MOTW 1-27-08 - MAJIN, MONSTER OF TERROR (1966)

[Xenorama ™]

Miwa Takada ... Kozasa Hanabusa
Yoshihiko Aoyama ... Tadafumi Hanabusa
Jun Fujimaki ... Kogenta
Yutaro Gomi ... Samanosuke
Tatsuo Endo ... Gunjuro
Riki Hashimoto ... Majin
Hideki Ninomiya ... Tadafumi as a boy

watched the subbed version of this, the picture is amazing, which makes the movie look even better. i saw more things than i ever had before.

i'm gonna separate the three Majin movies over the year of 1966, so we don't review them all at once, especially since they are all so similar.

the music also really helps this movie.

[hastur]

Another Childhood favorite!

How cool is Daimajin? Feudal Japan, Giant God/Monster, Ifukube music ........... Up there with the Toho movies man !

Thank God that this isn't being remade.

[Shonokin]

I thought it was being remade. Directed by Miike. Or did that wind up just being a rumor?

[Xenorama ™]

i believe it was canceled due to the poor performance of GAMERA THE BRAVE. i'd like to see what Miike would do, except that it would be 10 minutes too long...

[RedKing]

The subbed widescreen discs are great, but I wish they could have also included the AIP dub, as it was great, as always from Titan Productions! I didn't see the Majin movies until i was about 15 or 16, but I thought they were fantastic, and I still do! It's too bad Daiei didn't use ifukube for a Gamera movie or two, I'd have liked to see, or hear rather, how he would have scored Gamera.
The FX in this movie are fantastic-the whole thing could easily be mistaken for a Toho film since the FX are definitely on par with theirs and having an Ifukube score as well. I love when Majin impales the eville warlord with the spike from his head-whoever played Majin(I forget the man's name )really conveyed Majin's anger through his eyes alone-excellent acting there! I do wish the 2 sequels weren't as similar. I would have liked to see Majin take on an evil god or something like Daimon from YOKAI DAISENSO, that would ahve been something to see! The Miike remake of Majin was cancelled because of the poor retgurns of GAMERA THE BRAVE, which is too bad, as i think Miike would have made a good film.

[Gwangi]

I can tell you that Majin (along with both of the Gargantuas), were essentially the only Japanese creatures that truly frightened me! I mean when we see his face transforming into something horrific and gazing right back at you! Man!

And though, you really want to see the villain get his comeuppance, the way Majin kills him, wow!

But yes, it is the special effects and Ifkube's score that carry this movie and the whole series.

[Xenorama ™]

yep, he really gets what's coming to him. he was warned though, by the priestess. see what happens when you ignore them?