Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature Explained
is a 1967 Japanese superhero kaiju film directed by Hajime Tsuburaya, with special effects by Koichi Takano. Produced by Tsuburaya Productions and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the first film in the Ultraman franchise, consisting entirely of re-edited material from the original series.[1] In the film, an extraterrestrial defends Earth from giant monsters who pose a threat to humanity.
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature was released theatrically in Japan on July 22, 1967, where it was distributed by Toho as double feature with their film King Kong Escapes, which was less popular among Japanese children upon its release. During its theatrical run, it grossed in just three theaters in Tokyo.
Production
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature was edited from episodes 1, 8, 26, and 27 of the television series Ultraman[1] originally broadcast on the Japanese television station TBS from 1966 to 1967. The episodes were blown up to 35mm from their 16mm original television prints.
Release
Marketing
Since the majority of television-owning Japanese households had black-and-white televisions at the time of Ultraman's broadcast on TBS, the film was marketed as a color production to encourage children to watch it.
Theatrical
Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature was released theatrically in Japan on July 22, 1967, where it was distributed by Toho as double feature with King Kong Escapes, which was less popular among Japanese children upon its release. During its theatrical run, it grossed in just three theaters in Tokyo. The film has never been released in the United States.
Home media
In 2006, Avex Trax released the film on DVD. The film was included along with 5 other theatrical Ultraman films on a 9-disc box set released by Tsuburaya Productions on April 7, 2011, in celebration of their 45th anniversary.
Critical response
On review aggregator Filmarks, the film has an average rating of 3.2/5 based on 229 reviews.
References
- Footnotes
Bibliography
- Book: 不滅のヒーロー ウルトラマン白書. Immortal Hero: Ultraman White Paper. December 1982. Asahi Sonorama. B00LYV9N66. Japanese. .
- Book: Galbraith IV, Stuart . Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films . McFarland . 1993 . 0-89950-853-7 . Stuart Galbraith IV.
- Book: Galbraith IV, Stuart . The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography . October 29, 2013 . 2008 . . 978-1-4616-7374-3.
- Book: テレビマガジン特別編集 誕生40周年記念 ゴジラ大全集. TV Magazine Special Edition 40th Anniversary of the Birth of Godzilla Complete Works. Toshiaki Iwabatake. September 1, 1994. Kodansha. 4-06-178417-X. .
- Book: 円谷英二特撮世界. Eiji Tsuburaya's World of Tokusatsu. August 10, 2001. Keibunsha. 4-7669-3848-8. Japanese. .
- ウルトラマンG/ウルトラマンパワード. Ultraman Great/Ultraman Powered. Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK. 18. March 24, 2021. Kodansha. mook. Japanese. 978-4-06-520941-7. .
- Book: ULTRAMAN HISTORICA ウルトラQからシン・ウルトラマンまで. ULTRAMAN HISTORICA: From Ultra Q to Shin Ultraman. June 28, 2022. Kodansha. mook. Japanese. 978-4-06-528129-1. .
- Ragone. August. Making of Godzilla・Japan's Master of Monsters. The Japanese Fantasy Film Journal. 1981. 13. Greg Shoemaker.
- Book: Ragone, August. Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters. paperback. May 6, 2014. Chronicle Books. 978-1-4521-3539-7.
- Book: Ryfle. Steve. Godziszewski. Ed. Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa. Wesleyan University Press. October 3, 2017. 978-0819570871.
- Online references
- Web site: ウルトラマン(1967) . Ultraman (1967) . Japanese . . . September 11, 2022 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20220911041145/https://eiga.com/movie/34974/ . September 11, 2022 . live.
- Web site: 長編怪獣映画 ウルトラマン . Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature . Japanese . . TSUMIKI INC. . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220911042745/https://filmarks.com/movies/27051 . September 11, 2022 . . live.
- Web site: 最強のウルトラマン・ムービーシリーズ Vol.1 長篇怪獣映画 ウルトラマン . Strongest Ultraman Movie Series Vol. 1: Ultraman: Monster Movie Feature . Japanese . Oricon News . . September 11, 2022 . https://archive.today/20220911233619/https://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/385329/products/671149/1/ . September 11, 2022 . . live.
- Web site: April 7, 2011 . ウルトラシリーズ45周年記念 メモリアルムービーコレクション 1966-1984 DVD-BOX . Ultra Series 45th Anniversary Memorial Movie Collection 1966-1984 DVD-BOX . Japanese . Tsuburaya Station . . September 11, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220729171104/https://m-78.jp/ummc/ . July 29, 2022 . . live.
External links
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- Web site: CHOHEN KAIJU EIGA -UTUTORAMAN. April 30, 2009. . https://web.archive.org/web/20201026004929/https://www.citwf.com/film367266.htm. October 26, 2020. dead.
Notes and References
- Multiple sources: