SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY (aka HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN) Thai Version: HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN (aka HANUMAN VS 7 ULTRAMAN and HARUMAN AND THE SEVEN ULTRAMAN) Thai Title: ?????? ?? 7 ????????? (Hanuman Pob Jed Yod Manud) Literal Translation: Hanuman and Seven Ultramen
Release Date: November 30, 1974 Running Time: 80 minutes Distributor: Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Japanese Version: SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY Japanese Title: ????6??VS???? (Urutora Roku Kyoudai tai Kaiju Gundam) Literal Translation: 6 Ultra Brothers vs the Monster Army Release Date: March 17, 1979 Running Time: 82 minutes Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Distributor: Shochiku Fuji Co., Ltd.
Thai Reissue: HANUMAN VS 11 ULTRAMAN Thai Title: ?????? ?? 11 ????????? (Hanuman Pob Sib Et Yod Manud) Literal Translation: Hanuman and Eleven Ultramen Release Date: April 28, 1984 Running Time: 103 minutes Distributor: Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd. Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Fuji Eiga, Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd. Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya, Sompote Saengduenchai Directors: Sompote Saengduenchai, Shohei Tojo FX Director: Kazuo Sagawa Writer: Bunkou Wakatsuki Music: Tohru Fuyuki Thai Theme Song "Hanuman and 7 Ultramen": Chai Muangsing and Sompoch Lampong Japanese Theme Song "Our Ultraman": Isao Sasaki and Columbia Cradle Club Cast Koh: Sanit Kaewdee Anun: Ouab Somchart Professor Visut: Yodchai Meksuwan Marisa: Pawwana Chanajit ZAT Agent Sipueak: Sipueak ZAT Agent Sisuriya: Sisuriya Bandits: Kan Booncho, Chan Wanpen, Somnouk Japanese Voice Cast Koh-chan: Ai Sasaki Ananda (Anun): Sumiko Shirakawa Professor Viruddo (Professor Visut): Takashi Nakagi Marisa: Yoko Kuri Shipuaku (Sipueak): Junpei Takiguchi Sisuriya: Shingo Kanemoto Bandits: Tetsuo Mizutori, Shigeo Hashimoto Ultraman: Toshio Furukawa Hanuman: Issei Futamata Mother of Ultra: Taeko Uesaka Narrator: Shojiro Kihara
Story: The union of the wind god Vayu and the celestial lady Sawaha (known in Hindi as Anjana) leads to the birth of Hanuman, the mischievous monkey deity.
The sun drifts closer to the Earth, causing soaring temperatures and severe drought in Thailand. The heat is so intense that Sipueak and Sisuriya, two male agents from the Thai branch of ZAT, strip down to their (what appear to be women`s onepiece) swimsuits and jump in a lake. Unfortunately the lake contains drinking water and no swimming is allowed. Trying to bring an end to the heat wave, a group of young children gather in the ruins of an old temple to perform a traditional Khon dance and pray for rain. A boy named Koh leads the ceremony with a ritualistic dance performed while wearing a mask bearing the likeness of Hanuman. Koh spots a trio of robbers stealing the head off a statue of Buddha. The boy tries to prevent the theft but is shot repeatedly in the face and killed. From the Land of Light in Nebula M78, the Mother of Ultra witnesses the tragedy. Reaching down from the heavens, she recovers Koh`s body and -- with the help of the six Ultra Brothers Ultraman, Zoffy, Ultra Seven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace, and Ultraman Taro -- merges the boy`s soul with the spirit of Hanuman. Koh is returned to life and sent back to Earth, where he discovers that his friend, a boy named Anun, has passed out from the intense heat. Transforming into Hanuman, Koh recovers the magical Sanyurarintorichawa Gochang flowers which he uses to revive Anun.
Koh next hunts down the thieves who murdered him. As Hanuman, he metes out some brutal justice by stomping and crushing all three robbers to death... hopping, scratching, and dancing all the while. After reattaching the Buddha statue`s head, Hanuman flies off to find his former master Rama, the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu, riding his fiery chariot through space. Hanuman convinces Rama to pull the sun back away from Earth and return it to its proper place in the solar system. Meanwhile, back in Thailand, scientist Professor Visut is in charge of an operation which will use rockets to seed clouds and create rain. Assisting him is his girlfriend (and Anun`s older sister) Marisa, the ZAT team members Sipueak and Sisuriya, and a ground crew wearing the uniforms of SAF (Science Attack Force) from Tsuburaya Productions` television series MAGMA MAN (Faiayuman, 1973). The first rocket launch is a success and creates a strong, if unfortunately brief, downpour. But Professor Visut`s second attempt is a disaster; the rocket explodes on the launch pad and destroys several nearby rockets in a series of fiery detonations.
The explosions also awaken several giant monsters -- Gomora from ULTRAMAN, Dustpan from MIRROR MAN, and Astromons, Tyrant and Dorobon from ULTRAMAN TARO -- who emerge from underground and proceed to destroy what`s left of the rocket base. The Thai air force proves useless in stopping the beasts` rampage, and the local people flee for their lives. Marisa searches for her brother Anun and finds him in a tree. The boy leads her into the forest and calls out repeatedly for Koh, who finally arrives and transforms into Hanuman. Hanuman challenges the five monsters. At first he gets the better of his foes, but after he is tripped by Dorobon the kaiju to gain the upper hand. After taking a fierce beating, Hanuman is trapped in a sphere of energy by Gomora. Just when all seems lost, the Ultra Brothers arrive to save the day. The over-matched monsters are quickly defeated... Tyrant is killed in an explosion, Astromons and Dustpan have their heads and limbs sliced off by energy rings tossed by Hanuman, and the monkey god and Ultraman literally strip the flesh from Dorobon`s bones. Only Gomora remains, and he is encircled by Ultramen and mercilessly beaten before Hanuman cuts him in two with a slash from his mystical sword. Hanuman celebrates their victory with another dance. He then hugs each Ultraman goodbye, and the alien heroes fly back to M78.
Notes: The Japanese/Thai co-production SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY stands as one of the weirdest Ultraman stories ever put to film. It also marks the beginning of what would become the darkest chapter in the history of Ultraman and Tsuburaya Productions.
In 1962, twenty-one year old Thai filmmaker and businessman Sompote Saengduenchai was awarded a government scholarship to study cinematography in Japan. During his time abroad, Saengduenchai visited with Eiji Tsuburaya at Toho Studios. He later returned to Thailand and established his own film company, Chaiyo Productions. In 1973, Sompote Saengduenchai and Noboru Tsuburaya (Eiji`s second son and then-CEO of Tsuburaya Productions) signed an agreement granting Chaiyo Productions the television broadcast rights in Thailand for the first six Ultra series (ULTRA Q through ULTRAMAN TARO) plus TPC’s superhero show JAMBORG ACE. The deal also led to the co-production of two feature films that would partner TPC`s creations with characters from the Thai studio. The first of these was JAMBORG ACE AND GIANT (??????A&??????, Janboogu Eesu to Jaianto), in which Jamborg Ace teamed up with Chaiyo’s Jang the Thai Giant. The movie opened March 16, 1974 in Thailand, where it was known as GIANT VS JAMBO `A` (???????????? ?? ????????, Yuk Wud Jaeng wu Jambo A). Next up was SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY -- aka HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN -- a truly unique entry in the Ultra series. Beyond the obvious distinction of being the first Ultraman production made outside of Japan, SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY was the first Ultra theatrical feature not mainly comprised of footage from previous Ultraman TV series (though some stock footage does appear in the film). And, as seen through the eyes of Sompote Saengduenchai, the Ultramen come across as both godlike and rather sadistic, excessively abusing their foes in a manner rarely seen in the Tsuburaya shows. The monsters are portrayed as destructive but comedic, engaging in silly behavior such as laughing and slapping each other on the back. Gomora boasts an array of new energy weapons, and the traditional TPC monster roars and cries have been replaced by sound effects from Toho`s FX movies, including the very familiar roars of Godzilla and Rodan.
SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY also introduced Chaiyo’s version of the white monkey Hanuman. A deity from Hindu mythology and religion, Hanuman played a central role in the
Ramayana (Journey of Rama), the Indian historical epic written by the Hindu poet Valmiki in the 4th Century BC. The tale spread across Southeast Asia and is known by many names, including
Ramakavaca in Indonesia,
Maharadya Lawana in the Phillipines, and as the
Ramakien (Glory of Rama) in Thailand. Hanuman is widely worshipped by followers of the Hindu faith, and festivals celebrating the monkey god`s birth are held each March and April. In SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY, Hanuman often dances and moves in the traditional Khon style inspired by the
Ramakien. Separately from TPC, Chaiyo would produce two more films starring Hanuman. HANUMAN AND THE FIVE RIDERS (???????????????????, Hanuman pob Har Aimoddaeng, 1975) was a direct sequel to SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY, detailing the Hellish fates of the three thieves killed by Hanuman in the Ultraman film. The movie was also an unauthorized team-up between Hanuman and the popular Masked Rider (Kamen Raidaa) characters created and owned by Shotaro Ishimori and Toei Co., Ltd. Much of the footage in the Thai film was directly lifted without Toei’s permission from the Japanese feature FIVE RIDERS VS KING DARK (Go-nin Raidaa tai Kingu Daaku, 1974). Following his official team-up with the Ultramen and his not-so-legit meeting with the Masked Riders, Hanuman would return to the big screen without Japanese co-stars in THE NOBLE WAR (???????????, Suk Kumpakan, 1984). The third Hanuman film was adapted from the
Ramakien and depicted the battle between the armies of Rama and the demon Thosaganth, told in the classic Khon style of dance and hand gestures.
While lead child actors Sanit Kaewdee (as Hanuman`s alter ego Koh) and Ouab Somchart (Anun) have no other credits of note, the cast of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY did feature a number of well known performers in Thailand. Yodchai Meksuwan (real name: Vichien Meksuwan), who portrayed Profesor Visut, was one of the country`s most famous leading actors of that time -- in 1974 alone he appeared in no less than twenty-two movies -- and is still active today. Pawwana Chanajit (real name: Arunya Laosangtong), who played Marisa, made her debut in the 1960 film SANGSOON and became a top star during the 1970s. Nicknamed "The Pearl of Asia", Chanajit also acted in Hong Kong under the name Liu Lan Ying, appearing in such films as THE KING BOXER (Xiao quan wang, 1971), THE BLOODY FIGHT (Xue dou, 1972), and THE ROARING LION (Shi hou, 1972).
The bumbling ZAT agents were played by Sipueak (aka Sripouk) and Sisuriya, two members of a four man comedy team called "Si-Si" (4 Colors) that was popular in Thailand during the 1960s and 70s. The pair had also appeared in the previous Chaiyo/Tsuburaya co-production, JAMBORG ACE AND GIANT. Tragically, they were in a terrible car accident at Ubonratchatani on December 22, 1974. Sisuriya was killed in the crash, and Sipueak was paralyzed below the waist and confined to a wheelchair until his death in 1981. The Japanese co-director of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY was Shohei Tojo, who had worked on the RETURN OF ULTRAMAN and ULTRAMAN LEO television series. Tojo would become one of the key directors for Toei`s Super Sentai series, directing episodes of GOGGLE FIVE (Dai Sentai Googuru Faibu, 1982), DYNAMAN (Kagaku Sentai Dainaman, 1983), ZYURANGER (Kyooryuu Sentai Juurenjaa, 1992), DAIRANGER (Gosei Sentai Dairenja, 1993), KAKURANGER (Ninja Sentai Kakurenjaa, 1994) and OHRANGER (Chooriki Sentai Oorenjaa, 1995). Special effects for the film were supervised by Kazuo Sagawa, who had worked under Eiji Tsuburaya at Toho before joining Tsuburaya Productions. The soundtrack was written by Tohru Fuyuki, another TPC veteran who had composed music for several Ultra Series starting with ULTRA SEVEN. Both men would work on Ultraman projects into the next millennium. The Thai version of the film begins with the theme song "Hanuman and 7 Ultramen", with vocals by Chai Muangsing and music by Sompoch Lampong. Muangsing (born Somsean Pantong) graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Art from Ratchapat University, and in 1995 was the recipient of the National Artist Award of Honor for his contributions to music and film. "Hanuman and 7 Ultramen" extolls the virtues of Hanuman and the movie, with lyrics proclaiming that "Hanuman is immortal. When the wind touches his body he is resurrected. His power is stronger than any others in the world and the universe" and "HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN is the funniest movie for everyone".
Chaiyo Productions opened the movie at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Bangkok Theatre on Saturday, November 30, 1974, with a wider release in Thailand following on February 19, 1975. But Tsuburaya Productions delayed the Japanese release of the film for several years, finally releasing a dubbed version in conjunction with another Ultraman movie, DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN, in March 1979. The two films were the first Ultraman titles distibuted by the Japanese studio Shochiku, who would handle theatrical releasing for most of Tsuburaya`s movies up to the present day. The movies -- along with the new animated television series THE ULTRAMAN (Za Urutoraman, 1979) -- were part of a "second generation" relaunch aimed at children too young to have seen the the earliest Ultraman shows. Both movies did extremely well, with TPC reporting that SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY topped the box office charts. In 1984, Sompote Saengduenchai edited in additional stock footage of Ultraman Leo, Astra, Father of Ultra, and Ultraman King and re-released the movie in Thailand as HANUMAN VS 11 ULTRAMAN. The new cut of the film debuted at the Coliseum Cinema- Paramount that April 28th. Decades after the two TPC/ Chiayo co-productions, the relationship between the companies took an odd turn. Following the death of Noboru Tsuburaya on June 11, 1995, Sompote Saengduenchai suddenly presented a contract, allegedly issued and signed by Noboru in 1976, granting Chaiyo the exclusive international copyright to JAMBORG ACE AND GIANT and SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY, the JAMBORG ACE television series, and all Ultraman shows and characters from ULTRA Q through ULTRAMAN TARO. Saengduenchai claimed these rights had been signed over to him as repayment of loans made during the production of the two Tsuburaya/Chaiyo films. But Tsuburaya Productions was extremely skeptical of the contract, considering that neither Noboru Tsuburaya nor Chaiyo had ever mentioned it in the two decades since the document was supposedly written. In addition, the contract itself contains a number of glaring errors including incorrect names for the company and several shows… even Noboru Tsuburaya’s own name and signature were misspelled “Noboru Truburaya”.
For obvious reasons, TPC considered the contract a forgery. But the Japanese courts ruled otherwise since the contract bore a
hanko mark, a rubber stamp used to authenticate official documents. While Tsuburaya appealed the ruling, Sompote Saengduenchai rushed to capitalize on his victory. He claimed he had actually co-created Ultraman with Eiji Tsuburaya, launched the "Tsuburaya-Chaiyo" brand, and announced a slew of new Ultraman TV, anime, and film projects... none of which were ever produced. Saengduenchai`s main interest seemed to be keeping Ultraman in the public eye in order to make as much money as possible from merchandising. Over the next several years Chaiyo licensed Ultraman for stage shows and toys in Asia, as well as DVD releases of ULTRA Q, ULTRAMAN and ULTRA SEVEN in the United States, all totally unauthorized by TPC. Meanwhile, Tsuburaya Productions continued to pursue legal channels in Japan, Thailand, and China (where Chaiyo had recently partnered with Guangzho Ruishi Culture Developing to produce a new Ultraman TV series). In 2007, the Thai Intellectual Property and International Trade court ruled in Tsuburaya`s favor, stating that Saengduenchai did not co-create Ultraman and had no rights to the character or franchise beyond the original 1973 agreement. The ruling was upheld in February 2008, based on conclusions by the Royal Thai Police that Noboru Tsuburaya`s signature on the Chaiyo contract was a forgery. Chaiyo was ordered to abandon the "Tsuburaya-Chaiyo" name and pay damages to TPC. In November 2009, a court in Guangdong province, China -- where Chiayo was developing their own Ultraman television series -- also sided with Tsuburaya Productions.
But in October 2010 the Tokyo District Court again upheld their previous decision in favor of Chaiyo, ruling that Tsuburaya Productions and Bandai pay damages to UMC (Ultra Man Corporation), a joint Thai/Japanese group based in Japan. An appeal to the Japanese Intellectual Property High Court overturned the lower court`s ruling in July of 2011, declaring that Bandai had already made sufficient reparations. While Tsuburaya Productions has now been victorious in the high courts of two of the three countries where their rights to Ultraman have been contested, the legal tug of war in Japan continues... and may drag on for years to come. For much more information on the Chaiyo/Tsuburaya debacle please see the
detailed report here on SciFi Japan. SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY was first issued on VHS in Japan in 1986, with the laserdisc following in 1991. Due to the ongoing litigation with Chaiyo, Tsuburaya Productions has chosen not to release the film on Region 2 DVD, and it is no longer listed among the Ultraman titles in TPC`s international sales catalog. The original Thai version, HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN, is available on Thai DVD and VCD from the label Tiga Co., Ltd. with the title HANUMAN VS 7 ULTRAMAN. A heavily reworked, English dubbed version was distributed to American television as
SPACE WARRIORS 2000.
Co-feature: ULTRAMAN LEO BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER BROTHERS Japanese Title: ??????????????? (Urutoraman Reo Kyoudai tai Kaiju Kyoudai) Literal Translation: Ultraman Leo Brothers vs the Monster Brothers
Release Date: April 28, 1979 Running Time: 25 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Tokyo Broadcasting System Distributor: Shochiku Fuji Co., Ltd. Producer: Akira Tsuburaya, Ken Kumagai, Kunio Kumagai Director: Nobuo Nakagawa FX Director: Nobuo Yajima Writer: Bunzo Wakatsuki Music: Tohru Fuyuki Cast Gen Ohtori: Ryu Manatsu Captain Dan Moroboshi: Koji Moritsugu Akio Kuroda: So Kuroda Kiyohiko Akaishi: Kenji Oshima Junko Shirakawa: Mieko Mita Haruko Momoi: Kiyoko Aratama Matsuki: Tomoko Ai Narrator: Tetsuro Sagawa
Story: A refugee on the Earth, Ultraman Leo lives in the disguise of Japanese Earthman Gen Ohtori. As a member of MAC (the Monster Attacking Crew) led by the injured Captain Moroboshi (aka Ultra Seven), he still remembers his life among friends and family on another world... especially times shared with his brother. Catastrophe strikes when two spark-spitting monsters of the same family, the giants Gallon and Liter, arise from beneath the earth. As MAC soldiers try to protect Japan from the Monster Brothers, Gen is again reminded of the bond between siblings as he struggles to rescue wounded children trapped beneath the burning debris left in the wake of the creatures` rampage. Through this chaos, a bright red meteor falls to Earth like a shooting star. A miracle from the heavens, the gift from outer space transforms into Leo`s brother Ultraman, Astra! The sudden reunion brings the powerful Leo Brothers together to unleash their Ultra Double Flasher technique against the Monster Brothers.
Notes: ULTRAMAN LEO (????????, Urutoraman Reo) was the seventh Ultra Series, with fifty-one episodes broadcast on TBS from April 12, 1974 to March 28, 1975. In sharp contrast to the previous series, ULTRAMAN TARO, LEO reflected the then-current trends in Japanese films and TV with more violent and serious stories. The main villains in ULTRAMAN LEO were the Magma Aliens, a vicious race attempting to conquer the universe. After destroying the homeworld of an Ultra colony in the Galactic Lion System of Nebula L77, the Magma set their sights on Earth. Ultra Seven comes to Earth`s defense but has his leg broken by the Magma`s giant monsters Red Gilas and Black Gilas. He is rescued by Leo, a survivor of the Magma attack on L77. While he recovers from his injuries, Ultra Seven resumes his human form of Dan Moroboshi and assumes command of the Earth defense unit MAC. Leo creates his own identity of Gen Ohtori and also joins MAC to fight the Magma Aliens and train under Moroboshi to become a true Ultraman.
The supporting cast for ULTRAMAN LEO featured the popular Toho actor Yu Fujiki. Fujiki`s credits include Akira Kurosawa`s THE LOWER DEPTHS (Donzoko, 1957) and THE HIDDEN FORTRESS (Kakushi Toride no San-akunin, 1958), and Ishiro Honda`s KING KONG VS GODZILLA (Kingukongu tai Gojira, 1962), ATRAGON (Kaitei Gunkan, 1963), and GODZILLA VS THE THING (Mosura tai Gojira, 1964). ULTRAMAN LEO Episode 22 was shown as a co-feature with SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY during the film`s theatrical runs in Tokyo and Osaka. The episode is notable because it introduced Astra, Leo`s brother who had been thought killed by the Magma Aliens. Astra would become a recurring character in the series, often fighting alongside his brother against the monsters and aliens invading Earth. ULTRAMAN LEO BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER BROTHERS is available in the ULTRAMAN LEO series collections on Region 2 DVD, and was also dubbed into English for release in Malaysia and Singapore. The episode began streaming (with English subtitles) on Crunchyroll as THE LEO BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER BROTHERS on November 12, 2014.
US version: SPACE WARRIORS 2000 Production Date: 1984 Running Time: 91 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Production: Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd., Spectacular Trading Company HK Ltd. Distributor: Cinema Shares International Television, Ltd. Producers: Dick Randall, Steve Minasian Director: Marc Smith, Sompote Sands (Saengduenchai) Music: De Wolfe Music Cast Bob: Robert Sessions Nicholas: Nicholas Curror Mom: Sarah Taunton Anna: Wendy Danvers Little Old Toymaker: Edmund
Story: During a trip to Vienna an American businessman named Bob purchased an Ultraman toy for his son, Nicholas. The doll is actually the real Ultraman in disguise, and he tells Nicholas that he has been waiting for someone pure of heart to aid him in a special mission to save Earth. Ultraman takes the spirit of Nicholas back to Nebula M78, where Ultra Mother Zazzy has assembled the Space Warriors: Whuzzy (Ultra Seven), Muton (Zoffy), Caldar (Ultraman Jack), Battar (Ultraman Ace), Garon (Ultraman Taro), Rael (Ultraman Leo), Danar (Astra), Ultra Father Agar, Andar (Ultraman Joneus), Bakkar (Ultraman 80), and Uncle Ikkor (Ultraman King). The Ultramen all agree that "Good must triumph over evil."
Nicholas witnesses a series of battles between the Space Warriors and numerous monsters and aliens such as Mr Bad (Red King) and the Lobstermen (the Baltans). His soul is merged with Garon`s, and Nicholas joins the fight against the deadly creatures. Meanwhile, the sun has moved closer to the Earth, causing a heat wave in Thailand. The Hindu deity Hanuman asks the sun god Rama to save the Earth because "Good must triumph over evil." The sun is returned to its normal position, but several monsters are revived by the changing environment and go on a rampage in Thailand. Hanuman battles the creatures but is overwhelmed until the Ultra Brothers come to his aid. Hanuman tells his new allies, "If we win this, everything is rosy. If we lose, the world is doomed. Makes ya kinda humble, doesn`t it?" The Space Warriors and Hanuman make short work of their foes. As the Ultramen fly off to M78, Nicholas wakes up back at home. "Too much dessert, I think," says his dad. "Go back to sleep."
Notes: In 1985, an odd, English dubbed version of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY debuted on American television as SPACE WARRIORS 2000. But after a few scattered broadcasts the movie disappeared from the airwaves, not to be seen again.
SPACE WARRIORS 2000 was the handiwork of Sompote Saengduenchai of Chaiyo Productions and American exploitation filmmaker Dick Randall. A former writer for the famous comedian Milton Berle, Randall had launched his own production and distribution business, Spectacular Trading Company, Ltd. (aka Spectacular International Films). Looking to develop new films as well as license foreign productions that could be reworked and dubbed for release in the United States and other territories, he quickly develop a long list of credits that included THE WILD WILD WORLD OF JAYNE MANSFIELD (1968), KING OF KONG ISLAND (1968), the martial arts movies THE REAL BRUCE LEE (1973) and THE CLONES OF BRUCE LEE (1981), FRANKENSTEIN`S CASTLE OF FREAKS (1974), the sex films BLACK DEEP THROAT (1976) and EMANUELLE GOES TO CANNES (1980), FOR Y`UR HEIGHT ONLY (1981) -- a James Bond spoof starring Filipino dwarf Weng Weng as ‘Agent 00’, and the cult favorite Spanish slasher flick PIECES (1982). Randall frequently moved from one country to another, shifting the offices of Spectacular Trading from the US to Italy, Hong Kong and, eventually, Britain. In the early 1980s, Dick Randall regularly attended the annual Cannes Film Market to set up deals for his international productions. It was there that he met Sompote Saengduenchai, who was looking for overseas markets for the films Chaiyo Productions had made following their two co-productions with Tsuburaya Pro. But Saengduenchai’s bizarre filmmaking style -- generally a mishmash of childish writing, amateurish special effects, nudity, poor production values, animal cruelty, crude jokes and excessive (if unrealistic) violence -- made the likes of COMPUTER SUPERMAN (????????????????????, 1977), PANDIN WIPPAYOKE (?????????????, 1978), PRINCE ROT AND PRINCESS MERI (?????-????, Phra Rot-Meri, 1981), and MAGIC LIZARD (????????????????, King-ka Kayasit, 1985) unsellable outside Thailand.
The meeting with Dick Randall would prove fortuitous for both men. Seeing the exploitation possibilities in Chaiyo’s CROCODILE (?????, Chorake, 1979), a JAWS knock-off about a giant crocodile, Randall recut the film and had it dubbed in English. He then began offering the foreign rights through Spectacular Trading with trade ads that enthusiastically -- though inaccurately -- boasted of the “Tremendous special effects created by Sompote Saengduenchai, who helped create the Japanese King Kong, Godzilla and Mothra.” Spectacular was able to sell CROCODILE to distributors in the United States, France, Greece, Germany and United Kingdom, making the film Chaiyo’s first (and only) international success. In 1981, Dick Randall also made the film KAMPUCHEA EXPRESS (aka ANGKOR: CAMBODIA EXPRESS) in Thailand, with Saengduenchai reportedly involved as a local co-producer. The final collaboration between Spectacular Trading Company and Chaiyo Productions would be SPACE WARRIORS 2000. In 1984, Saengduenchai had re-released SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY in Thailand as HANUMAN VS 11 ULTRAMAN, and around this time he and Dick Randall decided to create an English dubbed hybrid with newly shot scenes as well as material from other sources. While the bulk of SPACE WARRIORS 2000 came from SIX ULTRA BROTHERS, the film was also padded out with footage from the Japanese compilation movie ULTRAMAN ZOFFY which Saengduenchai licensed from Tsuburaya Productions in 1984. The film was produced by Dick Randall and his sometime partner, splatter film producer Steve Minasian (PIECES, DON`T OPEN TILL CHRISTMAS, SLAUGHTER HIGH). Sompote Saengduenchai was credited as co-director under the somewhat anglicized name "Sompote Sands". Sharing the directing duties was Marc Smith, a bit actor (LIVE AND LET DIE, THE FINAL CONFLICT, SLAUGHTER HIGH) who also did English dubbing work for anime such as PROJECT A-KO and DOMINION TANK POLICE.
The original Thai SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY is widely considered among the very worst Ultraman productions ever made, yet Saengduenchai, Randall and co. still managed to set the bar even lower with the English language version. Much of SPACE WARRIORS 2000 is handled in a comedic fashion, starting with the “humorous” opening titles which identify 2000 as “The Year of the Monkey Wrench” and provide phony cast credits for Mothra and "Godzelda". The new story created for SPACE WARRIORS 2000 is utterly nonsensical as events occur with no explanation, rhyme, or reason. Most of the Ultramen and monsters are given new names that randomly change throughout the picture. The characters also talk in synthesizer-distorted voices that are hard to understand. The monsters spout lines like "Who are these creeps?! I`ll have `em for lunch!" while the Ultramen repeatedly proclaim that "Good must triumph over evil." Adding to the film’s woes is its poor picture quality. The original Ultra Series episodes had been shot at the Academy aspect ratio for television broadcast, so Tsuburaya Productions had cropped that footage along the top and bottom of the frame to create a faux widescreen image for their theatrical movie compilations. But rather than go back to the original TV versions (which Chaiyo had the Thailand broadcast rights to), Chaiyo used the cropped widescreen scenes and cropped them yet again -- this time along the left and right sides -- to produce a new fullscreen picture for SPACE WARRIORS 2000. The end result is a zoomed-in, blurry mess showing only a fraction of the original image. Dick Randall was living in London at the time SPACE WARRIORS 2000 was put together, so the film features a framing sequence about a supposedly American family that are clearly played by British actors. The cast for the new scenes included Wendy Danvers, an actress who had appeared on the long-running sci-fi series DOCTOR WHO, and Sarah Taunton, best known from BBC productions of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and A MIDSUMMER NIGHT`S DREAM. The young boy Nicholas was played by Nick Curror, who as an adult has become a professional musician and stage actor with performances in ANYONE FOR BREAKFAST and THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST.
The soundtrack of SPACE WARRIORS 2000 is made up of cues from the pre-licensed stock music library De Wolfe Music. The most notable music track used is "The Gonk", the polka-like song made famous for its inclusion in George Romero`s horror classic DAWN OF THE DEAD (1978). Spectacular Trading Company initially promoted the movie as SPACE WARRIORS 1999 -- records also show another alternate title; SPACE INVADERS 1999 -- before settling on SPACE WARRIORS 2000. On November 30, 1984, the film was licensed in North America to Cinema Shares International Television, a division of the releasing company Cinema Shares International (best known to monster movie fans as the original US distributor of GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND, GODZILLA VS MEGALON and GODZILLA VS THE COSMIC MONSTER). The agreement granted CSITV home video, television and other non-theatrical rights in the United States and English-speaking Canada for fifteen years, with an option to renew those rights through 2006. In October 1985, SPACE WARRIORS 2000 began airing in syndication on a handful of American television stations, which soon brought the film to the attention of Tsuburaya Productions. After TPC complained that Chaiyo and Spectacular were not authorized to alter the Ultraman footage as they had, Cinema Shares International Television pulled the movie from circulation. That appears to have been the end of the road for SPACE WARRIORS 2000... CSITV never released it on VHS or laserdisc in North America, and the company folded long before their rights expired in November, 1999. Furthermore, there are no records indicating that SPACE WARRIORS 2000 was ever distributed in the UK or any other countries. In this case, perhaps good finally did triumph over evil, after all.
DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN Japanese Title: ??????????????? (Jissoji Akio Kantoku Sakuhin Urutoraman) Literal Translation: Ultraman The Movie: Directed by Akio Jissoji
Release Date: March 17, 1979 Running Time: 102 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Distributor: Shochiku Fuji Co., Ltd. Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya Director: Akio Jissoji FX Directors: Koichi Takano, Kazuo Sagawa, Kiyoshi Suzuki, Minoru Nakano Writer: Mamoru Sasaki Cinematographers: Yasumichi Fukuzawa, Masaharu Utsumi Music: Kunio Miyauchi Theme Song: Isao Sasaki Cast Shin Hayata: Susumu Kurobe Captain Toshio Muramatsu: Akiji Kobayashi Daisuke Arashi: Sandaiyu Dokumamushi Mitsuhiro Ide: Masanari Nihei Akiko Fuji: Hiroko Sakurai Ultraman: Satoshi "Bin" Furuya Narrator: Mitsu Urano
Story: After being teased at school for his monster drawing, a young boy named Mushiba goes to a pipe-yard and draws his creation, Gavadon, on the side of a large pipe. Strange cosmic rays emanating from space, cause the child’s drawing to come to life. The Science Patrol arrive to attack the creature, but all it does is sleep until nightfall when it suddenly disappears.
Once the children discover that Mushiba’s drawing has come to life, they take crayon in hand and add more details and color to the monster, which up to now only looked like a white tadpole. As sunrise approaches, the monster lives again, sleeping the day away. All life and business in the city comes to a grinding halt. The Science Patrol again attacks Gavadon, and the enraged monster fights back. Ultraman appears and battles Gavadon, finally lifting the beast up and flying off into space. Later that night, he appears to the children in the sky and tells them that on this night each year they can look up and see Gavadon as a constellation amongst the stars. Anne Mulhiem arrives from the Paris branch of the Science Patrol to escort Hayata back for temporary assignment in Paris. Soon after they leave, communications around the world go haywire. Dr. Fukuyama pinpoints the cause as magnetic waves. Ide and Arashi, returning from patrol, see Anne who is supposed to be in Paris with Hayata. They find the device that was causing the interference. Dr. Fujiyama discovers an ore on it that originates from far underground. The monster Telesdon appears and begins attacking the city. As the SIA battles the monster, its controllers have Hayata strapped to a table, 275 miles below the surface. His captors tell him that they plan to use the surface dwellers as their slaves, with the help of Ultraman. Hypnotized, Hayata is ordered to turn into Ultraman. But as he transforms to Ultraman there is a blinding flash which blinds the underground race. Flying back to the Earth`s surface, Ultraman quickly defeats Telesdon.
Hayata and Anne return to Patrol headquarters. Anne explains that they had been captured by the underground people, one of whom was her exact twin. The mystery solved, Hayata and the real Anne leave for Paris once again. Tokyo is the sight of an International Space Conference. As delegates travel to this historic event, mysterious accidents occur, killing many before they can arrive. The Science Patrol travels to the scene of one of the accidents, but their car runs into an invisible barrier. The hear but cannot see a rocket taking off on the far side of the barrier. Muramatsu theorizes that the rocket is spinning so fast that it is invisible to the naked eye, and Ide invents a way to shoot light waves of different spectrum from the VTOLs. The waves contract the warping of light caused by the spinning craft makes it visible. The Patrol then able to fire upon and destroy the ship. Soon after, a monster appears. Alan, a Patrol member from the Paris branch explains that the creature is Jamilar, a former astronaut who returned to Earth after his rocket was lost. Mutated by space rays, he now seeks revenge upon the human race. Once hearing this, Ide argues that they can not destroy a man, but the others tell him that Jamilar who istrying to ruin the Earth’s peace by interfering with the Space Conference.
It is discovered that water depletes Jamilar’s strength, and water canons are used to subdue him. Hayata changes to Ultraman and uses water jets from his hands to weaken the monster further and finally kill him. A memorial is created outside the Space Conference sight and the Science Patrol mourns the tragic end of one of the pioneers of space exploration. Many things fall from the sky. Snow falls at Patrol headquarters. Soon it becomes slush and rain. Muramatsu, eating in a restaurant, calls for an umbrella. Hayata, flying over in a VTOL, drops one to him. Ide sees a man leap from a rooftop, dying on impact. A meteor crashes to Earth. The monster Skydon emerges from the crater. His mass is so great that his feet sink into the ground as he walks. As the monster sleeps, the Science Patrol tries a series of increasingly ludicrous schemes to airlift Skydon back into space. Ultraman also tries his best but cannot lift the creature. Bored with the fight, Skydon returns to sleep as Ultraman`s energy runs low, forcing him to fly off. Finally, Arashi shoots a hose into Skydon and the Science Patrol pump him full of hydrogen, causing him to float into the sky. Later, Army bombers on a routine training flight see the monster drifting in the air and shoot him down. As word gets to Patrol headquarters, they are in the middle of a meal. Hayata gets up and runs out of the building, changing to Ultraman. He rams Skydon in a midair collision, bursting the monster as what little hydrogen left inside the monster ignites on impact.
With the monster destroyed, the SIA enjoy a casual picnic. Cherry blossoms fall to the ground. Fuji watches a bird crap on Arashi’s shoulder. Good and bad things come from the sky. Fuji asks, “Why can’t flowers continue to fall from the sky, instead of monsters?” Ide and Arashi are on patrol in space. They come across a monster graveyard, containing creatures that Ultraman had defeated in the past and deposited in space. But one skeletal monster that floats by that has not been seen before. Once they return to Earth, the Science Patrol members feel sorry for the creatures and decide that they deserve a proper funeral. Meanwhile, an Earth rocket en route to Mars collides with the monster Seabozu, drifting in the monster graveyard. They both fall back to Earth. Hearing the news, the Patrol cancels the memorial service and return to business as usual... killing monsters! Seabozu climbs to the top of the highest building and howls towards the heavens. Realizing the monster simply wants to return to the space graveyard, the Science Patrol convinces the space agency to use thire Mars rocket to get Seabozu back home. They use the VTOLs to tether Seabozu to the rocket. However, the confused monster topples the rocket, destroying it. Hayata changes to Ultraman and fights with Seabozu. Lifting him overhead, Ultraman takes off into the sky, but runs low on energy before he can reach the outer atmosphere. He drops Seabozu and flies off. Hayata suggests making the rocket look like Ultraman since the monster knows Ultraman tried to help him. As Ultraman, he leads Seabozu to the rocket and escorts him into space and back to the monster graveyard.
Notes: Save for a handful of still shots of Ultraman and his homeland Nebula M78, and some transitional sequences between stories, this film is comprised of ULTRAMAN Episodes 15- TERROR OF THE COSMIC RAYS (??????, Kyofu no Uchusen), 22- THE SURFACE DESTRUCTION DIRECTIVE (??????, Chijoh Hakai Kosaku), 23- MY HOME IS THE EARTH (?????, Furusatu wa Chikyu), 34- A GIFT FROM THE SKY (?????, Sora no Okurimono), and 35- THE GRAVEYARD OF MONSTERS (????, Kaiju Hakaba), all directed by
Akio Jissoji, the man responsible for some of the weirdest and most popular episodes of the original ULTRAMAN and ULTRA SEVEN.
Born in Tokyo in 1937, Jissoji graduated from Waseda University and joined the ranks of the television department at TBS. In 1965, he transferred to TBS’ film division and shortly thereafter first worked with Eiji Tsuburaya as an assistant director to Hajime Tsuburaya on the television movie SPY: THE WORLD ON PARALLEL TRACKS (Spy Heikosen no Sekai, 1965). It was this collaboration that led Jissoji to work at Tsuburaya Productions, joining the company during the latter stages of work on ULTRA Q. He directed a documentary on Eiji Tsuburaya entitled THE FATHER OF ULTRA Q (Urutora Kyu no Oyaji, 1966) as well as the live broadcast introduction of Ultraman, THE BIRTH OF ULTRAMAN: THE ULTRAMAN PREMIERE CELEBRATION (Urutoraman Tanjo Urutoraman Sai), on July 10, 1966. Jissoji`s trademark camerawork, composition, atmosphere, comedic touches, and character development quickly made him a standout among ULTRAMAN directors. He was known for pushing the envelope in his work, such as the moment in A GIFT FROM THE SKY when Hayata is interrupted during dinner. He raises the Beta Capsule above his head to change into Ultraman, but nothing happens. As he looks up, he realizes that he is holding a common dinner spoon. TBS and Tsuburaya Productions were opposed to this scene, thinking that it was disrespectful and made fun of the hero. Jissoji felt he was in serious trouble, until after the episode aired and it was found that Japanese children were running about with spoons raised above their heads, imitating Hayata’s gaffe. This scene became one of the most famous in the entire ULTRAMAN series, and Jissoji went on to become one of TPC`s most popular and innovative directors.
He helmed episodes of OPERATION: MYSTERY (Kaiki Daisakusen, 1968), ULTRAMAN TIGA, ULTRAMAN DYNA, the radio drama THE ULTRA Q CLUB (Urutora Kyuu Club, 2004), and the late night program
ULTRA Q: DARK FANTASY (Urutora Kyuu: Daakku Fantajii, 2004). Separate from Tsuburaya Pro, Jissoji also directed several acclaimed arthouse films such as THIS TRANSIENT LIFE (Mujo, 1970), MANDARA (1971), and UTAMARO’S WORLD (Utamaro Yume to Shiriseba, 1977). Akio Jissoji commented on the unique symbolism in the Ultra Series during his career. In his 1987 book
The Lunar Vessel of the Star Forests: The Men Who Dreamt of Monsters, Jissoji expressed a belief that, "Despite what some say, only while Eiji Tsuburaya was making ULTRAMAN [ULTRA Q through ULTRA SEVEN] was there meaning to the stories and behind the characters of any real philosophical depth. Afterwards, they were primarily sponsor-driven action adventure television." The need to promote products and sell toys became an increasing necessity for the financial survival of Tsuburaya Productions. However, according to Mr. Jissoji, "The Ultramen themselves do represent some cross between the ancient gods and the U.S. military. Because the constitution laid down by the occupation forces after World War II forbid Japan from having any true military power outside of self defense forces and a coast guard, we felt a strong lack of ability to protect ourselves or make any decisions about military issues. This was perhaps the greatest inspiration for scenario after scenario in the Ultra Series where so little success is ever accomplished in protecting Japan from monsters. So we must rely on Ultraman to save us." The classic ULTRAMAN theme song was rerecorded for the movie. The vocals were provided by Isao Sasaki, widely regarded (along with Ichiro Mizuki) as one of the top two singers for tokusatsu and anime themes. DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN was released by Tsuburaya Pro and their theatrical distributor Shochiku on the same day SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY made it`s Japanese debut. The two movies were surprise box office successes, with the Jissoji film earning ¥200 million at just three Tokyo theaters in a mere three weeks. TPC proudly announced "Ultraman became a huge hit as a movie", and the studio quickly went to work with Shochiku on another ULTRAMAN compilation movie, ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE. DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN is available on Region 2 DVD from Japan. It has not been released in North America, though English dubbed versions of the individual episodes used in this film were distributed to television in the United States and elsewhere.
ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE features all of the Ultra Warriors introduced up to that point in the franchise. From left to right: Ultraman Joneus, Ultraman King, Zoffy, Astra, Father of Ultra, Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Jack, Ultra Seven, Mother of Ultra, Ultraman Leo, and Ultraman. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Japanese Title: ??????????? (Urutoraman Kaiju Daikessen) Literal Translation: Ultraman Giant Monster Battle
Release Date: July 21, 1979 Running Time: 100 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Distributor: Shochiku Fuji Co., Ltd. Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya Director: Noriko Shishikura (new footage), Toshihiro Iijima and Hajime Tsuburaya (original episodes) FX Directors: Eiji Tsuburaya, Hajime Tsuburaya, Koichi Takano, Tetsu Matoba Writers: Toshihiro Iijima, Kitao Chiba Music: Kunio Miyauchi, Tohru Fuyuki Theme Song: Ichiro Mizuki Cast Shin Hayata: Susumu Kurobe Captain Toshio Muramatsu: Akiji Kobayashi Daisuke Arashi: Sandaiyu Dokumamushi Mitsuhiro Ide: Masanari Nihei Akiko Fuji: Hiroko Sakurai Ultraman: Satoshi "Bin" Furuya Hoshino: Akihide Tsuzawa Dr Iwamoto: Akihiko Hirata Dr Mori: Tadao Ikeda Chief of Staff: Susumu Fujita Matsui: Asao Matsumoto
Story: Far out in space -- 300 thousand light years from the planet Earth -- lies the Nebula M78. Within that nebula is the planet referred to as the Land of Light: Planet Ultra, the homeworld of the Ultra warriors. The Ultramen gather for an audience with Ultraman King. Suddenly, the King senses that Ultraman`s human host Hayata may be in danger. Ultraman races to the rescue. On Earth, contact is lost with a scientific research outpost on remote Tatara Island in the Pacific. The Science Patrol is sent to rescue the stranded scientists but instead finds the island is overrun with the giant monsters Red King, Chandlar, Magula and the carnivorous plants Suflan. With the help of the friendly monster Pigmon, the Patrol finds Matsui, the sole survivor on the island. But before they can get to safety, Red King appears and kills Pigmon. Hayata turns into Ultraman and makes short work of Red King. Ultraman then returns to M78 for a reunion with the Ultra Brothers. The Science Patrol receives reports of strange rumblings heard at the bottom of a well near an ancient castle and a hydroelectric plant in the Kanto plains. Hayata sends Fuji and Hoshino to investigate, and Hoshino descends into the well where he sees the eye of a huge creature.The Patrol arrives shortly before the monster Neronga emerges from the mountainside and starts attacking the Iwa power station. The monster is completely invisible until it begins to feeds on the electricity. When Neronga attacks a thermal power plant, Hoshino sneaks off with Arashi`s Spider Shot gun and fires it at the beast. The blasts damage Neronga`s eye, and it angrily heads for Hoshino. Seeing this, Hayata becomes Ultraman and defeats the monster.
An alien spaceship lands near the Science Center in Gotenyama. When Arashi arrives at the Science Center, he finds guards frozen in place. He confronts a lobster-like alien who freezes Arashi in the same manner. Escorted by Hayata, Ide sets out for the Science Center to try to communicate with the aliens. Unable to understand his attempts, the aliens instead speak to him and Hayata by inhabiting Arashi’s mind. It is revealed that they are a race from the planet Baltan. Their planet was destroyed by a nuclear test conducted by a rogue scientist and now they are looking for a new world to make their own. Releasing Arashi, the Baltan becomes giant-sized and begins attacking the city. Using the Beta Capsule, Hayata becomes Ultraman flies after Baltan. The two aliens engage in aerial combat, before crashing to earth. The Baltan splits into two, and Ultraman is hard pressed as both opponents constantly disappear and reappear before his eyes. Ultraman is finally able to destroy one of the pair then pursues the other back into the sky. A blast of the Specium Ray finally kills the Baltan. After their initial defeat, the Baltans next capture the space rocket Ohtori and its inventor/pilot Dr. Mori with the goal of luring Ultraman and the Science Patrol away from Earth so they can attack with minimal opposition. As Muramatsu, Arashi and Hayata take off in the Jet VTOL, Ide remains behind and engages an army of Baltans with his new Mars 133 ray gun. The Patrol finds the Ohtori on the surface of a nearby planet, but the possessed Dr. Mori suddenly changes into a giant Baltan and destroys their ship. Hayata becomes Ultraman and slices the alien in two with his Shredding Halo. Using the power of teleportation, which quickly reduces his strength, Ultraman appears on Earth to defeat the Baltans, now combined into their larger form. The battle won, Ultraman returns home to M78.
A comet called Tsuifon will pass dangerously close to the Earth. Dr. Iwamoto calculates that rays from the comet could trigger H-Bombs, six of which were recently lost at sea during a disposal junket. Most of the bombs have been recovered, except for two which were reportedly swallowed by a creature. Ide, Hayata and Arashi set out to find the missing bombs, tracking them to the Japan Alps. Tsuiphon streaks by, causing no damage... though the space monster Dorako flies from the comet and heads for Earth. Meanwhile, the Patrol has come across the giant snow ape Guigass, but Ide`s Nuclear Locator invention shows the monster is not the one who swallowed the bombs. Dorako soon arrives and the two monsters engage in a titanic struggle. This awakens the monster Red King, who emerges from a nearby hillside as Ide’s device reacts to the bombs lodged in Red King’s throat. Red King joins the battle, but Ide, Hayata and Arashi worry that the conflict may set off the bombs and attempt to separate the monsters. Once Dorako is finished off, Ide and Arashi destroy Guigass with a new weapon, the Cellular Disintegrator Bomb. Hayata transforms into Ultraman, levitates Red King into the air and slices the monster into three pieces with his Shredding Halos. He carries the head and neck off to space where the bombs can explode harmlessly.
Notes: Inspired by the strong performances of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY and DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN, Tsuburaya Productions followed up with ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE, yet another theatrical compilation of episodes from the original ULTRAMAN... but with a few key differences this time out. The film was primarily made up of ULTRAMAN Episode 8- THE LAWLESS ZONE OF MONSTERS (??????, Kaiju Muho Chitai), 3- SCIENCE PATROL, MOVE OUT! (???????, Katokutai Shutsugeki-seyo), 2- BLAST THE INVADERS (??????, Shinryakusha-o Ute), 16- THE SCIENCE PATROL IN SPACE (Katokutai Uchu-e), and 25- WEIRD COMET TSUIFON (????????, Kai-suisei Tsuifon). Four of the five episodes chosen for this collection were directed by Toshihiro Iijima. But producer Noboru Tsuburaya explained that, "Because simply reusing footage wouldn’t be all that different from the TV series, we shot new scenes and made improvements." The new scenes for ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE were directed by Noriko Shishikura, one of the few female directors working in the Japanese FX field. Shishikura later became a producer on films like ULTRA Q: THE MOVIE, TETSURO TAMBA`S GREAT SPIRIT WORLD 2 (Tanba Tetsuro no Daireikai Shindara Odoroita!!, 1990), and TALE OF A VAMPIRE (1992). Among the new scenes is the opening sequence on the Ultra homeworld, which features a dozen heroes; all of the Ultramen that Tsuburaya Productions had created up to that point. Of special note is the live action debut of Ultraman Joneus, the then-latest Ultra Warrior who was currently appearing in the first animated Ultra television series, THE ULTRAMAN (Za Urutoraman, 1979). During a montage showcasing some of the Ultra Brothers` powers, Joneus displays his Planium Beam in a brief fight against the monster Beladon, a prehistoric beast from TPC`s non-Ultra science fiction program KOSEIDON (Kyoryu Sentai Koseidon, 1978).
Ultraman also battles two Baltans in a newly-shot scene that greatly extends the brief fight from ULTRAMAN Episode 2. Despite the jarring differences between the original Ultraman and Baltan costumes and those used in GREAT MONSTER BATTLE, the new fight sequence is well choreographed and one of the highlights of the movie. In contrast with the odd and artistic tone of DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN, ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE focused on more traditional and action-oriented stories featuring some of the most popular monsters and aliens from the series. In promotional materials for the new film, Noboru Tsuburaya stated, “After Jissoji’s Ultraman, which flowed with humanism, it was time for a powerful Ultraman movie filled with hot action. The strongest monsters such as the proud Red King; the decisive battle on Tatara Island. The space ninja Baltan, who has come to migrate to Earth and rule over all; his battle has come as well. And of course, the second generation Baltan who has once again come to ravage the Earth makes an appearance. Also making an appearance is Red King II, who has ingested a hydrogen bomb. He is followed by the ice monster Guigass, the monster from Mercury Dorako, the monster from the underworld Magula, the winged monster Chandlar, the monster plant Suflan and many others. Sweeping battles with ultimate enemies will flash across the screen!" Two of the monsters making return appearances -- Neronga (from ULTRAMAN Episode 3) and Magula (Episode 8 ) -- were recycled from the suit created for the Toho monster Baragon who had first appeared in the film FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (Furankenshutain tai Chite Kaiju Baragon) in 1965. The Baragon costume would be modified to portray a number of different monsters during the production of both ULTRAMAN and it`s predecessor, ULTRA Q. The movie`s theme songs were sung by Ichiro Mizuki, the popular singer for the themes to MASKED RIDER X, ROBOT DETECTIVE, GREAT MAZINGA, MASKED RIDER STRONGER, TEKKAMAN and CAPTAIN HARLOCK. In addition to multiple home video releases in Japan, ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE is available on DVD and VCD in Malaysia with the English title ULTRAMAN THE MOVIE: CLASH OF THE GIANT MONSTERS. The movie has not been released in North America or other English language territories.
Co-feature: ULTRAMAN LEO VS THE ROAMING MONSTER Japanese Title: ???????? ??????????? (Urutoraman Reo Kanashimi no Sasurai Kaiju) Literal Translation: Ultraman Leo: Sorrow of the Wandering Monster
Running Time: 25 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Tokyo Broadcasting System Distributor: Shochiku Fuji Co., Ltd. Producer: Akira Tsuburaya, Ken Kumagai, Kunio Kumagai Director: Kiyosumi Fukazawa FX Director: Koichi Takano Writer: Bunpei Ai Music: Tohru Fuyuki Cast Gen Ohtori: Ryu Manatsu Captain Dan Moroboshi: Koji Moritsugu Akio Kuroda: So Kuroda Kiyohiko Akaishi: Kenji Oshima Junko Shirakawa: Mieko Mita Haruko Momoi: Kiyoko Aratama Matsuki: Tomoko Ai Narrator: Tetsuro Sagawa
Story: MAC (the Monster Attacking Crew) is on patrol ready to destroy any threat to the population when they come across the trail of an unknown creature. Officer Gen Ohtori (secretly Ultraman Leo) is overcome by surprise as he recognizes the monster as a lifeform from his own world... a very familiar life. Somehow, the monster is what became of his beloved pet, Ron. Before their world was destroyed in a holocaust from the invading hands of the Magma soldiers, Ultraman Leo and Ron shared many happy days together. With his escape to Earth, Ultraman Leo spent many lonely nights wondering if any trace of his past life in L77 survived somewhere in the universe. But in order to survive, lifeforms reborn on other worlds may evolve in frightening ways in their new environments. Such is the case with Ron, who has grown into a dangerous threat on the Earth, leaving Gen in a difficult conflict between his personal emotions and his duty to his human friends. Captain Moroboshi (aka Ultra Seven) shares his knowledge of the universe with the younger Ultraman from a dead star. The two hope to discover a way of finding a new home somewhere in the cosmos for Ron before the beast can endanger mankind. Or, even worse, become a new tool of terror for the villainous Magma aliens, wherever they may be hiding.
Notes: ULTRAMAN LEO Episode 10 was screened with ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE. The episode is available in the ULTRAMAN LEO series collections on Region 2 DVD. The entire series was also dubbed in English for release in Malaysia and Singapore. The episode began streaming (with English subtitles) on Crunchyroll as THE MONSTER THAT WANDERS IN SORROW on November 12, 2014.
ULTRAMAN ZOFFY Japanese Title: ??????ZOFFY ???????VS????? (Urutoraman Zoffy: Ultra no Senshi tai Daikaiju Gundan) Literal Translation: Ultraman Zoffy: Ultra Warriors vs. the Great Monster Army
Release Date: March 17, 1984 Running Time: 85 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Distributor: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Executive Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya Producer: Yotaka Udawaki Director: Koichi Takano Writer: Hiroshi Huzishima Music: Kunio Miyauchi, Tohru Fuyuki Theme Song "Ultraman Zoffy": Noboru Tsuburaya, Shunsuke Kikuchi, Mitsuko Kondo and Columbia Cradle Club Theme Song "Ultraman": Tohru Fuyuki, Ichiro Mizuki and Columbia Cradle Club Voice Cast Zoffy: Hikaru Urano Ultraman: Kenyu Horiuchi Ultra Seven, Alien Pedan: Shinya Ohtaki Ultraman Ace: Hiroshi Sato Ultraman Taro: Masahiro Sakuramoto Baltan, Alien Temprer: Masashi Hirose Pigmon: Yoko Kuri Kanegon, M1: Sumiko Shirakawa Fight Announcer: Ichiro Furutachi Narrator: Masaaki Yajima
Story: ULTRAMAN ZOFFY does not follow a narrative, but is instead a collection of scenes from episodes of ULTRA Q, ULTRAMAN, ULTRA SEVEN, RETURN OF ULTRAMAN, ULTRAMAN ACE, ULTRAMAN TARO, ULTRAMAN LEO, and ULTRAMAN 80. The stock footage is hosted by Zoffy, the Captain of the Ultra Brothers who was first introduced in the final episode of the ULTRAMAN television series (39- FAREWELL, ULTRAMAN). The film opens wit a brief history of the Ultramen and their homeworld in Nebula M78 (shown via Mamoru Uchiyama`s illustrations from ULTRAMAN TARO Episode 25- BURN! SIX ULTRA BROTHERS!) and then shows a gathering of the heroes (stock footage from ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE). Zoffy then appears to address the viewer and explain that the Earth is in danger from alien threats such as the Baltans and Crazygon and also homegrown beasts such as Red King, Peguila, Ragon, Gomora, and Pagos. Ultraman comes to the rescue and battles a variety of his most popular foes in clips from his classic show. After the first batch of ULTRAMAN scenes, Zoffy poses for the camera and prepares to introduce the next montage of stock footage. But he is interrupted and attacked by a tiny spaceship which Zoffy quickly dispatches with his M87 Ray. Zoffy next shows clips of some less threatening monsters such as the friendly Pigmon and Kanegon or the comical M1 and Gango. On the other end of the spectrum, Zoffy plays Ultraman`s defeat at the hands and rays of Zetton, and how he came to the rescue of his fallen Ultra Brother.
Next up are introductions of all the Ultra Warriors who visited Earth in the wake of Ultraman and Zoffy. Among the sequences shown are Ultraman Leo and his brother Astra teaming up against the monsters Liter and Gallon, Ultraman 80 and the female Ultra Warrior Yullian battling Minazma and Plazma, and Ultra Seven defeating (separately) the robots King Joe and Crazygon, as well as Alien Guts. Ultraman Jack faces Bemstar plus the team of Black King and Alien Nackle, Ultraman Ace decapitates Baraba then gets an assist from Zoffy against Arabunta and Giron, and Ultraman Taro gets the better of Birdon and Mururoa. The highlights conclude with the six Ultra Brothers uniting to defeat Alien Temprer. With the Earth again at peace, Zoffy bids the viewer farewell.
Notes: Tsuburaya Productions kicked off the 1980s with the goal of bringing Ultraman to a wider, international audience by producing English language Ultra programming with companies in the United States. First up was ULTRAMAN: THE JUPITER EFFECT, a $10 million film announced by TPC in 1980. Inspired by the 1974 book
The Jupiter Effect -- in which two Cambridge astrophysicists predicted that the gravitational pull from the alignment of the planets would cause widespread natural disasters on Earth in 1982 -- the film`s screenplay by Jeff Segal (GOBOTS: BATTLE OF THE ROCK LORDS) described how these events would lead to an invasion by an army of robots under the command of new Ultraman foe, the evil alien Brax.
ULTRAMAN: THE JUPITER EFFECT was to be set in America with location shooting planned for New York City, San Francisco, the Grand Canyon, Washington DC, and the Huston Space Center. The film would be produced by brothers Noboru and Akira Tsuburaya, Toho was attached to theatrically distribute ULTRAMAN: THE JUPITER EFFECT in Japan, and Tsuburaya Productions would handle international sales. ULTRAMAN: THE JUPITER EFFECT was never made. Neither was ULTRAMAN: HERO FROM THE STARS, a proposed 1981 movie written by filmmaker and author Don Glut (DINOSAUR VALLEY GIRLS,
The Empire Strikes Back novelization) with character designs by illustrator
Alex Wald (
American Splendor,
Japan`s Favorite Mon-Star) and comic book artist/editor Carl Potts (
Alien Legion). In HERO FROM THE STARS, Ultraman would have faced evolved dinosaurs that had survived the mass extinction at the end of the Mesozoic Era. Tsuburaya Productions expressed great enthusiasm for the project, but it was ultimately derailed when TPC couldn`t swing the budget (Issue #8 of
Monster Attack Team has interviews with Glut and Wald about ULTRAMAN: HERO FROM THE STARS; the magazine is highly recommended for anyone interested in learning more about the unmade film). During this time, TPC would still occasionally reveal plans for new Ultraman productions in Japan. One of these was ORIGINAL ULTRAMAN: MONSTER BIBLE (???????? ????, Ganzo Urutoraman Kaijuu Seisho), a new film featuring characters from the 1966 ULTRAMAN television series. Planned as a co-production with ATG (Art Theatre Guild), an independent production and distribution company that had made several acclaimed (and occasionally controversial) art films, the movie would have been directed by Akio Jissoji -- who had worked for both TPC and ATG -- and written by veteran Ultraman screenwriter Mamoru Sasaki. First announced in 1982, this intriguing-sounding film also never came to pass. Jissoji and Sasaki would later collaborate on ULTRA Q THE MOVIE (1990).
Failing to get more ambitious film projects off the ground, the Ultra Series instead returned to Japanese cinemas with ULTRAMAN ZOFFY, yet another compilation movie. The only new material in the film are the host segments in which Zoffy poses for the camera and sets up the next montage of stock footage. The clips focus on the Ultramen and monsters, with scenes of people kept to a few shots of soldiers and panicking civilians. Some of the monster and fight scenes feature narration by Zoffy, while other segments are narrated by children or feature the popular television announcer Ichiro Furutachi giving play-by-play descriptions of the onscreen action as if it were a professional wrestling match. The movie debuted the name "Ultraman Jack" for the hero from RETURN OF ULTRAMAN. Formerly known simply as Ultraman (and unofficially as "New Ultraman" and "New Man") Tsuburaya Pro officially renamed the character in ULTRAMAN ZOFFY. In an ironic mistake, the characters of Jack and Zoffy (the title character of the film!) are misidentified as each other during their fight with Alien Temprer late in the movie. ULTRAMAN ZOFFY did surprisingly well at the Japanese box office. The film gave Ultraman fans their first "Ultra fix" during a lull period in the franchise, and also served to introduce a new generation of kids to the assorted Ultra heroes and villains. New Ultraman cards and toys were released in conjunction with the movie`s launch and became big sellers to young children. The film was released on VHS and laserdisc in Japan and is now available on Region 2 DVD. ULTRAMAN ZOFFY has not been released in North America or other English language territories, though some footage from the film was used in the English dubbed movie SPACE WARRIORS 2000.
Co-feature: ULTRAMAN KIDS: THE MOVIE Japanese Title: ????????? M7.8???????? (Urutoraman Kizu M7.8 Hoshi no Yukai na Nakama) Literal Translation: Ultraman Kids: Joyful Friends from Star M7.8
Running Time: 25 minutes Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., International DAX, Tokyo Broadcasting System Distributor: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Executive Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya Producer: Naoyuki Eto, Shizuka Tamagawa, Kenji Nagai, Yuuzo Higuchi Production Coordinator: Yutaka Fujihashi Director: Bonjin Nagaki Animation Director: Kim Dae-jung Art Director: Tadami Shimokawa Writer: Bonjin Nagaki Music: Shunsuke Kikuchi Theme Song "Cha Cha Cha Kids" Vocals: Kyoko Yamada Cast Ma: Kyoko Yamada Ps: Keiko Ban Majara: Kei Tomiyama Sev: Masako Sugaya Tar: Mieko Fujimura Ryuki: Makiko Kondo Pico: Noriko Uemura Midori: Tomiko Suzuki Pigko: Kumiko Osugi Green: Miwa Yamada Bal: Kumiko Minakura Gatsun: Kaneta Kimotsuki Mefila: Yui Sato Erepi: Keiko Yugami Gamarra: Nishimura Tomomichi Dr. Groszer: Takeshi Aono Narrator: Mitsuo Yoshimura
Story: Midori works aboard the space ship of the intergalactic merchant, Majara. One day, Majara lands on the planet M7.8 and sells several items to the Ultraman Kids Ma and Tar. But Midori wanders off during the sales pitch, and ends up being accidentally left behind when Majara departs. Stranded on M7.8 without a way home, Midori is found and taken in by the Ultraman Kids. Eventually, Majara returns to take Midori back home. However, he realizes that Midori has become good friends with the children of M7.8 and decides to let Midori stay.
Notes: The co-feature for ULTRAMAN ZOFFY was ULTRAMAN KIDS: THE MOVIE, an animated short film about cute, child versions of the Ultramen and monsters who live in section 8 of planet M7 (hence, M7.8). The leader of the Ultraman Kids is Ma (modeled after Ultraman), a kind and brave orphan who possesses the "Ultra Power". In Superman-like fashion, Ma came to M7.8 as an infant after being sent into space aboard an emergency rocket. Ma`s group of friends includes the sympathetic scientific genius Sev (based on Ultra Seven), Sev`s stubborn cousin Tar (Ultraman Taro) who is the group`s comic relief, and Pico, an Ultra girl who stereotypically loves cooking and flowers. The Ultraman Kids are also pals with the Monster Kids, which include Midori, Bal (Alien Baltan), Gatsun (Alien Guts), Mefila (Alien Mefilas), and Pigko (Pigmon). Dr. Groszer often acts as a mentor and mother-figure to the kids. The Ultraman Kids were first introduced as a merchandising line. The products sold well and inspired Tsuburaya Pro to make ULTRAMAN KIDS: THE MOVIE and two television series, ULTRAMAN KIDS (????????????????, Urutoraman Kizu no Kotowaza Monogatari, literal translation: Ultraman Kids Proverb Stories, 1986) and ULTRAMAN KIDS II (???????????????????????, Urutoraman Kizu Haha wo Tazunete Sanzen Man Konen, literal translation: Ultraman Kids: 30 Million Light Years Looking for Mama, 1991). ULTRAMAN KIDS: THE MOVIE was released on VHS in Japan. It has not been distributed in English language markets.
ULTRAMAN STORY Japanese Title: ???????? (Urutoraman Sutori) Literal translation: Ultraman Story
Release Date: July 14, 1984 Running Time: 93 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Distributor: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Executive Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya Producer: Kiyotaka Ugawa Director: Koichi Takano FX Director: Koichi Takano Writer: Yasushi Hirano Music: Tohru Fuyuki, Shunsuke Kikuchi Cast Ultraman Taro: Mitsutoshi Tani, Voice: Hiroya Ishimaru Father of Ultra: Miyuki Mañana Imai, Voice: Taro Ishida Mother of Ultra: Yumiko Keyaki, Voice: Hiyasu Ishimaru Young Taro: Katou Akihito, Voice: Masako Nozawa Zoffy: Yoshi Hiroshi Inada, Voice: Takashi Tsuda Ultraman: Tadashi Sugimoto, Voice: Kenyu Horiuchi ULtra Seven: Seiichi Yasuda, Voice: Shigeharu Matsuda Ultraman Jack: Masanori Ueno, Voice: Masayuki Komuro Ultraman Ace: Yanagita Masakazu, Voice: Hiroshi Sato Grand King: Satoshi Miyamoto Judah: Masao Hukazawa Narrator: Yoshio Kaneuchi
Story: "When I become as big as my brothers, I`m also going to become a warrior!" In the Land of Light in Nebula M78, the young boy Taro hopes to one day become an Ultra Brother. The son of the Father of Ultra and the Mother of Ultra, Taro was the youngest of his family. He idolizes heroes like Zoffy and Ultraman who have journeyed to Earth and fought against evil monsters, protecting the peace of the universe. Taking a deep breath of the energy filling the air of his home planet, Taro practices fighting and flying, and tries to shoot rocks with his Storium Ray. But he has little success, so the little monster Dokun laughs at Taro`s clumsiness. The two get into a fight, and the Mother of Ultra has to step in and convince Taro and Dokun to shake hands and make peace. Under the supervision of the Father of Ultra, Taro undergoes fierce training everyday so that he too may become a warrior. Taro`s mother teaches him kindness and love, and his father taught him that, even within the monsters, there was both good and evil. But as the years pass, Taro grows increasingly frustrated that the Father of Ultra has not sent him to defend Earth like the other Ultramen. He complains constantly but often shows lapses in judgment, and is slightly injured while target practicing in space. Father scolds Taro for his lack of maturity and focus, and tells him he will never become an Ultra Brother if he doesn`t train properly. Eventually, the Father of Ultra takes Taro the archives of the Ultra homeworld, where the young Ultraman views and studies the earlier battles of Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Ultraman Jack, Ultraman Ace, Utraman Leo, and Ultraman 80 against their deadliest foes. After watching video of Ultra Seven levitating Alien Icarus, Taro learns how to use telekinesis to move an opponent. The Father of Ultra also teaches Taro how to penetrate an enemy`s energy shield and to survive intense heat and fire.
Finally the day comes when the Father of Ultra sends Ultraman Taro to Earth. There, Taro battles many strange monsters, including dangerous creatures such as Eleking and Mefilas. But Taro has learned how to defeat these foes by studying the previous battles with the Ultra Brothers. Pleased with his victories, Taro returned to M78, only to find that additional training awaited him. His father declared, "You will become a Super Ultra Warrior!" and began Taro`s final training. The Father of Ultra projects an intense energy beam that is by Taro`s horns. This was to be his training... to learn how to take in the powers of other Ultra warriors and combine them with his own. Taro often passed out from the intake of such overwhelming power. Taro dreams of an encounter with a mysterious evil presence. One day during his training, Taro notices an Ultra Sign -- a message sent by Ultraman 80 -- rising into the sky. His father reads the sign with dismay: "So Judah has finally revived..." Judah was a name neither Taro or his brothers were familiar with. The Father of Ultra explains that Judah is the space emperor of the Gua Empire, "a creature born from distortions of the universe; the most evil creature in space". The villain has the power to revive monsters and use them to do his bidding. Father had engaged Judah in a deadly battle only once before, 50,000 years ago, and just barely managed to defeat him. Now Judah has returned with a deep hatred for the Ultra Brothers. For the first time Taro witnessed Father of Ultra looking tense; the same father who was always so calm and composed. Father announces he must quickly finish Taro`s special training to prepare his son for the eventual confrontation with Judah. From the darkness of space, the voice of Judah resonated loudly and clearly... the time for his revenge had come. The evil emperor sends Alien Hipporito to battle Ultraman, Zoffy, Ultra Seven, Ultraman Jack, and Ultraman Ace. The five Ultra Brothers are quickly beaten and transformed into jade statues. Taro wants to rescue them, but Father of Ultra forbids it. Despite Taro`s protests that Father is still weak after transferring his energy during training, the elder Ultraman races to confront Hipporito. Father is able to free the Ultra Brothers but is critically wounded in the process. After Hipporito is defeated the Ultramen bring Father back to M78. The Ultra Brothers, who see the Father of Ultra as the ultimate symbol of justice and respect, are devastated by what has befallen him.
With the Father of Ultra wounded, Judah next launches a two pronged attack. On Earth, he awakens Enmahgo, the King of Hell, and Taro must fly back to stop the ancient demon`s rampage. Judah then merges the souls of six dead monsters and creates the mechanical fusion super-beast Grand King to assault M78. The weakened Father of Ultra orders the Ultra Brothers into battle. The Ultramen engage Grand King in an interstellar dogfight but nothing they can do has any effect on the monster. Eventually they are able to lure the beast away from the Land of Light and down to the surface of a barren, lifeless planet. Grand King unleashes a seemingly endless barrage of energy beams and projectiles that keep the Ultra Brothers on the defensive. After a fierce struggle, Taro defeats Enmahgo and flies off to join his comrades against the overwhelming strength of Grand King. Even after Taro arrives at the battle, the Ultra Brothers are unable to turn the tide in their favor. But against that insanely strong monster, capable of handling a whole team of Ultra warriors, Ultraman Taro stands tall. The Father of Ultra realizes their only hope is for Taro to absorb the energy of all the Ultramen. The Mother of Ultra communicates this command to the Ultra Brothers, and Taro is powered up into a supreme Ultraman that makes short work of Grand King with his Cosmo Miracle Beam. Judah`s plans are crushed, but he vows to the Ultramen that he will return. With peace restored, Taro and the other Ultra Brothers fly home to M78.
Notes: With the popularity of the feature film ULTRAMAN ZOFFY and strong sales of Ultraman products, Tsuburaya Productions quickly went to work on the next movie in the series. With the exception of the Thai co-production SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY, the previous Ultra theatrical releases had been either TV episodes or episode compilations with little or no new material, but ULTRAMAN STORY finally began to move the Ultra movie series in the direction of more original content than stock footage. Ultraman Taro takes center stage in the film, which tells an alternate version of events from the 1973-74 ULTRAMAN TARO television series, particularly in regards to the character`s origin. Up until this point the younger days of the Ultra warriors had never been shown onscreen, but ULTRAMAN STORY begins with Taro as a child longing to follow in the footsteps of the other Ultramen. The film also plays with the timeline established in the various TV shows by placing Taro`s adventures after those of Ultraman Leo and Ultraman 80. Taro`s dialogue in this film is performed by Hiroya Ishimaru, a veteran voice actor who has also provided the voice of Jackie Chan in the Japanese dubbed versions of Chan`s movies. Ishimaru has been the voice of Taro for every film and television appearance of the character since ULTRAMAN STORY up to the present day. Missing from the film is Taro`s human host Kotaro Higashi, the space science guard unit ZAT, or any primary human characters whatsoever. The story is simply monsters and Ultramen, making ULTRAMAN STORY the perfect viewing choice for anyone bored by the focus on people in the first 97% of a typical Ultra Series TV episode.
On the stock footage side, the movie contains scenes from the ULTRAMAN TARO series and episodes of ULTRAMAN (the battle with Mefilas), ULTRA SEVEN (with Icarus, Eleking, and Gander), RETURN OF ULTRAMAN (Jack taking on Twintail, Gudon, and Kingsaurus), ULTRAMAN ACE (Zemistiar, Yapool), ULTRAMAN LEO (Silver Bloome), and ULTRAMAN 80 (Red King, Baltan). Much of the footage is shown as training videos Taro studies to learn fighting techniques, with the remainder depicting events happening away from the main story. The lead villain Judah first appeared in the Ultraman spin-off
Andromelos, initially a manga and photo story that ran in the monthly magazine
Terebi-Kun from 1981-1983.
Andromelos featured the Andro Super Warriors, a team of battle-suited Ultra Heroes (led by the titular character) who fought against classic monsters and aliens such as King Joe, the Baltans, Ace Killer, and Black King that were now controlled by the Gua Empire. The live action television series ANDROMELOS (Andro Choh-senshi) premiered on February 28, 1983 and ran for 45 episodes. The show was broadcast in a serialized format, airing five days a week in 10 minute long chapters. The ULTRAMAN STORY movie acts as a prequel of sorts to the ANDROMELOS stories, setting up the space emperor`s return against Andromelos and the Andro Super Warriors. Judah was eventually defeated and destroyed by the heroes, but was soon revived to serve under Mordo, his replacement as the Gua Emperor. ULTRAMAN STORY has not been released in English. The film has been issued multiple times on home video in Japan, and is currently available on Region 2 DVD. Tsuburaya Productions intended to follow ULTRAMAN STORY with a sequel film, ULTRA LEGEND (???????, Urutora Choo Densetsu), but the project was canceled.
Co-feature: ANIME CHAN Japanese Title: ?????? (Anime Chan) Literal Translation: Anime-chan
Running Time: 47 minutes Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 (Vista) Production: Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. Distributor: Shochiku Co., Ltd. Executive Producer: Noboru Tsuburaya Producer: Kiyotaka Ugawa, Masazumi Itou Director: Noriaki Yuasa Writer: Mie Hirano, Yasushi Hirano Cinematography: Ryukichi Mori Lighting: Kenjirou Onaka Art: Shuu Yamaguchi Assistant Director: Kyohiko Miyasaka Music: Shunsuke Kikuchi, Tsuburaya Music Publishing, Shizuka Tamagawa Cast Anime Urara: Kyoko Yamada Papa: Hide Demon (Hide Mizuki) Mama: Kumiko Osugi Manga: Fumi Okada Grandpa (Ojiisan): Saburo Bouya Fortune (Oogane): Hidari Tonpei Voice of Kanegon: Noriko Hara Voice of Pigmon: Yoko Kuri Voice of Booska: Kazue Takahashi Masanari Nihei Shigeru Tsuji
Story: What would you do if one day, at random, a kaiju appeared in your room?! Twelve year old Anime Urara and and her five year old brother Manga are swept up into the strange and exciting world of three monsters, all while living at home with their parents and grandfather.
Computer whiz girl Anime Urara was totally focused on her robot creation when the radio waves from her computer suddenly started to go crazy. Attempting to get things back to normal, Anime desperately began hitting the keys on her keyboard, unaware that her little brother had also started hitting random keys. Soon after, a mysterious electrical wave came from the circuits of the computer and struck the wall! On the wall were three unique looking kaiju that had come out from the computer! They were the ramen loving Booska, the friendly Pigmon, and the money-eating Kanegon. As Anime and Manga reacted with surprise, they could hear Mama’s voice as she was coming up the stairs to Anime`s room. Anime and Manga quickly hid the monsters. Peeking in, Mama simply mistook the three kaiju for stuffed animals. She asked Anime to run an errand and went back downstairs. Sweating nervousnesly, Anime asked Manga to watch over Pigmon, Booska and Kanegon while she attended to her errands. As soon as she left, the three kaiju led Manga outside as they searched for food. They ran into a group of bullies who always pushed Manga around. Manga hid behind Pigmon so the bad kids poked at the little monster’s head. Pigmon responded by spitting fire from his mouth, and the bullies were so shocked they ran away. Manga returned home in high spirits, but waiting at the door for him were Mama and Anime. Mama started to get angry, but she realized that the three monsters with Manga were real and promptly fainted. Later Papa, Mama and Grandpa listened to Anime and Manga’s story of their encounter with the three kaiju. The Urara family was sent into a craze. But what exactly was that electrical wave? Anime remembered how her computer had answered with “Space Letters”. A first encounter with kaiju and “Space Letters”… Anime’s mysterious days had only just begun...
Notes: ANIME CHAN was a live action comedy short featuring three kind-hearted monsters from the earliest days of Tsuburaya Productions -- Booska (from the 1966 series MONSTER BOOSKA), Pigmon (from ULTRAMAN), and Kanegon (from ULTRA Q). When cosmic rays from outer space bring the creatures to life in a young girl`s bedroom they initially cause some (humorous) chaos but soon become the star attractions of a local amusement park/circus. The film was directed by Noriaki Yuasa, the co-creator of Daiei`s famous daikaiju Gamera the fire-breathing flying turtle. Yuasa directed the original GAMERA (Daikaiju Gamera, 1965) and would helm six of the next seven sequels up through GAMERA SUPER MONSTER (Uchu Kaiju Gamera, 1980). He was also active in FX television, directing episodes of IRON KING (1972), DENJIN ZABOGA (1974) and Tsuburaya Productions` own ULTRAMAN 80. ANIME CHAN starred Kyoko Yamada, best known as a voice actress for anime productions such as the DORAEMON film series, DRAGON BALL GT (1996), and POKEMON RANGER AND THE TEMPLE OF THE SEA (Gekijo-ban Poketto Monsutaa: Adobansu Jenereshon Pokemon Renjaa to Umi no Oji Manafi, 2006). She made her debut in early 1984, singing the main theme song “Kids’ cha cha cha” and performing as the voice of the lead character Ma in ULTRAMAN KIDS: THE MOVIE. ANIME CHAN was her first live action work, and she was chosen for the film due to her unique voice. In addition to working steadily in animation voiceovers, Kyoko Yamada has written several books about science and outer space.
Anime`s family and friends included 34 year old Papa, played by Hide Demon, a member of the singing duo Hide and Rossana who had a big hit with the song “The Miracle of Love”. After marrying Rossana, Hide gradually began to transition from music to acting. Mama (age 32) was played by Kumiko Osugi, who by her early 30s had has recorded nearly three hundred theme songs for different anime series. Her big hits include “Attack No. 1” from the series of the same name, the end theme “Alps no Shoujo Heidi" from HEIDI, GIRL OF THE ALPS, and the DORAEMON song. She is known as the "Queen of Anime Song". Saburu Bouya played Grandpa. A performer on stage, film and television, around the time of ANIME CHAN`s production he appeared in TV dramas such as IT`S TIME (Jikan Desu Yo), SEVEN FLAVORED CHILI (Nanairo Tongarashi), and TERAUCHI KANTA ROUITSUKA. Hidari Tonpei, who played Fortune, had acted alongside Saburu Bouya in comedic parts for IT`S TIME and TERAUCHI KANTA ROUITSUKA. He played a rare dramatic role in the 1983 Toei film NARAYAMABUSHIKOU. Young Manga was played by four year old Fumi Okada. He made his acting debut in ANGEL`S REVENGE (Tenshi no Fukushuu, 1983), portraying the child of action star Etsuko Shihomi. In 1984 he played the role of Daigoro in FUGITIVE SAMURAI (Kozure Ookami), a remake of the popular LONE WOLF AND CUB stories. ANIME CHAN was intended to launch the pleasant beast Booska into a new television series. TPC began development on the show but the project was abandoned before the start of production. Booska finally did make it back to TV in the 1999 series BOOSKA! BOOSKA! ANIME CHAN has not been released in English speaking territories and is not available in English.
Tsuburaya Productions partnered with the Thai studio Chaiyo Productions for the feature film SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Japanese poster. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd. /Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Poster for HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN, the Thai version of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Ultraman and Hanuman play tug of war with (a rather poor looking) Gomora. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Hanuman comes to the aid of Anun. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
It`s a gigantic free-for-all. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultramen take to the air. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Thai newspaper ad for HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Hanuman strikes the classic Ultraman transformation pose. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
The human cast of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS. Top row: Sanit Kaewdee (Koh), Ouab Somchart (Anun), and Yodchai Meksuwan (Profesor Visut). Bottom row: Pawwana Chanajit (Marisa) and the ill-fated comedians Sipueak and Sisuriya. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Chai Muangsing, singer of the theme song "Hanuman and 7 Ultramen".
HANUMAN AND 7 ULTRAMAN premieres at the Sala Chalermkrung Royal Bangkok Theatre on November 30, 1974. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Behind the scenes pic of the monsters Dorobon, Dustpan, Gomora, Tyrant and Astromons receiving direction. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Hanuman and the Ultra Brothers line up for the final battle. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Thai poster for the 1984 edited reissue, HANUMAN VS ELEVEN ULTRAMAN. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd./Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
The brothers Leo and Astra fight side by side in ULTRAMAN LEO BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER BROTHERS, shown with Tokyo screenings of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultra Brothers battle Gallon and Liter. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Astra makes his first appearance. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Title screen from SPACE WARRIORS 2000, the English dubbed version of SIX ULTRA BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER ARMY made without the knowledge of Tsuburaya Pro. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., © 1984 Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
An American boy named Nicholas is given toys of Ultraman and Gomora, but doesn`t realize the Ultraman toy is a real Ultraman in disguise (Gomora is just a toy). © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., © 1984 Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
That night, the Ultraman figure comes to life and awakens Nicholas to take him on a strange adventure. © Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., © 1984 Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Spectacular Trading ad for Chaiyo`s CROCODILE claiming Sompote Saengduenchai "helped create the Japanese King Kong, Godzilla and Mothra.” © 1979 Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultra Brothers surround their foes Astromons, Dustpan, and Tyrant. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
"Just what have you gotten me into?" an annoyed Ultraman asks Hanuman. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd., Chaiyo Productions Co., Ltd.
Poster for DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Gavadon sleeps. © 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Jamilar attacks the International Space Conference. © 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Science Patrol struggles to return the monster Skydon to space. © 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Seabozu is dragged to the Mars rocket. © 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Title screen for DIRECTOR AKIO JISSOJI’S ULTRAMAN. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The FX crew preps Ultraman`s fight with Gavadon. © 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE features all of the Ultra Warriors introduced up to that point in the franchise. From left to right: Ultraman Joneus, Ultraman King, Zoffy, Astra, Father of Ultra, Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Jack, Ultra Seven, Mother of Ultra, Ultraman Leo, and Ultraman. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Poster for ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultramen gather to listen to Ultraman King. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Ultraman battles two Baltans in an extended fight sequence shot for this film. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Red King and Ultraman fight in the Japan Alps. © 1967 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultra Warriors pose for a group photo. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The animated hero Ultraman Joneus is shown live for the first time. © 1979 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Ultraman Leo and his pet Ron relax on their home planet. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Leo and his pet are reunited on Earth. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Advertisement for ULTRAMAN LEO VS THE ROAMING MONSTER, the co-feature to the movie ULTRAMAN: GREAT MONSTER BATTLE. The image used is from another short, ULTRAMAN LEO BROTHERS VS THE MONSTER BROTHERS. © 1974 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Poster for ULTRAMAN ZOFFY. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Ultraman Zoffy hosts 80 minutes of highlights from the Ultra Series. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
"Monsters are causing trouble!" © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Concept art by Alex Wald for the unproduced film ULTRAMAN: HERO FROM THE STARS. Photo courtesy of and © Alex Wald. © 1981 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Publicity photo for ULTRAMAN ZOFFY, courtesy of Tsuburaya Productions. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Promotional art for the animated short ULTRAMAN KIDS: THE MOVIE. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultraman Kids Ma and Pico play with the monster kids Erepi and Mefila. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Ultraman Taro takes center stage in ULTRAMAN STORY. The Ultra Brothers from left to right: Zoffy, Ultraman, Ultra Seven, Taro, Jack and Ace. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Japanese poster for ULTRAMAN STORY and its co-feature ANIME CHAN. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultramen`s homeworld the Land of Light as depicted in ULTRAMAN STORY. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Young Taro with his parents. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
The Ultra Brothers transfer their power to Ultraman Taro. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Ultraman Taro takes on Grand King. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Judah, evil space emperor of the Gua Empire, was the main villain of ULTRAMAN STORY and the TV series ANDROMELOS. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Kanegon, Pigmon, Anime Urara (Kyoko Yamada), and Booska in ANIME CHAN, the short film from Gamera director Noriaki Yuasa. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co.
Promotional art for ANIME CHAN. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co.
Anime and her little brother Manga (Fumi Okada) find their room suddenly full of kaiju. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co.
Voice actress Kyoko Yamada played Anime Urara. © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co.
The Urara family; Mama (Kumiko Osugi), Anime, Manga, Papa (Hide Demon), and Grandpa (Saburo Bouya). © 1984 Tsuburaya Productions Co.
