'' or '''''Yog--Monster from Space''''', released in Japan as , is a
Tokusatsu Science Fiction Film produced and released by
Toho Studios in 1970. This was one of director
Ishirō Honda 's last kaiju movies, and the first such movie made after the death of special-effects director
Eiji Tsuburaya .
Sadamasa Arikawa did the special effects for this film.
While some fans deride the film as a last gasp of the
Kaiju Eiga genre, others appreciate the fact that the monsters have been scaled down ("only" 50-75 feet tall), making their interactions with human characters more compelling.
An alien life form bent on world domination takes control of a gigantic
Cuttlefish (
Gezora ),
Turtle (
Kamoebas ), and
Crab (
Ganime ) on a tropical island (called
Selzio Island ).
Space Amoeba or Yog: Monster from Space, released in Japan as Gezora Ganimes Kamoebas: Kessen! Nankai no Daikaijū (, Gezora Ganime Kamēba Kessen! Nankai no Daikaijū?, lit. "Gezora Ganimes Kamoebas: Decisive Battle! Giant Monsters of the South Seas"), is a tokusatsu science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1970. This was one of director Ishirō Honda's last kaiju movies, and the first such movie made after the death of special-effects director Eiji Tsuburaya. Teruyoshi Nakano did the special effects for this film.
While some fans deride the film as a last gasp of the kaiju eiga genre, others appreciate the fact that the monsters have been scaled down ("only" 50-75 feet tall), making their interactions with human characters more compelling.
An alien mist, brought to Earth by an unmanned space probe that crashes on a Pacific island, causes local animals (a squid, a crab and a turtle) to mutate into giant monstrosities that wreak havoc on a resort construction site. "Godzilla" director Inoshiro Honda helmed this kaiju classic; with Akira Kubo, Atsuko Takahashi. AKA: "Yog, Monster from Space," "Yog: The Space Amoeba." 84 min. Soundtracks: Japanese
In the year 1970, an Earth space probe known as the Helios 7, which was designed to fly into the gaseous atmosphere of Jupiter in order to send information on the largest planet in the solar system back to Earth, was invaded by a disembodied, sentient, malevolent and extremely powerful being of pure energy (referred to as "Yog"), who re-directed the small extrasolar device back to Earth.
The probe landed in the South Pacific, where the disembodied alien left the device and invaded the body of a Gezora, using its power to take control of the giant brachiopod's actions. The giant squid may have been somehow granted the ability to produce extreme cold with its touch by the alien energy being that had possessed its body.
When a photographer named Kudo and a small entourage landed on Selga Island, they were likewise menaced by Gezora, who continued to terrorize the island, as the alien being which inhabited his body plotted eventual control of the entire planet. When it was discovered that the cold inducing creature was vulnerable to fire, Kudo and his allies used a leftover Japanese World War II munitions cabin discovered on the island, which included plenty of gasoline, to set the monster squid aflame.
Severely burned, the creature retreated to the water, where Yog abandoned the now useless organic husk, thus sparing the island further attacks by this alien-controlled Gezora.
However, it should be noted that Yog continued his attack by similarly invading and controlling the bodies of two other rare giant likely descendants of ancient Muan bio-engineering, a gigantic lobster (mistakenly referred to in the film as a "crab") and a gigantic predatory water turtle, and used them to terrify the island in Gezora's stead, until they were cajoled into battling each other by the humans on the island, who took advantage of the alien's vulnerability to the naturally occurring sonar used by the bats on the island, which ultimately caused the battling monsters to stumble into an erupting volcano; a human being on the island whose consciousness was likewise subverted by the bodiless alien being also exerted his willpower and leapt into the maw of the volcano under his own volition, thus ending the threat of Yog once and for all.
Special powers and abilities: Gezora possessed the proportionate tremendous strength of a squid his size. Although he spent the majority of his time in the sea, he could move about on land rather easily for extended periods of time. He would use his eight small arms to walk, and his two long tentacles to attack. His body naturally generated intense cold by unknown means, and he could cause frostbite to a living organism with his touch; it is unknown whether this ability was granted to the giant squid by the possessing alien, though this is a likely possibility.
Gezora, like all creatures controlled by the disembodied alien consciousness of Yog, was highly vulnerable to natural sonar that was used by animals such as bats and dolphins, which would cause Yog to lose control of the creatures. Gezora was also extremely vulnerable to fire, due to the cold inducing nature of his physiology.
- Akira Kubo .......... Tarou Kudou， Journalist
- Atsuko Takahashi ............ Ayako Hoshino
- Yukiko Kobayashi ............. Saki， Daughter of Island Selgio
- Kenji Sahara ............. Makoto Obata
- Yoshio Tsuchiya ............. Dr. Kyouichi Miya， Biologist
- Tetsu Nakamura ........... Onbo， Elder of Island Selgio
- Yuu Fujiki ............ Mayor of publicity department of company 『Asia deveropment』
- Yoshitake Saitou .............. Riko，Youth of Island Selgio
- Yuuko Sugihara .............. Stewardess
- Sachio Sakai ............ Chief editor of Weekly magazine 『Topics』
- Tyoutaro Tougin .............. Yokoyama，Investigation engineer
- Wataru Oomae ............. Sakura，Investigation engineer
- Ichirou Murakoshi ............ Voice of Alien
- Haruo Nakajima ............ Gezora，Ganime
- Haruyoshi Nakamura ............. Kamoebas
- Takeo Kita- Production Design
- Seiji Tani- Assistant to the director
- Teruyoshi Nakano- Chief Assistant Special Effects Director
- Yoichi Manoda- Special Effects Cinematography
- Yoshiyuki Tokumasa- Optical Effects
- Yasuyuki Inoue- Special Effects Set Director
- Akira Ifukube experimented with Synthesizers for the first time here.
- This is the only time Haruo Nakajima portrays two kaiju in one film.
- The film was planned in the period when Eiji Tsuburaya was still head of the SPFX department. Thus it can be considered the last of the "Honda/Tsuburaya Golden Duo" films.
- (84 min.; original version)
- (84 min.; International dub; released to DVD in America by Media Blasters )
- (84 min.; alternate dub; released in American theaters; titled ''.)
- On the poster, it is seen Gezora fighting Kameba, although the two beasts never come in contact.
