Super Giant ( スーパージャイアンツ , Sūpā Jaiantsu , literally translated as "Super Giants") is a Japanese superhero featured in a successful series of serial -like tokusatsu short feature films produced between 1957 and 1959 by Shintoho (the non-union branch of Toho ). He is also known in Japan as Giant of Steel ( 鋼鉄の巨人 , Kōtetsu no Kyojin ) , is known in The United States as Starman , and known in France and Italy as Spaceman .
31-401: Whereas Takeo Nagamatsu 's 1930 kamishibai The Golden Bat ( Ōgon Batto ) was Japan's first modern superhero (and had many manga , anime and film adaptations), Shintoho's Super Giant was the first celluloid superhero (theatrically released in 1957), and the role model for many Japanese superheroes to come, especially Ultraman and Kamen Rider . Named "Super Giants" (plural), although
62-591: A Japanese man wearing an ordinary suit and fedora hat (looking almost like a police detective), but still uses his "Super Giant" name. His secret identity is not that secret, as he works with the Japanese authorities to help them fight evildoers. He is just as powerful in his civilian form. He also gets along with Earth children, and saves them from danger, as he knows that children represent the Earth's future. After accomplishing his mission, Super Giant always flies back to
93-450: A love of cinema early. His parents would often take him to see foreign films, particularly French movies. Ishii worked at Toho Studios as an assistant director beginning in 1942. His film career was interrupted when he was sent to Manchuria during World War II to take aerial photographs for bombing runs. In March, 1947 Ishii joined the newly founded Shintoho studios. Ishii would later recall his time with Shintoho as, "without doubt
124-471: A safety bumper at the end of each episode, telling children not to imitate the impossible feats performed by the title superhero. This was the last Super Giant film with a two-part story arc; the remaining films were stand-alone episodes, and none of them from this point on were directed by Teruo Ishii. Super Giant - The Space Mutant Appears (スーパー・ジャイアンツ 宇宙怪人出現 - Sūpā Jaiantsu - Uchū Kaijin Shutsugen )
155-456: Is a 1958 black and white Japanese film directed by Akira Mitsuwa . Plot: Super Giant battles a marauding alien brain-like creature created by a mad scientist and an alien army. (stand-alone episode) This film is part of the U.S. version Evil Brain from Outer Space . Cast: Trivia: The last Super Giant film shot in fullscreen. Super Giant Continues - The Devil's Incarnation (続スーパー・ジャイアンツ 悪魔の化身 - Zoku Sūpā Jaiantsu - Akuma no Keshin )
186-472: Is a 1959 Color/Scope Japanese film directed by Chogi Akasaka . Plot: Super Giant copes with a mad scientist (disfigured in World War II ) who uses science and sorcery to turn his deceased daughter into an evil witch that murders women. (stand-alone episode) This film is part of the U.S. version Evil Brain from Outer Space . Despite the fact it was filmed in color and Scope, footage from this episode
217-490: Is a 1959 black and white widescreen Japanese film directed by Chogi Akasaka . Plot: Super Giant fights against an Arab terrorist army (who wear costumes that look similar to the aliens' costumes in The Space Mutant Appears ) which plots to assassinate its nation's peaceful crown prince for his treasure. (stand-alone episode) This film is part of the U.S. version Evil Brain from Outer Space . Towards
248-626: Is part of the U.S. version Attack from Space . Super Giant - The Spaceship and the Clash of the Artificial Satellite (スーパー・ジャイアンツ 宇宙艇と人工衛星の激突 - Sūpā Jaiantsu - Uchūtei to Jinkō Eisei no Gekitotsu ) is a 1958 black and white Japanese film directed by Teruo Ishii . Plot: Although he was believed to be destroyed by the Nazi-like army, Super Giant breaks into the satellite, and a long, riotous battle ensues. (Part 2 of 2) This film
279-532: Is part of the U.S. version Atomic Rulers of the World . Cast: Super Giant - The Mysterious Spacemen's Demonic Castle (スーパー・ジャイアンツ 怪星人の魔城 - Sūpā Jaiantsu - Kaiseijin no Majō ) is a 1957 black and white Japanese film directed by Teruo Ishii . Plot: The reptile-like Kapia-Seijin prepare to conquer the Earth, and Super Giant must stop them. (Part 1 of 2). This film is part of the U.S. version Invaders from Space . Cast: Trivia: The Kapia-Seijin are based on
310-522: Is part of the U.S. version Attack from Space . Trivia: It was after this film was made that director Teruo Ishii left the series, upon hearing of a child who imitated Super Giant (even wearing a hand-made cape) by jumping out of a window and landing on the street below, seriously injuring himself. This became a controversial liability issue with Japanese superhero programs (not unlike those in America), until shows like Android Kikaider (1972) added
341-519: Is part of the U.S. version Invaders from Space . Super Giant - The Artificial Satellite and the Destruction of Humanity (スーパー・ジャイアンツ 人工衛星と人類の破滅 - Sūpā Jaiantsu - Jinkō Eisei to Jinrui no Hametsu ) is a 1957 Japanese film directed by Teruo Ishii . Plot: Super Giant pursues a Nazi-like army that operates on a huge satellite in space. The satellite is armed with weapons that could destroy whole cities on Earth from afar. (Part 1 of 2) This film
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#1732772098583372-705: The Super Giant series, and for his films in the ero guro ("erotic-grotesque") subgenre of sexploitation such as Shogun's Joy of Torture ( 1968 ). He also directed the 1965 film Abashiri Prison , which helped to make Ken Takakura a major star in Japan. Referred to in Japan as "The King of Cult", Ishii had a much more prolific and eclectic career than was generally known in the West during his lifetime. Born in Tokyo's Asakusa neighborhood in 1924, Ishii developed
403-675: The 1960s. Ishii would go on to direct 10 of the 18 films in this series. In 1968, Ishii initiated two popular, long-running series for Toei. In the first entry in the Hot Springs Geisha series (1968–1972), Ishii successfully replaced his usual "darkly sardonic cinematic style in favor of this light and frivolous 'mainstream' comedy about geisha masseuses operating inside a hotsprings resort." Ishii left this series to other directors. The Joys of Torture series (1968–1973), however, suited Ishii's taste. Beginning with Shogun's Joy of Torture ( 1968 ), Ishii directed all eight entries in
434-442: The 1970s, including a Pinky violent film with Reiko Ike , Female Yakuza Tale: Inquisition and Torture ( 1973 ), and one of Sonny Chiba 's films in the mid-1970s, The Executioner ( Chokugeki! Jigoku-ken ). Ishii made two contributions to the biker genre with Detonation! Violent Riders ( 1975 ) and Detonation! Violent Games ( 1976 ). After 1979 Ishii stopped making theatrical films and worked mainly for television during
465-541: The 1980s. Ishii returned to Toei in 1991 with the V-cinema film The Hit Man: Blood Smells Like Roses . In 1993 he made a film of Yoshiharu Tsuge 's manga, Master of the Gensenkan Inn ( Gensenkan Shujin ), and in 1998 he filmed Tsuge's avant-garde manga, Wind-Up Type ( Nejishiki ). In 1999 he made Jigoku: Japanese Hell , using the trial of Aum sect leader Shoko Asahara as the main inspiration for
496-475: The Emerald Planet. Super Giant was played in all nine films by respected film/TV actor Ken Utsui . However, Utsui hated playing Super Giant and, right up to his death, always played down the role. This was partially on account of the somewhat embarrassing costume, especially the overstuffed crotch area (he said the producers thought that female viewers were attracted to well-endowed men, so they stuffed
527-575: The Japanese mythical creatures known as kappa (water imps). Super Giant - Earth on the Verge of Destruction (スーパー・ジャイアンツ 地球滅亡寸前 - Sūpā Jaiantsu - Chikyū Metsubō Sunzen ) is a 1957 black and white Japanese film directed by Teruo Ishii . Plot: Super Giant continues his battle against the Kapia-Seijin, who not only send a mysterious witch after a group of children, but summon their almighty leader to alter Earth's rotation. (Part 2 of 2). This film
558-531: The Ring: The World of Glory ( Ring no Oja: Eiko no Sekai ). He was next assigned to direct six installments in the children's science-fiction series, Super Giant . This nine-episode series was later re-packaged into four films for U.S. syndicated television as Starman . From 1958 to 1961 Ishii directed four films in the film-noir Line ( Chitai ) series. For the last of these films, Sexy Line ( Sexy Chitai ) (1961), Ishii took his cameras to
589-502: The Wikimedia System Administrators, please include the details below. Request from 172.68.168.237 via cp1104 cp1104, Varnish XID 179789147 Upstream caches: cp1104 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 05:34:58 GMT Teruo Ishii Teruo Ishii ( 石井輝男 , Ishii Teruo , January 1, 1924 – August 12, 2005) was a Japanese film director best known in the West for his early films in
620-469: The World , Invaders from Space , and Attack from Space . The final three Japanese films were all re-edited into Evil Brain from Outer Space . The English dubbing was handled by Titra Studios of New York, using many of the voices common in dubbed films of the time, including Peter Fernandez . The original music soundtrack was largely replaced by library tracks. US syndications Kamishibai Too Many Requests If you report this error to
651-465: The crotch area of Utsui's costume with cotton). Whatever Utsui's feelings about the role, his earnest and heroic interpretation of the character made lasting impact on a generation's children all over the world. Super Giant (スーパー・ジャイアンツ 鋼鉄の巨人 , Sūpā Jaiantsu ) a.k.a. The Steel Giant , is a 1957 black and white Japanese film directed by Teruo Ishii . Plot: Super Giant first appears on Earth to stop foreign terrorists who threaten to destroy Japan (and
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#1732772098583682-515: The end of the film series' run, there were manga adaptations of the Super Giant adventures. Artists included Tatsuo Yoshida and Jiro Kuwata . The American company Walter Manley Enterprises purchased the international rights to Super Giant and with Medallion Films, repackaged the nine films into four films for U.S. television under the name Starman in 1964. The first six installments were re-edited into three films -- Atomic Rulers of
713-614: The main character was only one person and obviously human-sized, the series' title was no doubt inspired by the American Adventures of Superman (which was then being broadcast in Japan) and the famous Japanese baseball team, the Yomiuri Giants (who were extremely popular at the time). Moonlight Mask (Gekkō Kamen) became Japan's first made-for-television superhero when his TV show debuted in 1958, but Super Giant
744-610: The most extreme of the S&;M films in Japan. Of these, the Weissers comment, "The Ishii Torture movies are still the best-made, rivaled only by certain Kōji Wakamatsu productions (especially Torture Chronicles: 100 Years ( 1975 )), a few from Masaru Konuma (i.e., Wife to be Sacrificed and Flower and Snake (both 1974 )) and Go Ijuin's Captured For Sex 2 ( 1986 )." Ishii worked in several of Toei's popular genres during
775-467: The most joyful period of my professional life." While at Shintoho he worked as assistant director to Mikio Naruse , whom he considered his mentor for the rest of his career. He also worked for director Hiroshi Shimizu and studied script writing with Shinichi Sekizawa , best known in the West for his entries in the Godzilla series. Ishii's directorial debut was in 1957 with the boxing film King of
806-604: The plot. Ishii's last film, The Blind Beast Vs The Dwarf ( 2001 ) was another based on the work of Edogawa Rampo. Largely unknown outside Japan during much of his career, late in life, Ishii's work was discovered and gained admirers in the West. Ishii attended festivals devoted to his films given at the Far East Film Festival in Udine and at the Étrange Festival in France. In his later years, Ishii often spoke of
837-436: The rest of the world) with an atomic bomb. (Part 1 of 2). This film is part of the U.S. version Atomic Rulers of the World . Actors in the film include: Super Giant Continues (続スーパー・ジャイアンツ 続鋼鉄の巨人 , Zoku Sūpā Jaiantsu ) is a 1957 black and white Japanese film directed by Teruo Ishii . Plot: Super Giant continues his battle against the foreign terrorists. In return, they frame him for murder. (Part 2 of 2) This film
868-422: The series, which examined the history of torture in Japan. A fan of the work of horror and suspense author Edogawa Rampo since childhood, Ishii adapted many of his horror stories into his films of this period, including Horrors of Malformed Men . The term ero-guro ("erotic-grotesque"), used to describe Rampo's writings, was also applied to Ishii's style in these films, and the term is still used to describe
899-610: The streets of Asakusa and Ginza , in order to film real life on location. The film has been called "sharp, witty and contagious" and "a lively portrait of the Tokyo underworld, populated by hookers, johns, crooks and cops and shot in cinéma-verité style." Shintoho declared bankruptcy in 1961 , forcing Ishii to seek employment at another studio. He moved to Toei Company where he directed Flower and Storm and Gang ( Hana to Arashi to Gang ) (1961), starring Ken Takakura . His 1965 Abashiri Bangaichi with Takakura would solidify that actor's stardom and give Ishii his biggest success of
930-629: Was Japan's first theatrical superhero series. Super Giant is a human-like being created from the strongest steel by the Peace Council of the Emerald Planet. He is created to destroy evil and restore peace in the universe. Resembling a Japanese man in white tights/cowl (fitted with an antenna) and capes under his arms, he is virtually indestructible. He wears on his wrist a "Globe-Meter" device, which enables him to: He can also use it to disguise himself as an Earthling to walk among them. When sent to Earth to fight evildoers, he disguises himself as
961-649: Was incorporated into the English-language film, converted to black and white. Evil Brain from Outer Space contains sequences featuring both the disfigured scientist and the witch creature. To fit within the US versions story arc, the witch is described as another "mutant". Trivia: The only Super Giant film made in both color and widescreen (2.35:1). Super Giant Continues - Kingdom of the Poison Moth (続スーパー・ジャイアンツ 毒蛾王国 - Zoku Sūpā Jaiantsu - Dokuga Ōkoku )