Monsters come in all forms, shapes and sizes. They can pretty much be anything. Regardless of their form, some monsters can be downright horrifying.
Here are four Japanese monster movies that laid the groundwork for all of the much more hair-raising and terrifying monsters we see in today’s movies.
Which one is your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!
1. Yokai Monsters: 100 Monsters (1968)
What’s It About: The first of a trilogy. A greedy landowner has decided to redevelop the area and build a brothel. The one thing standing in his way… the local shrine. The local people are forced from their apartment and watch as the landowner fails to do a cleansing ritual before tearing down the shrine. Angered by the sudden eviction, the apartment building owner wants to reclaim his property and mysteriously dies. Something was unleashed in the village and now the people must deal with a divine wrath! Will the monsters get the justice they seek?
Starring: Jun Fujikami, Miwa Takada, Shinobu Araki
Where To Watch: AMC+ Amazon Prime Video, You Tube
Watch The Trailer Here:
2. The Mysterians (1957)
What’s It About: Ryoichi Shiraishi is an astrophysicist. His wife, sister and friend are attending a festival at the foot of Mount Fuji. A sudden fire explodes in the forest near the festival and the people scatter. The next day at work, Shiraishi learns from his mentor that a meteroid had landed on Earth. A massive earthquake strikes the village and while investigating, the people discover a giant robot roaming in the hillside. The aliens from the crashed meteroid reveal their demands to the people of Earth. Will Earth comply or will the people of Earth unite and fight against the alien invasion?
Starring: Kenji Sahara, Momoko Iwamoto, Haruo Nakajima
Where To Watch: Available on DVD on Amazon Prime
Watch The Trailer Here:
3. Son Of Godzilla (1967)
What’s It About: On a small remote island in the South Pacific, lives a monster. Godzilla has been living peacefully alone on the island. A group of scientist want to perfect a weather-controlling system and arrive on the island only to be plagued by large praying mantis. The bugs are large due to a malfunction in the weather balloon that caused a radioactive storm. After the storm passes, an egg rolls out from under a pile of Earth. The egg hatches and little Minilla comes into the world. He is half the size of Godzilla and Godzilla quickly teaches his son important monster ways. Will the two destroy the island or will the duo learn to live peacfully along side of the scientist?
Starring: Bibari Maeda, Tadao Takashima, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Where To Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, You Tube
Watch The Trailer Here:
4. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
DESTROY ALL MONSTERS
Toho
What’s It About: It’s close to the end of the 20th century and all of Earth’s kaiju (monsters) have been located to a research facility on a small island. One day all of the communcation on the island has been severed and the monsters start attacking world capitals. The United Nations Science Committee decides to send a crew to investigate. The crew discovers a group of female aliens that call themselves Kilaakas. They control the monsters now and have demands for the people of Earth. Will the crew be able to stop the Kilaakas or is Earth doomed?
Starring: Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi, Akira Kubo
Where To Watch: Tubi, Pluto TV, You Tube
Watch The Trailer Here:
