Japanese Science Fiction Fantasy And Horror Films

This is a detailed analysis of 103 Japanese science fiction, horror and fantasy feature films released theatrically or directly to television in the United States from 1950 through 1992. Each entry provides a plot synopsis, critique, background on the production, contemporary review quotes, and a comparison between the U.S. and Japanese versions. The filmography is arranged by studio and includes American and Japanese titles, release dates and releasing studios; comprehensive production and cast credits; running time; U.S. rating (when appropriate); and alternate titles.

Those familiar with the author's previous forays into the world of Hong Kong Cinema and Spaghetti Westerns will know pretty much what to expect here, and it falls far short of any dictionary definition of "essential". Short, cursory capsule reviews, short on insight, style and cultural context and high on typographical and factual errors, accompanied by an arbitrary star rating from one to four. The main virtue of Weisser's self-published book is its rigorously completist approach. Even though it states that it is not the aim to include every single film from Japan ever released, with separate editions available for a more complete look at Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy, and Sex Films, and one planned for animation ("pleae check our subsiquent books" [sic], Weisser writes in the intro for the fourth edition), this initial volume certainly covers a lot of films and does give quite a good indication as to how much is actually out there.

The cinema of Japan predates that of Russia, China, and India, and it has been able to sustain itself without outside assistance for over a century. Japanese cinema's long history of production and considerable output has seen films made in a variety of genres, including melodramas, romances, gangster movies, samurai movies, musicals, horror films, and monster films. It has also produced some of the most famous names in the history of cinema: Akira Kurosawa, Hayao Miyazaki, Beat Takeshi, Toshirô Mifune, Godzilla, The Ring, Akira, Rashomon, and Seven Samurai. The Historical Dictionary of Japanese Cinema is an introduction to and overview of the long history of Japanese cinema. It aims to provide an entry point for those with little or no familiarity with the subject, while it is organized so that scholars in the field will also be able to use it to find specific information. This is done through a detailed chronology, an introductory essay, and appendixes of films, film studios, directors, and performers. The cross-referenced dictionary entries cover key films, genres, studios, directors, performers, and other individuals. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Japanese cinema.

In the years since Georges Méliès’s Le voyage dans la lune (A Trip to the Moon) was released in 1902, more than 1000 science fiction films have been made by filmmakers around the world. The versatility of science fiction cinema has allowed it to expand into a variety of different markets, appealing to age groups from small children to adults. The technical advances in filmmaking technology have enabled a new sophistication in visual effects. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction Cinema contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 400 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, films, companies, techniques, themes, and subgenres. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about science fiction cinema.

A comprehensive guide to science fiction films, which analyzes and contextualizes the most important examples of the genre, from Un voyage dans la lune (1902), to The Road (2009).

A Companion to Science Fiction assembles essays by aninternational range of scholars which discuss the contexts, themesand methods used by science fiction writers. This Companion conveys the scale and variety of sciencefiction. Shows how science fiction has been used as a means of debatingcultural issues. Essays by an international range of scholars discuss thecontexts, themes and methods used by science fiction writers. Addresses general topics, such as the history and origins ofthe genre, its engagement with science and gender, and nationalvariations of science fiction around the English-speakingworld. Maps out connections between science fiction, television, thecinema, virtual reality technology, and other aspects of theculture. Includes a section focusing on major figures, such as H.G.Wells, Arthur C. Clarke, and Ursula Le Guin. Offers close readings of particular novels, from MaryShelley’s Frankenstein to Margaret Atwood’sThe Handmaid’s Tale.

Originally published: Chicago: Lake Claremont Press, 2007.