Bigger than Godzilla! Badder than Gamera! In 1966, the Daiei Motion Picture Co. had reached its creative zenith. Riding high on the success of its Gamera franchise, the studio released a trilogy of high-quality period films (made and released in the same year) that centered around a giant stone idol that comes to life to defeat evil warlords terrorizing innocent villagers in feudal Japan. Two years later, American-International Television (AIP-TV) released two of these films, Majin, Monster of Terror (originally Daimajin) and Return of Giant Majin (originally Daimajin Ikaru), to American television, professionally dubbed into English by Titan Productions. Much like Toei's The Magic Serpent, the Majin films effectively combine traditional samurai swordplay with incredible special effects, making them a must-see for anybody interested in Japanese cinema. Just when you thought the AIP-TV versions had vanished for good, Retromedia Entertainment plucks them out of obscurity...