited to serve as the lead pilot for the Super Robot Gaiking.

When Earth is threatened by an alien race intent on taking over the planet, he emerges as the only one who can pilot the massive robot. Together with his fellow co-pilots he must fight off the alien force in order to save mankind.

“I’m extremely excited to be working on GAIKING,” said Hurd, “which marks a huge step forward in adapting one of the best Japanese IP for a global audience.”

Valhalla Entertainment recently announced their USA Network pilot HORIZON for Universal Cable Productions. Additional projects on their development slate include THUNDER ROAD for Discovery Channel, RECONSTRUCTION at The History Channel, JANE WAYNE with USA Network, 11th COMMANDMENT with NBC, and AREA 51 at AMC.

On the feature side, Gale Anne Hurd executive produced the upcoming Sundance Premiere film, VERY GOOD GIRLS, and is moving forward on the action/thriller THE NAMELESS with Route One. Hurd is also known for her sci-fi blockbusters THE TERMINATOR 1 & 2, ALIENS, ARMAGEDDON, and THE INCREDIBLE HULK.

ANEW, led by CEO Sandy Climan, is dedicated to partnering with Japanese underlying rights holders to develop creative content, including films, books, toys, animation, and manga, into global English language motion pictures and television. It has an initial capitalization of $80M from the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), a public-private investment fund affiliated with the Japanese government. ANEW’s creative partners include a broad spectrum of the leading media and entertainment companies in Japan.

“ANEW’s mission is to bring the highest quality Japanese stories to a global audience in partnership with world-class producers,” said Climan, “I am thrilled that ANEW is joining with Toei Animation and Valhalla Entertainment in developing this landmark property into a major motion picture.”

Toei Animation is the largest animation production company in Japan and is responsible for thousands of hours of programming, including DRAGON BALL, SAILOR MOON, and SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK, which is being remade as a 3D CG animated feature film. Since it’s founding in 1956, Toei has produced more than 10,000 episodes of TV (191 titles) and over 200 animated feature films. Toei Animation is the original rights holder of the underlying GAIKING IP and a Co-Producer with Valhalla Entertainment.

“Gaiking has long been one of the most beloved giant robot animation franchises with a global fan base. We are very excited to be partnering with Valhalla Entertainment and ANEW to bring this title to a worldwide audience as a live-action feature film, which we hope to be the first of many more to come from Toei’s large stable of IPs,” said Yoshi Ikezawa of Toei Animation.

Gale Anne Hurd will serve as lead producer on the project. Yoshi Ikezawa of Toei Animation and Joseph Chou will also serve as producers. Sandy Climan, Tim Kwok, and Kozo Morishita of Toei Animation are executive producing. Kris Henigman, Director of Development at Valhalla, will oversee development for the company in association with Annmarie Bailey, Vice President of Creative Affairs for ANEW.

This is exciting news, and the production of GAIKING probably got a kick in the pants due to the frevor over the upcoming Guillermo Del Toro Japanese-inspired giant robot epic, PACIFIC RIM, opening world-wide next Summer — and it's about damned time.

Let's hope that GAIKING will be a huge success, so we can finally see spectacular live action adaptations of MAZINGER Z and GRENDIZER. And who knows, can we hope for a big screen versions of GETTER ROBO and DANGUARD ACE?

JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT! Shout! Factory's Complete Series DVD Box Set

Official cover art for Shout! Factory's newest tokusatsu acquisition! 

Shout! Factory does it again! Hot on the heels of their recent ULTRA SEVEN release, comes the eagerly-awaited and long overdue home video debut of Toei TV Productions' 1967 tokusatsu series, GIANT ROBO, adapted by American International Television as JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT, on March 26, 2013!

Back in the days when ULTRAMAN and THE SPACE GIANTS were all the rage on syndicated television, JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT struck a special cord with kids. Why? Because it's tells of the adventures of a youngster and his giant robot in their fight to save the world — the ultimate boy's wish-fulfilling fantasy.

And even after 45 years, JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT has not lost any of it's outre, mondo-offbeat style nor it's earnest, tongue-in-cheek charm — accompanied by a swingin' jazz spy soundtrack — which set the stage for the pantheon of Toei Superheroes to come, such as the Kamen Rider and Super Sentai series.

Follow the far-out exploits of Johnny Sokko, a young secret agent with the Unicorn Peace Organization, as he battles the evil forces of the extraterrestrial dictator Emperor Guillotine, and his nefarious Gargoyle Gang! Joining the fight to save the world is an atomic-powered giant flying robot — armed with a fantastic array of super weapons — which only Johnny can command with a special remote-control watch!

Take JAMES BOND, JOHNNY QUEST, and stir in ULTRAMAN, and you get JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT! Created by the makers of GIGANTOR and KAMEN RIDER, all 26 action-packed episodes of outlandish adventure, colorful special effects, wild plots, outrageous villains, and even weirder monsters, Shout! Factory brings back this mind-bending classic in one complete, 4-disc box set — in all it’s uncut and unedited, English-dubbed glory — for only $39.97 MSRP.

As with ULTRA SEVEN, Shout! Factory's release of JOHNNY SOKKO AND HIS FLYING ROBOT will include a detailed liner notes booklet on the series written by Yours Truly!

"Giant Robot, use your Megaton Punch!"

HAPPY 58th ANNIVERSARY TO "GODZILLA"! Premiered in Japan on November 3, 1954

Still the "King of the Monsters" after all these years! ©Toho Co. Ltd.

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 30 The Black Cat (1934)

A perverse pre-code masterpiece and a box-office hit for Universal!

On the thirtieth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, thirty Black Cats, twenty-nine Colossal Beasts, twenty-eight Haunted Houses, twenty-seven Poison Potions, twenty-six Pinewood Coffins, twenty-five Rattling Bones, twenty-four Creepy Crawlers, twenty-three Gypsy Curses, twenty-two Hissing Reptiles, twenty-one Tana Leaves, twenty Trembling Tendrils, nineteen Creepy Uncles, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 29 The War of the Gargantuas & Monster Zero

Possibly the single greatest drive-in double feature of all time!

On the twenty-ninth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, twenty-nine Colossal Beasts, twenty-eight Haunted Houses, twenty-seven Poison Potions, twenty-six Pinewood Coffins, twenty-five Rattling Bones, twenty-four Creepy Crawlers, twenty-three Gypsy Curses, twenty-two Hissing Reptiles, twenty-one Tana Leaves, twenty Trembling Tendrils, nineteen Creepy Uncles, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 28 Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow (1959)

See! Poor Paul Blaisdell foiled by those darn, meddling kids!

On the twenty-eighth day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, twenty-eight Haunted Houses, twenty-seven Poison Potions, twenty-six Pinewood Coffins, twenty-five Rattling Bones, twenty-four Creepy Crawlers, twenty-three Gypsy Curses, twenty-two Hissing Reptiles, twenty-one Tana Leaves, twenty Trembling Tendrils, nineteen Creepy Uncles, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 27 The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)

Original Italian poster for this gorgeously shot Hammer Horror.

On the twenty-seventh day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, twenty-seven Poison Potions, twenty-six Pinewood Coffins, twenty-five Rattling Bones, twenty-four Creepy Crawlers, twenty-three Gypsy Curses, twenty-two Hissing Reptiles, twenty-one Tana Leaves, twenty Trembling Tendrils, nineteen Creepy Uncles, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!

THE 31 DAYS OF HALLOWEEN: DAY 26 Curse of the Undead (1959)

This effective Horror Western was originally conceived as a satire.

On the twenty-six day of Halloween, my true blood gave to me, twenty-six Pinewood Coffins, twenty-five Rattling Bones, twenty-four Creepy Crawlers, twenty-three Gypsy Curses, twenty-two Hissing Reptiles, twenty-one Tana Leaves, twenty Trembling Tendrils, nineteen Creepy Uncles, eighteen Eerie Cousins, seventeen Famous Monsters, sixteen Spiders Spinning, fifteen Witches Brewing, fourteen Voodoo Dollies, thirteen Ghosts a-Haunting, twelve Ghouls a-Grumbling, eleven Skulls a-Screaming, ten Zombies Feasting, nine Werewolves Howling, eight Mummies Crumbling, seven Vampires Preying, six Creatures S'laying, five Ghoulish Things, four Severed Limbs, three Shrunken Heads, two Devil Bats, and a Senior Lon Chaney!