Peter H. Brothers - Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda

As a reviewer, Brothers beautifully articulates his thoughts on each of the films, praising themfor their strengths without any fear or restraint in pointing out their weaknesses.His opinionsand arguments are all well-informed, citing key moments from each film and drawing fromyears of critical responses that have been left in the wake of Honda's career.Brothers' lovingdevotion for Honda's work is rarely clouded but always objective.

Brothers book is a welcome entry into the ever-growing knowledge base of Japanese andespecially kaiju... it might be the one you keep on your nightstand or bookshelf in your hometheater for those times when you want to kick back and read about childhood favorites as seenthrough adult eyes.

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men.It was very easy to tellfrom the writing that the author had a great passion for the material, did a lot of research andspent considerable time on this project.language tome on the subject matter.horror and fantasy films and to those who discovered the material via TV, tape and DVDreleases, this book sheds a lot of light on the cinema of Ishiro Honda. Since most books writtenabout Japanese films are only published in Japanese, Peter Brothers has done us all a greatservice for putting together this English language book.

Peter Brothers proves to be an authority on the man and his work and provides what manywill consider to be the complete and definitive U.S. publication of Ishiro Honda's career.Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men is required reading for any film fan with even a remoteinterest in Japanese cinema, classic Fantasy and Sci-Fi cinema, or giant monster movies. Readerswill walk away from the book with a wealth of new found knowledge and a desire to seek out acatalog of films that they may never have considered watching previously.

Makes us realize just how good these movies are and want to see them again. Compelling.
G-FAN
Cleary, Brothers is well-read and well-informed on the subject.
FANGORIA

For anyone interested in the Sci-Fi movies of Ishiro Honda of the 50's and 60's, this is probablythe definitive reference work. Engrossing and entertaining, it yet rises to an astonishing level ofscholarship.

This book is appropriate and a reading material must for Japanese film lovers, or for anystudent in the process of studying film creation. It is a handy reference for people to familiarizethemselves with a very specific genre of movies that came out from a culture that is regarded tobe a unique one.

"Mushroom Men gave me a better understanding and clearer picture of Ishiro Honda and hisvision of Japanese cinema.Mr. Brothers has written an honest and wonderful history of thedirector and his life in movies."

"Author Peter H. Brothers has crafted an account of the life and work of Ishiro Honda that notonly offers insight into the experiences that helped lead to Hondas remarkable filmography,but does so with reverence and respect for both the creator and creations. A joy to read!"

Brothers manages to locate some genuine humanity and even some poignant moments in all ofthese films which is laudable in itself. He is a brave defender of Hondas easily dismissedfantasy films of the 50s and 60s.

Peter H. Brothers enthusiasm for his subject is apparent on every page and I appreciated histhoughtful insights into Hondas work. The author also has a good sense of humor and knowswhen to inject some fun into his writing.

This new book is a fascinating look inside the man and unlike other books that have onlytouched on some of the history of Honda, this one goes into many of the intricacies. It'sdefinitely a must read for kaijufans or those who love classic filmmaking.

At last we have an authoritative examination of an unforgivably overlooked director.Brothers' knowledge of Honda's life and work make this an essential addition to any film buff'slibrary.

The book is very well-written and Brothers seamlessly transitions between the account of hisjourney and more meandering explorations of the world of Japanese film.He takes a humbleapproach expressing honest in-depth information gathered from the people closest to Honda.

Working from the original Japanese editions of the films rather than the later U.S. cuts so as topresent you with Honda himself rather than later interpretations and packaging of his films,Brothers lays things out in a richly detailed but very straightforward style. The goal is not to wow you with style or flowery prose but to pack in as much information as possible andBrothers does a remarkably good job. Meticulously researched and very detailed, this is mustreading for fans not only of kaijufilm but the development of Japanese pop culture as a whole.

As fantastic as the films it references, Brothers book is a truly devoted letter of admiration tothe late Ishiro Honda... Brothers explores Hondas formative years, the effect the SecondWorld War had on him, and the deeper themes explored through his filmmaking... special attention is paid to Hondas use of music... a must-read for the serious kaijufan.

Also within the analysis of each film are plenty of details on the work of Hondas filmmakingteam of, among many others, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya and soundtrack composerAkira Ifukube... the prose is well-written in a straightforward and authoritative manner.