2008-08-25
A monster from the 1960s cult panic movie THE X FROM OUTER SPACE comes back once again, now attacking the G8 Summit to finish the Earth once and for all!!
Download trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=m95qjUNdsCE
In the summer of 2008, the G8 Summit is being held at the International Conference Center at Lake Toya in Hokkaido, a beautiful resort near the active volcano of Mount Usu. In attendance are the leaders of the United States of America, France, England, Germany, Italy, Canada, Russia, and Japan.
The main agenda of the Summit is environmental issues. However, nothing seems to be decided.
The President of the United States tries to be a world leader but nobody follows. The Russian President refrains that “honesty is the best policy” but he wears a wig. The Italian Prime Minister is only interested in women, and the French President is too philosophical. The grinning Japanese PM always has no opinion and simply follows the other leaders.
While the summit is being held in Lake Toya, the Chinese Mars survey rocket AAC-Beta crashes into Japan. The monster Guilala is reborn from spores attached to the rocket after they absorb energy from the AAC-Beta’s explosion. Guilala attacks Sapporo, the largest city in Hokkaido, then transforms into a red ball of light and takes to the skies. It heads toward the summit conference site in pursuit of volcanic energy.
With the sudden appearance of the space monster, the world is thrown into chaos. The Japanese government decides to end the Summit and evacuate the leaders back to their own countries, but the US President announces, “Are you running away?!! Nobody calls me a chicken!” The other leaders reluctantly agree to cancel their travel plans home. They switch the signboard of the G8 Summit to read “Guilala Task Force” and vow to terminate Guilala.
Under the command of General Narumi, the Japan Branch of the Earth Defense Force uses a special microwave beam to stir up the magma beneath nearby Mount Showa Shinzan. The lava’s heat draws Guilala away from the summit conference site and gives mankind time to formulate a counterattack.
However, all their plans are encumbered by the egotism of the G8 leaders, who only want to show their own power and prestige. The countries of the world compete against each other to defeat the monster. The first mission is the Bald Eagle Missile attack by Japan, which proves ineffective against Guilala. After the defeat, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Ibe develops severe diarrhea and quits the Guilala Task Force. He is replaced by former Prime Minister Junzaburo Ohizumi.
The Japanese attack on Guilala is followed by Italy’s “Spirit of Rome” pitfall strategy, Russia’s Polonium 210 radiation, England’s brainwashing electric waves, Germany’s Phosphorous VX Poison Gas, and Canada’s efforts to domesticate Guilala… each attempt fails, one after another. The US president proclaims, “We will never yield to any terrorists!” while everyone else sighs, “Stupid American, it’s not a terrorist, it’s a monster.”
Meanwhile, Guilala continues feeding off the volcanic heat of Mt. Showa Shinzan and grows stronger and stronger.
The deadly combat between human beings and the monster from outer space continues. But just when everyone starts to give up, two journalists find a strange group of villagers who are worshipping a traditional idol at a shrine on the shores of Lake Toya. The villagers tell reporter Sumire Sumidagawa and cameraman Sanpei Toyama of an ancient prophecy: “A monster will come from the sky to destroy the world but Take-majin, the guardian of Lake Toya, will defeat it.” Sumire is impressed by the strong devotion of the villagers and joins them in their prayers.
Prime Minister Ohizumi is revealed to be a fake; he is actually the disguised dictator of an evil foreign country. His agents take over the International Conference Center. The fake Ohizumi proclaims he will kill Guilala with a Potedon-55 Missile and be declared ruler of the world. But the dictator’s foolish scheme will only scatter Guilala’s spores, creating countless monsters all over the Earth.
Thanks to a tactful plan by the French President, the G8 leaders are able to overcome the villains. But at the last second, the fake Ohizumi pushes a remote control button and launches the missile at Guilala.
Who will save the Earth from this crisis? Beat Takeshi, he must be the man!*
About the director: Minoru Kawasaki— the “Ed Wood of Japan”
Born in Tokyo in 1958, Minoru Kawasaki stepped into the entertainment business soon after graduating from Meiji University. He has directed and produced many independent films.
His first major hit was in 2004 with THE CALAMARI WRESTLER. His style of direction is based on ridiculous ideas and nostalgic VFX techniques, making him a unique cult director often referred to as the “Ed Wood of Japan”. After his first success, he became one of the busiest directors in Japan. In 2006 THE WORLD SINKS EXCEPT JAPAN was another surprise hit. His most recent movie, THE RUG COP, was screened at Sitges International Film Festival of Catalonia, Spain in 2007 and the first retrospective of his work was held at Internationales Film Festival Frankfurt in Germany.
Promotional screenings for MONSTER X STRIKES BACK/ ATTACK THE G8 SUMMIT were held at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival on May 16. The movie opens in Japan on July 26, with the Japanese premiere taking place in Hokkaido on July 5.
