Directing
Kihachi Okamoto
Born February 17, 1924 · Yonago, Tottori, Japan
Died February 19, 2005 · aged 81
Kihachi Okamoto (岡本 喜八 Okamoto Kihachi) was a Japanese film director who worked in several different genres, most memorably in action genres such as jidaigeki and war films.
Known For
Shin Godzilla · 2016Shin Godzilla
★ 7.22016
MovieActionScience Fiction
When a massive, gilled monster emerges from the deep and tears through the city, the government scrambles to save its citizens. A rag-tag team of volunteers cuts through a web of red tape to uncover the monster's weakness and its mysterious ties to a foreign superpower. But time is not on their side - the greatest catastrophe to ever befall the world is about to evolve right before their very eyes.
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman · 1957Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman
★ 3.51957
MovieHorrorScience Fiction
An American scientist tells two colleagues about the finding of an abominable snowman living in the Japanese alps, where it is worshipped by a remote tribe as a god, and how it was discovered by modern man after it raided a skiers shelter following an avalanche, killing all inside. This is an adaptation of the Japanese film "Jūjin Yuki Otoko" (1955) with added American-made footage, narration, and music.
The Sword of Doom · 1966The Sword of Doom
★ 7.81966
MovieDramaCrime
Ryunosuke, a gifted swordsman plying his trade during the turbulent final days of Shogunate rule, has no moral code and kills without remorse. It’s a way of life that leads to madness.
Ironfinger · 1965Ironfinger
★ 6.81965
MovieActionAdventure
A silly yet skilled Interpol agent flies to Tokyo and gets mixed up in a war between two gangs intent on winning the favor of a notorious arms dealer.
The Battle of Okinawa · 1971The Battle of Okinawa
★ 7.81971
MovieWarHistory
The Americans are swiftly closing on Okinawa, an island just south of the Japanese mainland. The Imperial command sends top generals and several army divisions to defend it at all costs. The mission quickly degenerates as vital resources and troops are diverted to other islands. After a civilian evacuation ends in tragedy most of non-combatants are forced to remain on the island. Many convert to soldier status. Tokyo sends mixed messages that squander time and resources, as when they order the defenders to build an airstrip for aircraft that never come. The truth soon becomes obvious: the high command decides that the island cannot be held and effectively abandons the Okinawan defenders. When the Americans land many troops are deployed in the wrong places. As the slaughter mounts, a suicidal attitude takes hold. Okinawa becomes a death trap, for civilian volunteers and non-combatants as well.
The Big Boss · 1959The Big Boss
★ 6.51959
MovieCrimeDrama
Ryuta and Mineo Komatsu are brothers, both yakuza (gangsters). Mineo, although complicit in crime, even murder, wants out of the gangster life, hoping to become a successful singer instead. Ryuta loves his brother, but Mineo's possible defection presents problems for the gang, and Ryuta realizes he must kill his brother if he wants to survive.
Faraway Man · 1957Faraway Man
1957
MovieDrama
Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo · 1970Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo
★ 6.81970
MovieAdventureAction
Zatoichi treks to a village that has always been a favorite spot of his, only to discover that it’s become a living hell, plagued by feuding father and son yakuza as well as the younger crime boss’s bodyguard, scruffy, smart-mouthed, cash-hungry Yojimbo of legend.
Filmography
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Faraway Man · 1957Faraway Man
1957
MovieDrama
Assistant Director