MOTHRA

Directed by Ishirô Honda
Introduced by Steve Ryfle, author of Ishirô Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa

(1961) When two identical six-inch twin princesses, guardians of a mysterious giant egg, are kidnapped and forced to sing in a Japanese nightclub, the egg’s larva transforms into a really pissed-off giant moth. One of the best-loved of all kaiju eiga, with the memorable title song performed by “The Peanuts.” 4K DCP. Approx. 100 min.
7:10*

“With its fluorescent colors and exotic design, probably Honda’s most profoundly folkloric film, drawing on traditions of Japanese nature gods to imagine a force superior to American economic and military strength.”
– Dave Kehr

THE H-MAN

Directed by Ishirô Honda

(1958) The Blob, Nippon style, as cops and crooks take on radioactive creatures that turn men and women into pools of living green ooze. One of Honda’s most serious anti-nuclear films, though this dubbed version features a scene in which every single character has the unmistakable voice of Paul Frees (Rocky & Bullwinkle’s “Boris Badenov”). 35mm. Approx. 79 min.
5:30, 9:20