RAGONE HOSTS "ULTRAMAN" 50TH ANNIVERSARY A 12-Episode Marathon Streaming on July 31st!

「ウルトラマン50周年記念マラソン」ストリーミングイベント！


Shout! Factory TV’s ad for this upcoming 50th marathon event.

Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of ULTRAMAN this Sunday! On July 31st at Noon Pacific, I'll be hosting "The Ultraman 50th Anniversary Marathon" on Shout Factory TV. I've hand-picked 12 of my favorite episodes for this live, streaming tribute for my favorite teleseries of all time. In addition to an informative intro on the series, at the top of each episode, I'll share anecdotes, factoids, on the specific stories, and a whole lot more!

This only happens once every 50 years, so be sure to watch all the Ultra action on Shout Factory TV and on Pluto TV (Channel 515) or get the Pluto TV app for tablet and TV devices (Roku, Amazon Fire, Fire TV Stick, Android, Chromecast, and Apple Airplay), mobile (iOS, Android and Amazon), and on the web via your Desktops or Laptops, Macs and PCs. And don't forget to join us in the Ultra Twitter convo with the hashtag #Ultraman — SHUWATCH!

Schedule of Episodes*
12:00 pm – Ultraman 101 with host August Ragone 
12:15 pm – Episode 01: "Ultra Operation No. 1"
12:45 pm – Episode 03: "Science Patrol, Move Out!"
01:10 pm – Episode 07: "The Blue Stone of Villarge"
01:40 pm – Episode 15: "Terror of the Cosmic Rays"
02:10 pm – Episode 16: "Science Patrol Into Space" 
02:40 pm – Episode 17: "Passport to Infinity" 
03:10 pm – Episode 25: "Cyphon, the Mysterious Comet" 
03:40 pm – Episode 27: "Monster Majesty"
04:00 pm – Episode 28: "Human Specimens 5 & 6"
04:30 pm – Episode 33: "The Forbidden Words"
05:00 pm – Episode 36: "Arashi, Don’t Shoot!" 
05:30 pm – Episode 39: "Farewell, Ultraman!"

*Times listed are Pacific time, approximate and subject to change.

"NEW GAMERA" WILL BE REVEALED AT NYCC '15! October 8th on the Live Stage (Booth #656)

明日に角川映画はNYコミコンで新作『ガメラ』を発表します。

Gamera's getting off his back and going to New York Comic-Con.

Everyone has been awaiting a new Gamera film for the half-century Anniversary, and Kadokawa Daiei Studios Co., Ltd. (which owns the entirety of the Daiei Studios and their catalogue, including Gamera) was prepping a big announcement last May for a release in 2015 — which I covered, here — but never materialized. Most non-Japanese fans wondered why, not knowing the megalithic Kadokawa Group (the biggest publisher and film producer in Japan) was going through a series of major upheavals.

On June 22, 2013, nine subsidiary companies in the Kadokawa Group were merged (eight of them now operating as branding companies) and rechristened Kadokawa Corporation, while Kadokawa Productions was subsequently dissolved and integrated into their intellectual properties business headquarters. The restructuring continued when Kadokawa merged with Dwango, which owns Niconico (the Japanese version of YouTube), forming a new holding company, Kadokawa Dwango on May 14, 2014.

New York Comic-Con's listing for Kadokawa's Gamera presentation.

Now that the dust has settled, the plan to celebrate the colossal chelonian's 50th Anniversary is moving forward. Tomorrow, reps from Kadokawa Daiei will be hosting a half-hour presentation on the NYCC Live Stage (Booth #656) at the New York Comic-Con to announce a new "pilot film". What that intimates is a test film or a teaser for a full-blown feature film, that obviously, will not be ready in time for Gamera's official anniversary this year (the original film was released on November 27, 1965).

With the announcement taking place in less than 24 hours, there's no need to fret or speculate; I'm sure we'll see the announcements flow via the interwebs, tomorrow...

Sponsored by Shout! Factory and Famous Monsters of Filmland!

Meanwhile, don't forget I'll be hosting another "Kaiju Marathon" for Shout! Factory TV on October 17th — this time, we're presenting "Gamera's Revenge"! — streaming eleven of the terrible terrapin's feature films all day, absolutely free, starting at 8:00 am Eastern (stay tuned for more information)!

HOSTING SHOUT'S "KAIJU MOVIE MARATHON" 24-Hours of Japanese Monster Movies and Me!

新番組『怪獣映画大会』登場！


The monstrous event starts this Saturday at Midnight, Eastern Time!

Prepare yourselves for something monstrous on July 18th...

Shout! Factory TV has teamed up with the original monster fan magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland, to bring you the Kaiju Movie Marathon! Featuring nine classic Showa-era kaiju eiga (Japanese monster movies) from Toho Studios, spotlighting Godzilla, including hand-picked episodes of Tsuburaya Productions' ULTRA Q (1966) and ULTRA SEVEN (1967), streaming live for 24 hours on July 18th (from midnight to midnight Eastern Time). Hosted by Yours Truly!

Back in March, I was approached by a creative team at Shout! Factory to see if I wanted to be involved in this project, and I couldn't say no. Not only because this would be a fantastic opportunity, but because it was a chance to become a full, red-blooded, American Horror Host, just like my childhood hero, Bob Wilkins of "Creature Features" fame (if just for one day). They forwarded a rough script and told me to "make it your own." And that's exactly what I did.

We shot all of my segments in late June and I hope that everyone will enjoy them — I tried to keep it light, have fun with the material, but also be informative, drop some little known facts, and be completely respectful to the films and the genre (why wouldn't I? I love these films). I brought along some of my favorite Bullmark figures, several original movie posters, and some "Creature Features" tributes to decorate the set (shot at Chronicle Books in San Francisco).

Director Brian Blum, Cameraman Michael Bloom, and I had a blast!

This weekend's event will stream at www.shoutfactorytvlive.com. For mobile, tablet and connected TV devices the marathon is accessible via the Pluto TV app. The marathon is also available via Pluto TV (CH 427) in the living room (Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Android TV, Chromecast and Apple Airplay), on the go (apps for iOS, Android and Amazon) and at your fingertips on PCs, Macs via the web.

THE "KAIJU MOVIE MARATHON" SCHEDULE (All Times Eastern):

12:00 am — GODZILLA: The Uncut Japanese Original (1954)
01:45 am — ULTRA Q (1966)
05:15 am — ULTRA SEVEN (1967)
06:30 am — GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS (1954)
08:15 am — ULTRA SEVEN (1967)
09:00 am — RODAN (1956)
10:30 am — ULTRA SEVEN (1967)
11:15 am — GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955)
12:45 pm — ULTRA SEVEN (1967)
01:30 pm — GODZILLA VS. THE THING (1964)
03:15 pm — GHIDRAH, THE THREE-HEADED MONSTER (1964)
05:00 pm — MONSTER ZERO (1965)
06:45 pm — GODZILLA'S REVENGE (1969)
08:15 pm — TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975)
10:00 pm — Repeat: GODZILLA: The Uncut Japanese Original (1954)
11:45 pm — Repeat: GODZILLA'S REVENGE (1969)
01:15 am — Repeat: TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA (1975)

Just a note on the episodes I picked for this special presentation; all of them were not picked as the best of their respective series, but as the best of the kaiju-oriented episodes of each show. So, tune in for the kaiju calamity on July 18th, and live tweet with #godzilla. Shout! Factory TV and Famous Monsters of Filmland will be giving away prizes to fans and viewers of the marathon, including a $100 gift certificate for Shout! Factory merchandize.

In the words of Bob Wilkins, remember to "Watch Horror Films... Keep America Strong!"

(Viewers outside North America can view via Channel 427 on Pluto TV.)

SHOUTING KAIJU & STREAMING SUPERHEROES ULTRA Q & ULTRA SEVEN on Shout! Factory TV!

ストリーミング『ウルトラQ』と『ウルトラセブン』VOD !


Watch episodes of ULTRA Q online anywhere or on your TV via Roku!

Launching this past February, Shout! Factory TV is a free "premiere digital entertainment streaming service that brings timeless and contemporary cult favorites to pop culture fans," with the "highest quality video available for all titles," free-to-consumer ad supported, original videos, special bonus behind-the-scenes featurettes, and live programming (such as the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Turkey Day Marathon).


Watch episodes of ULTRA SEVEN online or on your TV via Roku!

On July 1st, the service uploaded all 28-episodes of the classic 1966 kaiju-fantasy series ULTRA Q (click link to start viewing), precursor to ULTRAMAN, and 48-episodes of the 1967 sci-fi superhero series ULTRA SEVEN (click to start viewing), which followed ULTRAMAN, produced by Eiji Tsuburaya's world-renown Tsuburaya Productions, and are fully subtitled in English!

So, for any of those of you in North America who passed on picking up the either or both of these series on DVD from the Shout! Factory label — here's your chance to see both of these classic series and find out what all the fuss is about. So, tune in and kaiju out!

"THE SPACEKEETERS" RETURN IN "STARZINGER"! Movie Collection from Shout! Factory in August

英語版総集編 『ＳＦ西遊記スタージンガー』米国 DVD新発売！


Shout! takes advantage of Toei Animation's classic promotional art.

Following up on their release of the GAKING: The Movie Collection, the champion of the Japanese fantasy film enthusiast, Shout! Factory is preparing to issue another 1970s anime classic, STARZINGER: The Movie Collection, a three-film compilation of the 73-episode series (it's unknown at press time if the last nine episodes, Starzinger II, are included), with English Dubbing commissioned by Toei Animation, written and directed by William Winckler (Tekkaman, The Space Knight).

Created by anime and manga pioneer Leiji Matsumoto, who also penned the classics SPACE PIRATE: CAPTAIN HARLOCK (the subject of an upcoming and highly anticipated CGI feature from Shinji Aramaki) and GALAXY EXPRESS 999, STARZINGER was originally subtitled as "SF Saiyuki," a reference to the Japanese moniker for the 16th Century Chinese long novel, Journey to the West — better known as The Monkey King — which also inspired Akira Toriyama's DRAGON BALL franchise.

In STARZINGER, Matsumoto transposes the narrative of Sun Wukong, along with his companions, protecting the pilgrimage of a buddhist monk, Tripitaka, into the vast cosmic tapestry of infinite space. Broadcast from April 2, 1978 through August 24, 1979, the series was produced to capitalize on the Anime Boom caused by the explosive popularity of SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO for which Matsumoto served as a production designer and director, during the very height of his meteoric rise.

The Milky Way is in chaos. Precious Galactic Energy, emanating from the Great Planet, located at the center of our galaxy, grows weak — causing structural anomalies in the very fabric of the cosmos, and mutating lifeforms in its proximity. In order to restore the cosmic balance, Princess Aurora of Earth makes the perilous 30,000 light year journey with her powerful cybernetic bodyguards, Jan Kugo, Sir Djorgo, and Don Hakka. Along the way, they face many trials and encounter evil creatures who jeopardize their mission.

While not widely broadcast during it's original release in North America, some readers may remember the series as THE SPACEKEETERS, one of the titles under the FORCE FIVE banner, a package of five different Toei Animation series syndicated in the '80s by US anime pioneer Jim Terry, later broadcast as feature film compilations on Showtime (which were followed by subsequent VHS releases via Family Home Entertainment).

Because of the failure of similar compilations of the past (namely the aforementioned F.H.E. release), Toei assembled a team of in-house writers, directors, and editors to tackle the problem by allowing all of the story's major story arcs and dilemmas to be spread over three films, instead of one — resulting in a much more satisfying viewing experience. The voice cast includes Paul Oberle (Zombrex: Dead Rising Sun), Kyle Rea (The Mythical Detective Loki), and Chase Masterson (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as Queen Lacet.

Shout's DVD-only release contains all three compilation films on two discs, running for a total of 360 minutes (approximately 5½ hours) in 2.0 Stereo. MSRP: $19.93. Street Date: August 20, 2013. Order from Amazon.com or directly from Shout! Factory!

BEFORE "PACIFIC RIM" THERE WAS "GAIKING"! Movie Collection from Shout! Factory Out Now

英語版『大空魔竜ガイキング』米国 DVD新発売！ 


Original 1976 promotional poster for SPACE DRAGON: GAIKING!

Before EVANGELION. Even longer before the announced Gale Anne Hurd production, which I reported on December 18th, there was SPACE DRAGON: GAIKING (Daimakuryu Gaikingu, 1976)! While not widely seen, some readers may remember GAIKING as one of the titles under the banner, FORCE FIVE, a package of five different Toei Animation series syndicated in North America during the '80s, later broadcast as feature film compilations on Showtime (followed by subsequent VHS releases via Family Home Entertainment).

GAIKING was part of an explosion of Super Robot animated series during the '70s (including live-action counterparts such as SUPER ROBOT: RED BARON), which rocket-punched their way into Japanese pop culture with Go Nagai's MAZINGER Z in 1972. While Nagai was the master of the genre, creating such memorable series as UFO ROBO: GRENDIZER (1975), GAIKING became a point of contention between Nagai and Toei Animation, in which Nagai walked. Toei brought in animator Akio Sugino (Cat's Eye) to complete the development of the series.

One of the early, and unique transforming robots — including Tohokushinsha's BRAVE RAIDEEN (1975) — GAIKING begat toys that were able to transform as well, leading to the later advent of THE TRANSFORMERS. The series was also notable for featuring a mobile transport for the robot (also housing three support mecha), its maintenance and relief crews, known as the titular "Space Dragon." This conceit allowed the main cast to travel to different countries across the globe to widen the scope of the action, as well as into interplanetary space.

Threatened with imminent destruction from a black hole, the ruler of the distant planet Zela, plots to invade our world. Emperor Darius assembles the "Black Horror Corps" to defeat any resistance and allow the people of Zela to immigrate to Earth. With his first-string "Combat Force" members assassinated, Professor Daimonji puts together a rag-tag team, led by former Red Suns baseball pitcher, Sanshiro Tsuwabuki to repel the invaders. Tsuwabuki's latent psychic abilities allows him to make a neural connection with the super robot, Gaiking, to protect mankind from the hordes of Black Horror Monsters!

On the eve of PACIFIC RIM, Shout! Factory has released GAIKING: THE MOVIE COLLECTION, a three-film compilation of the 44-episode series, with English Dubbing commissioned by Toei Animation, written and directed by William Winckler (Tekkaman, The Space Knight). Because of the failure of similar compilations of the past, Toei assembled a team of in-house writers, directors, and editors to tackle the problem by allowing all of the story's major story arcs and dilemmas to be spread over three films, instead of one — resulting in a more satisfying, coherent viewing experience.

Shout's DVD-only release contains all three compilation films on two discs, running for a total of 326 minutes (approximately 5½ hours) in 2.0 Stereo (with English Subtitles). MSRP: $19.93. Street Date: May 21, 2013. Order from Amazon.com or directly from Shout! Factory!

UPDATE ON "ULTRA Q: THE COMPLETE SERIES"! Specs for Shout! Factory's Upcoming Release

Iconic opening title animation will remain in beautiful B&W!

With the release of the news of Shout! Factory's impending release of ULTRA Q (see previous blog entry), there has been wild speculation on internet concerning the contents of this forthcoming set — since the series was remastered for HD 1080p and colorized for the domestic Japanese Blu-ray release by US-based Legend Films (who handled the colorization work on Ray Harryhausen's B&W classics) — since Shout! Factory's page for listed this title as being "color."


Ziggy Namegon and the Mollusks from Mars are slimier in B&W!

Now, the the truth can be told; according to Shout! Factory's VP of Acquisitions and Production, who spearheaded licensing the rights to ULTRA Q and ULTRA SEVEN, "I've seen it on (the check) discs; (our release will be) in B&W." So, there you have it; this release of ULTRA Q will be in it's original chiaroscuro color format, which made it so atmospheric — therefore, we can assume that the aforementioned colorized version will not be included in this release.


Yuriko and Jun, can't believe their ears — it's in Japanese!

Also, since there were no other details on neither the Shout! or Amazon listings, rumors began swirling that perhaps the "lost" English language tracks produced back by Film House Inc. in Toronto, back in 1966, might also be included — since they were unearthed as a result of the research on my book a few years ago. Cliff's reply was short and to the point: "(This release) is in Japanese with English subs."


Garamon is a-gog that he's finally going to be discovered in the US!

Containing all 28 B&W episodes on six discs (with a total running time of 690 minutes), the street date for ULTRA Q: THE COMPLETE SERIES is August 13, 2013 with an MSRP of $59.97. Format: NTSC. Region Encoding: Region 1. Includes extensive on-screen liner notes by Yours Truly on the development and production of the series. You can pre-order from Shout! Factory or Amazon, today!

SHOUT! FACTORY UNLEASHES "ULTRA Q"! Seminal Sci-Fi Series on US DVD August 13th

伝説の特撮番組『ウルトラQ』は米国DVDで登場！


Shout! Factory's package design for the forthcoming DVD release.

THE TRUTH CAN FINALLY BE TOLD... ULTRA Q is coming to DVD in the US from on August 13th! Eiji Tsuburaya's seminal 1966 science fantasy series, which spurred the creation of ULTRAMAN, is finally receiving its long-overdue release in North America, thanks to Cliff MacMillan of Shout! Factory, who has pushed through releases of the original GAMERA film series, neglected movies such as MESSAGE FROM SPACE, and tokusatsu teleseries, including ULTRA SEVEN and JOHNNY SOKKO. Details as to the contents of this release have yet to be officially announced, but I was contracted to provide content for their momentous home video releases of ULTRA Q and ULTRA SEVEN back in 2011.

So, for those unfamiliar with ULTRA Q, here's what I wrote for the DVD package copy:

“For the next 30 minutes, your eyes will leave your body and arrive in this strange moment in time…” In the world of ULTRA Q, the very fabric of nature is warped into a state of unbalance, and all manner of strange phenomenon and unearthly creatures threaten the very future of mankind! On the scene are a world-renowned scientist and his young friends — a female photojournalist, an aviator, and his co-pilot — who investigate these supernatural menaces. When sheer military might is futile, the intrepid team comes to the rescue, armed solely with their ingenuity and scientific prowess, to quell these malevolent forces and restore the balance of nature.

The precursor to ULTRAMAN, ULTRA Q is a seminal science-fantasy television series in the monstrous mold of THE OUTER LIMITS and THE X FILES. As deeply ingrained in Japan’s pop culture as THE TWILIGHT ZONE is in America’s, ULTRA Q is available for the first time ever in its entirety on DVD! Eiji Tsuburaya, the visual effects wizard behind GODZILLA, RODAN, and MOTHRA, creates a spectacular cavalcade of bizarre beasts and mass mayhem in each and every episode of this wildly popular series. Never before broadcast in North America, ULTRA Q stars Kenji Sahara (RODAN), Hiroko Sakurai (ULTRAMAN) and Yasuhiko Saijo (SON OF GODZILLA).

As with previous Japanese releases from Shout!, I wrote extensive liner notes on the making of the series, which will *not* be in a booklet this time, but rather on one of the actual discs, itself (which you scroll through to read). This essay contains numerous facts about the development, production, and even the lost English Dubbing, never before published in English! But, it's the fans who make these things happen — so please support these releases from Shout! — because, if you don't support them with your dollars, those "Bean Counters" in the front office will be led to believe there's no market in the US for these films and television series! So, order "ULTRA Q: The Complete Series" today!

Stay tuned for more information as it is cleared for release!

• Pre-order ULTRA Q from Shout! Factory 
• Pre-order ULTRA Q from Amazon

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!"

"ULTRA SEVEN" COMPLETE SERIES DVD BOX SET! Shout! Factory's 45th Anniversary Release!

デュア!『ウルトラセブン』DVDボックス米国で11月12日発売 !



On the eve of it's 45th Anniversary, the original 1967 teleseries, ULTRA SEVEN, the direct answer to Tsuburaya Productions' ULTRAMAN (1966), Shout! Factory will be issuing the "Complete Series" box set on DVD to North America! I was originally scheduled to make an official announcement on this release at this year's G-Fest convention in Chicago this past July, but I wasn't able to attend, so it was just decided to wait for the listing on Amazon to go up before shouting about it.

At this time, all I can say about the contents is that the set will contain the 48 available episodes of ULTRA SEVEN, not counting the "banned" Episode 12 ("From Another Planet With Love"), while the episodes themselves will be presented in Japanese with English Subtitles. The English Dubs were not considered, as the Hawaiian Dub (produced in 1975) is lost, and the Cinar Dub (produced in the mid-1980s) were prone to heavy editing, and somewhere along the way, three episodes turned up missing.

Uncut and presented in Japanese with English Subtitles, this box set will include a 24-page booklet on the making of ULTRA SEVEN, penned by Yours Truly (I also provided the package copy as well), and another special premium, but we'll save that as a surprise for later... Stay tuned for more details on the ULTRA SEVEN Complete Series DVD Box Set, as they are made available by Shout! Factory!

YET ANOTHER 15 MINUTES OF "MST3K" FAME Vol. XXIV: Fugitive Aliens & Mighty Jacks

Last April, while my cohorts and I were handling Haruo Nakajima's appearance at the Monsterpalooza convention in beautiful downtown Burbank, I was tapped by Shout! Factory to shoot an interview for their MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 box set containing, arguably, the best (and most infamous) episodes of the seires: Gamera. After we finished the coverage for Vol. XXI, Special Features Producer Jordan Fields revealed that they had cleared the rights for Sandy Frank's TIME OF THE APES, MIGHTY JACK, FUGITIVE ALIEN, and STAR FORCE ("Fugitive Alien II"), based on the respective television series from Tsuburaya Producitons, and asked if I had anything to say about them. Well, since I love this stuff, I did.

Released December 6, 2011, MST3K: Vol. XXII contained TIME OF THE APES, MIGHTY JACK, THE VIOLENT YEARS, and THE BRUTE MAN. I provided on-screen introductions for TIME OF THE APES and MIGHTY JACK. The former was a 26-episode take on the popular PLANET OF THE APES film series, ARMY OF THE APES (1974), and the latter was an hour-long, 13-episode science fiction-tinged espionage drama, MIGHTY JACK (1968). Of course, the condensation of 26-episodes into a 97-minute film, would make even this juvenile adventure series even more confounding — especially with Sandy Frank's excruciating dubbing — while MIGHTY JACK comes across as a poor man's WHAT'S UP TIGER LILY?, making it prime MST3K fodder.

The latest, MST3K Vol. XXIV, released July 31, 2012, features the two Sandy Frank films culled from the 24-episode series, STAR WOLF (1979), based on Edmund Hamilton's pulp sci-fi adventure, produced in the wake of STAR WARS: FUGITIVE ALIEN and STAR FORCE. Also included in this set are THE SWORD AND THE DRAGON and SAMSON VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMEN. For FUGITIVE ALIEN, I provide the on-screen introduction to kick off the extras for this set, which includes three "MST Hour Wraps" with Mike Nelson as Jack Perkins, "You Asked For It: Sandy Frank Speaks!", two shorts ("Snow Thrills" and "A Date With Your Family"), "Lucha Gringo: K. Gordon Murray Meets Santo", a TV Spot for SAMSON VS. THE VAMPIRE WOMEN, and "Life After "MST3K": Frank Conniff".

It was a fun morning providing some background on these television series, to put them into context for the legion of MSTies and the uninitiated, and it was an honor to be involved with Shout! Factory's continuing stellar presentations of MST3K. It would be a pleasure to do it again if they eventually clear the rights to release Toei's PRINCE OF SPACE, INVASION OF THE NEPTUNE MEN, and LEGEND OF THE DINOSAURS. I'd love to talk about the Phantom of Krankor, if you're reading this, Jordan...

MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 VS. GAMERA! Shout!'s Boxset Touches Down August 2, 2011!

Shout! Factory's vivid package art for the upcoming tin box.

Santa Monica-based label, Shout! Factory has finally cleared the way for the release of what some may believe is the greatest (or worse) riff on Japanese Monster Movies, ever — MST3K Vol. XX: "MST3K vs. Gamera"! That's right, all of the inept Sandy Frank versions of Daiei's classic Gamera series as they were ripped on MST3K, complete and uncut, all in one special tin box set dropping on August 2, 2011. The set will sport five discs featuring experiments 302: GAMERA (1991-06-08), 304: GAMERA VS. BARUGON (1991-06-22), 308: GAMERA VS. GAOS (1991-07-20), 312: GAMERA VS. GUIRON (1991-09-07) and 316: GAMERA VS. ZIGRA (1991-10-19). These films should also be special to hardcore Misties, since they were also featured during the original (and legendary) KTMA-TV's "Season 0" episodes.

The Special Features for MST3K Vol. XX: "MST3K vs. Gamera" will include these on-screen featurettes: "So Happy Together: A Look Back at MST3K and Gamera", "Gamera vs. The Chiodo Brothers", "Gamera Obscura: A Brief History by August Ragone" (hey, that's me!), as well as the original Japanese trailers & five limited-edition mini-posters by artist Steve Vance. This past April, while attending the "Monsterpalooza" convention in Burbank (we brought over Godzilla himself, Haruo Nakajima, for the show), I was interviewed by Shout! Factory's Jordan Fields, way up in a secluded hacienda in the Hollywood Hills. Keeping things light, I talked about the origins of Gamera, how the films were received in Japan, and how they were released in the US before Sandy Frank. I also spoke about how MST3K has kept Gamera in the public eye, and why we should thank Sandy Frank. Seriously.

MST3K Vol. XX: "MST3K vs. Gamera" is currently available for pre-order from a number of online retail sites, including Amazon.com, with an MSRP of $64.99. I predict that this will be one of the biggest-selling of all MST3K sets to date, and I urge you to order your own copy ASAP — because if you miss it, you'll spin right into orbit, just like that colossal turtle meat-filled chelonian himself!

KAIJU RAGONE INVADES COMIC-CON 2010! Kill Them All, Let Godzilla Sort Them Out!

It's that time of the year... The fandom miasma that is the San Diego Comic-Con International! I've returned to one of my favorite towns to sign the last remaining copies Chronicle Books has of my first book, EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS, which is almost entirely sold out — which is amazing, considering that the original print run was 15,000, bumped up from 10,000 when it became the most coveted book previewed at Comic-Con 2007 (at least, that's what my editors told me). This doesn't include copies that are on the shelves of bookstores around the world — from Tokyo to Paris — or those remaining with distributors. But, if you're at Comic-Con this weekend, I'll be happy to sign your copy, and destroy any resale value it could have had! But, that's up to you!

Aside from EIJI TSUBURAYA, I'm also hosting a presentation celebrating Shout! Factory's acquisition and release of the eight original Gamera films, produced between 1965 and 1980, spearheaded by the late director Noriaki Yuasa. I was hired as a Special Features Producer for this series of releases, and the first two have already been unleashed on an unsuspecting populace: Yuasa's GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER (1965) and Shigeo Tanaka's GAMERA VS. BARUGON (1966), the later of which featured visual effects helmed by Mr. Yuasa. These first two releases will also be available during Comic-Con at the Shout! Factory booth (#3749), and those who pick up either title will receive a free set of eight postcards, reproductions of the original Japanese hand-tinted lobby cards, representing scenes from each of films.

Here's the rundown of what's going down with me at Comic-Con 2010 (besides the usual off-duty chaos):

Thursday, July 22nd

12:00-1:00pm GAMERA, THE INVINCIBLE! — Author August Ragone (Chronicle Books' Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters) presents a visual tribute to Godzilla's No. 1 rival, the original Mutant Flying Turtle himself: Gamera! This program celebrates the first official DVD release of the original 1960s–1970s film series from Shout! Factory, with commentary on how Gamera was created and how the films were made, as well as rare, behind-the-scenes photographs and clips. Find out if Gamera is really full of turtle meat in the Q&A and win copies of Shout!'s latest release Gamera vs. Barugon — all in one colossal presentation guaranteed to knock you right out of your shell! Room 32AB

Friday, July 23rd

2:00-3:00pm EIJI TSUBURAYA: MASTER OF MONSTERS Book Signing — Author August Ragone will be on-hand once again to sign copies of his life and career biography of the man who brought Godzilla to life and created Ultraman, visual effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya! This session will be taking place at the Chronicle Books booth (#1506-1508), one day only!

Through this event that feels like one is riding on a tidal wave of terror, I hope to see some old faces and meet some new ones at this year's overwhelming psychotic cavalcade of electrifying horror known as the San Diego Comic-Con International! SEE! Dynamic Violence! SEE! Savage Action! SEE! Spectacular Thrills! It is seriously more fantastic than any written by Jules Verne! Seriously.

For more information on Comic-Con 2010 and to see this year's full schedule of events, click here!

"GAMERA VS. BARUGON" SPECIAL EDITION DVD! From Shout! Factory On July 10th!

Art courtesy of Shout! Factory ©Kadokawa Pictures

Freed from the Z Plan capsule, Gamera attacks a dam upon his return to Earth! Meanwhile, a private expedition to retrieve a rare opal in New Guinea, unwittingly unleashes the malevolent Barugon! Virtually unstoppable, and able to freeze anything in its path, the monstrous lizard turns modern cities into glaciers until Gamera arrives to challenge the marauder! But, even the fire-spitting terrapin becomes trapped in the creature’s frozen grip! Can one of the explorers, Keisuke Hirata (Kojiro Hongo, Satan’s Sword), and a New Guinea native, Karen (Kyoko Enami, The Woman Gambler), help to defeat Barugon before it plunges Japan into a new Ice Age?

GAMERA VS. BARUGON (1966) was the second entry in Daiei Studios’ monster series, directed by veteran Shigeo Tanaka (The Great Wall), is more lavish than the original in terms of scale and scope — shot in spectacular color! Noriaki Yuasa (Gamera, The Giant Monster) was relegated to helming the visual effects for this outing, and the results are fantastic! For the first time, Shout! Factory presents GAMERA VS. BARUGON in an all-new HD anamorphic widescreen transfer, in Japanese with English subtitles! Special Features include a collectible reversible cover, a special 12-page booklet featuring an essay by actor Kojiro Hongo, publicity galleries, and an Audio Commentary with Japanese Cinema historians August Ragone and Jason Varney!

Shout! Factory's Special Edition DVD of GAMERA VS. BARUGON hits retailers on July 10, 2010 for only $19.93! Order from the Shout! Factory website, and receive a special limited edition set of Gamera postcards — each representing one of the eight original Gamera films — free with your purchase!

"GAMERA" IS BOWLING OVER THE CRITICS! Unanimous Praise For Shout!'s New Release

米国版『大怪獣ガメラ』のDVDは、批評家から賞賛です!


©Kadokawa Pictures

With the impending May 18th release of Shout! Factory's Special Edition DVD of GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER (1965), the first of the original eight films to be released by the Santa Monica-based label, the reviews are coming in — and the early reports are stellar! While I have already received advance copies of the DVD, it would not be fair for me to review this disc myself (obviously). So, l will let the objective (and unapologetic) critics speak in their own words:

Kevin Pyrtle of WTF-Film.com: "First things first – the packaging on this release is exceptional all around... Opening the package one finds well designed disc art as well as a 12-page booklet, featuring a 2001 essay by director Noriaki Yuasa, character bios, [and] a neat anatomical rendering of Gamera himself... New in the supplemental department is a feature commentary by August Ragone... this is a fine track, offering insight into the Cold War setting of the film and a wealth of back info for the production and biographical information on the cast and crew... the well-translated subtitles [are the most literate] I’ve seen for a Japanese genre release... the work [Ragone] put into [the subtitles] shows. [Gamera] is a winner all around, and it’s wonderful to see another fan favorite getting its long-due respect... a must buy!"

Joe Cascio of DVD Drive-In: "Shout! Factory must be commended for such an excellent DVD presentation, giving this film the dignity and respect it deserves... The 2.35:1 black and white image is impeccably clean and transferred from an all new High Definition master created by vault elements... an excellent and very informative commentary by August Ragone... sheds new light on all of the film's key players like the late Noriaki Yuasa... as well as thorough biographies on all the leading actors and the genesis of what would eventually become Gamera... [his] playful comments about his distaste for the child character of Toshio Sakurai are also amusing... the dedicated fans at Shout! Factory... have obviously poured their heart and love into giving the genre fans the original GAMERA the way Noriaki Yuasa intended it to be seen."

Ian Jane of DVD Maniacs: "The best of the extra features on this disc is a commentary track from August Ragone... who quite obviously knows his stuff... [he] provides a lot of context... discussing how the Cuban Missile Crisis and other nuclear incidents set the stage for the film... If you've ever wanted to know more about the politics behind a film like Gamera, this is a pretty interesting way to learn about them, but we're also given a wealth of information about who worked on this picture, what else they may have done, how Japanese mythology is reflected in Kaiju films, and how the visual effects were done... Ragone keeps the facts coming quickly in this track, barely taking time to breath, and is never at a loss for words... The transfer is great and the extras are great. Shout! Factory has done an excellent job all around on this release and should be commended for their efforts..."

Stay tuned for more reviews as they come in...

THE COLOSSAL CHELONIAN LIVES! Shout! Factory Unleashes GAMERA on DVD!

©Kadokawa Pictures/Package design: Shout! Factory

Some of you may have wondered why the frequency of my blog entries have been somewhat sporadic of late, and finally I can share why. Late last summer, I was tapped as the Special Features Producer by Cliff MacMillan at Shout! Factory as they were negotiating with Kadokawa Pictures for the North American DVD rights to the original eight Gamera films. I had previously worked with Cliff over at BCI on the R1 DVD releases of the classic tokusatsu series IRON KING (1972) and SUPER ROBOT: RED BARON (1973). While I can't reveal too many details at this time, I can say that these will be DVDs that any self-respecting kaiju eiga fan shouldn't pass up!

Here's a snippet from Shout!'s press release: From Japan, the country that brought us such mythical movie monsters as Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra, storms Gamera, the titanic terrapin feared by adults and loved by children. On May 18, 2010, Shout! Factory will unleash GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER Special Edition on DVD for the first time in its unedited, original version, with English subtitles — in anamorphic widescreen from an all-new HD master. The DVD includes a 12-page booklet with an essay by the late director Noriaki Yuasa, a photo gallery, trailers, and more. The collectible GAMERA, THE GIANT MONSTER Special Edition DVD is priced to own at $19.93.

For Shout's Gamera releases, I've assembled an international rag-tag unit of die-hard fans, known as the "Z Plan Team", who have been working overtime in gathering as much information and materials on the original films as possible for the on-disc Special Features supplements (as well as the corresponding printed booklets), and we have uncovered tons of fascinating facts and trivia about the production of Daiei's beloved series. The Special Features will also include Audio Commentaries, with the first recorded by none other than Yours Truly. I hope that it will be entertaining and informative for new and old fans, alike (and I'm pretty sure that I'll get an earful from many of you once GAMERA streets on May 18th)!

Oh, and I've already seen the proofs of the full jacket design and booklet, and I have to give props to Kerrie Stouffer for some knock-out work! I think that you'll turn over on your shells when you see it! Stay tuned for more titanic terrapin DVD news as it develops...

GAMERA LIVES!