Kaneko, Shusuke

Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah - Giant Monsters All-Out Attack

This 2001 Godzilla feature from Japan's Toho Studios, released as part of the mighty monster's 50th anniversary, is a visually impressive and action-packed entry in the long-running franchise, but also one with a fast and loose re-interpretation of its history that may displease some stalwart fans. Writer-director Shusuke Kaneko (who previously revitalized the Gamera series) erases everything that occurred after 1954's Godzilla and re-imagines the beast as a mythical creature harboring the souls of the Japanese victims of World War II; its attack is challenged by three "Guardian Monsters": Mothra, perennial villain King Ghidorah (here reinvented as hero) and B-list player Baragon (from Frankenstein Challenges the World). The retooling, while imaginative, is supported by spectacular special effects, but the monsters' brawls (a core reason for enjoying these films) seem abbreviated, and Kaneko's script experiences awkward seismic shifts from comedy to grim drama that may befuddle longtime G-fans. Columbia-Tri-Star's DVD is widescreen and offers Dolby Digital 5.1 sound and a Japanese language track (with English subtitles) that should please viewers with an aversion to dubbing. Trailers for other Sony/Columbia sci-fi titles like the American Godzilla feature are also included. --Paul Gaita

Death Note - Vol. 2

The net begins to tighten around Light when the enigmatic detective L brings in FBI agents to assist on the case. Light becomes rattled when he meets a woman who may have information that could lead to his arrest. But Light holds the ultimate trump card--the Death Note itself. Light needs to uncover her true identity and eliminate her before she goes to the task force. Then L raises the stakes by putting the Yagami household under surveillance. With L closing in on him will Light crack under the pressure? System Requirements:Run Time: 100 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ANIMATION/ANIME UPC: 782009237754 Manufacturer No: DDN02

Some teenagers walk around with a chip on their shoulder: Light Yagami, the alienated hero of this macabre fantasy-adventure, has Ryuk, a Shinigami, or god of death, hovering over his shoulder. Light proceeds with his plan to eliminate anyone he considers worthy of death by writing their names in Ryuk's notebook. But when he kills the FBI agents who have come to Japan to help solve the spate of mysterious murders, the investigation shifts into higher gear. The elusive L meets with a small cadre of police officers who are willing to risk their lives to pursue the case--including Light's father. Although he's eccentric and twitchy, L is clearly brilliant. The police can gather information and run errands, but the case is now literally a duel to the death between L and Light. Director Tetsuro Araki maintains the suspense, although his cast isn't particularly likable. (Rated Teen+ Older Teen, suitable for ages 15 and older: grotesque imagery, violence) --Charles Solomon

Godzilla DVD Collection 7-Pack (Godzilla (1998) / Godzilla 2000 / vs. King Ghidora / and Mothra The Battle for Earth / vs. Destoroyah / vs. Space Godzilla / vs. Mechagodzilla / Giant Monsters All Out Attack / vs. Megaguirus)

Gamera 3 - Revenge of Iris

Still reeling after the hard-fought battle to repel Legion, Japan is now reminded of a deadly foe from the past. The Gyaos have returned, and this time the ornery man-eating birds have not only increased their numbers, but also added a menacing new member-Iris-to their destructive little club. Raised by a young girl whose parents Gamera accidentally squished, the flying, blood-sucking squid monster Iris takes her learned hatred and goes out on the warpath. Dr. Nagamine and Inspector Osaka are reunited to help Gamera in his relentless quest to protect and save the human race. Can Gamera ground the Gyaos? Can the turtle tie up the terrible tentacles? Do the hapless humans and the rowdy reptile have what it takes to thwart the revenge of Iris?

Ghost School Trilogy

Three of the most popular horror films in Korean history are now available in one box-set! Just in time for Halloween, these horrifying tales will be packaged in an eye-catching slipcase with a limited edition bonus disc containing over 2 hours of special features! Titles include: Whispering Corridors: Widely credited with starting the Asian horror explosion, it is the #3 highest-grossing Korean horror film of all-time! Memento Mori: The sequel to Whispering Corridors. "Frightening in the way The Others or The Sixth Sense should have been."eFilmCritic.com, Wishing Stairs: The third chapter in the trilogy is also the #5 highest-grossing Korean horror film all-time.

Gamera Limited Edition Box Set

Japan's classic monster movie is back again! Not only does he carry a two-hundred foot house on his back, but he also has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Gamera - a giant, flying, fire-breathing turle, friend to children everywhere, and protector of Earth - is now available in a collectible hard shell.

Gamera - Attack of Legion

From the same crew who brought us the effects-juiced Gamera: Guardian of the Universe comes an even more CGI-enhanced adventure for our tortugan hero: A freak meteor shower near Sapporo, Japan brings with is more than just a killer light show. Electrical problems, over-grown plant life and a whole slew of rather irritable critters also drop in to threaten the human race. Local science instructor Midori Honami (Miki Mizuno) is called to assist the brave Colonel Watarase (Toshiyuki Nagashima) in the military's oft-confused attempts to save mankind. They must find a way to successfully combine efforts with their reptilian protector, or both will face ultimate distruction from the Earth's bugged-out invaders. Join the battle as Gamera and his bipedal pals work to repel the Attack of Legion!

Gamera - Guardian of the Universe (Custom Art Box)

Gamera, Japan's favorite jet-propelled giant flying turtle, was Daiei's child-friendly answer to Toho's Godzilla franchise. This decidedly juvenile staple of the 1960s became a modest success, but those early features, with cut-rate special effects and gooey child stars, rate little beyond camp nowadays. With such a legacy, his 1995 rebirth Gamera, Guardian of the Galaxy, is a delightful surprise. Now taking over the franchise, Toho comes through with an old-fashioned giant monster adventure in candy colors with excellent special effects and an attitude that straddles serious science fiction and outrageous spectacle. Gamera, still a hero of the people, is given a mythic back-story and a foe of apocalyptic dimensions, the flying people-eating lizard Gyaos that the government, in all its misguided wisdom, decides to protect while attacking the misunderstood Gamera. There's romance (featuring the best come-on line ever: "Someday I'd like to show you around a monster-free Tokyo"), bureaucratic satire, and a well-meaning environmental message, but that's all gravy to the movie's meat: giant monsters battling it out in the traditional Tokyo war zone, laying waste to acres of lovingly detailed miniatures. That's what Japanese monster movies are all about. --Sean Axmaker

Pyrokinesis

Junko is a quiet and good-natured young lady born with a secret power unlike anything you have ever seen. Pyrokinesis, a deadly form of ESP, enables her to incinerate anything on command. Her simple, uneventful life is disrupted and she is pushed past her boiling point when a group of murdering teenage thugs kills a close friend. Now no one is safe from the fires of vengeance!

Gamera - The Guardian of The Universe

Gamera, Japan's favorite jet-propelled giant flying turtle, was Daiei's child-friendly answer to Toho's Godzilla franchise. This decidedly juvenile staple of the 1960s became a modest success, but those early features, with cut-rate special effects and gooey child stars, rate little beyond camp nowadays. With such a legacy, his 1995 rebirth Gamera, Guardian of the Galaxy, is a delightful surprise. Now taking over the franchise, Toho comes through with an old-fashioned giant monster adventure in candy colors with excellent special effects and an attitude that straddles serious science fiction and outrageous spectacle. Gamera, still a hero of the people, is given a mythic back-story and a foe of apocalyptic dimensions, the flying people-eating lizard Gyaos that the government, in all its misguided wisdom, decides to protect while attacking the misunderstood Gamera. There's romance (featuring the best come-on line ever: "Someday I'd like to show you around a monster-free Tokyo"), bureaucratic satire, and a well-meaning environmental message, but that's all gravy to the movie's meat: giant monsters battling it out in the traditional Tokyo war zone, laying waste to acres of lovingly detailed miniatures. That's what Japanese monster movies are all about. --Sean Axmaker

A plan to dump radioactive waste at sea is disrupted when a mysterious atoll appears at the dumping location. That atoll proves to be something altogether different when hideous flying reptiles, the Gyaos, attack a nearby island-and the atoll rises from the sea. It is Gamera! The super turtle combats both a misguided military and the man-eating Gyaos, with help from a courageous naval officer, an intrepid ornithologist and a beautiful young psychic. Don't miss the most incredible slam-bang, knock-down monster slug-fest ever as Gamera turtle-waxes the evil Gyaos through downtown Tokyo in GAMERA: GUARDIAN OF THE UNIVERSE!