Product Description
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In the world of Ultra Q, the very fabric of nature is warped
into a state of unbalance, and all manner of strange phenomenon
and unearthly creatures threaten the very future of mankind! On
the scene are a world-renowned scientist and his young friends (a
female photojournalist, an aviator, and his co-pilot) who
investigate these supernatural menaces. When sheer might
is futile, the intrepid team comes to the rescue, armed solely
with their ingenuity and scientific prowess to quell these
malevolent forces and restore the balance of nature.
The precursor to Ultraman, Ultra Q is a seminal science-fantasy
television series in the monstrous mold of The Outer Limits and
The X Files. As deeply ingrained in Japan’s pop culture as The
Twilight Zone is in America’s, Ultra Q is available for the first
time ever in its entirety on DVD! Eiji Tsuburaya, , the visual
effects wizard behind Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra, creates a
spectacular cavalcade of bizarre beasts and mass mayhem in each
and every episode of this wildly popular series. Never before
broadcast in North America, Ultra Q stars Kenji Sahara (Rodan),
Hiroko Sakurai (Ultraman) and Yasuhiko Saijo (Son Of Godzilla).
.com
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The 1966-1967 series Ultra Q holds a special place in the
history of Japanese fantasy and science fiction as the first
television series created by legendary special effects director
Eiji Tsuburaya, who designed such enduring screen monsters as
Godzilla, and the launching pad for his iconic tokusatsu
franchise Ultraman. However, viewers may be surprised to note
that Ultra Q bears little resemblance to its action-packed
progeny; Tsuburaya had originally envisioned it as a weekly
exercise in speculative fantasy like The Outer Limits (which it
greatly resembles). However, the popularity of giant screen
monsters like Godzilla prompted coproducers Tokyo Broadcasting
System to push for a "Monster of the Week" format that would
showcase Tsuburaya's memorable creations. In its final form,
Ultra Q suggests a '60s take on The X-Files, with Toho veteran
Kenji Sahara as a newsman/aviator who investigates strange
phenomena with the help of spunky photographer Hiroko Sakurai and
scientist Ureo Egawa. The cases invariably boil down to a
creature on the loose--either mythological, supernatural, or
extraterrestrial in origin--but the episodes frequently unfold
with a great deal more atmosphere and suspense than the typical
c-and-bang kaiju action. "Grow Up, Little Turtle" and "Flight
206 Has Vanished" feature surreal, dreamlike sequences that evoke
certain episodes of The Twilight Zone, and "Baron Spider" fairly
drips with Gothic/haunted house trappings. Of course, there's
also plenty of monsters-run-amok mayhem as well, and Ultraman
aficionados will note early incarnations of such perennial
villains as Gomess, Garamon, and Ragon on the loose in these
episodes. Giant-monster fans may also be surprised to see
established Tsuburaya creatures repurposed in certain
episodes--tusks and a horn were added to the Godzilla suit from
Mothra vs. Godzilla to make Gomess, while King Kong gets a
revamped headpiece to become the giant ape Goroh in "Goroh and
Goroh"--as well as a host of familiar human players from Toho
epics, including Yoshifumi Tajima (as Sakurai's boss), Akiko
Wakabayashi (You Only Live Twice), Jun Tazaki, and cult favorite
Eisei Amamoto. The result should please both longtime Tsuburaya
fans who have long waited for a legal Region 1 DVD release and
casual kaiju devotees looking for something offbeat. All 28
episodes of Ultra Q--in their original B&W and Japanese-language
format (with English subtitles)--are included in this five-disc
set, as well as a highly detailed essay on the series' inception
by Japanese fantasy expert August Ragone that can be accessed in
a PDF file via the viewer's DVD-ROM. --Paul Gaita