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Things You Never Knew About Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961)

by Mr. Lobo


*   Invasion of the Neptune Men was the first 1960's Japanese Sci-Fi kids movie made with the intent of ending up on MST3K.
*   Japan's national board of health decreed that all films made in 1961 have really annoying children in them to keep the population growth rate down.
*   Now considered racist and taboo, comments describing the Neptune men as "bullet-heads" were in common use in published reviews and promotions for the film up through the 90's.
*   Space Chief in various versions of this film is also called "Iron Sharp," "Chief of Space," "Starprancer," and "Iron Chef."
*   Space Chief's car was actually made in Detroit - as the 1961 Chevrolet CurbFeeler!
*   The Neptune Men were covered in foil so the actors would cook more evenly.
*   Flamboyant hopping is considered very threatening in the Japanese culture.
*   The entire film was slightly overcranked by camera crews to make it seem extra slow.
*   Long scenes with badly lit actors talking was box office gold in 1961.
*   Another reason the film was made was to make Prince of Space seem not so terrible.
*   To save costs and to pad out the film's running time, the same shots of explosions and spaceships were used over and over again.
*   In Japan, children in short pants are selected by lottery to advise the government on matters of national security.
*   "Invasion of the Neptune Men" almost caused the US to rethink ending our war with Japan.
*   The original title for this movie, Martians from Neptune, was dropped after distributors informed them that Martians were from Mars.
*   The Neptune Men attacked the earth for coal to power their space ships. A scene with protesters back on their homeworld with "No Blood for Coal" signs was cut from the film.
*   Space Chief's space car runs on the fumes created by silly men slap-fighting.
*   To save costs and to pad out the film's running time, the same shots of explosions and spaceships were used over and over again.
*   In preparation for this film, Koji Ota studied American sci-fi directors like Ed Wood.
*   Space Chief spelled sideways is Prince of Space.
*   The kids in the go-go scene were forced to take saltpeter before dancing so they would not display any "vulgar rhythms" in front of the camera.
*   Electro-barrier is powered by the static electricity released by silly men slap-fighting.
*   Actor Sonny Chiba stated that his role as Space Chief in Invasion Of The Neptune Men was the second most embarassing of his career, next to Kill Bill.
*   The alien invaders actually do not come from Neptune, as the title suggests, but a small moon of Jupiter called Prozac.
*   Japanese soldiers used to wear women's makeup to rattle the enemy.
*   The supposed "hero" of the film, Space Chief, only appears on screen for three and a half minutes.
*   Neptune Men are sensitive to violent thoughts, which is why they wear thick helmets - and why the slightest gesture causes them to fall down without actually being touched.
*   Space Chief is said to actually be fearful of flying "because of the way things are these days".
*   To save costs and to pad out the film's running time, the same shots of explosions and spaceships were used over and over again.
*   Film ran out of money before a plot could be developed.
*   Some of the funding for Invasion of the Neptune Men - as well as Prince Of Space and Gamera - came from the Wedji Wedji Company, makers of the popular short-shorts worn by the child stars of these films.
*   Kenny is a name used in Japanese cinema whenever a child actor is disowned by his parents during the making of the film.
*   The film was translated first into Korean, then French, then Spanish, then Gaelic, then Esperanto, dubbed in Italy, Scored in Russia, and finally dubbed again in New York with the first five kids they could find that could understand Italian.
*   Invasion of The Neptune Men, Prince of Space and Starman are all secretly the same movie.
*   There was one thing with the kids that was really entertaining... I just can't remember what it is right now.
*   To save costs and to pad out the film's running time, the same shots of explosions and spaceships were used over and over again.
*   The director made the aliens mute in the film because The Neptune Men Union demanded that they get paid 42 yen per line.
*   In the original Japanese language version relaesed by TOEI, Mr. Tabana has the children in short pants sing a song from Million Dollar Mermaid (1951) and go into a dance number. All known copies of this scene have been destroyed.
*   Film historians claim no original footage was ever really shot for this film, and have no idea how it can even exist.
*   To save costs and to pad out the film's running time, the same shots of explosions and spaceships were used over and over again.
*   If you took out the climatic air battle, Invasion of the Neptune Men would be 11 minutes long.
*   Japan got in on WWII in the first place just so they could shoot the "so-called" stock dogfight footage used in this film.
*   Two chain-smoking women, three teamsters, one professional child actor, four nephews of the sound engineer, and The East Side Kids provide the voices for the five Japanese children in the film.
*   There are virtually no printed reviews of this film that don't contain the words "Mike and the 'bots".
*   Invasion Of The Neptune Men was rumored to be directed by Adolf Hitler using a psuedonym, who has a Hitchcockian secret cameo in the film.
*   The producers and editors of Invasion of the Neptune Men had a had a difficult time meeting the almost insurmountable challenge of making a film about a superhero fighting aliens seem boring.
*   To save costs and to pad out the film's running time, the same shots of explosions and spaceships were used over and over again.
*   Only 12 people paid to see this film in theaters, but surprisingly the film was not considered a bomb because it grossed 10 times its production budget.

http://www.cinemainsomnia.com

Mr. Lobo wrote:

> *   Two chain-smoking women, three teamsters, one professional
> child actor, four nephews of the sound engineer, and The East
> Side Kids provide the voices for the five Japanese children in
> the film.

That one almost sounds believeable, considering the film itself. I really got the impression they used a different voice actor for every single line. Isn't there a version of the film where the same thing is done for the Neptunians? *smirks*

Yes. And there was also a game show called "Name that Neptune".

Mr. Lobo
http://www.cinemainsomnia.com