Finally, MOTHRA...

[Ollie]

It's been 5 years since Toho released GOJIRA onto DVD, a film that was making American film festivals from 2002 on. Then it's "part 2" was released the next year, along with RODAN six months later. So where was MOTHRA?!! Finally, this past Tuesday, that too has arrived in both the original Japanese version and the English versions.

Now if only INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN, IT CONQUERED THE WORLD and MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS would arrive on DVD.

INVASION OF THE SAUCER MEN (1957 d-Ed Cahn) is a fairly good teens-see-aliens-no-one-believes-them tale with balloon-headed aliens armed with syringe-like fingertips for poisoning attacking cows and car tires. Frank Gorshin gives a great early indication of his career path. There are public domain versions floating around, some truly miserable, some only half-miserable. Of this unbelieved-teens-versus-aliens genre, I'd give them top marks. (As if that's saying anything.)

IT CONQUERED THE WORLD (1956 d-R.Corman) has Lee Van Cleef in radio-contact with invading aliens who have raided Universal's stock of rubber bats-on-fishing-poles to chase some of the film's cast around, striking them in the back of the heads to implant devices only Ken Kesey's Chief Bromden could appreciate. Peter Graves (or is it James Arness? Or does it matter - after all, I've never seen them together) is the hero, and Beverly Garland is the femme fatale. Of sorts. We're not really sure what happens to Lee in all of this - apparently, he receives a time machine and, in six years, will be out in the Old West with Strother Martin doing another film where he's 'tuned in' to his new master.

MONSTER OF PIEDRAS BLANCAS (1959 d-Berwick)is one of the originators of fast-food burgers because to appease a local sea monster, a Mexican village leaves raw meat on its sidewalks for the occasional nightly visit. Maybe this film isn't the actual inventor of fast-food burgers. Maybe it's the reason we now enjoy late-night drive-thru's, though. This creature couldn't, like, get into his car and cruise the strip?!! Nope... he's gotta lunge around town, make a mess, kill a few people and throw tantrums when the meat's not prepared to his oh-so-exact specifications. Jeepers.

But, as stated earlier, at least the Japanese Costume Monster origins are all in place. Whew. I'm soooo thankful for THAT.