Get that giant living stone idol OUT of here!
MAJIN- MONSTER OF TERROR (1966)
One of the most charming Japanese fantasy films of the 1960s, MAJIN is basically a fairy tale. In feudal Japan, an ambitious warlord ousts the rightful prince and princess, and then enslaves the townspeople to construct a fortress. When he tries to destroy the idol of their mountain god, the huge statue comes to life and goes on a real old-fashioned rampage.
Called DAIMAJIN ('the giant Majin" originally; there is a Japanese word containing 'majin' that means lucky charm and I suspect this means an idol or icon, in that sense) the movie has the wonderfully gorgeous visuals of that era-- mountains and forests in the mists, a torchlight parade of villagers going to worship-- but the main appeal, let's face it, is to see the monster. The statue is the image of a helmeted samurai in full armor, with a scowling blue face. Majin is maybe fifty feet tall, not the impossibly huge size of Godzilla but on a scale where he can look his victims in the eye with that ominous glare.
When the warlord's men try to destroy the idol, they drive a thick spike into the forehead (blood trickles down, which understandably terrifies them) and when Majin is wrecking the town, he tracks down the warlord, holds him up against a wall, and begins to pull the spike out of his own brow-- well, it's only fair.
There seem to be a few similarities here to the silent German films about the Golem. Like that clay statue come to life, Majin is basically a protective creation but once he's angered, he goes overboard and threatens the very people he was meant to help. In the Golem movie, a little girl innocently removes the magic talisman and the monster reverts to a lifeless statue. Here a small child pleads with the Majin to stop his rampge, and a woman begs him to take her life if it will appease him. A tear drops on the stone foot, and Majin stops, reverts to a statue and crumbles into dust. (But don't worry, he came back for two sequels. Good monsters are almost impossible to destroy permanently.)
RETURN OF GIANT MAJIN (1966)
This isn't so much a sequel to MAJIN MONSTER OF TERROR as it is a remake. Once again we have a peaceful little village of Japanese countryfolk minding their own business, when they are cruelly oppressed and abused by a vile warlor. This guy goes so far as to blow up their giant idol with that newfangled gunpowder stuff and the pieces fall in the lake. Things get steadily worse, there is much wailing and running and back and forth, with samurai terroizing villagers. Then as our lovely heroine is tied to a cross and about to burned to death, her tearful prayers have their effect. Up from the lake comes Majin, and he's not happy....
There is a bit too much melodrama and sufferng in most of the film, but once the scowling blue faced statue comes lumbering into the village, the movie is a monster fan's treat. Not only can Majin make the waters of the lake part (as in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS), he also can send fireballs and control the wind. As if being an invincible stone man fifty feet tall wasn't enough....! What is so appealing about these flicks is the way they put a giant monster to heroic purpose. Majin knocks over buildings and steps on screaming people, but he's doing it to rescue the innocent. I for one think it is more than high time for a MAJIN remake, like the recent Gamera and Godzilla revivals.
One of the most charming Japanese fantasy films of the 1960s, MAJIN is basically a fairy tale. In feudal Japan, an ambitious warlord ousts the rightful prince and princess, and then enslaves the townspeople to construct a fortress. When he tries to destroy the idol of their mountain god, the huge statue comes to life and goes on a real old-fashioned rampage.
Called DAIMAJIN ('the giant Majin" originally; there is a Japanese word containing 'majin' that means lucky charm and I suspect this means an idol or icon, in that sense) the movie has the wonderfully gorgeous visuals of that era-- mountains and forests in the mists, a torchlight parade of villagers going to worship-- but the main appeal, let's face it, is to see the monster. The statue is the image of a helmeted samurai in full armor, with a scowling blue face. Majin is maybe fifty feet tall, not the impossibly huge size of Godzilla but on a scale where he can look his victims in the eye with that ominous glare.
When the warlord's men try to destroy the idol, they drive a thick spike into the forehead (blood trickles down, which understandably terrifies them) and when Majin is wrecking the town, he tracks down the warlord, holds him up against a wall, and begins to pull the spike out of his own brow-- well, it's only fair.
There seem to be a few similarities here to the silent German films about the Golem. Like that clay statue come to life, Majin is basically a protective creation but once he's angered, he goes overboard and threatens the very people he was meant to help. In the Golem movie, a little girl innocently removes the magic talisman and the monster reverts to a lifeless statue. Here a small child pleads with the Majin to stop his rampge, and a woman begs him to take her life if it will appease him. A tear drops on the stone foot, and Majin stops, reverts to a statue and crumbles into dust. (But don't worry, he came back for two sequels. Good monsters are almost impossible to destroy permanently.)
RETURN OF GIANT MAJIN (1966)
This isn't so much a sequel to MAJIN MONSTER OF TERROR as it is a remake. Once again we have a peaceful little village of Japanese countryfolk minding their own business, when they are cruelly oppressed and abused by a vile warlor. This guy goes so far as to blow up their giant idol with that newfangled gunpowder stuff and the pieces fall in the lake. Things get steadily worse, there is much wailing and running and back and forth, with samurai terroizing villagers. Then as our lovely heroine is tied to a cross and about to burned to death, her tearful prayers have their effect. Up from the lake comes Majin, and he's not happy....
There is a bit too much melodrama and sufferng in most of the film, but once the scowling blue faced statue comes lumbering into the village, the movie is a monster fan's treat. Not only can Majin make the waters of the lake part (as in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS), he also can send fireballs and control the wind. As if being an invincible stone man fifty feet tall wasn't enough....! What is so appealing about these flicks is the way they put a giant monster to heroic purpose. Majin knocks over buildings and steps on screaming people, but he's doing it to rescue the innocent. I for one think it is more than high time for a MAJIN remake, like the recent Gamera and Godzilla revivals.