Ishiro Honda :A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa

4.44 ( 48 Ratings by Goodreads)
Ishiro Honda

Ishiro Honda :A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa

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4.44 (48 Ratings by Goodreads)
hardback
Published: 3 October, 2017
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Description

Ishiro Honda was arguably the most internationally successful Japanese director of his generation, with an unmatched succession of science fiction films that were commercial hits worldwide. From the atomic allegory of Godzilla and the beguiling charms of Mothra to the tragic mystery of Matango and the disaster and spectacle of Rodan, The Mysterians, King Kong vs. Godzilla, and many others, Honda’s films reflected postwar Japan’s real-life anxieties and incorporated fantastical special effects, a formula that appealed to audiences around the globe and created a popular culture phenomenon that spans generations. Now, in the first full account of this long overlooked director’s life and career, authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski shed new light on Honda’s work and the experiences that shaped it—including his days as a reluctant Japanese soldier, witnessing the aftermath of Hiroshima, and his lifelong friendship with Akira Kurosawa. Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa features close analysis of Honda’s films (including, for the first time, his rarely seen dramas, comedies, and war films) and draws on previously untapped documents and interviews to explore how creative, economic, and industrial factors impacted his career. The authors cover Honda’s non-science fiction films for the first time in any language. Fans of Honda, Godzilla, and tokusatsu (special effects) film, and of Japanese film in general, will welcome this in-depth study of a highly influential director who occupies a uniquely important position in science fiction and fantasy cinema, as well as in world cinema. Together, the authors have provided audio commentary tracks and produced supplemental material for numerous home video releases, including Ishiro Honda’s Godzilla for the British Film Institute. They co-produced the documentary feature Bringing Godzilla Down to Size (2008).
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Type Book
ISBN13 9780819570871
ISBN10 0819570877
Number Of Pages 336
Item Weight 1000 g
Publisher / Reseller Wesleyan University Press
Format hardback
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Media Reviews

[A]n appreciation of Japanese fantasy-film history through the eyes of a filmmaker whose name is obscure but populism remains influential. --Christopher Borrelli Chicago Tribune (12/7/2017 12:00:00 AM)
[Up] to the challenge, a major achievement ... as authoritative a biography as [Honda] will probably ever receive. If you loved these movies as a kid (or even continue to do so in adulthood), this book will be mighty hard to put down. --Steve Mcfarlane Cineaste Magazine (3/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
Where the authors really triumph is in the wealth of information provided about the autobiographical, historical and cultural context to Honda's work ... The impression gained from this impressively researched tome is of a self-effacing yet highly accomplished director with his own distinctive vision, who despite being hamstrung by the success of his most famous film managed a career that fully justifies the comprehensive and in-depth consideration presented here. --Jasper Sharp Sight & Sound: The International Film Magazine (1/1/2018 12:00:00 AM)
[A] wider, deeper and more valuable examination of not only one man's career, but also the life that produced it and the system that nurtured it--and almost destroyed it. --Mark Schilling The Japan Times (11/18/2017 12:00:00 AM)

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