Deleted: several shots of Godzilla's foot stepping on houses and huts. Notes on this release: But then we received complaints from our fans saying, 'It looks weird, it's not fresh.' 'The Giant Monster War') is a 1965 kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. It gets kinda redundant that this film goes back to back with Ghidrah, the three headed monster, so twice in a row we have Godzilla and Rodan fighting Ghidorah. [33] Effects animator Sadao Iizuka created the transport tractor beam and designed it after a neon club sign he saw in Shibuya Ward. It was rather poignant, since Nick Adams had died two years earlier. [18], Saperstein also proposed the inclusion of an American actor to help market the film in the United States. Desolate by the loss of his daughter, a geneticist creates a monstrous new mutation. [24] Adams' scenes were filmed within five weeks, between October 13 to November 18, 1965. Sent on the expedition are astronauts Glenn and Fuji who discover it's none other than King Ghidorah. [7] Nick Adams' voice was dubbed over by Goro Naya for the Japanese release. Dialogue was dubbed to English. There were several alterations made: 1. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Invasion of Astro-Monster Aliens from Planet X make an irresistible offer to the people of Earth: let them borrow Godzilla and Rodan to help defeat King Ghidorah, and in return they will provide a cure for all known human disease. The astronauts return to Earth and deliver the message. [3][11][12] The film stars Akira Takarada, Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Akira Kubo and Yoshio Tsuchiya, with Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla, Masaki Shinohara as Rodan and Shoichi Hirose as King Ghidorah. [51] In 2017, Janus Films and the Criterion Collection acquired the film, as well as other Godzilla titles, to stream on Starz and FilmStruck. [46] Unlike some previous Godzilla films which were heavily edited for their American release, the American and Japanese versions of the film were described as by David Kalat as "virtually identical". Glenn and Fuji sneak away during the battle and encounter two Xilien women, both of whom look identical to Namikawa. [31] Inoue later got in trouble after the hole was discovered, however, Inoue would later repeat this technique in Destroy All Monsters. Tetsuo is romantically involved with Fuji's sister, Haruno, but Fuji disapproves, finding him unworthy of Haruno. [25], The film's special effects were directed by Eiji Tsuburaya, while Teruyoshi Nakano served as the assistant special effects director. A lot of 'professional' film critics seem to have an irrational dislike of Godzilla films. "[20], The film had a lower budget than some of the previous films in the series. View production, box office, & company info. Astro-Monster can be seen as three science fictions films in one. Tetsuo sees Namikawa with Glenn and later follows her, but he is captured and imprisoned by Xilien spies. Deleted: some short shots of the Xilien UFOs. [28] Several P1 models were produced, with the biggest reaching 3 meters tall. It is the sixth film in the Godzilla franchise and Shōwa period. Todd A. Bobenrieth . 4. [22], In 1983, Paramount released the American version of the film on VHS and BetaMax as Godzilla vs. Monster Zero. 3. Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? [5] It was re-issued in Japan in 1971 where it was edited to a 74-minute running time under the title Kaiju daisenso Kingughidora tai Gojira (lit. Invasion of Astro-Monster (怪獣大戦争, Kaijū Daisensō, lit. 'The Giant Monster War')[1] is a 1965 kaiju film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Invasion of Astro Monsterwas ahead of its time. The film was a Japanese-American co-production; it was the second collaboration between Toho Studios and UPA. [48] The title Godzilla vs. Monster Zero was used when the film was broadcast on local American TV stations. He sells it to a businesswoman named Namikawa, but she disappears before paying him. No one loves and no one marries without the commandant’s permission – which is also judged by computer. [23] The Godzilla shie victory dance was added after Yoshio Tsuchiya suggested it to Tsuburaya, who was already supportive about anthropomorphizing monster characters with comical traits. 6. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. Invasion of Astro-Monster videocam Trailer N/A IMDB: 6.4 In the 6th Godzilla movie, mysterious aliens from the Planet X ask earth's people to help them save their world from the dreaded Ghidorah (aka "Monster Zero") by letting them "borrow" Godzilla and Rodan. Released by Toho Music in 2021 containing music from Invasion of Astro-Monster (Godzilla vs … "[54], During filming, Nick Adams delivered all of his lines in English; he was dubbed over by, In Japan, the film (including the 1971 re-issue) grossed, "Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965) The Criterion Collection", "Official exchange rate (LCU per US$, period average) - Japan", "DVD Reviews: Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and Invasion of Astro-Monster", "Criterion Collection Has Obtained Most of the Shōwa Era 'Godzilla' Films! Variety reported in June of 1966 that Henry G. Saperstein had wrapped post production on Invasion of Astro-Monster for a US release as "Invasion of the Astros". It played on a double bill with War of the Gargantuas. [36] The suits for King Ghidorah and Rodan were recycled from the previous film, albeit with some alterations. [27] Nakano recalled that audiences were divided over the dance. Title: 14 of 16 people found this review helpful. Invasion of Astro-Monster was released in North America by UPA and distributed by Maron Films in 1970 under the title Monster Zero. The aliens are actually planning to use the three monsters to take over our planet. [30] Against company policy, special effects art director Yasuyuki Inoue broke the sound stage floor and dug a hole to allow the P1 to rise from the subterranean base. Time travelers use Godzilla in their scheme to destroy Japan to prevent the country's future economic reign. They read Namikawa's note, which explains that the sound from Tetsuo's invention disrupts the Xiliens' electronics. Tetsuo has a prototype with him, which he activates, weakening their captors and allowing them to escape. Venture spleenwards or send a private message for details. Everything the alien Xiliens do is commanded by computers. The tape is played for the world's leaders, but instead it contains an ultimatum demanding that they surrender Earth to the Xiliens or be destroyed by Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah, who are all under the aliens' mental control. Toho 2016 Invasion of Astro-Monster DVD cover The Criterion Collection Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954-1975 Blu-ray cover The Criterion Collection Blu-Ray interior art Merchandise Theater programs. Several sound effects were added. This release included the remastered, widescreen versions of the Japanese and American versions, as well as image galleries, poster slideshows, original trailers, a biography on Tomoyuki Tanaka and an audio commentary by historian Stuart Galbraith IV. [52] In 2019, the Japanese version and export English version was included in a Blu-ray box set released by the Criterion Collection, which included all 15 films from the franchise's Shōwa era. The sixth entry in the Godzilla franchise, Kaijū Daisensō (The Great Monster War), initially released in the US as Monster Zero, also known as Invasion of Astro-Monster, and Godzilla vs. Monster Zero, is a sequel to Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster and stars Akira Kubo, Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Jun Tazaki, and the late Nick Adams. But that is also its most interesting element. ", "Criterion reveals the collection's 1000th disc: the ultimate Godzilla set", Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Legendary Giant Beast Wolfman vs. Godzilla, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Invasion_of_Astro-Monster&oldid=1015362073, Films with screenplays by Shinichi Sekizawa, Pages with non-numeric formatnum arguments, Articles containing Japanese-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Takamaru Sasaki as Chairman of Earth Committee, Kenzo Tabu as Commander from Planet X, Earth Unit, Sadamasa Arikawa – special effects photography, Mototaka Tomioka – special effects photography, Akira Watanabe – special effects art director, This page was last edited on 1 April 2021, at 01:17. Followed by a theatrical release in the United States on July 29, 1970 by Maron Films as Monster Zero on a double feature with The War of the Gargantuas. "[22], Honda contributed in designing Namikawa's makeup. Invasion of Astro-Monster Program Cover Back page The conference could take place later on". A film for every head of King Ghidorah! It is the sixth film in the Godzilla franchise and Shōwa period. Meanwhile, an inventor named Tetsuo has designed a personal alarm that emits an ear-splitting electric siren. Action 1970 1 hr 33 min. Following Ghidorah and a delay involving distribution issues, Ebirah and Son went directly to TV in 1968, Destroy All Monsters managed to be released theatrically in 1969, and finally, the film was released as Monster Zero in 1970, four years after its intended U.S. release. Invasion of Astro-Monster, though again a major departure from what the series started as, is still a fun monster movie. Godzilla battles an irradiated Ankylosaur and destroys Osaka in the process. [19][20] Saperstein said Adams was "terrific, a real professional. [53], From retrospective reviews, Jon Matsumoto of The Los Angeles Times declared Godzilla vs. Monster Zero as "a terrific bad movie", declaring that the film "contains most of the elements that made this film form so appealing to the average 5- to 12-year-old boy."