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My Year with Godzilla

Garp

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Week 10: 'Invasion of Astro-Monster' [1965]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes.
Sub or Dub? Sub

Round Two: Godzilla, Rodan and King Ghidorah! In Space!!

As conspiracy theorists everywhere already know, Planet X is discovered skulking on the dark side of Jupiter. A Japanese-American team of astronauts is sent to investigate, uncovering not only an advanced humanoid culture but also the latest hang-out of King Ghidorah, named 'Monster Zero' by the mathematically-inclined locals. The skinny-shades-wearing aliens offer a cure for cancer in exchange for Godzilla & Rodan, the only two beings in the galaxy known to be able to defeat 'Monster Zero'. Seems reasonable. But can the mono-chromatically-attired space accountants really be trusted?

'Invasion of Astro-Monster' (aka 'Godzilla vs Monster Zero' aka 'The Giant Monster War') is really a sci-fi film with some monsters thrown in. The space age model work is reminiscent of Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds' - a plus in my book - and King Ghidorah is even more fantastic in both design and movement than previously seen. The story is still silly, but a notch lower than Ghidorah's first film. Nick Adams is the first non-Japanese lead I've been introduced to so far, and it was curious to hear him dubbed into Japanese in the version I watched. He played a 007 type, only shorter. Godzilla continues his decline with a ridiculous victory jig at one point, and Rodan has so little to do, I'm sure I saw some shots from previous Rodan outings.

As I watch more of these films, I'm struck by a few things. One is that kaiju universes are smaller even than Star Wars. Every main character is either someone's sibling or partner. Another is that giant monsters are drawn to bridges. They can't see one without wanting to fall on top of it.

I'm a sucker for cheesy sci films, so I was largely entertained on that level, but the kaiju element was underwhelming for me.
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Daimajin Strikes Again' [1966]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Last film in Daiei Film's trilogy featuring their other giant threat.
Sub or Dub? Sub

After having a brief vacation on an island in 'Return of Daimajin', here the giant stone statue is once again ensconced among the mountains, separating the obligatory warring factions. The evil faction have kidnapped loggers from the not-evil faction to work alongside sulphur pits to turn into gunpowder to become even more evil and powerful and invade more not-evil factions. The approaching winter and realisation that they would have to traverse the sacred mountain range prevents the not-evil villagers from launching a rescue party for their lost loggers. However, such adult notions do not deter a group of small boys, who head off 'Stand by me'-style on an adventure to free their fathers and brothers.

This film is slightly different from the previous Daimajin efforts in that the focus is squarely on the young kids and the japes and wheezes they get into as they cross the mountain. It's fine, and takes an unexpected turn as their perils increase, but I found myself easily distracted and nodding off towards the end. Damiajin gets probably the most screen time in this film, though again his presence is only felt right at the climax. The production values are still high - there is greater location work, and the opening effects of earthquakes and other Daimajin destruction are excellent. Kudos to Daiei for not just making 'Daimajin 3.0' this time, but I'm still not a Daimajin fan, alas.
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Daimajin Kanon' [TV] [2010]
Is Godzilla in it? Not that I saw. Godzilla connection: Reimaging of the Daimajin legend, Daiei's other giant threat
Sub or Dub? Sub

'Daimajin Kanon' ran for 26 episodes; I managed to sit through 2. Granted, I'm probably not the right demographic for this show, but I had no idea what was going on. Here's what I - sort of - picked up:

A young girl, recently transplanted from a small village to Tokyo, is the keeper of a lilting magical song. She shacks up with a wannabe musician who takes the song and turns it into a big rock hit. They break up and she mopes around all the time she was on-screen during the two episodes I saw. Meanwhile, a team of some kind of superheroes are looking for her. One can transform into a Power Ranger type, another into some weird eyeless dog and a third girl whose superpower appears to be her ample cleavage. She may have done other stuff, but I didn't notice. Anyway, there's also a tiny Silly-Putty-coloured sprite or something with a helmet head that talks gibberish and lives in the aforementioned ample cleavage. Nice gig if you can get it.

On the bad side is a Ringu-type wraith that possesses the girl's ex-boyfriend. He spits up a pale half-human-half-toad creature (stuff of nightmares) which fights the good guys. There's also a ramen noodle shop that looks like will become everybody's favourite hang-out. And then there's Daimajin.

In the tradition of the Daimajin films, the giant stone statue appears hardly at all. He does get to fight a giant wraith in a flashback sequence in episode 2, but otherwise he's dormant, back at the village, no doubt waiting for the girl to come back and sing the magical song - maybe in episode 26, if you can last that long. By the way, there are a lot of songs in this show, and the version I saw had karaoke lyrics in Kanji, Romaji and English as they played. 

I don't know whether I could suffer the other 24 episodes. From what I saw, it was like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' meets 'Dawson's Creek'. Still, it must have had quite a following: check out the array of 'Daimajin Kanon' T-shirts you can buy:

'I watch Daimajin Kanon because my girlfriend makes me' is my favourite.
 

Jrzag42

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That show actually seems really cool.
 

Neglify

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Film #10 - Invasion of Astro-Monster

This was fun. Goofy and weird, I admit, but at least it was uniquely different than the other goofy weird Godzilla movies that came before it.

3/5
 

Garp

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Week 11: 'Dogora' [1964]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Dogora guest-starred opposite Godzilla in TV's 'Godzilla Island' from 1997.
Sub or Dub? Sub

A couple of 'what if?' moments must have occurred during the genesis of this film. "What if a gang attempting a massive diamond heist are continually thwarted by a giant space jellyfish?" "What if we make a kaiju movie but don't show the kaiju all that much?"

'Dogora' is... interesting. In many ways, it fits right into the usual kaiju experience - there's another brother-sister combo, another bridge is destroyed, another learned scientist providing the answer to the monster problem and working with the military... And yet, it's as if all involved really just wanted to make a diamond heist caper and reluctantly added a kaiju sub-plot to placate the studio.

Dogora the Space Monster is another product of radiation and for much of the film the effects it has on our world are the only proof we see that it actually exists. Dogora is no man-sized rubber suit; it is a combination of puppetry, animation and light effects, and is rather shy, based on its screen time. (It makes Daimajin look like an attention whore.) Dogora is a carbon-guzzler, meaning ostensibly coal and diamonds, but also allows humans and other supposedly carbon-based entities to float. (A floating truck is actually well done, reminiscent in some ways of a later famous scene from 'E.T.')

But enough of Dogora, as that's not what the film is about. It's about the diamond thieves, and the police trying to catch them, and an American in Japan (Robert Dunham) who is caught in the middle. It's about double crosses and red herrings and misdirection. It's actually entertaining, unless like me you were expecting, you know, a film about a space monster. I kept thinking that something was going to happen to bring the space monster element more to the forefront. I kept being wrong.

Robert Dunham speaks fluent (I assume) Japanese throughout, which is great and distracting at the same time. Akiko Wakabayashi is great and distractingly beautiful as always, and there are a couple of familiar Toho faces (Yosuke Natsuki and Hiroshi Koizumi). There are also some nice flourishes not usually noticeable in these films - some POV shots and scenes shot from high angles - showing that care went into making this film, even if the budget didn't really stretch to having an actual kaiju.

Despite its shortcomings, 'Dogora' is entertaining for an hour and a half, probably more so if you keep your kaiju expectations in check.
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Agon' [1964]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Nippon TV's answer to Godzilla
Sub or Dub? Sub

Toho Studios originally prevented this 4 part miniseries from being shown on TV in 1964, claiming it too closely resembled their own creation Godzilla. It's not hard to see why. Agon is another prehistoric two-legged hybrid - complete with fire breath and 3 rows of plates running down its back - that is awakened at sea due to radiation. A reporter, a cop, a scientist and his comely female assistant join forces to curtail Agon's destructive tendencies.

'Agon' was shot in black-and-white and is sometimes difficult to watch. POV shots from moving vehicles are so shaky I was feeling nauseous. Dramatic moments are highlighted by rapid close-ups. There are some cuts so quick I couldn't make out what I had just seen. Also making it difficult to watch is the terrible Agon suit, or puppet in close-ups. I don't expect a TV series to have the same budget as a theatrical release, but Agon's rampage is far from convincing.

The reporter is clearly modeled on Frankie Sakai's character in 'Mothra', even having a similar nickname. The first two episodes introduce the characters, the threat and how to deal with it. The final two start a new story with the same characters, adding a suitcase MacGuffin. The suitcase's contents are wanted by Bad Guys, but ends up at the bottom of a lake, inconveniently located too close to a sleeping Agon. For most of the episodes, Agon wanders around with a rowing boat in his mouth, being bothered by clearly toy helicopters. It does not look good. Not to give too much of the plot away, but Agon manages to set himself on fire whilst stoned. That sounds more interesting than it actually is, in case it piqued your interest to give 'Agon' a whirl. This is decidedly Godzilla-lite, only necessary viewing for completists like myself.
 

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BONUS: 'Mammoth Kong vs. Gekko Kamen' [1958]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Features 'Mammoth Kong', a not-too-subtle rip-off of King Kong, a later Godzilla foe.
Sub or Dub? Sub

Gekko Kamen (the 'Moonlight Mask') was apparently a big thing in Japan in the late 1950s. He is credited as being Japanese TV's first superhero, and Mammoth Kong as being the first daikaiju to appear on TV. From the four episodes I watched, he seems to be a Zorro-like character, a masked do-gooder who turns up in the nick of time and is beloved by the masses. He even has his own song that (I think) he sings to sometimes signal his arrival, the lyrics of which are well-known by the populace. The only superpower that I witnessed was his ability to jump really high. As superpowers go, it's pretty low on the totem pole, but still.

The 'Mammoth Kong' storyline ran for 11 episodes, but I only managed to find the first 4 on DVD. (If anyone can track down any more, please let me know.) For a half-hour kids show, it's fairly dialogue-heavy and action-light. Gekko Kamen turns up sporadically, and I don't think it's a spoiler to suggest that his secret alter ego is probably the Chief Detective Iwai who, Clark Kent-style, is never around when Gekko Kamen turns up. However, the fact that the Moonlight Mask's mystery is never blatantly revealed is charming.

Detective Iwai has a half-wit sidekick, for reasons that these episodes didn't explain, who is obviously based on Jerry Lewis. Kids probably loved him; I hated him. The villains are much more interesting, even labeling themselves evil, complete with black KKK robes and hoods emblazoned with an X. Their plan is to assassinate prominent politicians and other VIPs to bring Japan to its knees. Their method, however, is bizarrely convoluted.

Mammoth Kong - a 15 meter tall Yeti with tusks and a horn in the middle of his forehead - is found either in Alaska or the South Pole (both were mentioned) and is being transported back to Japan, presumably to entertain the kids who are already in love with it before it even arrives. (A good portion of the first episode is spent with kids discussing how to save it from being killed when it makes port.) However, a typhoon causes the ship to crash, and Mammoth Kong is washed ashore, dead. Enter the evil X villains, who snatch the body, bring it back to life Frankenstein-style and seemingly implant something in its brain so that they can control it remotely. They now embark on their plan to use Kong to kill the aforementioned VIPs. Why they don't just shoot them is not made clear, especially as most of the time they are right there with their victims, brandishing guns. Of course, that wouldn't be so much fun to watch, as the Kong effects, while not good as such, are entertaining.

Mammoth Kong is a man in a suit, and the people he interacts with are marionettes. It doesn't look anywhere near realistic, but it is as cute as hell. At one point, Gekko Kamen rides a motorcycle through Kong's legs on a very obvious toy track. I defy anyone not to enjoy a scene like that.

The fourth episode had the most Mammoth Kong vs. Gekko Kamen action and ended on a cliffhanger. Does the Moonlight Mask defeat Kong? I suspect so, but I would love to see how. Apparently there was also an animated series in 1972 which had a Mammoth Kong storyline too, but I failed to track that down either. (Again, I'm open to suggestions as to where to find it.) I can see me becoming a big Gekko Kamen fan after this introduction.
 

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Film #11 - Dogora

I'd totally be ok with Hollywood remaking this as a crossover film, Ocean's 11 style.

2.5/5
 

Garp

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Neglify said:
I'd totally be ok with Hollywood remaking this as a crossover film, Ocean's 11 style.

Brilliant!
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'King Kong' [1933]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Kong battles Godzilla in the eponymous 1962 film.

'King Kong' is one of those films that, even if you've never seen it before, you know so many scenes from it. It has been remade, ripped off, parodied and reimagined so many times that, as I watched it last night, I couldn't be sure if I had ever seem it all of the way through before.

'King Kong' retells the story of 'Beauty and the Beast', as filmmaker Carl Denham (Robert Armstrong) captures a giant gorilla smitten with Carl's leading lady (Fay Wray) and displays him in New York. I don't believe it's a spoiler for this nearly 90 year old film to say that as Kong begins to scale the Empire State Building, we can tell that this will not end well.

Let me write that again: this film is nearly 90 years old. It looks amazing. The effects, from Ray Harryhausen mentor Willis O'Brien, are fantastic, utilizing stop-motion, puppets, giant props, mattes, back projections and probably other tricks that were groundbreaking in their time. Although the fight between Kong and the T-Rex is justly famous, I was equally awed by the seamless juxtaposition of the actors and the Stegosaurus. There are many great touches in the stop-motion animation, especially as Kong almost plays with his many victims to see if they are dead. These little flourishes probably added days to the production but add so much to the sense of realism.

The acting is of its time - a little wooden in places, although the supporting cast I thought were better than the leads, notably Frank Reicher as the captain. Overall, it's an amazing achievement in film-making and simply a wonderful film to enjoy.
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Son of Kong' [1933]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: See above.

'Son of Kong' begins within a few weeks, potentially, of where 'King Kong' ends. Denham (Robert Armstrong again, seeming more relaxed and natural this time) is being sued left and right for his Kong fiasco and is easily persuaded by his old skipper (Frank Reicher) to set sail and leave their joint troubles behind them. A chance encounter with the purveyor of the original map of Skull Island leads them back there in search of treasure. Unbeknownst to them, a young singer (Helen Mack) has stowed away to escape her own troubles. All these troubles come to a head when they discover not treasure but Little Kong, the King's son, on the island instead.

'Son of Kong' was never going to live up to its larger-sized parent, but it's entertaining nonetheless. Helen Mack is, I'd argue, a better actress than Fay Wray although, to be fair, her role here is more substantial, with decidedly less screaming and fainting. The story works in the most part and tries something a little different rather than just simply rehash the original. The effects are still good, though there are less stand-out moments ('KK' is 100 minutes long; 'SOK' is a svelte 69 minutes.)

This Kong, though, is unwisely played too often for laughs. Being a mere toddler - only 12 feet high - he is less ferocious and is instead part hero, part comic relief. Some judicious cutting of his more goofier moments would not go amiss here.

As a continuation of the Kong story, 'Son of Kong' is interesting. It neither adds anything essential, but doesn't take too much away from the original either - Little Kong's wacky facial expressions notwithstanding.
 

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Film #12 - King Kong vs. Godzilla

I was put off by the ultra-cheesy effects and costumes, but that final battle was pretty damn cool.

3/5
 

Garp

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Week 12: 'King Kong vs Godzilla' [1962]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Sub then Dub

Kong! Gojira! Two original kaijus do battle in this fun fan favorite. I decided to watch both the Japanese and American versions on consecutive nights. Although, despite film legend, there is no difference in who wins in either version, I found the original Japanese film the winner in my eyes.

Two simultaneous plots emerge and combine - that of the harassed boss of a pharmaceuticals company looking for an advertsing hook, and an American sub accidentally helping to release Godzilla from the frozen state he was left in at the end of 'Godzilla Raids Again', this film's immediate predecessor. The title suggests that the two giants will meet and fight. They do, and it's pretty damn awesome.

The Japanese version differs in a few significant ways, notably ramping up the comedy. Ichiro Arishima as the boss gets to ham it up, and his beleaguered underlings could have been played by Abbott & Costello, or even Crosby & Hope, in a different time and place.

There are some good effects (the destruction during the final battle) and some not-so good (the tanks still look like toys at this stage). Kong's isn't the greatest suit though I got used to it, and I liked that there were homages to the original 1933 version - he attacks a train, grabs a woman and climbs an iconic structure. There are some of the same Godzilla tropes - yet another brother-sister-boyfriend triangle, and the stop-the-monster-with-electricity plan which - of course - fails. The blackface natives on Faro Island (not Skull..?) are uncomfortable again, and the American version adds unnecessary cutaways to TV studio anchors explaining what's going on.

'King Kong vs Godzilla' is one of the few Godzilla films I had seen previously, although I think I enjoyed it more this time around. The American version is probably better known, which is a shame as the original is more fun and deserves a viewing. Camp, silly, cheesy - yes. I loved it.
 

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BONUS: 'Konga' [1961]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: UK's version of King Kong, Godzilla's old adversary

There's something so wonderfully proper and British about 'Konga' that it almost feels treasonous to mock it. Botanist Dr. Decker (a pre-Alfred Pennyworth Michael Gough) survives a plane crash in Uganda, lives for a year with the locals and learns the secrets of making a growth-and-hypnotizing serum from carnivorous plants. On his surprise return to London, he tests his potion on his pet chimpanzee - Konga - which not only makes him bigger, but also seems to turn him into a gorilla (unless the filmmakers just believed that chimpanzees are actually baby gorillas). In the meantime, Decker becomes so paranoid that his research will either be taken from him or he'll be beaten to the punch by other scientists, that he uses Konga to eliminate the threats. Mayhem, albeit rather stately and well-regulated, ensues.

'Konga' is unlikely to be on anyone's Top Ten Monster Movie list, but it has a undeniable charm. Gough goes from focused eccentric to full on mad scientist rather well, although his somewhat love interest, Margaret (Margo Johns) is short-changed with her unconvincing arc, accepting his murderous transgressions far too easily. The film worried me towards the middle that it was going to go all Cliff Richard suddenly, with the appearance of several hip teenagers and a 'transistor radio', but thankfully no one broke into song. 'Pop Sensation' Jess Conrad is appalling in this, even without singing.

The effects aren't up to much either. It may be British pride that makes me argue that this ape suit is superior to 'King Kong vs. Godzilla', but honestly there's not much between them. Decker's carnivorous plants range from acceptable to giant-painted-balloons-with-tongues. Konga doesn't get to building-crushing size until the last 15 minutes, and even then prefers to shuffle around London morosely rather than destroy anything. The obvious puppets he seizes in his giant paws are just awful. (When he finally makes it to Big Ben, don't expect any King Kong-like scaling. This Konga is a lazy sod.)

There is some pathos in the climax but by then it is too late; this is not a film to take seriously. I enjoyed it well enough on my own, but this is a film to be endured with friends, and alcohol, and a tongue planted firmly in a cheek.
 

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Week 13: 'Varan' [1958]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Varan would make his next appearance 10 years later in the Godzilla film 'Destroy All Monsters'
Sub or Dub? Sub

In search of a rare species of butterfly, two students are crushed to death by some unknown source, whom the locals call Baradagi. Being a kaiju movie, naturally one of the dead students' sister is a reporter who travels to 'The Tibet of Japan' with a semi-comic relief photographer and a scientist to uncover the truth. There they discover Varan, a giant spiny lizard with membrane-like wings. They proceed to piss it off until the military gets involved, who also continue to piss it off. Ineffective methods of dealing with the pissed-off monster ensue.

'Varan' is a tedious film. The plot is paper thin, the characters one-dimensional and the effects on the lower end of 'special'. If there is supposed to be a moral to this tale, it would be to not poke a sleeping bear. The locals had cordoned off Varan's lair, and there's little indication that he was a threat to the outside world until our leads turn up, all gung-ho and poking.

'Varan' lies chronologically and thematically between the sombre tone of 'Gojira' and the camp silliness of, say, 'King Kong vs Godzilla'. It is frankly too dull to rise to the level of the former and, well, too dull for the latter either. The acting isn't up to much, although I did appreciate the professor who was placid and soft-spoken throughout, regardless of any mayhem surrounding him. (His voice was probably a little too relaxing for this film, as I was having trouble keeping awake as it was.) There's some jaunty militaristic music during the (many) Army vs Varan scenes, which didn't work for me, and the only point where I felt the film was going somewhere was when Varan spread his previously unseen wings and flew like a jet plane. Alas, he would be earth, or sea, bound ever after.

There are some touches that reminded me of the vastly superior 'Gojira'. An early attack on Varan's lake home seemed similar to the oxygen-destroyer, this time affecting the fish but not the monster. Later, our scientist is reluctant to utilise his latest extra-powerful explosives, although not because it may get into the hands of the military but just because it might not work. (You will figure out the best way to use them long before anyone on screen.)

'Varan' was re-edited in 1962 by the US, which I will view next. I'm normally not a fan of these Americanizations, but I'm curious now what they make of this one. I honestly don't think it could be worse, could it..?
 

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BONUS: 'Varan' [1962]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: See 'Varan' [1958]

Four years after 'Varan' was released to Japanese audiences, America was introduced to 'Varan the Unbelievable'. I'm not honestly sure why they bothered. This version excises the majority of the non-monster scenes from the original and introduces new characters and a new plot. Instead of the intrepid reporter and entourage scouting out the Tibet of Japan to uncover the mysterious deaths of butterfly-seeking students, here we have the US military-industrial-complex testing out their new desalination chemicals on a salt water lake on a small Japanese island. The locals are understandably upset with this plan, not only as it will probably kill off their fish (it does) but also as it will disturb the legendary monster-god known as Obake who dwells within the lake. Do the US military care? Not much. They scoff at the legend and summon help from the Japanese government, who come running with a barrage of tanks and large guns to persuade the locals to move along.

The outcome of the testing is as expected: Obake/Varan is awakened and runs amok. The order of the efforts to thwart him are mixed up in this version, but the end result is basically the same.

'Varan the Unbelievable' makes less of an effort than 'Godzilla: King of the Monsters' to try and marry the Japanese scenes with the new American ones. Whereas Raymond Burr 'interacted' with the actors from 'Gojira', albeit clumsily, here the leads from the 1958 'Varan' are introduced via voice-over as friends whom our heroes interact with off-screen. By the time the monster action begins, US Commander Bradley (Myron Healey) is relaying his instructions from a safe distance away via radio. There is some fun at first to be had in noting the original scenes and how they are used differently in this version, but that soon gets old. I was nodding off again before the end, only discovering later from my online research that Varan never even got to fly in this one. (I suppose I could have backtracked and checked myself but I honestly had no interest in seeing any more of this film once it was over.)

It's not a complete loss, however. Tsuruko Kobayashi as the Commander's wife is very pretty, although her character is stereotypically submissive. And the film is mercifully short at 67 minutes. But that's it.
 

The Scribbling Man

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Garp said:
Week 1: 'Gojira' [1954]

I watched this for the first time last year and loved it. I'd love to have a nice bluray copy, but it doesn't seem to be available in the UK :( 

I find this quite surprising considering it's such an iconic film.
 
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