THE WHALE GOD

This loose adaptation of Melville’s “Moby Dick” captures the madness and danger of whaling and combines it with period drama and kaiju monster effects. A small Japanese village is obsessed with killing a monstrous whale that’s decimated its hunting parties. The town’s wealthiest man offers his land and his only daughter to the individual who can kill the demon whale. The popular young Shaki, whose family was killed by the whale, goes head-to-head with a brutish stranger who’s also intent on killing the monster and collecting on the promised riches. Stars Kojiro Hongo (the GAMERA series) and Takeshi Shimura (SEVEN SAMURAI, GODZILLA), with music by Akira Ifukube (GODZILLA, RODAN), and many stunning life-size practical effects.