1978 · sci-fi · space-opera · adventure
Message from Space
Directed by Kinji Fukasaku1h 45m1978
The peaceful planet of Jillucia has been nearly wiped out by the Gavanas, whose leader takes orders from his mother rather than the Emperor. King Kaiba sends out eight Liabe holy seeds, each to be received by a chosen one to defend the Gavanas. Each recipient, ranging from hardened General Garuda to Gavana Prince Hans to young Terrans Meia, Kido, and Aaron all have different reactions to being chosen.
Our read: Message from Space (1978) reads as a neutral, breathless, inventive sci-fi · space-opera · adventure entry — measured in intensity, epic-stakes in scope, measured in temperature, ambivalent in outlook.
Neutral, breathless, measured sci-fi / space-opera, inventive in texture. Ambivalent, epic, measured.
- kinetic
- intense
Watching Message from Space tonight? Spin for your lens.
Everyone on the couch spins once and gets one craft to watch for. After the credits, compare what you caught.
Your lens for tonight
?
Everyone on the couch gets one craft to watch for. Spin the wheel to get yours. Sound on: the narrator reads your mission.
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How Message from Space feels to watch.
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What watching it is actually like.
“You want a wild Japanese Star Wars cash-in with magic seeds, space battles and eccentric heroes.”
Skip it tonight — Skip if low-fi 70s space opera or obvious Star Wars homages lack charm for you tonight.
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