Ayako Hoshino - This pretty young woman works for the 'Asian Development Company Ltd.' The ADCL plans on developing Selgio Island into a popular resort and tourist attraction. Though she spends a good chunk of her time screaming at monsters and clinging to Taro for protection, her compassionate nature actually helps defeat the evil space amoeba.

Dr. Kyoichi Miya - Yoshio Tsuchiya! He has come to Selgio Island to study the flora and fauna. Dr. Miya theorized that the island may be populated by monsters and soon discovers that he was (coincidentally) right on the money.

Makoto Obata - Kenji Sahara! This tag-along is a corporate spy that is posing as an anthropologist. His visit to Selgio Island is not a pleasant one as he ends up becoming possessed by the tyrannical space amoeba. (If Makoto had watched The Blob (1958) he probably would never have become a host to said organism.) At the end of the film, Makoto sacrifices himself to end the alien invader's reign of terror.

Gezora, Ganime, and Kamoeba - These giant monsters are created by the evil space amoeba as weapons against humanity! Gezora is a giant squid that can take a stroll on dry land when the urge hits it. Ganime is a super-sized rubble crab with the power to spit foam. Kamoeba is a gigantic Matamata turtle with built-in slinky neck technology. All three of these critters meet a fiery end.

While I am a devout lover of Toho's Godzilla films, I am also a fan of their non-Godzilla kaiju flicks. While several of these other giant monster films are very well known (e.g. Rodan (1956), Mothra (1961), and Varan, the Unbelievable (1962)), one film in particular has escaped the public eye for quite some time: Space Amoeba (a.k.a. Gezora, Ganime, Kameba: Kessen! Nankai no daikaijf). Even though this film was released on DVD by Media Blasters' in early 2006, it has remained a cinematic obscurity that only diehard Toho fans are familiar with. Hopefully, my review for Space Amoeba will help generate a little interest in this oft-forgotten Toho classic.

The film begins with the launch of Japan's "Helios 7," an unmanned space probe that was built to gather data about Jupiter. The craft travels through space toward its destination, when suddenly, a glittering blue mass invades the small vessel. The hijacking "space amoeba" takes control of the Helios 7 and steers the probe toward Earth. The spacecraft soon splashes down into the South Pacific and sinks beneath the waves. The entire scientific community, and people the world over have no idea that Helios 7 has returned, except for a news photographer named Taro Kudo. While on a flight to Brazil, Taro catches a brief glimpse of the ship during its descent. Deciding that this is a chance to really make a name for himself, Taro immediately returns to Japan to break the big news to his editor.

Unfortunately, no one believes that Taro witnessed the return of the space capsule, and he is told to either return to Brazil or find a new job. Taro goes with the second option and storms out of his editor's office and towards the parking lot where he is stopped by a woman named Ayako Hoshino. Ayako works for the Asian Development Company, and wants Taro to accompany her to Selgio Island to take photos of the landscape, natives, and wildlife. Taro turns down the offer, until he discovers that an old friend is going on the trip, namely Dr. Kyoichi Miya. The two reminisce a bit, before turning to business. Dr. Miya tells Taro that he believes Selgio Island could very well be the home of hither-to-unknown monsters. This causes Taro to pause for a moment before he pulls out a map with a big 'X' on it.

After confirming that the 'X' marks the location of Selgio Island and the possible whereabouts of the Helios 7, Taro takes the job and heads to the tropical island paradise with Dr. Miya and Ayako. Back on Selgio Island, two employees for the aforementioned Asian Development Company named Yokoyama and Sakura, decide to do a little fishing on a "forbidden" part of the coastline. Sakura is worried that the natives will be upset, but Yokoyama could care less. Moments after casting their lines into the tumultuous sea, the two men are attacked by Gezora. The giant squid reaches out with its tentacles and captures poor Sakura before disappearing back into the ocean. Horrified, Yokoyama desperately climbs up the rocky hill, only to run into a very disapproving Chief Ombo.

Ombo declares that the Japanese have angered Gezora and ushers his fellow islanders back to their village so they can pray to their oceanic god. A day or two later, Ayako, Taro, and Dr. Miya arrive on Selgio Isle, but they are not alone. A suspicious-looking fellow named Makoto Obata has tagged along with them and claims that he is there to study the natives and their culture. The four of them wait on the beach and are eventually picked up in a jeep by Yokoyama and a native boy named Rico. Dr. Miya tries to question Yokoyama about Sakura's death, but Yoko is a bit loco and refuses to talk about the incident. Miya prepares to pursue the matter but Taro dissuades his cohort to save the questioning for later.

Once everything is packed up, the group moves into the interior of the island to start their work. Dr. Miya wants their first stop to be a large cave that he has marked on his map. They head to said cavern and find that it is filled with sea water. It is here that the island's latest visitors have their first brush with Gezora. The aquatic terror doesn't show itself but leaves the curious humans with a gift: Sakura's watch! Yokoyama, who is already on edge, freaks out and rushes out of the cave. He hops in the jeep and rushes off, with a very confused Rico in the backseat. Yokoyama drives to his hut and begins packing his things. He has made up his mind that staying on the island means certain death. Rico attempts to talk sense into the wild-eyed man when suddenly the hut is attacked by Gezora!

Yup, that pesky monster squid can walk upright on dry land folks, so no one is safe from this killer calamari's wrath! Gezora grabs Yokoyama (turning him into a doll in the process) and quite possibly devours him (which is safe to say since Yoko is nowhere to be found after this scene). Then the tentacled monster turns its attention to Rico. Gezora picks him up and tosses him to the ground, but before it can dine on Rico, a flock of bats arrives on the scene and drives the kaiju back to the sea. Hours after the attack, Miya, Ayako, Makoto, and Taro come upon the remnants of Yokoyama's hut. They spread out to find Yokoyama, but can't find a single trace of him. (Except for his goofy straw hat.) They do find Rico however, but he is in a state of shock and completely unresponsive.

After shining a small penlight in Rico's eyes, the young islander screams and regains his motor skills. However, Rico has been inflicted with a severe case of amnesia so he can't remember a thing, including how to talk apparently. Rico's main squeeze, Sake arrives on the scene and guides her stupefied sweetheart and the (currently unwanted) Japanese visitors back to her village. Once they get Rico to a hut, they begin tending to his wounds and discussing their current situation. During the conversation, Taro lets his comrades know that he saw Makoto Obata steal hotel plans from Yokoyama's hut. Seeing that the jig is up, Makoto comes clean: He is actually a corporate spy that was sent to Selgio Isle to get info on the proposed hotel and resort.

The next day, Dr. Miya and Taro don scuba gear, and investigate the waters around the island. They soon come upon the sunken Helios 7 and take a few photos. Unfortunately for these two, the camera flashes attract the attention of Gezora. Miya and Taro attempt to escape, but they are easily caught by the gigantic squid. They struggle in the creature's grasp and attempt to cut at the tentacles with their knives, but Gezora is completely knife (and harpoon) proof. Just when all hope seems lost, the squid monster suddenly releases its prey. A large school(?) of porpoises arrive on the scene and surround the rubber Kraken. Gezora emits a cloud of ink and escapes onto land, where it slowly makes its way toward the village.

Dr. Miya and Taro also make it to land and count their blessings. Though they are confused as to why Gezora released them and made a hasty retreat, they push their scientific curiosity aside and rush off to warn the islanders of the oncoming peril. In the meantime, Makoto and Ayako have been at Selgio village, watching the natives worship their idols for hours. Makoto is completely sure that the monster attacks are all a hoax, and stops short of explaining why because Gezora has arrived! The natives flee for their lives, but Chief Ombo stands firm and falls before the giant squid. He begins praying to the beast until it plucks him from the ground (with an animated tentacle!) and tosses him aside. Gezora then goes on a destruction spree and trashes the entire village.

As everyone evacuates before Gezora's onslaught, Dr. Miya and Taro arrive on the scene. After assessing the situation, they realize two things: A) Gezora doesn't like fire and B) they could really use some gasoline. Luckily, Selgio Island was once held by Japanese forces during World War II and they left behind an impressive weapons stash and plenty of fuel as well. With an arsenal and gallons of gas at their disposal, Doc Miya and Taro set a trap for Gezora. They lead the monster to a spot that is soaked with gasoline and set the fuel aflame when the monster is in position. Gezora is badly burnt in the attack and makes a speedy retreat to the sea where it soon dies. But the space amoeba's reign of terror is not over yet. The amorphous blue lifeform drains out of the corpse of Gezora and seeks out an even sturdier marine specimen to mutate: A rubble crab!

Back on the island, the natives have armed themselves to the teeth, just in case a certain giant squid should return. Imagine their surprise when a monstrous crab (Ganime!) bursts out of the surf and heads toward shore. The islanders open fire and even toss grenades at their latest attacker, but Ganime's extremely dense shell protects it from harm. The kaiju-crustacean chases everybody into the jungle, but singles out Ayako and Taro. During the chase, Taro shoots out one of Ganime's eyes, allowing he and Ayako to seek shelter behind a large boulder. As the cyclopean crab-monster searches for one responsible for its injury, Taro manages to stealthily shoot out the kaiju's other eye. Now fully blinded the monster doesn't realize that it is about to take a stroll over a cliff.

Taro takes a few flash-photos of the beast, giving away his position. He leaps over the side of the cliff and luckily finds a tree to grasp on to. Ganime is not so lucky and topples over the massive drop-off and into a large pit full of fuel drums. Taro climbs to safety, picks up his rifle, fires a few rounds into said fuel tanks, and then it's bye-bye Ganime. The resulting explosion sends bits of giant crab all over the island, allowing the space amoeba to take over three more lifeforms including another rubble crab (Ganime II!), a Matamata turtle (Kamoeba), and Makoto Obata! Seeing as how Gezora and Ganime were defeated, the natives have a big celebration, the centerpiece of which is Sake and Rico's wedding. This is a rather humorous scene because Rico is still in La-La Land. As Sake leads him to the alter with a huge smile on her face, Rico just stumbles along, staring off into space. (Shouldn't he be like that after a few years of marriage?)

Everything is going great, until Taro takes a few pictures of Rico. The camera flashes cause Rico to run screaming into the jungle. When Sake catches up to him, Rico is back to his old self and has to be brought up to speed because he can't remember a single thing that happened after he was manhandled by a squid. However, his recollection of events leading to his brief bout of amnesia, leads to the discovery that the monsters' (and subsequently, the space amoeba's) weakness is ultrasound! That explains why Gezora beat cheeks after the appearance of bats and porpoises earlier in the movie. With this newfound knowledge, everyone grabs a torch and heads out to find some bats.

The search turns out to be rather challenging because something, or rather, someone has torched several large colonies of bats on the island. The following morning, Taro and Ayako continue the bat hunt on their own, but run afoul of the cranky Kamoeba. The clumsy turtle monster chases them toward a cave, that is luckily filled with bats! (Ha! In your face Kamoeba!) Later, a small settlement is set up within the bat cave, and the entrance is fitted with a door to keep the winged mammals inside until they are needed. Right about this time, Makoto shows up, looking like he's been on a three-day partying spree full of booze, drugs, and women. He takes refuge within the cave and lies down in a makeshift bed. Though the parasite within Makoto probably thinks it has fooled everyone, Taro and Dr. Miya definitely have their suspicions.

Later, when the coast is clear, Makoto sneaks out and gets himself some gasoline. He pours a few gallons through an opening into the bats' cave and prepares to roast the critters alive. (And if you're wondering why Makoto is immune to the bats' ultrasonic squeaks, you are not alone. I've thought long and hard about it, and I guess it is because humans can't hear ultrasonic sound.) Taro happens to discover what Makoto is about to do and attempts to thwart the bat-bake. Makoto, with the aid of a clearly visible wire err... uh... I mean, his newfound, superhuman strength, lifts up Taro and tosses him away with little effort. Everyone hears the commotion and comes to Taro's aid, leading to a good chunk of expository feedback. Apparently, the alien within Makoto plans on conquering the Earth and is going to kill everyone on the island because they know the space amoeba's weakness.

After Makoto reveals this "startling" info, he blocks off the bat cave, tells everyone that Kamoeba and Ganime are coming to kill them, and prepares to make "roast Chiroptera buffet." This is where Ayako finally comes in handy. With tears in her eyes, Ayako begs Makoto to cease his wrongful actions and to fight the alien entity within himself. Makoto struggles against his parasitic invader, but the space amoeba wins out and forces its human host to ignite the gasoline. Though her first attempt failed, Ayako refuses to give up and starts in again with her tearful pleading. (Aha! The space amoeba's second weakness, must be teary-eyed speeches from beautiful Japanese women!) This time, Makoto fights the evil within himself and yanks the door away from the cave, allowing the bats to come pouring out. Once freed, the flying mammals circle around the heads of Kamoeba and Ganime who have just conveniently arrived.

Makoto runs off, and watches from a distance as Kamoeba and Ganime duke it out. This is one of the main highlights of the film because we finally get to see a kaiju fight! Kamoeba waddles over to Ganime, who then starts smacking the mighty terrapin with its pincers. Kamoeba, using its slinky-neck, tosses the giant crab up into the air, then uses its shell to catapult Ganime across the battlefield. The mighty mutant crab quickly recovers and cautiously approaches its opponent. After delivering a few jabs to Kamoeba's shell, Ganime fires a burst of foamy spittle into the turtle monster's face. Kamoeba, then tries to scale the nearby mountain and gets hit with a blast of steam. (Uh oh, the monsters' rough-housing has started a volcanic eruption!)

Kamoeba tumbles backwards onto its back and ends up knocking Ganime over in the process. Soon the two beasts are locked in an epic struggle as they continue to scale the volcano. As Ganime slowly backs itself up toward the lava-filled crater, it manages to grab a hold of Kamoebas' slinky-neck. Ganime hauls its foe forward and ends up dragging Kamoeba on top of itself, resulting in a rather embarrassing display of kaiju battle-lust. (And on that note, if these two were in fact attempting to mate and did succeed, how cool would it be if they had baby crab-turtles?) Eventually Ganime regains the upper-hand err... claw, and flips Kamoeba into the fiery crater. But Kamoeba acts faster than expected and latches its jaws onto Ganime's claw!

The two beasts play tug of war on the edge of the volcano and eventually they both tumble in and are completely incinerated. Their deaths cause the volcano to go into full eruption mode, and soon lava is flowing freely down the mountainside. But what of Makoto? Well he is apparently in control of his body for the time being. Makoto strolls up to the mouth of the volcano and leaps in, thus ending the island's kaiju problem. As for the rest of the film's main characters, they manage to catch the attention of a passing Japanese ship, so their rescue from Selgio Island is pretty much assured.

With the events on Selgio Island behind them, Ayako, Taro, and Dr. Miya lived happily ever after... until they returned to Tokyo and found their homes in ruins after the latest Godzilla attack. Rico and Sake remained happily married until their very bitter divorce two weeks later. Chief Ombo, Selgio Island's tribal shaman, was exiled to an even smaller island after it was discovered that he used tribal funds to finance a casino on the island. Gezora and Ganime were never seen again after the events on Selgio Island, however Kamoeba would be seen again thirty-three years later, washed up on a Japanese beach and dead as a doornail. The only evidence of the brutal slaying was the trio of slash marks found on Kamoeba's throat. The kaiju responsible for Kamoeba's death is reportedly still at large.

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Film Review: My first viewing of Space Amoeba took place some years ago. I traded for a VHS copy of the film over the web, under its Yog, the Space Monster moniker. The tape contained an acceptable pan-scan transfer and was mostly dubbed. I say mostly because every now and then, characters would start speaking Japanese with nary a subtitle in sight. I wasn't really a very big fan of the film then, and ended up giving this rarity to my buddy Steve, who happens to be a fellow Toho fan. Years after I dumped off my copy of the film, I attempted to order Space Amoeba through Video Daikaiju, but due to a mix up, I got someone else's stuff instead. (I'm not really complaining though as the films I received were also on my list of "must have DVDs.")

Then my luck changed in February 2006 when Media Blasters' release of Space Amoeba came out. I snapped it up immediately and have since watched this obscure Toho title several times. Though I originally wasn't a big fan of this kaiju flick, I have since discovered that I am now rather fond of it. Space Amoeba is quite different from your usual garden variety kaiju flick. In the past, a monster emerging from a lush tropical island was sort of the norm for a kaiju film, but rarely (if ever) did the beast ever stay put in that one location. In Space Amoeba, the monsters are pretty much dead-set on taking over the secluded Selgio Island. They don't suddenly appear, scare the locals, then make a beeline for a major Japanese city. Nope! These giant monsters decidedly stick around their island of origin to terrorize the natives.

What's also very different about this film is that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces are nowhere to be seen! Instead, the natives and their Japanese guests must hold their own against the sudden barrage of kaiju attacks. And when (somewhat) modern weaponry fails, the characters rely on their wits to overcome their gigantic foes. (As the saying goes, "Knowledge is power.") The cast of this film is incredible and features many familiar faces from Toho's stable of actors. Akira Kubo, who plays the daring Taro Kudo, has been a staple of Toho's sci-fi and fantasy films for decades. From Gorath (1962) all the way to Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995), Mr. Kubo has consistently played a heroic role.

Dr. Miya is played by Yoshio Tsuchiya, a veteran actor with an incredible number of genre films under his belt. While he and Akira Kubo easily handle their roles as heroes, it is Kenji Sahara who steals the show as the scheming Makoto Obata. Kenji's tragic hero is not a very likeable guy. Makoto is fairly close-minded (he writes off the earlier events in the film as a hoax until he finally sees a monster with his own two eyes), laughs frequently, and makes comments at inopportune times. To top it all off, he is a complete coward. Despite his obvious cowardice, Makoto bravely sacrifices himself to save humanity from the evil space amoeba. Kenji is great as Makoto and really shines after his character is possessed by the alien creature.

Unlike other films I've seen, where the possessed person chews the scenery and overacts (because naturally alien beings that inhabit human bodies are not used to human emotions), Kenji plays it cool, and lets his eyebrows do the talking. Since the space amoeba speaks telepathically, Kenji's facial expressions are crucial to conveying the "emotions" of the creature within his body. And speaking of creatures, the three (technically four) kaiju featured in this film are fantastic. Gezora, Ganime, and Kamoeba are all brought to life through the ancient Japanese technique of suitmation. Gezora, the kaiju at the forefront of the Selgio Island invasion, looks the least impressive and most unrealistic of the bunch.

Ganime and Kamoeba are vastly more interesting to watch in action, as they are more animated in their movements. Ganime's eye stalks and "mouth" move constantly, as do all of its legs. Kamoeba's slinky-neck pops in and out of its shell and its tongue occasionally flicks in and out of its mouth as it shambles across the screen. All of the effects team's hard work on the monsters really pays off during the big kaiju battle at the movie's climax, which in my opinion, is one of the more entertaining monster fights ever put on film. While a fight between a giant crab and a giant turtle sounds boring, the film makers put an imaginative spin on things and give each kaiju its own distinct personality and defining characteristic.

Another cool thing I have to mention about Space Amoeba is that it takes one of director Ishirô Honda's favorite themes, and alters it a bit. In films like The Mysterians (1957) and The Battle in Outer Space (1959), Honda's main theme was essentially, "international cooperation." In those two films (and several others) every nation on Earth worked together for the common good of humanity. In Space Amoeba, humans fight against the alien invaders alongside members of the animal kingdom. (Particularly bats and porpoises.) I find this to be a refreshing departure from the usual cinematic formulas used in these films.

Well I guess that's about all I have to say about Space Amoeba. It's an odd kaiju film with a great cast, a unique soundtrack by the great Akira Ifukube, and plenty of giant monster action to keep things moving at a good pace. And though I do enjoy this film quite a bit, it isn't one that I would care to watch over and over again. (But perhaps that's because I watched it about three or four times during the reviewing process.) This particular bit of kaiju cinema is best taken in small doses (one viewing every few months is adequate) and would be a fine addition to any monster movie lover's film collection.

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So how radioactive is this tropical kaiju bash?

Geiger Counter Reading:

- THREE AND A HALF 'RADS' -

WARNING: This movie is RADIOACTIVE! Gorgeous tropical scenery,
a quirky plot, a handful of pretty gals, and a trio of giant monsters
make this a must see for fans of Japanese kaiju cinema!

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DVD Review: Media Blasters' Space Amoeba DVD (released under their Tokyo Shock label) is a wonderful disc that gives this obscure title the respect and love it deserves. The movie is featured in a good, clean 2.35:1 widescreen ratio with multiple audio options (English Mono, English 5.1, Japanese Mono, and Japanese 5.1). Compared to the version I saw so long ago, this is an amazing step up! The disc comes with a large number of extras including audio commentary by executive producer, Fumio Tanaka (which I have yet to listen to), an original Space Amoeba trailer, and a Space Amoeba "Special Announcement" (i.e. a promotional TV Spot).

But that's not all folks, because the DVD also contains a three-part documentary called "Meet the Marine Animals Behind the Monsters!" Each part of this nifty little documentary is just under three minutes and gives some interesting facts on the "Kisslip Cuttlefish," the "Matamata Turtle," and "The Rubble Crab." Finally, the disc contains trailers for other Tokyo Shock (Toho) titles including Atragon (1963), Dogora (1964), The Mysterians (1957), and Varan the Unbelievable (1958). This unsung kaiju film has deservedly received a lot of tender loving care, making this disc a very worthy purchase. (Keep up the awesome work Media Blasters!)

Ayako: "So, you really believe the monsters exist?"
Taro: "Yes, I'd like to be friends with them."

Yokoyama: "I'll go back to Japan and warn the people. Don't go to Selgio Island. It's Hell on Earth."

Makoto: "You're all suffering monsterphobia like that man."

Taro: "The united forces of Earth creatures... porpoises, bats, and men, destroyed the invaders."

• Beginning - Few things are more comforting than seeing the Toho logo at the start of a movie.
• 4:26 - There's a man on the wing of the plane!
• 21:44 - "Don't go to Selgio Island. It's Hell on Earth!"
• 21:48 - See this movie and you will believe a giant squid can walk on land!
• 26:10 - "You're all suffering from monsterphobia, like that man."
• 29:07 - Suddenly, random chanting and praying breaks out!
• 36:37 - Gezora adds a few human dolls to its growing collection.
• 40:05 - ANIMATED TENTACLE ATTACK!
• 40:59 - Ombo gets thrown by an animated tentacle!
• 46:00 - Time for some kaiju calimari!
• 51:18 - That is one "crabby" kaiju!
• 54:22 - Wow, Kudo definitely gets this movie's "marksmanship award."
• 57:30 - Well, it's safe to say that Obata has never seen "The Blob."
• 64:30 - Ultrasound hurts the space amoeba? I suppose pregnant women are safe then.
• 66:37 - And so the great bat hunt begins...
• 67:27 - Giant monsters hate paparazzi.
• 70:36 - Wire?! What wire?!
• 74:18 - A certain Meatloaf song suddenly comes to mind. ("Like a bat outta hell!")
• 77:36 - Too cool! Kamoeba uses its patented "slinky neck catapult attack" on Ganime!
• 78:27 - Ganime counters by blinding the giant turtle with foamy spittle!
• 79:56 - Yikes! This has suddenly turned into a kaiju porno. Parents, get the kids out of the room!
• 83:25 - THE END.

Recommended Viewing:

• Space Amoeba was not the first (or the last) film to feature a tentacled terror. A pesky giant octopus shows up to give King Kong some grief in King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962); Toho's mighty mongoloid version of Frankenstein's Monster is dragged to his apparent demise by a giant octopus in the international cut of Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965); Gaira the "Green Gargantua" battles a giant octopus in 1966's War of the Gargantuas. Here in America, we've had our fair share of monstrous octopus problems in film as well. A giant (six-armed) octopus tears apart San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955) and a giant squid attacks the Nautilus in Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954).
  
  
• Giant turtles are nothing new to Japanese cinema. Before there was Kamoeba, there was Gamera! The rocket-powered, fire-breathing turtle first appeared in Daikaiju Gamera (1965) and starred in another seven kid-friendly films beginning with Gamera vs. Barugon (1966) and ending with Super Monster Gamera (1980). Gamera has since made a major comeback with Shusuke Kaneko's outstanding Gamera Trilogy (1995 - 1999) and has recently become the "friend of children" again with 2006's nifty Gamera the Brave. (Note: I nearly forgot to mention that Kamoeba had a brief cameo as a corpse in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003).)
  
  
• Before Ganime scuttled across the silver screen, Ebirah was the major crustacean kaiju of the Toho universe. Ebirah has only starred in two movies thus far and was destroyed in each one. Of course I'm talking about Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster (1966) which also boasts the first ever kaiju beach volleyball match, and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). For some non-Japanese giant crab action, check out: Mysterious Island (1961), Attack of the Crab Monsters (1957), and Island Claws (1980).
  
  
• Space Amoeba director, Ishirô Honda, is no stranger to the world of kaiju-eiga. Other notable Honda kaiju films include: Gojira (1954), Rodan (1956), Varan the Unbelievable (1958), Mothra (1961), King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Ghidrah: The Three-Headed Monster (1964), Invasion of the Astro-Monster (1965), and Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975).

Useless Trivia:

• Actor Yoshio Tsuchiya convinced his friend and fellow actor, Kenji Sahara to switch roles in Space Amoeba.
  
  
• Halfway through Space Amoeba's production, the lights inside Gezora's eyes went dead. The problem could not be fixed due to lack of f/x funds resulting in several scenes in the film where Gezora's eyes are not lit up.
  
  
• Ganime and Gezora were both portrayed by suitmation actor Haruo Nakajima. Mr. Nakajima began his rubber-suited acting career as the original Godzilla in Gojira (1954).
  
  
• Ishirô Honda, Akira Ifukube, and Tomoyuki Tanaka (respectively, the director, composer, and executive producer of Space Amoeba) are three of the "four fathers of Godzilla." The fourth was special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya who sadly died of a heart attack on January 25, 1970.
  
  
• Gezora appeared in 1988's Godzilla, Monster of Monsters for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The objective of the game is to hop from planet to planet and wipe out all the enemy monsters using Godzilla and Mothra. Gezora is usually the first kaiju you end up battling in every level and it is never a challenge to beat.

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Review posted on September 18, 2007.
(Review last updated on January 6, 2008.)

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