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Peter H. Brothers

Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda Paperback – October 16, 2009

by Peter H. Brothers (Author)

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Here, for the first time in English print, is the inspiring story of a humble and soft-spoken man who became one of the most-prolific directors in the history of fantasy films. Raised in a primitive Japanese village by a Buddhist monk, Ishiro Honda fell in love with films at a young age and soon enrolled in film school with the intent of one day becoming a director. Called to enlist in the Imperial Japanese Army druing World War II, he returned with a knowledge of the futility of war and a dread of the atomic age. A dedicated craftsman who directed over 80 films during a remarkable 60-plus year career, Honda is undeservedly remembered mostly as the "greatest director" of the famous Japanese monster film series; however, he was in fact much more. Utelizing a wide-variety of source material never before assembled into one volume, Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men is an objective critical analysis and definitve study of a man whose fantasy films -- when seen in their original versions -- are "beautiful nightmares" of quality and subtext which transcend the visceral thrill of watching monsters destroying cities. Honda's admirers include George Lucas, Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg and his films are masterpieces of entertainment that have enthralled audiences for generations . . . and will for generations to come.

Print length

296 pages
Language

English
Publisher

AuthorHouse
Publication date

October 16, 2009
Dimensions

5.98 x 0.67 x 9.02 inches
ISBN-10

1449027717
ISBN-13

978-1449027711
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Steve Ryfle
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Peter H. Brothers
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Peter H Brothers
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ AuthorHouse (October 16, 2009)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1449027717
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1449027711
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 15.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 0.67 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #2,199,845 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #23,010 in Performing Arts (Books)
- #209,805 in Biographies

Customer Reviews:
37 ratings

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Peter H. Brothers

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I am an actor, director, speaker, playwright, poet, and author of the Rondo-nominated "Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men - The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda," "Atomic Dreams and the Nuclear Nightmare: The Making of Godzilla (1954)," and "The Sons of Godzilla: from Destroyer to Defender, from Ridicule to Respect (1955-1995)." I have also written the horror novels "Devil Bat Diary - The Journal of Johnny Layton" and "Terror In Tinseltown - the Sequel to Devil Bat Diary," as well as a volume of poetry called "A Rainbow's Bold Amen," an anthology called "Three Plays," "No Sympathy for the Vampire: The Film World of Bela Lugosi," "Suspending My Disbelief: Televised Terrors (1950-1959), and "Dark Detours: A Collection of Sinister Short Stories."

I enjoy books, films, music, and have lectured at numerous conventions and written many articles on Japanese monster movies, and am a huge Bela Lugosi fan. My email is gojirafan53@aol.com and you can find me on Facebook at: Peter Hayes Brothers.

Thanks for stopping by!

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5

37 global ratings

5 star		63%
4 star		12%
3 star		12%
2 star		5%
1 star		7%

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Nerdimus_Prime

Well-researched and written but poorly formatted

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 12, 2020

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I bought and read the ebook, but I may get the print version because the formatting of the ebook made difficult to read. Words were scattered about, making sentences confusing.

Regardless, the book is filled with tremendous information and scholarship. While it is surpassed by Ryfle and Godzisewski’s biography of Honda, this is a great companion to that book.

One person found this helpful

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M. Wolff

A Definitive Work on Japanese Monster Movies

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 8, 2022

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In this book Peter H. Brothers has written what is possibly the last word on the kaiju cinema of Ishiro Honda. Beginning with his 1954 film "Gojira" ("Godzilla" in its English release), Honda went on to produce a large body of work centering around giant monsters (and occasional aliens) wreaking havoc upon the Earth. Other directors have gone on to produce similar films, but Honda was clearly the original source and innovator.

The book goes into proper detail concerning plot development and production. Even better, it provides insights into the actors of the particular film, as well as discussing the soundtrack music which Akira Ifukube provided for each Honda film as well as the classic effects work of Eiji Tsuburaya. Throw in a detailed biography of Honda and the reader will immediately see why this is a necessary reference book for the dedicated monster movie fan.

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Jonathan R. Skocik

Overdue praise for a worthy director

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on November 23, 2009

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Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda, by Peter H. Brothers, is a fascinating look at the career of a man who was not only one of the most important Japanese filmmakers of the 20th century, but also one of the most overlooked. While Akira Kurosawa justifiably gets accolades among film-scholars for such classics as Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood, it is the fantasy cinema of Ishiro Honda that has been beloved by moviegoers around the world for over fifty years. In films such as Godzilla, Mothra, and Rodan, Honda introduced us to some of the most memorable movie-monsters of all time, capturing the imaginations of generations of audiences. Yet the man behind the movies has remained largely unsung.

Here at last is the story of that man. In his book, Peter H. Brothers introduces us to the passions, the fears, the hopes, and the regrets of Ishiro Honda, offering a rarely-seen glimpse into the director's formative years and the life experiences that would influence all of his work. The book's in-depth biography traces Honda's life from early childhood to his initial experiences with Toho Studios, follows him through his wartime experiences, and then examines closely his prolific career. Each chapter focuses on a different era, beginning with the creative triumphs of the fifties, following up with the commercial successes of the early sixties, and finally exploring the creative differences between Honda and Toho that brought his career to a bitter halt.

The subject is vast, and there are times when one wishes that the material could have been explored in more detail. But despite this, facts emerge that have seldom, if ever, come to light, and both casual readers and fans of Honda's work will find much of interest. Of particular interest are Honda's rarely-discussed non-fantasy films, especially Eagle of the Pacific and Farewell Rabaul, commercial and critical successes that paved the way for the blockbusters that were to come. Equally fascinating, though, is the detailed analysis of each of Honda's fantasy films. The author's deep respect for Honda's work is evident on every page, yet he remains admirably objective, not shying away from harsh criticism when the director's work was less-than-satisfactory, yet always managing to find something positive to say, showcasing highly-entertaining films that many critics and mainstream movie-goers have unfairly dismissed.

The book is not perfect. There are a number of misprints throughout the book, and these will hopefully be corrected in any future printing. However, the positive aspects easily outweigh any negatives. It is engaging, informative, and highly entertaining. For students of film theory looking to explore the impact that Japanese fantasy film

11 people found this helpful

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Morgan L. Day

A good read, but a flawed edition

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 13, 2019

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This is a book for people who are interested more in Ishiro Honda the man, not necessarily Honda's movies. They have been gone over in far greater depth in other works. I enjoyed filling in my knowledge of the director's life and personality, which this book handles just fine. The editing, however, is nothing short of shamefully incompetent. Paragraphs just end in mid sentence and then are either completed randomly later on or are never heard from again. It is one of the worst Kindle edition editing jobs I have ever seen. If you are really interested in Honda, I would recommend this book, but be ready to approach it with patience and gritted teeth.

One person found this helpful

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Christopher

Discover Ishiro Honda

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 9, 2014

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The book covers director Ishiro Hondas' career and personal life thoroughly. The author's tone is reverent to Honda's great acheivements and sympathetic to his lesser works, always pointing out the films positive elements. With new insight into his life and work, this book inspired me to rewatch his films from a new perspective.

One person found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Thought it was poorly written and boring.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 4, 2017

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Mostly rehashing of plot lines. Thought it was poorly written and boring.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 27, 2015

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Esential reading for cinebuffs as well as kaiju fans. A welcome addition to your reading list. Thank you, P.B.!

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Adam Z

Great detail and analysis

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 4, 2014

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Incredible text on an incredible and often overlooked filmmaker. Great detail and analysis.

One person found this helpful

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Gojira Fan

Happy days

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 4, 2013

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I remember a lot of these Japanese films from the late 50s into the early 60s. They were magical. So different from UK or US films. They were complete fantasies. And they have interested me for years. This great book takes me back to those days. It is chock full of information, and worth every penny. The author has done a magnificent job on the history of these films, and studied them well. I highly recommend this book.

2 people found this helpful

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Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda Paperback – October 16, 2009

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