The kaiju film: a critical study of cinema's biggest monsters

Description

Introduction: a genre apart -- The Japanese origins of the kaiju -- Disasters, manmade and natural -- International and domestic politics -- Science and the weapons of mass destruction -- America and kaiju -- The body, gender, and kaiju -- The role of nostalgia -- Conclusion: what's next?;"The Kaiju (strange monster) film genre has themes that go well beyond the "big monsters stomping on cities" motif. This critical examination of kaiju considers the entirety of the genre, how it has crossed cultures from its original folkloric inspirations in both the U.S. and Japan and how it continues to reflect national values to audiences"-- Introduction: a genre apart -- The Japanese origins of the kaiju -- Disasters, manmade and natural -- International and domestic politics -- Science and the weapons of mass destruction -- America and kaiju -- The body, gender, and kaiju -- The role of nostalgia -- Conclusion: what's next?