6th Annual Sci Fi/Fantasy Challenge List Thread - (BETA) DVD Talk Forum (2024)

* - First-time viewings

1. CRIMSON WOLF (1994/Japan, 60 min., color, anime fantasy thriller/OAV) DVD (dubbed in English) Dir.: Shoichi Masuo.
When the tomb of Genghis Khan is violated by Japanese archaeologists, dire prophecies are bandied about and three warriors with wolf-shaped scars must be located and destroyed in order for global disaster to be averted. Lots of sex, nudity and gory bloodshed, but the plot is too convoluted and the characters too dull for this to be as entertaining as it ought to be. Set in China and Japan, with Chairman Mao as one of the evil incarnations confronting the heroes at the end.

2. *MASKED RIDER THE FIRST (2005/Japan, 90 min., color, sci-fi superhero adventure/Toei) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Takao Nagaishi. Star: Masaya Kikawada.
Movie spin-off (and reboot) of the long-running Kamen Rider TV series, which began in 1971. In this one, two Kamen Rider cyborgs fight over a girl and then turn against Shocker, the evil organization that created them. It’s too ponderous and takes itself way too seriously to be the kind of fun that earlier Kamen Rider productions were.

3. SOL BIANCA (1990/Japan, 55 min., color, anime sci-fi adventure/OAV) VHS (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Katsuhito Akiyama.
A crew of female space pirates barges in on a planetary conflict in search of treasure. Beautifully animated and designed, but the geeky emphasis on tech details rather than story construction makes it incomprehensible at times. From the director of two much better female sci-fi action series, “Bubblegum Crisis” and “Gall Force.”

4. Sakura Wars (2000/Japan, 25 min., color, anime sci-fi historical thriller/TV series) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Ryutaro Nakamura.
#1: Sakura Arrives at the Capital
In 1920s Tokyo, Sakura is eager to do battle with the Black Sanctum Council, but is assigned to the Imperial Flower theatrical troupe instead.

5. *SOHRYUDEN: LEGEND OF THE DRAGON KINGS (1991/Japan, 92 min., color, anime fantasy thriller/OAV) VHS (in Japanese with English subs.) Dir.: Norio Kashima.
Vol. 3: “The Graceful Agent” / “Skyscrapers and the Red Dragon”
Spectacular fantasy thriller in which the four super-powered Dragon Brothers take on Japan’s corrupt power elite (and their American counterparts) in contemporary Tokyo. Cyborg dogs terrorize a baseball stadium during an All-Star game in one memorable sequence. A zeppelin crashes into a twin-towered skyscraper in another.

6. *IRIA: ZEIRAM THE ANIMATION, Vol. 1 (1994/Japan, 55 min., color, anime sci-fi adventure/OAV) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.) Dir.: Tetsuro Amino.
#1: Pitch Black
#2: Rampage
Space bounty hunters fight a powerful monster in this beautifully designed and animated space adventure, which was designed as a prequel to two “Zeiram” live-action sci-fi movies. I didn’t always understand what was going on, though.

7. *8 KAMEN RIDERS VS. GALAXY KING (1980/Japan, 45 min., color, sci-fi superhero movie/Toei) VHS (in Japanese, no subs.) Dir.: Shotaro Ishinomori.
Garish period fashions, outlandish monsters, lots of action. Standard tokusatsu movie spin-off.

8-10. *ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS (1983/Japan, color, anime sci-fi TV series) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Ryosuke Takahashi.
#14: Assemble EX-10
#15: Doubts
#16: Clean Sweep
Chirico signs on as a mercenary fighting guerrillas in a tropical Amazon-like region and believes he’s found his lost love—working for the enemy! Lots of combat action as the series switches to a new setting. (I watched the first 13 eps. for last year’s animation challenge.)

11-12. *ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS (1983/Japan, color, anime sci-fi TV series)
DVD (in Japanese with English subs.) Dir.: Ryosuke Takahashi.
#17: Reunion
#18: Turnabout
Chirico finds his lost love while the Veela guerrillas ramp up their attack, just as the government gets a new ally—the army Chirico deserted from!

13. *SOHRYUDEN: LEGEND OF THE DRAGON KINGS (1991/Japan, 92 min., color, anime fantasy thriller/OAV) VHS (in Japanese with English subs.) Dir.: Norio Kashima.
Vol. 4: “Revenge of the Four Brothers” / “Rampage of the Iron Dragon”
One brother gets abducted while the other three go looking for him. At one point the JSDF and the Metropolitan Police confront each other, while the brothers commandeer a tank and continue their search. Wildly unpredictable, with many bizarre touches.

14, *Pokémon Black and White: Adventures in Unova (2013/Japan, color, half-hour anime fantasy adventure) Seen on Cartoon Network-HD. Dubbed in English.
“Ash and N: A Clash of Ideals!” (July 6, 2013)

15-16. *ARMORED TROOPER VOTOMS (1983/Japan, color, anime sci-fi TV series)
DVD (in Japanese with English subs.) Dir.: Ryosuke Takahashi.
#19: Intentions
#20: Fyana

17. FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD (1965/Japan, 85 min., color, sci-fi thriller/Toho) DVD (dubbed in English)
Dir.: Ishiro Honda. Stars: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno.
An American doctor working with patients in Hiroshima encounters a strange, feral boy with a high radiation count who keeps growing and growing until he becomes giant-size and poses a threat. Very unusual kaiju adventure, with a human giant and an American star. The first collaboration between American and Japanese studios.

18. *FRANKENSTEIN VS. BARAGON (1965/Japan, 93 min., color, sci-fi thriller/Toho) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Ishiro Honda. Stars: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno.
Slightly longer “international” version of FRANKENSTEIN CONQUERS THE WORLD, with a new ending involving a giant octopus. Adams is dubbed in Japanese. I prefer the American cut.

19. TECHNO POLICE 21C (1982/Japan, 78 min., color, anime sci-fi thriller/Toho) VHS (dubbed in English)
Dir.: Masashi Matsumoto. Music: Jo Hisaishi.
A secret military super-tank is stolen but soon begins acting on its own, while the Techno Police are in pursuit. Poorly dubbed, but the constant mecha action is well animated. The plot looks forward to PATLABOR THE MOVIE and ROUJIN Z.

20-21. JETMAN (aka CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN, 1991/Japan, 40 min., color, sentai superhero TV show) VHS (in Japanese, no subs.)
Dir.: Keita Amemiya.
#1: Seek the Warriors
#2: The Third Warrior
This is the sentai series that immediately preceded “Zyuranger,” the series that was adapted into “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.” This one is distinguished by direction by tokusatsu master Keita Amemiya (HAKAIDER, MOON OVER TAO, KAMEN RIDER ZO, etc.).

22-25. *BATTLE FEVER J, Vol. 1 (1979/Japan, 100 min., color, superhero sentai series/Toei) VHS (in Japanese, no subs.) Eps. 1-4
#1: Assault!! Run to the Ballpark
#2: Egos’ Monster-Making Method
#3: Search for the Spy!
#4: It’s a Super-Powered Trap!
The fifth sentai (Power Rangers) series and the first one with a character (half-Japanese “Diane Martin”) who’s American. Each of the five members of the team supposedly represents a different country, although they’re all played by Japanese actors.

26. *PACIFIC RIM – in 3-D IMAX (2013/U.S., 131 min., color, sci-fi kaiju spectacle/WB-Legendary) Seen at a multiplex/digital projection.
Dir.: Guillermo del Toro. Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Rinko Kikuchi, Idris Elba.
Giant, human-piloted robots fend off attacks by giant monsters from the ocean depths. Some good ideas and impressive setpieces, but script problems and casting errors prevent it from becoming the true pop classic it should have been.

27. *Pokémon Black and White: Adventures in Unova (2013/Japan, color, half-hour anime fantasy adventure) Seen on Cartoon Network-HD. Dubbed in English.
“Team Plasma and the Awakening Ceremony!”

28. GODZILLA: TOKYO S.O.S. (2003/Japan, 91 min., color, sci-fi kaiju spectacle/Toho) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.) Dir.: Masaaki Tezuka. Stars: Hiroshi Koizumi, Noboru Kaneko.
Arguably the best of the 21st century Godzilla movies. Godzilla attacks Tokyo. Mothra and MechaGodzilla team up to fight him. The Tokyo Tower gets knocked down and the Diet building gets smashed. Koizumi plays the same scientist character he’d played in MOTHRA in 1961. A new pair of "fairies" sings the Mothra song.

29. M.D. GEIST (1986/Japan, 45 min., color, anime sci-fi mecha thriller/OAV) VHS (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Hayato Ikeda.
Post-apocalyptic thriller in which an MDS (Most Dangerous Soldier) works for the beleaguered Regular Army to fight Mad Max-style gangs in a human space colony on a faraway planet. Bloody, fast-paced and short. Ends on a cliffhanger, which resulted in a sequel eleven years later!

30. SPACE AMOEBA (aka YOG: MONSTER FROM SPACE, 1970/Japan, 84 min., color, sci-fi adventure/Toho) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Ishiro Honda. Stars: Akira Kubo, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Kenji Sahara.
An alien intelligence takes over creatures on a tropical Pacific island, including a squid, a crab and a turtle, just as a team working for a Japanese resort arrives on the island. Some good ideas, but when the only monster battle involves a giant crab and a giant turtle, there’s a limit to the amount of excitement that can be achieved.

31. M.D. GEIST II: DEATH FORCE (1996/Japan, 45 min., color, anime sci-fi mecha thriller/OAV) VHS (dubbed in English) Dir.: Koichi Ohata.
The first one, from 1986, ended on a cliffhanger. The second one, ten years later(!) picks up quite a bit after the first one ended, so forgive us for being confused. Lots of action and gore, but not much sense, as Geist takes on the army and its newer super-warrior. Ends rather abruptly, with no sequel in sight.

32. THE SUPER INFRAMAN (aka INFRAMAN, 1975/Hong Kong, 85 min., color, sci-fi superhero adventure/Shaw Bros.) R3 DVD (in Mandarin with English subs.) Dir.: Hua Shan. Star: Danny Lee.
If “Ultraman” was made in Hong Kong with HK stunt teams and lots of kung fu and wire fu and the monsters laughed and joked and taunted the heroes, you’d have INFRAMAN, a true classic. This played in U.S. theaters in an English-dubbed version in 1979 and I saw it in Times Square.

33-35. *EDEN OF THE EAST (2009/Japan, 23 min., color, sci-fi thriller TV series) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Kenji Kamiyama.
#1: I Picked Up a Prince!
#2: Melancholy Monday
#3: On the Night of the Late Show
A young Japanese man finds himself with amnesia and a high-tech cellphone that pays for anything he wants and connects him to a “concierge” who gets him whatever he wants. He picks up a college girl to help him find out who he is. Not quite as mind-tripping as “Gantz,” “Lain” or “Boogiepop Phantom,” and a little lighter in mood than those, but somewhat in that tradition. Loaded with film references.

36-38. POWER RANGERS TIME FORCE (2001/U.S.-Japan, color, sci-fi superhero TV series/Saban) VHS (taped off Fox Kids)
#1: Force from the Future, Part 1
#2: Force from the Future, Part 2
#3: Something to Fight For
Four Power Rangers from the year 3000 chase a villain back in time to 2001. They find their Red Ranger in an ancestor of the partner who died fighting the villain in 3000. One of the very best Power Rangers seasons and the only one with name actors (Vernon Wells as Ransik, the villain, and Edward Albert as the Red Ranger’s father).

39. *ULTRAMAN (1966/Japan, color, sci-fi superhero TV series/Tsuburaya Productions) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
#7: The Blue Stone of Baraji
The Ultra crew is joined by a white agent from the Paris bureau and they all go to a lost desert town in Arabia where they find a statue of Ultraman built to honor “the God of Noa.” The monster is a giant beetle.

40. *EDEN OF THE EAST (2009/Japan, color, sci-fi thriller TV series) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Kenji Kamiyama.
#4: Real Reality, Fictional Reality

41. *ULTRAMAN (1966/Japan, color, sci-fi superhero TV series/Tsuburaya Productions) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
#8: The Lawless Monster Zone

42. *TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE (1959/U.S., 85 min., b&w, sci-fi) DVD (Mill Creek Sci-Fi Classics set) Dir.: Tom Graeff. Stars: David Love, Dawn Bender.
As badly-acted, extremely low-budget, special effects-challenged '50s sci-fi goes, this one is actually quite watchable. It has a peculiar charm and a certain amount of suspense. With more money, some name actors and a real director, it might actually have been good.

43-44. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (1979/Japan, color, anime space sci-fi series) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Yoshiyuki Tomino.
#12: The Threat of Zeon
#13: Coming Home

45. *ULTRAMAN (1966/Japan, color, sci-fi superhero TV series/Tsuburaya Productions) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
#9: Operation: Uranium

46-47. *EDEN OF THE EAST (2009/Japan, color, anime sci-fi thriller TV series) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Kenji Kamiyama.
#5: “This Is No Time to Be Thinking about That…”
#6: “Eden of the East”

48. *DENSHI SENTAI DENJIMAN: THE MOVIE (1980/Japan, 45 min., color, superhero sentai movie/Toei) DVD (in Japanese with no subs.)
Cast: Kenji Ohba, Machiko Soga.
Movie spin-off of the “Denjiman” TV series, the 1980 entry in the sentai franchise (later adapted into the Power Rangers franchise). Kenji Ohba was also in “Battle Fever J” and later in KILL BILL VOL. 1. Machiko Soga plays the villain here and was the villain, Bandora, in “Zyuranger,” a character renamed Rita Repulsa when the series was adapted into “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.”

49-52. SPACE SHERIFF GAVAN (1982/Japan, color, space/sci-fi/martial arts TV series/Toei) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
Star: Kenji Ohba.
#3: It's Major! Stop Dr. Kuroboshi's BEM Project
#4: The Majin Helmet That Calls For Death
#5: Mimi Cries! The Deadly Poison Cobra Bullet Hits Retsu
#6: The Geniuses of the Makuu School
As tokusatsu series go, this one probably has the best martial arts action scenes, as Sonny Chiba’s sidekick, Kenji Ohba, takes on numerous alien bad guys both in and out of his Gavan costume.

53. DENSHI SENTAI DENJIMAN (1980/Japan, color, superhero sentai series/Toei) VHS (in Japanese with no subs.) Cast: Kenji Ohba, Machiko Soga.
#18: Romance Blooms at the Southern Sea
The aliens turn people into fish-men, including the Pink Ranger’s fiancé. The title is also spelled as “Denziman.”

54. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (1979/Japan, color, anime space sci-fi TV series) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Yoshiyuki Tomino.
#14: Time, Be Still

55. *Pokémon Black and White: Adventures in Unova (2013/Japan, color, half-hour anime fantasy adventure) Seen on Cartoon Network-HD. Dubbed in English.
“What Lies Beyond Truth and Ideals!”
Interpol finally catches up with Team Plasma, ending a long story arc. Team Rocket gains new respect after helping out the good guys at a crucial moment.

56. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (1979/Japan, color, space sci-fi) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Yoshiyuki Tomino.
#15: Sayla’s Agony

57. THE GREEN HORNET (1940/U.S., b&w, superhero serial/Universal) DVD
Directors: Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe. Stars: Gordon Jones, Keye Luke.
Chapter 1: The Tunnel of Terror (21 min.)
Kato is Korean in this one and a scientific genius, to boot. He also fells a villain with a karate chop, perhaps the first time Asian martial arts is seen in an American movie.

58-59. BUCK ROGERS (1939)/U.S., b&w, sci-fi serial/Universal) DVD
Directors: Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind. Stars: Buster Crabbe, Constance Moore.
Chapter 1: Tomorrow’s World
Chapter 2: Tragedy on Saturn
An American dirigible pilot and his sidekick wake up 500 years in the future only to find that gangsters have taken over the world. Very Flash Gordon-like.

60-62. THE GREEN HORNET (1940/U.S., b&w, superhero serial/Universal) DVD
Directors: Ray Taylor, Ford Beebe. Stars: Gordon Jones, Keye Luke.
Chapter 2: The Thundering Terror
Chapter 3: The Flying Coffins
Chapter 4: Pillar of Flame
Alan Ladd has a bit part in Chapters 3 & 4.

63. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (1979/Japan, color, anime space sci-fi series) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Yoshiyuki Tomino.
#16: Amuro Deserts

64-65. BUCK ROGERS (1939)/U.S., b&w, sci-fi serial/Universal) DVD
Directors: Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind. Stars: Buster Crabbe, Constance Moore.
Chapter 3: The Enemy’s Stronghold
Chapter 4: The Sky Patrol

66. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (1979/Japan, color, anime space sci-fi series) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Yoshiyuki Tomino.
#17: Zeon’s Secret Mine

67. *ULTRAMAN (1966/Japan, color, sci-fi superhero TV series/Tsuburaya Productions) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.)
#10: The Mysterious Dinosaur Base
Ultraman fights a monster called Jirass, but it’s really Godzilla with a neck appendage, which Ultraman rather brutally rips off at one point, leaving a wounded monster who sure looks identical to Godzilla.

68-69. MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM (1979/Japan, color, anime space sci-fi series) VHS (English-dubbed)
Dir.: Yoshiyuki Tomino.
#18: Ramba Ral’s Attack
#19: Hand-to-Hand Combat

70-72. JETMAN (aka CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN, 1991/Japan, 60 min., color, sentai superhero TV show) VHS (in Japanese, no subs.) Dir.: Keita Amemiya.
#3: The Power of Five
#4: The Fighting Bride
#5: Fall for Me
Kaori (Pink Ranger) is all set to leave the Jetman team and get married when she changes her mind right in the middle of the wedding, knees the poor groom in the groin and rushes out, wedding dress and all, and steals a motorcycle to rush to aid the beleaguered team members.

73-75. *ULTRAMAN (1966/Japan, color, sci-fi superhero TV series/Tsuburaya Productions) DVD (in Japanese with English subs.
#11: The Ruffian from Space
#12: Cry of the Mummy
#13: Oil SOS
More bizarre adventures with Ultraman, including a stone ball from space that can turn into anything its holder wants and a 7000-year-old mummy who goes on a rampage.

76. *Pokémon Black and White: Adventures in Unova and Beyond (2013/Japan, color, half-hour anime fantasy adventure) Seen on Cartoon Network-HD. Dubbed in English.
“Farewell, Unova! Setting Sail for New Adventures!”
Ash & company set out on a new story arc as they board a cruise ship to explore some nearby islands. Team Rocket is back to their old tricks.

77. THE FABULOUS WORLD OF JULES VERNE (1958/Czechoslovakia, 83 min., b&w, sci-fi adventure) VHS (dubbed in English)
Dir.: Karel Zeman
Odd mix of animation and live-action, shot entirely in the studio with backgrounds designed to look like 19th century illustrations. Based on the Jules Verne novel, “A Deadly Invention.” Not the most exciting Verne adaptation we’ve ever seen.

78. THE SPECIAL EFFECTS OF KAREL ZEMAN (1980/Czechoslovakia, 17 min., color and b&w, documentary) VHS (narrated in English)
This short look at the fantasy films of Karel Zeman, includes lots of film clips covering 33 years in Zeman’s career. Included on the FABULOUS WORLD OF JULES VERNE VHS tape.

79-80. *DENSHI SENTAI DENJIMAN (1980/Japan, color, superhero sentai series/Toei) VHS (in Japanese with no subs.)
Cast: Kenji Ohba, Machiko Soga.
#26: Princess Denzi’s Space Tune
#28: The Secret Butcher of the Cursed House

81-82. ADVENTURE! ICZER THREE, Vol. 2 (aka ICZER REBORN/1991, 60 min., color, anime sci-fi adventure/OAV) VHS (in Japanese with English subs.)
Dir.: Toshihiro Hirano.
#3: Beast Lady: The Double Attack of Love
#4: Yikes! There’s Two of Me?! Enter, Atros – The Ultimate Rival!
Female androids fight each other over the fate of the Earth. Sequel to the far superior FIGHT! ICZER-ONE, which I watched for an earlier challenge.

83-84. SPACEKETEERS (aka SF Saiyuki Starzinger, 1978/Japan, 48 min., anime space sci-fi series/Toei) VHS (English-dubbed) Dir.: Yugo Serikawa.
#1: Aurora Meets the Challenge
#2: The Invincible Warrior
Anime adaptation of “Journey to the West,” but set in the future in outer space.