<<< July 1 - 3, 2005 >>>

This series is also at the Egyptian June 24 - July 3, 2005.

Members! Don't Miss Our Members Only Mingler on June 26 at the Egyptian - featuring Godzilla experts & an Ice Cream Social hosted by Lickity Split.

What is it about watching actors in rubber monster suits kick the living daylights out of a plaster-and-paint model of Tokyo and each other, that seems so, well, satisfying? We can’t say for sure … WE JUST KNOW WE LOVE IT!! For those of you who didn’t get enough city-stomping, radioactive-fire-breathing action at last year’s 50^th Birthday Tribute to Godzilla, we’re back with more classics and rarities of the Japanese kaiju ("giant monster") genre – including the Los Angeles Theatrical Premieres of the latest Ultraman adventure, the spectacular ULTRAMAN THE NEXT, and the newest installment in the Godzilla series, the highly acclaimed GODZILLA FINAL WARS - !! Other highlights include a special program of material from the secret vaults of Tsuburaya Productions in Japan, including episodes of the never-before-seen-in-America TV series "MIRROR MAN" and "FIREMAN" from the early 1970’s; the rarely-screened Rankin/Bass collaboration with Toho, KING KONG ESCAPES (1968) featuring two giant Kongs (!); and arguably the most sought-after of all Japanese monster movies, the long-lost MATANGO (ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE), and much more!!

Friday, July 1– 7:30 PM

New, Uncut, Subtitled Print! EBIRAH, HORROR OF THE DEEP (GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER), 1966, Columbia, 83 min. Directed by Jun Fukuda. A bank robber and several young men wash ashore on tropical Letchi Island – where they find the secret base of a terrorist organization called "The Red Bamboo" that uses natives kidnapped from Mothra's island home as slave labor. With Mothra in hibernation on Infant Island and the giant crustacean Ebirah prowling the nearby ocean depths, escape seems impossible – until the castaways discover Godzilla asleep in one of Letchi's caves! Originally written as OPERATION ROBINSON CRUSOE: KING KONG VS. EBIRAH, a live-action adaptation of the 1966 Rankin-Bass "King Kong" cartoon show, the story was reworked and Godzilla became a last-minute substitute for the famous ape. As with INVASION OF THE ASTRO-MONSTERS, the human cast (led by INVASION co-stars Akira Takarada and Kumi Mizuno) carry the story, and once again deliver an entertaining adventure that would have been enjoyable even without the presence of giant monsters. EBIRAH: HORROR OF THE DEEP was released directly to television in the U.S. as the English dubbed GODZILLA VS. THE SEA MONSTER, so this is a rare opportunity to see the original Japanese version on the big screen. With Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Toru Watanabe and Akihiko Hirata. Special Effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. [In Japanese with English subtitles.]

KING KONG VS. GODZILLA, 1962, Universal, 91 min. Directed by Ishiro Honda. Special Effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. In 1960, legendary stop-motion artist Willis O'Brien approached producer John Beck about doing a sequel to the original KING KONG entitled "King Kong vs. Frankenstein." Beck promptly removed O'Brien from the project and pitched the idea to studios in the U.S. and Italy before approaching Toho Studios in Japan. Recognizing that a battle with the Eighth Wonder of the World would be the perfect comeback vehicle for Godzilla, Toho replaced Kong's opponent with their own King of the Monsters. Released as part of Toho's 30^th Anniversary Celebration, KING KONG VS. GODZILLA was a massive hit, selling more than 11 million tickets in Japan and establishing Godzilla as a franchise character. Director Honda and screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa crafted a light-hearted satiric romp that poked fun at the commercialism running rampant in the wake of television. The cast includes an eclectic mix of genre stars, comedy actors and Toho starlets – including actress Mie Hama, who holds the unique honor of playing love interests for both King Kong and James Bond (she co-starred with Sean Connery in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE). Before selling U.S. rights to Universal, Beck jettisoned most of the comedy and Akira Ifukube's incredible score in favor of newly-shot scenes featuring Michael Keith, James Yagi, and Harry Halcombe explaining the onscreen events, with music lifted from CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON. Despite constant rumors to the contrary, one thing not changed for the U.S. release was the film's ending – it is the same as in the Japanese version. With Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Ichiro Arashima, Mie Hama and Yu Fujiki.

GODZILLA TOKYO S.O.S., 2003, Toho, 91 min. Directed by Masaaki Tezuka. Special Effects by Eiichi Asada. Professor Shinichi Chujo is visited by some old friends: Mothra's twin priestesses, the Shobijin. The pair announce that Mechagodzilla is an affront to nature and the remains of the 1954 Godzilla must be returned to the sea. If this is done, Mothra will protect Japan from Godzilla; if not, she will become an enemy of mankind. The Japanese government is reluctant to put their trust in a creature that attacked them 40 years ago – but before a decision can be reached, Godzilla returns to take matters into his own hands. A direct sequel to both MOTHRA (1961) and GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA (2002), GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. brings an action-packed conclusion to the "Kiryu Saga." Godzilla is animalistic and violent in this film as it attacks naval forces and battles Mechagodzilla, Mothra and twin Mothra larvae; the giant turtle Kamoebas (from the 1970 Toho film YOG: MONSTER FROM SPACE) also makes a brief appearance as an early victim of the monster. After more than four decades, actor Hiroshi Koizumi reprises his role of Professor Chujo from in the original MOTHRA, while Yumiko Shaku has a cameo as Akane from GODZILLA AGAINST MECHAGODZILLA. With Noboru Kaneko, Miho Yoshioka, Katsuya Inozuka and Hiroshi Koizumi. [In Japanese with English subtitles] An Aero Exclusive!

Saturday, July 2 – 9:00 PM

Los Angeles Premiere!!

ULTRAMAN THE NEXT, 2004, Tsuburaya Prod., 97 min. Dir. Kazuya Konaka. Ultraman fans rejoice!! The latest feature-length installment in the series is arguably the best ever: an adrenaline-fueled, F/X-filled action-fest that’s easily on par with the recent Godzilla and Gamera features! Just as he is about to turn in his uniform to devote more time to his hospitalized young son, Maki, a jet pilot with the Japan Self Defense Forces, is ordered to identify or destroy a strange UFO that has been sighted on course for Tokyo. The two collide mid-air, and, incredibly, Maki survives with no memory of the crash. But he soon learns that a week earlier, another pilot who had had a similar experience with a UFO, had mutated into a huge monster that is now on the loose. Once the two finally meet, Maki, also, is transformed into a bizarre creature, but very different from the reptilian beast. Will Maki prevail or will the reptilian monster destroy him? And even if Maki does win, can he retain his humanity and avoid ending up becoming a dangerous monster just like the reptilian creature? With Tetsuya Bessho, Kenya Osumi , Kyoko Toyama. [In Japanese with English subtitles]

Sunday, July 3 – 5:00 PM

New, Uncut, Subtitled Print! SON OF GODZILLA, 1967, Columbia, 86 min. Dir. Jun Fukuda. Dismissed by some as just a "kiddy movie," SON OF GODZILLA is actually one of the best of the mid-60’s Godzilla films. Weather experiments on a remote island cause plants and animals to grow to massive size – including Minya, the smoke ring-blowing, fun-loving offspring of Godzilla. Together, father and son battle the giant spider Spigon, and bond in their own special, radioactive lizard way. An Aero Exclusive!