THE MUST SEE TOP 30 NON GODZILLA KAIJU // SCI-FI TOHO//DINO FILMS
by theromanempire-1 | created - 04 Nov 2016 | updated - 09 Nov 2016 | PublicAfter a huge research and owning all available Godzilla and non Godzilla monster movies here are my top 3O must see list sci-fi kaiju non Godzilla Jurrasic park and US KING KONG movies which most people already know those films.
FOR THE FANATIC MONSTER FANS.......ENJOY
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1. Rodan (1956)
Approved | 74 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata, Akio Kobori
Votes: 5,992 | Gross: $0.50M
One of the best toho films the film which introduced us to rodan who later appeared in many Godzilla films as Godzilla's ally and friend.
2. Varan (1958)
87 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Original Japanese version. Research in the Tohoku region comes across a monster known to the locals as the mountain god Baradagi.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Motoyoshi Oda | Stars: Kôzô Nomura, Ayumi Sonoda, Koreya Senda, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 909
After Godzilla 1954 toho introduced us to a few monsters which got their solo films before most of them appeared later in the numerous Godzilla films. first of those films was RODAN in 1956 and then toho introduced us to VARAN in 1958 which released in America in 1962 as VARAN THE UNBELIEVABLE . Varan film was a missed opportunity but it's a must have for those who want to have all Godzilla related films . varan was to appear later briefly in destroy all monsters and final wars and as stock footage in Godzilla's revenge
3. Mothra (1961)
Passed | 101 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
An expedition to Infant Island discovers a native population and tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity. Named Mothra, she sets out to rescue her fairies after they are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Furankî Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyôko Kagawa, Yumi Itô
Votes: 5,307
In 1961 toho introduced us to the 4rth monster which was to appear in later Godzilla movies after anguirus in the 1955 Godzilla film, rodan in the 1956 solo film and varan in the 1958 solo film. Mothra 1961 was a great film a must have and introduced us to the most popular non Godzilla kaiju monster which was to appear in the most Godzilla films ever in the later years.
4. King Kong Escapes (1967)
G | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Family
The evil Dr. Who captures King Kong to dig for Element X when his robot duplicate, Mechani-Kong, is unable to do the job, but Kong soon escapes and battles his doppelganger.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada
Votes: 3,197
toho's king kong version first appeared in the 1962 film together with Godzilla but this is the only solo film kong appeared in toho's version and it's different....hilarious and very entertaining.....really one of the greats non Godzilla toho films.
5. Atragon (1963)
TV-Y7 | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When an ancient underground civilization and their snake-like guardian plots to reclaim the surface world, those of the surface fights back.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Shûe Matsubayashi | Stars: Tadao Takashima, Yôko Fujiyama, Yû Fujiki, Kenji Sahara
Votes: 1,525
Atragon is really a sci-fi toho film but it's really the film which introduced us to one of my fav kaiju monsters of all time. THE GREAT SNAKE-DRAGON MANDA. I love manda I loved it from the moment I saw it in atragon his first solo movie. sadly manda went to appear only in 3 later Godzilla movies. his most memorable appearance was his great scene of destruction in paris when manda brought destruction to the bridge smashing it with his body in the great film destroy all monsters. manda appeared again in final wars and as stock footage in Godzilla's revenge.
6. The Mysterians (1957)
Approved | 85 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Shortly after a giant robot destroys a village, aliens from outer space arrive offering friendship. Will the people of Earth tie these two events together?
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Momoko Kôchi, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 1,900 | Gross: $0.98M
the most recognizable sci-fi film from toho a film which proved toho could make interesting sci-fi films even without involving any kaiju well known monster. there is a so called monster in this film but for a brief time only.
7. Battle in Outer Space (1959)
Approved | 90 min | Action, Sci-Fi
The nations of the Earth unite in a common cause to fight off an invader from outer space.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Kyôko Anzai, Minoru Takada, Koreya Senda
Votes: 1,544
A semi-sequel to the mysterians this is another sci-fi gem from toho NOT TO MISS.
8. The War in Space (1977)
TV-PG | 91 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Earth is attacked by alien spacecraft from Venus. But a Japanese scientist has constructed a space craft, the Gohten, with which he may save humanity.
Directors: Jun Fukuda, Ishirô Honda, Toshio Masuda, Shûe Matsubayashi, Shirô Moritani | Stars: Kensaku Morita, Yûko Asano, Ryô Ikebe, Masaya Oki
Votes: 613
considered the final entry in the so called toho's space opera trilogy this film is a worthy entry in the sci-fi genre
9. Gorath (1962)
Not Rated | 83 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A Tokyo scientist and his colleagues shift Earth to avoid a red-hot planet on a collision course.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Yumi Shirakawa, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno
Votes: 896
not well known like the toho trilogy I posted above but as much as good is this film which is not to miss.
10. Gamera: The Giant Monster (1964)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
From out of the arctic comes a gigantic flying, fire-breathing turtle that sets its sights on destroying Tokyo.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashita, Yoshiro Uchida
Votes: 3,804
released in America as gamera the invinsible in 1966 this monster is the answer to Godzilla the most successful monster non named Godzilla which made it's own franchise of more than 10 films in total. this was the breakthrough film which made gamera the children's fav monster in the 60s.
11. Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
Not Rated | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A giant monster that emits a destructive ray from its back attacks Japan and takes on Gamera.
Directors: Shigeo Tanaka, Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Kyôko Enami, Yûzô Hayakawa, Takuya Fujioka
Votes: 2,838
2nd film in the franchise which introduced the monster barugon which also starred in later Godzilla films and in toho's Frankenstein version in 1965.
12. Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Family, Fantasy
Volcanic activity unleashes a bloodthirsty monster called Gyaos that Gamera must confront.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Kichijirô Ueda, Reiko Kasahara, Naoyuki Abe
Votes: 2,489
third entry with the monster gyaos. a giant bat which was my fav monster from the gamera series.
13. Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
Not Rated | 75 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Gamera the Flying Turtle falls under the spell of evil aliens, but two children free him and he returns to fight the aliens' monster, Viras.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Tôru Takatsuka, Carl Craig, Michiko Yaegaki
Votes: 1,868
4rth entry also known as destroy all planets introducing kaiju monster viras
14. Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
Unrated | 80 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Aliens kidnap two children and take them to another planet for the purpose of getting knowledge from their brains, but Gamera follows and tries to rescue them.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Nobuhiro Kajima, Miyuki Akiyama, Christopher Murphy, Yûko Hamada
Votes: 3,050
Another gamera entry with the monster Guirron.
15. Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Family
When an ancient statue is moved for display in Expo '70, a giant, vaguely Triceratops-like monster is released. The monster goes to Japan in pursuit of the statue and ends up battling Gamera, the giant flying turtle.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Tsutomu Takakuwa, Kelly Varis, Katherine Murphy, Kon Ômura
Votes: 1,544
one of the great gamera movies
16. Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Space aliens arrive on Earth with their giant shark and intend to take over the planet but they must first destroy Gamera.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Kôji Fujiyama, Daigo Inoue, Reiko Kasahara, Daihachi Kita
Votes: 1,881
zigra monster is introduced in this one the 7nth gamera film.
17. Gamera: Super Monster (1979)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
Using several clips from previous Gamera entries, this film deals with alien forces sending all the monsters Gamera has faced in one final battle to rid the planet of its last hope.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Mach Fumiake, Yaeko Kojima, Yoko Komatsu, Keiko Kudo
Votes: 1,109
Gamera the super monster is the last film in the early gamera franchise the 8th and final entry in which we have a reunion of monsters as gyaos returns for a final showdown. Later in the new millennium 4 more gamera films were to be made a new reboot trilogy in the late 90s and a final film in 2006 gamera the brave but those films were inferior to the original ganera films.
18. Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965)
Unrated | 87 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Near the end of WWII, Germans transport the immortal heart of Frankenstein's monster to Japan, where it is seeming lost in the bombing of Hiroshima. Years later a wild boy is found, born from the immortal heart.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Votes: 2,428
a weird toho's adaption to the monster Frankenstein which was hilarious and cheesy as they have Frankenstein battle with the kaiju monster....barugon in one of the most weird battles. a must have for the fans.
19. The War of the Gargantuas (1966)
G | 92 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
The sole survivor of a fishing boat recounts sightings of hairy giants. A scientist investigates, revealing mutated creatures, growing from remains of a previous monster. Nearly indestructible, they battle in Tokyo until only one remains.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Russ Tamblyn, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Nobuo Nakamura
Votes: 3,537
a direct sequel to Frankenstein 1965 this movie starts where the last film left of with two frankensteins emerged from the sea now called gargantuas and their battle against humanity.
20. Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967)
PG | 84 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Magazine reporters Hiroyuki Kurosaki and his colleagues brought back to Japan a monster child who had just hatched from an egg issued on the isolated island of Obelisk in the South Sea.
Director: Hiroshi Noguchi | Stars: Tamio Kawaji, Yôko Yamamoto, Yûji Odaka, Kôji Wada
Votes: 1,741
gappa is one of the best entries in the kaiju series a film which reminds of rodan film involving a giant bird and is a must have.
21. Gorgo (1961)
Unrated | 78 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Greedy sailors capture a giant lizard off the coast of Ireland and sell it to a London circus, inciting the wrath of the creature's mother.
Director: Eugène Lourié | Stars: Bill Travers, William Sylvester, Vincent Winter, Christopher Rhodes
Votes: 4,236
Another fav kaiju entry a fav from my childhood.
22. Reptilicus (1961)
Passed | 82 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
After copper miners discover a piece of the frozen tail of a giant prehistoric reptile in Lapland, scientists inadvertently bring it back to life.
Directors: Poul Bang, Sidney W. Pink | Stars: Bent Mejding, Asbjørn Andersen, Povl Wøldike, Ann Smyrner
Votes: 4,374
nice kaiju flick from 1961
23. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
Approved | 80 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A ferocious dinosaur awakened by an Arctic atomic test terrorizes the North Atlantic and, ultimately, New York City.
Director: Eugène Lourié | Stars: Paul Hubschmid, Paula Raymond, Cecil Kellaway, Kenneth Tobey
Votes: 8,731 | Gross: $5.00M
the film which inspired the makers of Godzilla in 1954 is enough reason to own this film.
24. It Came from Beneath the Sea (1955)
Not Rated | 79 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A giant, radioactive octopus rises from the Philippine Trench to terrorize the North American Pacific Coast.
Director: Robert Gordon | Stars: Kenneth Tobey, Faith Domergue, Donald Curtis, Ian Keith
Votes: 6,360
A radioactive octopus is starring in this film.
25. Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967)
PG | 80 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Earthquakes in central Korea turn out to be the work of Yongary, a prehistoric gasoline-eating reptile that soon goes on a rampage through Seoul.
Director: Kim Ki-duk | Stars: Yeong-il Oh, Jeong-im Nam, Lee Soon-jae, Moon Kang
Votes: 1,730
another Godzilla imitator monster which is more for children.
26. The Land That Time Forgot (1974)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Fantasy
During World War I, a German U-boat sinks a British ship and takes the survivors on board. After it takes a wrong turn, the submarine takes them to the unknown land of Caprona, where they find dinosaurs and neanderthals.
Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Doug McClure, John McEnery, Susan Penhaligon, Keith Barron
Votes: 7,108
this is the Jurassic park of the 70s and that is said it all. a great film not to miss.
27. The People That Time Forgot (1977)
PG | 91 min | Adventure, Sci-Fi
In 1919, a British expedition in the Antarctica region is searching for a lost American explorer and finds a hidden prehistoric world instead.
Director: Kevin Connor | Stars: Patrick Wayne, Doug McClure, Sarah Douglas, Dana Gillespie
Votes: 3,512
a lesser but still enjoyable sequel which deserves to be in your collection.
28. Agon (1968– )
30 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A truck carrying uranium falls off a cliff into the ocean awakening a giant monster that wreaks havoc on Japan.
Stars: Shinji Hirota, Asao Matsumoto, Nobuhiko Shima, Akemi Sawa
Votes: 66
this long forgotten gem consists of 4 episodes and it's a Godzilla replica so go for it.
29. The X from Outer Space (1967)
PG | 89 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
When a crew of scientists returns from Mars with a sample of the space spores that contaminated their ship, the sample escapes and grows into an enormous, rampaging beaked beast.
Director: Kazui Nihonmatsu | Stars: Shun'ya Wazaki, Itoko Harada, Shin'ichi Yanagisawa, Keisuke Sonoi
Votes: 1,513
hard to find dvd this is another kaiju sci-fi toho gem.
30. 20 Million Miles to Earth (1957)
Not Rated | 82 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
The first U.S. spaceship to Venus crash-lands off the coast of Sicily on its return trip. A dangerous, lizard-like creature comes with it and quickly grows gigantic.
Director: Nathan Juran | Stars: William Hopper, Joan Taylor, Thomas Browne Henry, Frank Puglia
Votes: 8,038
a classic which need no further recomendations
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