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Odds are you've seen and/or heard of INFRAMAN. But what of GOLDEN BAT, perhaps the most gonzo Asian superhero of its kind until INFRAMAN a decade later. Never released in the US, little known in this country either, I decided to dedicate this month's Foyeurism to rectifying this oversight. Just look at the hero and villain of this manic masterpiece.

(http://foywonder.com/gfx/foy_0209_01.jpg)

Golden Bat: A skeleton head with a Chris Benoit tooth gap in his grin atop a body clad in a shiny jumpsuit and high collared cape combination that would make both Liberace and Gene Simmons green with envy. If Skeletor ever left Eternia to do a stage show in Las Vegas this is what he'd look like. I'm assuming if the movie weren't in black & white his attire would all appear golden. Even in black & white his fashion sense is undeniable. His weapon of choice is a dual-action marching baton: the ball head is for womping baddies with and the other end fires laser beams. He always makes his presence known via a maniacal reverberating laugh that would give Vincent Price the willies. This, ladies and gentlemen, is our hero.

(http://foywonder.com/gfx/foy_0209_03.jpg)

Nago: Never in my wildest dreams did I ever conceive of the day I'd watch any form of entertainment in which the self professed tyrannical ruler of the universe would look like a costume that'd be used in a children’s library production of WIND IN THE WILLOWS but with four robo visor eyes and the sort of metal claw hand typically only seen on pre-Atomic Age movie robots and Inspector Gadget adversaries. Immobile, he never leaves his perch, he rules from a rotating chair of the Max Reebo variety. He's also quite spastic in nature, often flailing his limbs about in an overly animated manner. If ever there was a supervillain in dire need of a constant Ritalin drip injected directly into his veins it would be Nazo. This, ladies and gentlemen, is our supervillain.

And Nazo's vessel looks like giant drywall screw with eyes that shoots helix lasers and has nostrils that snort plasma loogies used to transport henchmen to the ground. We even get Sonny Chiba cast in a rare non-butt kicking role as a brilliant scientist. Just 70-minutes of awesomeness. Check it out.

GOLDEN BAT REVIEW (http://www.foywonder.com/)

Ah, I have wanted to see this ever since discovering it existed (perhaps Psychotronic, perhaps another online site).  Now I really want to see it.  The Japanese 60's and 70's weirdness action/super stuff films tend to be some of my guilty pleasures.  This looks to be pure gold.

Gold nothing Sir, this one's platinum.  :wink:

http://tombofanubis.com/Reviews/A/GoldenBat.html (http://tombofanubis.com/Reviews/A/GoldenBat.html)

Golden Bat was actually one of Japan's first modern super heroes and has been kicking around in one form or another since the 1930's - the Toei produced film from 1966 (directed by Hajime [GOKE BODYSNATCHER FROM HELL] Sato) is . . . well . . . awesome!  It may not have gotten a release in the US, but it was seen widely in Europe under a variety of pseudonyms, as was the cartoon series that came afterwards.

My review of the film from last year:  http://www.wtf-film.com/ARTICLES/JULY_2008/GOLDEN_BAT.shtml

Kindest regards,

Kevin P.
http://www.wtf-film.com / http://www.colemanfrancis.com

Shoot.  Another movie to add to my "must see before I die" list.  At this rate, I'm going to have to live until 103 to see them all.   :bluesad: