In the 6th Godzilla movie, mysterious aliens from the Planet X ask earth’s people to help them save their world from the dreaded Ghidorah (aka “Monster Zero”) by letting them “borrow” Godzilla and Rodan. Monster mayhem ensues on Planet X, but it’s soon discovered that the aliens have other intentions for the monsters.

Returning to their lord’s castle, samurai warriors Washizu and Miki are waylaid by a spirit who predicts their futures. When the first part of the spirit’s prophecy comes true, Washizu’s scheming wife, Asaji, presses him to speed up the rest of the spirit’s prophecy by murdering his lord and usurping his place. Director Akira Kurosawa’s resetting of William Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” in feudal Japan is one of his most acclaimed films.

The 9th Godzilla film was the last made by the original Godzilla creators, and was meant to be a grand finale. Aliens have released all the giant monsters from their imprisonment on Monster Island and are using them to destroy earth’s major cities. It is up to the daring crew of the super rocket ship X-2 to infiltrate the aliens’ headquarters before the Earth monsters and King Ghidrah annihilate the planet.

Toshiro Mifune swaggers and snarls to brilliant comic effect in Kurosawa’s tightly paced, beautifully composed “Sanjuro.” In this companion piece and sequel to “Yojimbo,” jaded samurai Sanjuro helps an idealistic group of young warriors weed out their clan’s evil influences, and in the process turns their image of a proper samurai on its ear.