KAIJUNE!
MOTHRA VS GODZILLA 1964
Godzilla faces off against the benevolent insect monster-god Mothra in this clash of the titans, a crossover battle between two of Toho Studios’ most popular monsters—the last in which Godzilla would figure as a malevolent villain rather than a fearsome hero. Mothra vs. Godzilla marks a creative high point in the Godzilla series, with pointed social commentary from director Ishiro Honda, a masterful score by Akira Ifukube, and astonishing special-effects work by Eiji Tsuburaya.
Thursday, June 5
Director: Ishiro Honda​
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Starring: Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi
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Runtime: 89 min., Japan
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Language: Japanese w/ English subtitles
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THE X FROM OUTER SPACE 1967
When a crew of scientists returns from Mars with a sample of the space spores that contaminated their ship, they inadvertently bring about a nightmarish Earth invasion. After one of the spores is analyzed in a lab, it escapes, eventually growing into an enormous, rampaging beaked beast. An intergalactic monster movie from longtime Shochiku stable director Kazui Nihonmatsu, The X from Outer Space was the first in the studio’s short but memorable cycle of horror pictures.
Thursday, June 12
Director: Kazui Nihonmatsu​
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Starring: Shunya Wazaki, Itoko Harada, Shinichi Yanagisawa
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Runtime: 89 min., Japan
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Language: Japanese w/ English subtitles
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KING KONG 1976
Jessica Lange makes her silver screen debut caught in the giant (1,650 pound, iron hydraulic) grasp of cinema’s most terrifying monster: KING KONG! In Paramount’s mid-70s, huge budgeted re-boot of the 1933 classic, oil tycoon Charles Grodin travels (with stowaway primate paleontologist Jeff Bridges) to the far reaches of the Indian Ocean in search of petrol on a hitherto undiscovered island. What they find however, is much bigger than they could have ever imagined. So it’s off to the Big Apple with their new discovery, of course!
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Legendary producer Dino de Laurentis and director John Guillermin’s disaster epic of over-sized proportions resulted in equally catastrophic reviews, but wound up the 7th highest grossing film of 1977, raking in over three times its budget. Featuring spectacular special and makeup effects by masters Carlo Rambaldi (E.T. and Alien) and Rick Baker (An American Werewolf in London, Michael Jackson’s Thriller), including a king-sized climax atop the financial district’s newly erected Twin Towers!
Thursday, June 19
Director: John Guillermin​
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Starring: Jeff Bridges, Charles Grodin, Jessica Lange
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Runtime: 134 min., USA
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Language: English
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GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE 1995
After giant, pterodactyl-like Gyaos threaten the Japanese mainland, Gamera emerges from the Pacific to fight its arch-nemesis along with a plucky team of Japanese military officers and scientists. Star Ayako Fujitani made her big screen debut as the daughter of a Coast Guard officer who becomes psychically bonded with the giant rocket turtle in this wildly fun reboot of the famed kaiju series on its 30th anniversary.
Thursday, June 26
Director: Shusuke Kaneko
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Starring: Tsuyoshi Ihara, Shinobu Nakayama, Ayako Fujitani
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Runtime: 96 min., Japan
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Language: Japanese w/ English subtitles
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