Giant Monsters On The Loose: January 2010

Sunday, January 31, 2010

TITANO: More fantastic than KING KONG!

Can an INVULNERABLE GORILLA with KRYPTONITE VISION defeat SUPERMAN?

The giant chimp Titano first appeared in Superman #127 (Feb 1959) -- originally named Toto, he was rocketed into space where his ship was bombarded with radiation. The results changed him into a giant ape with incredible strength that could shoot beams of Kryptonite radiation from his eyes. (As you can see from the cover of DC Special #16 below, DC Comics was big on "apes" during the 1950s and '60s.)

Excerpts from the Superman: The Animated Series 1997 episode "Monkey Fun"

Monday, January 25, 2010

Sherlock Holmes vs. Dinosaurs and Robots!

Coming to DVD this week: The folks at The Asylum have a brand-new take on Sherlock Holmes, wherein the Victorian detective "faces the ultimate challenge when enormous monsters attack London." (Giant monster fans will remember The Asylum as the studio behind Mega Shark Vs Giant Octopus and the King Kong-knockoff King of the Lost World.) As you can see from the poster and the trailer below, the film promises to include a giant squid, dinosaurs and/or robots.

Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot: Dragon, the Ninja Monster

Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot
Season 1 Ep. 7| 24:01
Emperor Guillotine sends a monster to earth that destroys a plane and a submarine. The vessels belonged to two countries that now want to go to war over the destroyed property.

Watch LAND OF THE GIANTS episodes free online!

Created by Irwin Allen (Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), the series Land of the Giants (1968-70) followed a group of space travelers stranded on a planet where everything is 12 times normal size. The castaways struggle to repair the damaged spacecraft and somehow get back to Earth, all the while hunted by the planet's totalitarian government.

Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot: Transformed Humans

Dr. Over makes Ligon swallow a train near Lake Biwa to kidnap Suzuki, one of the passengers and head of the Kyoto Branch of Unicorn Organization.

Watch VOLTRON episodes free online!

Adapted from two different Japanese anime television series, (Beast King Go-Lion and Armored Fleet Dairugger XV), Voltron: Defender of the Universe tells the story of the Galaxy Alliance, commissioned to explore the universe, help those in trouble, and fight the forces of evil. The Galaxy Alliance sends five determined explorers to protect the planet Arus -- five fierce lion-robots combine into the giant robot warrior Voltron.

Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot: Destroy the Dam

Satan Rose, a space plant that almost destroyed the earth in Episode 3, returns and becomes active again.

Watch GIGANTOR episodes free online!

Premiering in the mid-sixties, Gigantor is an American adaptation of the anime version of Tetsujin 28-go, a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama released in 1956. The friendly giant robot, controlled by Jimmy Sparks with a remote joystick, defends Earth against a hostile aliens and enemy robots.

New GAMERA DVDs!

The folks at Monster Island News report that Shout! Factory is working on new DVD releases of the classic Gamera movies from the 1960s. These new editions promise better quality prints, new subtitles, and bonus features. Huzzah!

Related:
Giant Monster Movies: Gamera

UPDATE: Here are the first four discs!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Giant Monster Movies: Ray Harryhausen

Here is the filmography of stop-motion animator Ray Harryhausen, pulled from our master list of Giant Monster Movies:

Giant Monster Movies: Ray Harryhausen
Mighty Joe Young (1949)
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1954)
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
The Animal World (1956)
20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958)
Mysterious Island (1961)
Jason and the Argonauts (1963)
First Men in the Moon (1964)
One Million Years B.C. (1966)
The Valley of Gwangi (1969)
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad (1974)
Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger (1977)
Clash of the Titans (1981)

More lists:
Giant Monster Movies: King Kong
Giant Monster Movies: Dinosaurs
Giant Monster Movies: Robots

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot: Tyrox, A Strange Monster

Emperor Guillotine sends Dr. Over and Ligon, a new weapon in the shape of a pyramid, to the earth. Ligon attempts to cripple the world's economy by destroying Middle Eastern oil fields.

Friday, January 1, 2010

Giant robot invaders!

This short film reportedly nabbed the director a $30M feature deal:

Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!) 2009

Ataque de Pánico! 2009 / SNAKE: Video Clip

Giant Monsters On The Loose