Colossal Creatures from Japan: Kaiju Cinema Classics

Kaiju (translated: "strange beast") is a subgenre of Japanese Tokusatsu (live action entertainment w/ special effects) and science fiction that feature giant "Man In Suit" monsters wreaking havoc in the Pacific region of the world. The main film that introduced the genre to international audiences was Gojira (1954) which was later redubbed/edited into English and released as Godzilla: King of the Monsters starring Raymond Burr. Other films with giant creatures like Mothra, Rodan, Ghidrah and Gamera soon followed. Due to the genre's popularity, America, China, Korea and Europe began producing their own versions of the giant monster movies. Since the early days of Kaiju cinema there have been hundreds of incarnations and reboots. This kaiju introductory guide does not feature every film, instead we've selected several standout classics to get you started.

• Our list at Letterboxd

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