Movie: Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects

Top 10 Billed Cast

Alex Cox
Alex Cox

Narrator

Akira Tsuburaya
Akira Tsuburaya

Himself

Teruyoshi Nakano
中野昭慶

Himself

Akira Takarada
宝田明

Himself

Yoshio Tsuchiya
土屋嘉男

Himself

Shogo Tomiyama
富山省吾

Himself

Hiroshi Koizumi
小泉博

Himself

Shusuke Kaneko
金子修介

Himself

Toshio Miike
三池敏夫

Himself

Akinori Takagi
Akinori Takagi

Himself

  • HomePage

  • Overview

    A look at the unrecognized work of the talented artists and craftsmen who've maintained the tradition of Japanese special-effects. Highlighted is Yasuyuki Inoue along with various crew members who crafted meticulously detailed miniatures and risked life and limb as suit actors. All done to bring to life some of film's most iconic monsters through a distinct Japanese artform.

  • Release Date

    2008-08-03

  • Average

    8.4

  • Rating:

    4.2 starts
  • Tagline

  • Genres

  • Languages:

    English日本語
  • Keywords

Recommendations Movies

Life-Size
64%

Life-Size(en)

2000-03-05

Sad and lonely after the death of her mother, Casey would do anything to see her again. But when a series of mystic mishaps mistakenly brings her fashion doll “Eve” to life instead, it changes Casey’s world forever!

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
78%

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah(ja)

1995-12-09

A burning Godzilla, on the verge of meltdown, emerges to lay siege to Hong Kong. At the same time horrifying new organisms are discovered in Japan. These crustacean-like beings are seemingly born of the Oxygen Destroyer, the weapon that killed the original Godzilla.

Walker
64%

Walker(en)

1987-12-04

William Walker and his mercenary corps enter Nicaragua in the middle of the 19th century in order to install a new government by a coup d'etat.

Godzilla and Other Movie Monsters
80%

Godzilla and Other Movie Monsters(en)

1998-01-01

They roam the Earth, destroying its cities and crushing its inhabitants. But where did they come from? This documentary traces the history of giant monsters in movies using scenes from sources as varied as Godzilla, King Kong and Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur. Bonus features include "Godzilla Rap," highlights from the 1920s silent classic The Lost World and the famous animated short Bambi Meets Godzilla.

Ice Age: Collision Course
61%

Ice Age: Collision Course(en)

2016-06-23

Set after the events of Continental Drift, Scrat's epic pursuit of his elusive acorn catapults him outside of Earth, where he accidentally sets off a series of cosmic events that transform and threaten the planet. To save themselves from peril, Manny, Sid, Diego, and the rest of the herd leave their home and embark on a quest full of thrills and spills, highs and lows, laughter and adventure while traveling to exotic new lands and locations.

Joker
81%

Joker(en)

2019-10-01

During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians
72%

One Hundred and One Dalmatians(en)

1961-01-25

When a litter of dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the parents must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement.

Titanic
79%

Titanic(en)

1997-11-18

101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose boards the ship with her mother and fiancé. Meanwhile, Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic's departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.

American Beauty
80%

American Beauty(en)

1999-09-15

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

Oppenheimer
80%

Oppenheimer(en)

2023-07-19

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

8 Mile
71%

8 Mile(en)

2002-11-08

For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.

Back to the Future
83%

Back to the Future(en)

1985-07-03

Eighties teenager Marty McFly is accidentally sent back in time to 1955, inadvertently disrupting his parents' first meeting and attracting his mother's romantic interest. Marty must repair the damage to history by rekindling his parents' romance and - with the help of his eccentric inventor friend Doc Brown - return to 1985.

Inside Out
79%

Inside Out(en)

2015-06-17

When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.

Shutter Island
82%

Shutter Island(en)

2010-02-14

World War II soldier-turned-U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels investigates the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane, but his efforts are compromised by troubling visions and a mysterious doctor.

WALL·E
81%

WALL·E(en)

2008-06-22

What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn the last robot off? After hundreds of years doing what he was built for, WALL•E discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL•E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet's future, and races back to space to report to the humans. Meanwhile, WALL•E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most imaginative adventures ever brought to the big screen.

Midnight in Paris
75%

Midnight in Paris(en)

2011-05-11

While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.

Erin Brockovich
74%

Erin Brockovich(en)

2000-03-17

A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work for an attorney and comes across medical records describing illnesses clustered in one nearby town. She starts investigating and soon exposes a monumental cover-up.

Pulp Fiction
85%

Pulp Fiction(en)

1994-09-10

A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip back and forth in time.

The Breakfast Club
77%

The Breakfast Club(en)

1985-02-15

Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.

Star Wars
82%

Star Wars(en)

1977-05-25

Princess Leia is captured and held hostage by the evil Imperial forces in their effort to take over the galactic Empire. Venturesome Luke Skywalker and dashing captain Han Solo team together with the loveable robot duo R2-D2 and C-3PO to rescue the beautiful princess and restore peace and justice in the Empire.

Similar Movies

Batman & Bill
71%

Batman & Bill(en)

2017-05-06

Everyone thinks that Bob Kane created Batman, but that’s not the whole truth. One author makes it his crusade to make it known that Bill Finger, a struggling writer, actually helped invent the iconic superhero, from concept to costume to the very character we all know and love. Bruce Wayne may be Batman’s secret identity, but his creator was always a true mystery.

Red Desert Nights: Making Ghosts of Mars
70%

Red Desert Nights: Making Ghosts of Mars(en)

2001-12-04

Documentary about the making of John Carpenter's sci-fi horror movie, Ghosts of Mars.

L'énigme Céline Dion
80%

L'énigme Céline Dion(fr)

2022-09-21

Twiggy
79%

Twiggy(en)

2025-03-07

Twiggy takes a comprehensive look at the life story of UK model and cultural icon Twiggy, real name Lesley Lawson, whose career kickstarted in the 1960s. It features interviews with Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson, as well as commentary from Erin O’Connor, Paul McCartney, Lulu, Poppy Delavigne, Brooke Shields, Pattie Boyd and Zandra Rhodes.

Tattoos: A Scarred History
0%

Tattoos: A Scarred History(en)

2009-06-21

An exploration of how the once taboo art form has become socially acceptable.

Microcosmos
76%

Microcosmos(fr)

1996-09-06

A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.

Road
71%

Road(en)

2014-06-11

Brothers addicted to speed at any price. Documentary following the motorcycle road racing careers, and fate, of the Dunlop family.

Sand Men
0%

Sand Men(en)

Neculai, Aurel and Raj all left their homes in Romania for the same reason - to seek a better life for their family. Now, in Britain, with their loved ones depending on them, they survive by creating sand sculptures on London’s streets.

Altman
66%

Altman(en)

2014-08-01

Robert Altman's life and career contained multitudes. This father of American independent cinema left an indelible mark, not merely on the evolution of his art form, but also on the western zeitgeist. With its use of rare interviews, representative film clips, archival images, and musings from his family and most recognizable collaborators, Altman is a dynamic and heartfelt mediation on an artist whose expression, passion and appetite knew few bounds.

Private Screenings: Mickey Rooney
0%

Private Screenings: Mickey Rooney(en)

1997-04-01

Mickey Rooney is interviewed by Robert Osborne.

8 Arms to Hold You
0%

8 Arms to Hold You(en)

2004-11-30

An "Ock-umentary" exploring the character of Doc Ock and the way he as well as his tentacles were brought to life on the silver screen.

Paradise
0%

Paradise(en)

2008-10-30

Michael Almereyda’s Paradise is a poignant and surprising sketchbook, a collection of brief episodes captured during a decade of travel. The film is marked by a sense of mystery, wonderment, and sly humor, reflecting a notion of life as a series of elusive, paradisiacal moments that are routinely taken for granted — and always slipping away.

Ladykiller: Inside 'Doctor Jekyll & Sister Hyde'
0%

Ladykiller: Inside 'Doctor Jekyll & Sister Hyde'(en)

2018-01-29

A behind the scenes featurette focussed on Hammer Film Productions' 1971 film 'Doctor Jekyll & Sister Hyde.'

Argemira
0%

Argemira(pt)

2019-02-28

The old
66%

The old(fr)

2024-04-24

They come from all walks of life and have lived for almost a century. They have lived through the upheavals of history. They are funny, moving and rebellious. They surprise and amaze us. Yet we rarely hear their voices. This film is an invitation to travel across France and meet them: the Old People.

Atlantis
63%

Atlantis(fr)

1991-08-21

Atlantis is filmmaker Luc Besson's celebration of the beauty and wonder of the world beneath the sea, expanding upon themes touched on in his film The Big Blue. Combining stunning underwater cinematography and a hypnotic score by Eric Serra, Besson's singular vision defies dialogue or narrative structure to explore ocean life as you've never seen it before.

VHS Revolution
62%

VHS Revolution(fr)

2017-08-28

Using testimonies by pioneers and witnesses of the times, delve into the feverish visual culture the media generated – with far-fetched examples of canine television games, seduction manuals, aerobics class while holding a baby, among others.

Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth
0%

Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth(en)

2008-02-12

Documentary about Stanley Kramer, included on the 40th anniversary edition of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.

Samurai Japan: The Story Behind the WBC Clean Sweep
80%

Samurai Japan: The Story Behind the WBC Clean Sweep(ja)

2024-03-01

Samurai Japan won the 2023 World Baseball Classic for the first time in 14 years, and went all the way to the final undefeated. In addition to the never-before-seen footage of the team, the film also includes interviews with Manager Hideki Kuriyama, players, coaches, and team staff. What is the truth behind the glory and the suffering of the people involved?

The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem
65%

The Antisocial Network: Memes to Mayhem(en)

2024-03-10

From Rickrolling to viral conspiracy theories, explore how an anonymous website evolved into a hub for real-world chaos in this documentary.