The X from Outer Space (1967 film)

The X from Outer Space (宇宙大怪獣ギララ, Uchū Daikaijū Girara Giant Space Monster Guilala) is a 1967 Kaiju film released by the studio Shochiku. It is the first kaiju film released by Shochiku who would later go on to release a number of Kaiju films in the future.

The film was directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu and starred Eiji Okada and Toshiya Wazaki. It has gone under many alternative titles, including Big Space Monster Guilala. The monster, known as Guilala in Japan, is also called "Gilala" and "Girara". The film was released in the United States in 1968 as The X from Outer Space.

Plot
The spaceship AAB Gamma is dispatched from Japan to land on Mars and investigate reports of UFOs in the area. When the Gamma nears the red planet, it finds a mysterious UFO that begins to coat the Gamma with unusual spores. One of these spores is taken back to Earth, but begins to develop.

The spore grows into a giant lizard/chicken-like alien monster called Guilala that begins a rampage across Tokyo. It spits fireballs, feeds on nuclear fuel, turns into a giant energy ball when it wants to fly, and destroys airplanes and tanks along its rampage. The monster is finally defeated by jets dropping bombs, coating Guilala in a fictional substance known as "Guilalalium" that causes it to shrink back down to spore size. They promptly launch the spore back into space, where it will supposedly circle the sun in an endless orbit.

Sequel
Directed by Minoru Kawasaki, the follow-up film The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit was released in 2008, and unlike its 1967 predecessor, is meant as a pure comedy with some political satire. Climaxing with a battle between Guilala and a new monster dubbed "Demon-Man Take" (Take-Majin), a giant golden statue warrior who is heavily based upon and portrayed by Takeshi Kitano.