Description
Book SynopsisThe Kaiju (strange monster) film genre has a number of themes that go well beyond the “big monsters stomping on cities” motif. This examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre. The author examines how kaiju has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations and how the genre reflects national values to audiences.
Trade ReviewJason Barr’s lively and fun study (subtitled ‘A critical study of the cinema’s biggest monsters’) is both an enthusiastic celebration of an often despised genre, written with both a fan’s indulgence and a scholar’s hard-core grasp of information. Ambitiously, Barr is not content to simply tackle the Japanese variety of destructive behemoth, but adduces American films such as the remarkable
Kronos, with its bizarre Cubist-inspired robot machine and the much-loved British film
Gorgo, with the title monster’s mother, no less, laying waste to such London landmarks as Tower Bridge. For aficionados of the genre, this is splendid stuff." -
DVD Choices, July 2016
