Monster Snowman (Jû jin yuki otoko)
A movie that's almost as elusive as the creature it's about
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| Monster Snowman (1955) |
Two years before Hammer's version of The Abominable Snowman, Japanese studio Toho released Monster Snowman (Ju jin yuki otoko) the Japanese name for the Yeti.
There's a couple things you need to know about this film before seeking it out, though. First it was released after The Abominable Snowman in the U.S. in 1958 as Half Human. That version excises more than an hour of footage and replaces it with English narration. Unlike the American Godzilla, which is close in quality to the original Gojira, Half Human is significantly inferior compared to Ju jin yuki otoko.
Unfortunately, the second thing you need to know is that the version you are most likely to come across of this film is the butchered American version. That's because the Japanese government objected to the portrayal of the Ainu (indigenous people of Japan) in this film - even though many claim the people depicted in the film aren't actually Ainu. In response, Toho pulled the film and never released it again.
Fortunately a bootleg copy of Ju jin yuki otoko made it into circulation, however it's a work print that contains timecode overlaying the image. Some versions crop the whole image to eliminate the distracting numbers, while others blur it, or leave it alone. Nevertheless, this version is still superior to the English dubbed Half-Human.
The story involves a group of skiers in the Japanese Alps who come across a Japanese version of the Yeti when they get caught in a blizzard. Later a scientific research team searching for the Yeti agrees to help with the search and rescue operations. That team, however, is tailed by an exotic animal dealer who intends to capture the Yeti for profit.
Overall the film is a minor entry in the Toho canon, but worth searching out for fans of Yeti/Bigfoot/cryptid lore.
The Good:
The Verdict:
**1/2 out of *****
There's a couple things you need to know about this film before seeking it out, though. First it was released after The Abominable Snowman in the U.S. in 1958 as Half Human. That version excises more than an hour of footage and replaces it with English narration. Unlike the American Godzilla, which is close in quality to the original Gojira, Half Human is significantly inferior compared to Ju jin yuki otoko.
Unfortunately, the second thing you need to know is that the version you are most likely to come across of this film is the butchered American version. That's because the Japanese government objected to the portrayal of the Ainu (indigenous people of Japan) in this film - even though many claim the people depicted in the film aren't actually Ainu. In response, Toho pulled the film and never released it again.
Fortunately a bootleg copy of Ju jin yuki otoko made it into circulation, however it's a work print that contains timecode overlaying the image. Some versions crop the whole image to eliminate the distracting numbers, while others blur it, or leave it alone. Nevertheless, this version is still superior to the English dubbed Half-Human.
The story involves a group of skiers in the Japanese Alps who come across a Japanese version of the Yeti when they get caught in a blizzard. Later a scientific research team searching for the Yeti agrees to help with the search and rescue operations. That team, however, is tailed by an exotic animal dealer who intends to capture the Yeti for profit.
Overall the film is a minor entry in the Toho canon, but worth searching out for fans of Yeti/Bigfoot/cryptid lore.
The Good:
- This is like Godzilla director Ishiro Honda's version of King Kong
- Hard to find English subtitled or dubbed versions of the original uncut film
- Features gorgeous cabaret dancer turned actress Akemi Negishi in a major role
Negishi would later star in a number of Akira Kurosawa films and Lady Snowblood, the film that inspired Kill Bill.
The Verdict:
**1/2 out of *****
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