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RUNTIME
Did you know
Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
MoodPlayr · trivia#01
Satan's Creature
"From smog and sludge emerges a repulsive Frankenstein monstrosity"
1972 1h 19m EN
HorrorScience Fiction
Synopsis
Spoiler shield
One day, a shrimp fisherman catches a large tadpole. Dr. Yano discovers that the captured animal is not a tadpole, but a life form that originated in some chemical way in the polluted water of the bay. During experiments, the tadpole grows very rapidly and escapes, returning to the polluted water of the bay and growing into a monster. There happens to be another monster in the bay: Godzilla, in which the tadpole Hedra engages in a fight with.
“From smog and sludge emerges a repulsive Frankenstein monstrosity”
Cast
Frank Mullen
Dr. Toru Yano / lead protestor / JSDF officer (voices)
Marc Toole
Ken Yano (voice)
Barry Haigh
Yukio Keuchi / Gohei (voices)
Barbara Laney
Miki Fujinomiya (voice)
Chris Hilton
JSDF senior officer (voice)
Rex Ellis
Kentaro Watanabe / Tatsu Okabe (voices)
Saul Lockhart
JSDF communications officer / scholar (voices)
Jack Moore
JSDF technical officer / Kentaro Watanabe / helicopter pilot / protestor on TV in suit / construction worker (voices)
Credits
Behind the camera
- Director
- Bob Toole
- Writers
- Takeshi Kimura, Yoshimitsu Banno
- Languages
- English
- Countries
- Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan
Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.
Did you know?
Fun facts 🍿
2 / 8
ERA
Did you know
54 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
MoodPlayr · trivia#02
3 / 8
WORLD
Did you know
International production across 3 countries: Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan.
MoodPlayr · trivia#03
4 / 8
ERA
Did you know
Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
MoodPlayr · trivia#04
5 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Directed by Bob Toole, shot by Yôichi Manoda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
MoodPlayr · trivia#05
6 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Original score by Riichirō Manabe. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
MoodPlayr · trivia#06
7 / 8
DIRECTOR
Did you know
Editor Yoshitami Kuroiwa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
MoodPlayr · trivia#07
8 / 8
CAST
Did you know
Frank Mullen and Marc Toole and Barry Haigh carry the top of the cast.
MoodPlayr · trivia#08
Cinephile deep dive
The take
Bob Toole directs. Yôichi Manoda behind the camera. Riichirō Manabe scores. Yoshitami Kuroiwa cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan. Dialogue in English.
Trivia
Things worth knowing
- 1Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
- 254 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
- 3International production across 3 countries: Netherlands, Hong Kong, Japan.
- 4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
- 5Directed by Bob Toole, shot by Yôichi Manoda. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
- 6Original score by Riichirō Manabe. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
- 7Editor Yoshitami Kuroiwa shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
- 8Frank Mullen and Marc Toole and Barry Haigh carry the top of the cast.
- 9Marketing tagline: "From smog and sludge emerges a repulsive Frankenstein monstrosity".
The technical file
- Cinematography
- Yôichi Manoda
- Original score
- Riichirō Manabe
- Editing
- Yoshitami Kuroiwa
- Runtime
- 79 min · 1h 19m
- Status
- Released
- Original language
- EN
- Certification (US)
- 14
Production companies
Who made it
Video Movies Leerdam
NL
Key crew
- ADR SupervisorBob Toole
- DialogueBob Toole
- Executive ProducerTomoyuki Tanaka
- Special EffectsTeruyoshi Nakano
- Art DirectionYasuyuki Inoue
- Sound RecordistMasao Fujiyoshi
- Lighting TechnicianFumiyoshi Hara
- Visual EffectsYoshiyuki Tokumasa
- Visual EffectsSaburo Doi
- Assistant DirectorHeikichi Tsushima
- EditorYoshitami Kuroiwa
Release history · US
When it landed
- Theatrical1972-08-0914
