
Known for
8.5A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Seven Samurai
1954
8.3Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
Ikiru
1952
8.4A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
High and Low
1963
8.0As supernatural events and monster attacks rock Japan, the military and government look to be overwhelmed. Three intrepid young investigators—two pilots and a reporter—take it upon themselves to study these unexplained phenomena in order to inform and protect the public.
Ultra Q
1966
8.0In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.
The Hidden Fortress
1958
7.0Journalists Ichiro Sakai and Junko cover the wreckage of a typhoon when an enormous egg is found and claimed by greedy entrepreneurs. Mothra's fairies arrive and are aided by the journalists in a plea for its return. As their requests are denied, Godzilla arises near Nagoya and the people of Infant Island must decide if they are willing to answer Japan's own pleas for help.
Mothra vs. Godzilla
1964
Film credits
1990s · 1 titles
1970s · 10 titles
6.8An ever evolving alien life-form arrives on a comet from the Dark Gaseous Nebula and proceeds to consume pollution. Spewing mists of sulfuric acid and corrosive sludge, neither humanity nor Godzilla may be able to defeat this toxic menace.
Godzilla vs. Hedorah
1971
6.8A submarine expedition to salvage the remains of Mechagodzilla is thwarted by a massive dinosaur named Titanosaurus. An Interpol investigation leads biologist Ichinose to uncover the work of Dr. Mafune and his mysterious daughter Katsura. Aligned with the Black Hole Aliens, Katsura's life becomes entwined with the resurrected machine.
Terror of Mechagodzilla
1975
7.8The Americans are swiftly closing on Okinawa, an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The Imperial command sends top generals and several army divisions to defend it at all costs. The mission quickly degenerates as vital resources and troops are diverted to other islands. After a civilian evacuation ends in tragedy most of non-combatants are forced to remain on the island. Many convert to soldier status. Tokyo sends mixed messages that squander time and resources, as when they order the defenders to build an airstrip for aircraft that never come. The truth soon becomes obvious: the high command decides that the island cannot be held and effectively abandons the Okinawan defenders. When the Americans land many troops are deployed in the wrong places. As the slaughter mounts, a suicidal attitude takes hold. Okinawa becomes a death trap, for civilian volunteers and non-combatants as well.
The Battle of Okinawa
1971
6.8A young girl suffers a terrifying nightmare of a vampire with blazing golden eyes. Eighteen years later, it is revealed to be a hellish prophecy when a strange package containing an empty coffin mysteriously turns up at a nearby lake.
Lake of Dracula
1971
6.8A professor takes up a new post at an all-girls school only to discover the principal concealing a dark secret.
Evil of Dracula
1974
10.0Ex-conman Junpei plots revenge on a corrupt corporation by leading a team of swindlers posing as politicians. A slick crime comedy of cons and payback.
Comedy: Love and Justice Among Cheaters
1974
10.0After a highway accident forces a motel stay, a company president devises a plan to create spring-based beds, sparking unexpected business deals, romantic entanglements, and corporate hurdles.
First-Decade Boss vs. Second-Decade Staff: Mon-Fri-Fri
1971
6.5A taut, economical policier-cum-gang-hostage thriller.
The Black Battlefront Kidnappers
1973
10.0Based on the novel of the same name by Seichô Matsumoto.
Without Complaint
1975
NRSakata Sankichi, an amateur shogi player living in the slums of Osaka, is so obsessed with the board game that he spends all of his family's money to keep playing in the hope of defeating star player Sekine.
The King
1973
1960s · 31 titles
8.4A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.
High and Low
1963
7.0Journalists Ichiro Sakai and Junko cover the wreckage of a typhoon when an enormous egg is found and claimed by greedy entrepreneurs. Mothra's fairies arrive and are aided by the journalists in a plea for its return. As their requests are denied, Godzilla arises near Nagoya and the people of Infant Island must decide if they are willing to answer Japan's own pleas for help.
Mothra vs. Godzilla
1964
7.5A guilt-haunted samurai warrior attempts to stop a massacre taking place.
Goyokin
1969
7.0A pair of down-on-their-luck swordsmen arrive in a dusty, windblown town, where they become involved in a local clan dispute. One, previously a farmer, longs to become a noble samurai. The other, a former samurai haunted by his past, prefers living anonymously with gangsters. But when both men discover the wrongdoings of the nefarious clan leader, they side with a band of rebels who are under siege at a remote mountain cabin.
Kill!
1968
6.3In 1976, a drifting star named Gorath is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. Although it is smaller than Earth, its enormous mass is enough to destroy the planet totally. A mission sent to observe Gorath is destroyed after the ship is drawn into the star, with a later mission barely escaping the same fate. However, Astronaut Tatsuma Kanai is left in a catatonic state due to his near death experience. Unable to destroy the invading star, Earth's scientists undertake a desperate plan to build giant rockets at the South Pole to move the planet out of Gorath's path before it is too late.
Gorath
1962
6.8A silly yet skilled Interpol agent flies to Tokyo and gets mixed up in a war between two gangs intent on winning the favor of a notorious arms dealer.
Ironfinger
1965
5.9An adventurous and daring sailor sets sail to the castle of an ailing king to stop an evil premier, hungry for power and wealth, from succeeding the throne and marrying the king's beautiful daughter. Along the way, with the help of some courageous rebels and a lustful wizard, he must overcome the powers of a bewitching witch, a band of ruthless pirates, and the castle's Imperial guards. He must also free those kidnapped into slavery and restore the king's reputation.
Samurai Pirate
1963
7.1After their lord is tricked into committing ritual suicide, forty-seven samurai warriors await the chance to avenge their master and reclaim their honor.
Chûshingura
1962
7.1A woman remembers her own marriage when dealing with the love life of her son.
A Woman's Life
1963
7.4Tashiro coincidentally meets his best friend Sugimoto in a bar very close to the apartment in which Sugimoto’s wayward wife is found dead. Although Tashiro is not a suspect in the police investigation, he is racked with guilt and confesses to his wife, Masako. In an effort to further relieve his tortured sense of guilt, he then confesses to Sugimoto. Neither his wife nor his friend can believe that he could have been involved.
The Stranger Within a Woman
1966
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Apple Blossom Town
1963
6.5Towards the end of WWII, a black American pilot is captured and imprisoned by rural Japanese villagers, who await official instructions as to how to proceed with their 'catch'.
The Catch
1961
7.0Desperate to escape her grueling life caring for her paralyzed husband, Tamiko murders him and burns down their home to start anew. She is soon entangled in the dark web of an influential, elderly power broker, becoming his mistress and a pawn in his political schemes. As she descends further into a downward spiral of moral decay, Tamiko realizes that the freedom she sought is merely a new form of entrapment.
Beast Alley
1965
8.0A Hiromichi Horikawa movie
Eternity of Love
1961
9.0It is based on the story "The Lawyer" by attorney Hiroshi Masaki and his account of Japan's "Headless Murder Case" in which a police officer beat a suspect to death during the Pacific War.
Judge and Jeopardy
1968
NRNo synopsis available yet.
Swindler Meets Swindler
1966
7.9The story, set in the Heian era, depicts the conflict between Korean painter Yoshihide (Nakadai) and his Japanese patron, the cruel and egotistical daimyo Horikawa (Nakamura). It is based on the 1918 short story Hell Screen by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.
Portrait of Hell
1969
9.01961 Japanese movie
Bandits on the Wind
1961
7.0Towards the end of World War II, five men are tasked with freeing the son of a general from Chinese captivity.
Operation Sewer Rats
1962
5.8A love story about a former noblewoman who greedily enjoys love after breaking up with her unhappy marriage after the war, in pursuit of a wild and pure Japanese man. Three gorgeous 39-year-old single women who are in the same situation get excited about each other’s love affairs. Adapted from Yukio Mishima's novel.
The School of Flesh
1965
NRNo synopsis available yet.
King of the Raccoon Dogs
1966
NRThe third "Comic Storyteller" feature. A comedy set in historic Edo.
A Comic Storyteller — Uproarious Laughter
1967
7.7A group of friends try to find success in corporate Japan.
You Can Succeed, Too
1964
NRA grieving factory worker storms a Tokyo police station, holding a department chief at gunpoint, convinced he killed his girlfriend. When he learns it’s the wrong Yamamoto, he still refuses to leave and threatens everyone with nitroglycerin. Tension peaks when the real detective’s wife arrives, but a quick intervention stops disaster, leaving the worker broken by loss.
Fright Time
1964
NRA rebellious heiress clashes with gangsters, dodges an arranged marriage, and unexpectedly falls for a principled lawyer as her father confronts past corruption and starts anew.
Ginza Tomboy
1960
9.0Adapted from the Seicho Matsumoto story "Tazutazushi". Ryohei Suzuki, a manager at a travel company, is married to his superior's daughter, but tires of their authority over his life. A chance encounter with Yukiko Hirai one rainy night brings a new romance into Ryohei's life, and he and Yukiko fall deeply in love. Yukiko, however, reveals that she has a violent husband in prison - with only a week left until his release. Ryohei, desperate to maintain his social standing, brings Yukiko to the mountains in Nagano and sets in motion an unthinkable, tragic chain of events.
Bonds of Love
1969
8.0When noble wanderer Moritaro saves a disowned merchant’s son from gangsters, he becomes entangled in a town’s struggle against corruption. Teaming up with a rogue monk, bold tea-picking girls, and even a reformed thug, he battles a violent crime boss exploiting local families. Amid betrayals and brawls, justice and solidarity triumph.
Hiroshi Moriya Sadogasa: Thank You, Sandogasa
1961
7.0A young couple, composed of a cheating wife and a retired car racer, arrive at a drive-in. A man with a gun arrives at the restaurant and takes hostages. Chaos ensues.
Too Young to Die
1969
9.0A wandering swordsman helps a doll maker and his fiancée fight against a ruthless gang in a small town. As tensions escalate, epic duels and betrayals lead to a final showdown that shifts the balance of power. The swordsman departs, leaving a lasting impact on those he helped.
Hiroshi Moriya Sandogasa: I Want to Weep
1961
NRKemeko (Rumi Koyama), a girl who loves go-go dancing, one day encounters two men who are about to commit suicide. They are Rokuzo (Kanichi Tani), a bankrupt real estate agent, and Kyosuke (Keizo Kawasaki), a former ballet teacher. Unable to carry out their suicides because Kemeko is in the way, the two men reluctantly go with Kemeko to Kyosuke's ballet studio. When Kemeko starts dancing with the band led by Susumu (Haruo Suzuki) who are practicing there, Kyosuke recognizes her talent and decides to make her a big star. Of course, Rokuzo, who has given up on suicide, also volunteers to help promote her. A few days later, Kemeko enters a go-go competition on television and wins. Kemeko was delighted to hear that the winner would get to go to Africa.
Kemeko's Song
1968
NRDrama about an adolescent girl. Remake of Wife! Be Like a Rose! (1935)
When Love Awakens
1969
1950s · 8 titles
8.5A samurai answers a village's request for protection after he falls on hard times. The town needs protection from bandits, so the samurai gathers six others to help him teach the people how to defend themselves, and the villagers provide the soldiers with food.
Seven Samurai
1954
8.3Kanji Watanabe is a middle-aged man who has worked in the same monotonous bureaucratic position for decades. Learning he has cancer, he starts to look for the meaning of his life.
Ikiru
1952
8.0In feudal Japan, during a bloody war between clans, two cowardly and greedy peasants, soldiers of a defeated army, stumble upon a mysterious man who guides them to a fortress hidden in the mountains.
The Hidden Fortress
1958
5.8When a narcotics deal goes sour and a suspect disappears, leaving only his clothes, Tokyo police question his wife and stake out the nightclub where she works.
The H-Man
1958
7.8Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, a brilliant tactician, is a loyal subject of the emperor, despite his grave misgivings about leading Japan's navy into war with the United States. He opposes the attack on Pearl Harbor, but, overruled, he leads his forces to the best of his ability.
The Eagle of the Pacific
1953
7.0Judo expert Saburô Watari fights his judo master, Tsujido, while simultaneously in conflict with a karate expert.
A Man in the Storm
1957
6.3When Sergeant Okubo's brother is murdered at a Japanese outpost in Northern China during the Second World War, Okubo poses as a war correspondent and seeks out his brother's killer.
Desperado Outpost
1959
6.7When an invisible man is run down by a car it’s up to an eager young reporter and a strange clown to bring a dangerous gang to justice.
Invisible Man
1954

