Prophecies of Nostradamus

Original title: Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen

1974
1h 28m

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A scientist fears that the prophecies of Nostradamus, including the end of all life on Earth, are coming true one after another.A scientist fears that the prophecies of Nostradamus, including the end of all life on Earth, are coming true one after another.A scientist fears that the prophecies of Nostradamus, including the end of all life on Earth, are coming true one after another.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

323

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See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Since this was a full-scale production, Toho required the use of all of their own visual effects soundstages. However, during filming of a special effects scene, a pyrotechnical accident caused a fire that burned down part of the main visual effects soundstage, an incident that was very widely reported in Japan at the time. The fire destroyed a number of costumes and props from earlier Toho tokusatsu classics that were kept in storage at the time, including the original Mogera costume from The Mysterians (1957).

Quotes
Narrator: Century 10, Prophecy 98. The splendor of many beautiful maidens... never again will they be so bright.
[repeated as the young couples commit ritual suicide by driving off cliffs]
Narrator: The splendor of many beautiful maidens... never again will they be so bright.

Crazy credits
Closing title card reads: The story you have just seen was a work of fiction. The events it portrayed, however, may take place in our world. It's up to you to take action to ensure the these events do not come to pass...

Alternate versions
There are three versions of Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen that are known to exist:
The original Japanese release, "Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen" (literal translation: "Great Prophecies of Nostradamus", which ran at about 114 minutes. After the film was banned in Japan, this version was only shown once on Japanese television in the early 1980's and has since been unavailable except by obtaining copies via the grey market.
The second version, titled "Catastrophe 1999: Prophecies of Nostradamus" was an English-dubbed variant of "Nosutoradamusu no daiyogen", but was shorn of some 25 minutes of footage. The excised footage consisted of mainly dialogue scenes, but the original prologue and ending were trimmed greatly or excised altogether. The only known release of this variant is a long out-of-print Danish video release, which runs at about 90 minutes (PAL speed).
The third, and possibly most familiar variant is titled "The Last Days of Planet Earth". This version was for American television showings and was prepared by United Productions of America. For this particular release, the film was cut even further. It actually added an annoying narrator commenting on the events, replacing the original accompanying female voice reading from Nostradamus' predictions. It is this version that has been circulating on video and TV in the United States. Running time: 88 minutes (without commercials)

Connections
Edited into The Return of Godzilla (1984)

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Review

Featured review

10/10

the most underrated toho film of all time

The largely inferior American bastardization is a genuine travesty. I recently saw the original 114 minute Japanese language version on glorious widescreen. I must say this film packs a serious wallop. Unlike the US version which goes for the throat in the first ten minutes, this version takes time to properly develop it's characters and set up the mood. The film opens up in feudal Japan with a descendent of Nishiyama (Tetsuro Tamba)being persecuted for bringing the writings of Nostradamus into the country. His father was also persecuted during WWII as he predicts the rise of Hitler. The opening credits are chilling, one of the best intros I have ever seen in a movie. The music by Isao Tomita is one of the best film scores ever produced. I hope Toho ends the studio ban. This year marks its 30th anniversary and it's been banned for over 20 years. What are they so afraid of? Their are plenty of films over there more offensive to sensitivities than this film. This is a very different kind of Toho film and the US version obscures it. There's graphic violence, brief nudity and the handling of its subject matter is unflinching. Many of the scenes presented in the US version that appear nonsensical, pointless and mediocre are all explained here. The actors do a fine acting job (Seven Samurai and Godzilla's Takashi Shimura makes an appearance as a doctor) and Kaoru Yumi is a real hottie. The director Toshio Masuda and screenwriter Yoshimistu Banno (the Godzilla vs Hedora director) do a splendid job balancing beauty and the grotesque. this film is SUPERIOR to all other disaster films because it has heart, spirit and a brutal go-for-the-throat approach. The filmmakers were fearless making this. Lastly, Teruyoshi Nakano's special effects are superb to say the least, but admittingly some scenes dont work (the giant bats and the little girl jumping incredible heights). The traffic jam explosion scene is amazing. There's some stock Footage from The Submersion of Japan and The Last War, though. A subtitled print has to exist somewhere. I really hope classic media does a wonderful job on the DVD release.