CriterionCast

The Eclipse Viewer – Episode 21 – When Horror Came to Shochiku

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This podcast focuses on Criterion’s Eclipse Series of DVDs. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett give an overview of each box and offer their perspectives on the unique treasures they find inside. In this episode, David and Trevor discuss Eclipse Series 37: When Horror Came to Shochiku.

About the films:

Following years of a certain radioactive beast’s domination at the box office, many Japanese studios tried to replicate the formula with their own brands of monster movies. One of the most fascinating, if short-lived, dives into that fiendish deep end was the one by Shochiku, a studio better known for elegant dramas by the likes of Kenji Mizoguchi and Yasujiro Ozu. In 1967 and 1968, the company created four certifiably batty, low-budget fantasies, tales haunted by watery ghosts, plagued by angry insects, and stalked by aliens—including one in the form of a giant chicken-lizard. Shochiku’s outrageous and oozy horror period shows a studio leaping into the unknown, even if only for one brief, bloody moment.

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Timeline for the podcast:

Introduction/Background (00:00:01 – 00:13:57)

The X from Outer Space (00:13:58 – 00:28:59)

Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell (00:29:00 – 00:51:53)

The Living Skeleton (00:51:54 – 01:16:45)

Genocide (01:16:46 – 01:36:30)

Conclusion (01:36:31 – 01:48:05)

Buy The Box Set On Amazon:

ES37_Shochiku

Episode Links:

Shochiku Studio:

Box Set Reviews:

The X from Outer Space:

Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell:

The Living Skeleton:

Genocide:

Next time on the podcast: Eclipse Series 22: Presenting Sacha Guitry

Contact us:

David Blakeslee

David hosts the Criterion Reflections podcast, a series that reviews the films of the Criterion Collection in their chronological order of release. The series began in 2009 and those essays (covering the years 1921-1967) can be found via the website link provided below. In March 2016, the blog transferred to this site, and in August 2017, the blog changed over to a podcast format. David also contributes to other reviews and podcasts on this site. He lives near Grand Rapids, Michigan and works in social services. Twitter / Criterion Reflections