Tag: Good

Ultraseven Ep. 33: The Invading Dead

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Hajime Tsuburaya. Written by Shozo Uehara. Airdate May 19, 1968.

Ultraseven returns to horror with a spectral-themed story that hints at the supernatural. However, like the previous horror outing, “The Human Farm,” this episode has an odd split between its parts: low-key foreboding, claustrophobic staging, and general eeriness upfront — and then a big ol’ space shoot-‘em-up for the ending. Both parts are good at what they do, especially the ghostly first two-thirds. However, I like the promise of a fully weird horror episode about shadow creatures arising from dead bodies far too much to feel satisfied when the action switches to another battle with alien vessels. Perhaps I just miss Ultra Q too much.

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Ultraseven Ep. 32: The Strolling Planet

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Samaji Nonagase. Written by Masahiro Yamada and Shozo Uehara. Airdate May 12, 1968.

A mysterious object is heading toward Earth. When Dan, Furuhashi, and Amagi investigate in the Ultra Hawk 1, they discover an asteroid one kilometer in diameter that’s sending out disruptive electromagnetic waves. An energy blast from the asteroid causes the Ultra Hawk to crash, trapping the three UG members on the surface of what they discover is a time bomb targeting Terran Defense Force HQ. Unfortunately, those electromagnetic waves prevent the trio from communicating with the rest of the Ultra Guard and make it impossible for Dan to change into Ultraseven — which might come in handy since there’s also a giant monster wandering around the deadly asteroid.

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Ultraseven Ep. 31: Flower Where the Devil Dwells

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Toshitsugu Suzuki. Written by Shozo Uehara. Airdate May 5, 1968.

Ultraseven takes another big swing at exploring new science fiction territory. Drawing inspiration from the 1966 film Fantastic Voyage, our hero Ultraseven reverses his usual tactics and shrinks to face a microscopic but deadly enemy within the strange battlefield of the human body. 

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Monster Theater: X the Unknown (1956)

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Leslie Norman. Written by Jimmy Sangster. Starring Dean Jagger, Edward Chapman, Leo McKern, Michael Ripper, Anthony Newley.

I’d love to offer a Halloween-themed review of an Ultra episode like last year. But the calendar didn’t align this time, and I had to use up the review of Ultraman Tiga’s Halloween episode in March. So to celebrate horror season this year, I’m returning to Hammer Films and the second of their influential Quatermass Films. The one that isn’t actually a Quatermass film but is trying to pass itself off as one — and doing a decent job of it. X the Unknown doesn’t have the intensity, pacing, or paranoia of the three true Quatermass films, but it’s still above average Atomic Age horror with intelligence, several strong performances, and a few genuinely chilling sequences. 

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Ultraman Ep. 31: Who Goes There?

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Yuzo Higuchi. Written by Taro Kaido. Airdate Feb. 12, 1967.

Ultraman’s fighting style evolved over the show’s run. Starting with a close-contact, grounded style, Ultraman became more agile and flexible as Bin Furuya, the actor inside the suit, got more accustomed to the costume. The fight choreography changed to match. Furuya picked “Who Goes There?” as a peak of this fighting evolution. He’s right: the battle between Ultraman and the giant Vampire Plant Keronia is among the most athletic and dynamic in the show. Furuya as Ultraman executes impressive full-body flips and flying double-leg kicks that must have required intense training and practice. Furuya was right to feel proud — all of it looks fantastic. 

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Toku Theater: Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Noriaki Yuasa. Written by Niisan Takahashi.

The progression of the classic Gamera series doesn’t follow conventional movie franchise logic. This logic says that once a series completes the transformation into children’s entertainment, it will enter a period of steady decline — if it hasn’t already. Although Gamera vs. Guiron was psychedelic fun with little in the way of story to interfere with kids’ enjoyment, it should have signaled an irreversible trend toward lower budgets and sillier, simpler plots.

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Ultraman Tiga Ep. 19 & 20: GUTS Into Space

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Hirochika Muraishi. Written by Chiaki J. Konaka. Airdate Jan. 11 & 18, 1997.

Ultraman Tiga and its sequel series Ultraman Dyna take place in the “World of Neo Frontier Space” timeline. Space travel and planetary colonization are key themes in these shows, although they usually occur in the background or serve as catalysts for episodes that are otherwise Earthbound. “GUTS Into Space,” Tiga’s first two-parter, finally sends the GUTS team into the Neo Frontier using a new piece of space-travel technology.

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Ultraman Tiga Ep. 18: Golza Strikes Back!

~ Ryan Harvey

Directed by Shinichi Kamizawa. Written by Masakazu Migita. Airdate Jan. 4, 1997.

Ultra shows generally treat the impact of kaiju activity on the civilian population with a light hand. That’s appropriate, since the episodes would otherwise make for extremely dour entertainment, and many child viewers would have nightmares until they graduated high school. Doing something with the heaviness of the original Godzilla or Godzilla Minus One isn’t what Tsuburaya Productions was looking to achieve. 

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