Mothra (Region B)

One of the most iconic Japanese kaiju, Mothra has appeared in over a dozen feature films. Presented here is her debut, a gloriously vibrant piece of filmmaking that forever changed how kaiju eiga would be produced in Japan.

Following reports of human life on Infant Island, the supposedly deserted site of atomic bomb tests, an international expedition to the heavily-radiated island discovers a native tribe and tiny twin female fairies called Shobijin who guard a sacred egg. The overzealous expedition leader kidnaps the Shobijin to exhibit in a Tokyo stage show but soon they summon their protector, hatching the egg and releasing a giant caterpillar. When Mothra arrives in Japan and transforms into her final form, the nation and its people face their destruction.

Psychedelically colourful, with an intelligent, benevolent protector as its lead kaiju, Mothra was radically different to every other monster movie that had come before it, and it remains a classic of the genre to this day. The Masters of Cinema Series is proud to present Ishir Hondas Mothra on Blu-ray in the UK.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Includes both Japanese and English versions

Original audio presentations

English subtitles (Japanese version) and English SDH (English version)

Audio commentary with film historian and writer David Kalat

Audio commentary with authors and Japanese sci-fi historians Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski

Kim Newman on Mothra an interview with film critic and author Kim Newman on the history and legacy of Mothra

Stills Galleries featuring rare archival stills and ephemera

Trailers

A collectors booklet featuring an essay by Japanese cinema expert Jasper Sharp (Midnight Eye) and an extract from Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewskis Ishir Honda biography