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My Year with Godzilla

Garp

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BONUS: 'Attack of the Galactic Monsters' [1983]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Dub

'Attack of the Galactic Monsters' is an unofficial fan edit of 'War in Space' [1977] and episodes of the TV show 'Zone Fighter' [1973] condensed to under an hour. Plot-wise, I can't really explain it other than to say that Venusians take a Japanese girl hostage and threaten to conquer/blow up the Earth (not sure which). Her father organizes a team to rescue her, while the aliens blow up well-known landmarks and Godzilla beats up various monsters. But there are other aliens too, who may be in league with the first aliens, or not. I don't know. I'm so confused.

It's unclear why this exists, other than it was someone's pet project to take cool shots of aliens blowing stuff up and combine them with Godzilla vs. The Monster of the Week. Credit to whoever took on this challenge, as they were obviously working with some basic tools and VHS tapes. However, it just doesn't make any sense. It's like a Godzilla Holiday Special. If Godzilla had appeared in a white robe and started singing about Life Day, I would not have been a bit surprised.

Shots get repeated, sometimes within a few seconds (Tower Bridge and the Tower of London are destroyed twice) and it looks like 'War in Space' was originally widescreen, as there are certain shots where the full frame isn't capturing the action. This desperately needs an audio commentary from the creator, if only to figure out what his/her vision was, as it's not clear merely by viewing it. I can't honestly recommend it, but as it's less than an hour long, you don't have too much to lose either.
 

ThrowgnCpr

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Neglify said:
Film 22 - Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster

We have officially gone into What The Frak territory now. This shit was weird.

1.5/5

This is one of my favorites. Such a gd weird movie.
 

Neglify

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Film 25 - Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla

I was really looking forward to this one. It was... ok, I guess. I don't know, all these Godzilly movies are the exact same.

2.5/5
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Godzilla vs. The Wolfman' [1983]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Neither

This semi-official fan film has never been completed, but some footage is available to view on YouTube. It was made in part by Toho employees, although wasn't endorsed by the company itself. It's a shame that it's just languishing at the moment, as the idea is great and the execution is, in some areas, very good. The costumes are on par with an official movie, as you might expect from those who made them. The Wolfman suit is particularly impressive, although the white makes him look like a Wampa. There is no real plot as these are really just separate scenes spliced together, although it's not too difficult to work out how the final film might have developed. There are plenty of military scenes with real vehicles intermingled with models; there's a less effective werewolf transformation early on; and, for reasons that can't be deduced, a car chase with explosions. The direction is a let-down, with fast pans and the like, but maybe this would have been sorted out in the editing room. All in all, an interesting look at what might have been, or might be to come, who knows?
 

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Week 26: 'Terror of MechaGodzilla' [1975]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Sub

Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla: The Rematch.

'Terror of Mechagodzilla' is a direct sequel to the previous year's film, the last of the Showa era Godzilla films and a return to the director's chair for Ishiro Honda. As such, it's therefore an important film in the franchise, but is it a good one? Well...

The film opens with a search for the remains of Mechagodzilla by submarine, which is subsequently attacked by a dinosaur kaiju named Titanosaurus. This leads to a disgruntled scientist, who is helping aliens repair Mechagodzilla in return for past favours. When Titanosaurus goes on an unsanctioned rampage, Godzilla is at hand to defend Japan. But can he survive when Mechagodzilla enters the fray?

To get you up to speed, the final fight from 'Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla' plays over the opening titles, followed swiftly by some good underwater effects and the reveal of Titanosaurus. Actually, the effects in general are good here, with impressive destruction all round. Ultimately, though, I find this a difficult film to review. There is a definite shift towards a more adult approach to the franchise here. Despite the usual aliens (more in keeping with 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes' this time) and remote-controlled monsters, there's a more serious tone. That's not a bad thing, of course - the original 'Gojira' is probably still my favourite so far - but it doesn't quite fit so well here. In short, the film lacks fun. There's an interesting twist, two great fight scenes paralleling each other and a self-sacrifice that mirrors that from 'Gojira'. Unfortunately, I didn't feel anything for any of it, not even the fake boobs scene. I'm disappointed that I didn't enjoy it more, as technically it's 'good', just not 'entertaining', alas.
 

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BONUS: 'Go Godman/Go Greenman' [TV] [1972-4]
Is Godzilla in them? Not that I saw. Godzilla connection: Toho shows that featured Godzilla kaiju
Sub or Dub? Sub

'Go Godman' features an Ultraman type hero who fights monsters. That's it, basically. A monster appears, Godman is summoned by calling his name, he flies in, he fights. Both of these shows are split into 5 minute segments, but even with this minimal running time, 'Go Godman' is god awful. Godman has cool shades and a fulsome white hair and a couple of signature moves - he can fling 'circles' and produce a supersonic wave. Between the two, the kaiju are defeated. In one episode, Godman battles Batman - just not that Batman, unfortunately.

'Go Greenman', on the other hand, at least has some kind of backstory, albeit a weird one. Satan finds himself in Hell (unsurprisingly for the audience, but for some reason confusing to Satan) and recalls that he needs the blood of children to escape. Satan here looks like a cross between a bat and a root vegetable, has a sidekick that resembles a turkey-jellyfish hybrid and flying-monkey-type minions who can transform into kaiju. All can teleport to Earth, conveniently, and do so frequently in attempts to capture kids. Luckily, God has sent a protector - Greenman - who looks like an Asian god. Greenman can expand to kaiju size and is actually (spoiler alert) a robot. He gives the kids a special button they can press to call him when needed and has a more impressive arsenal. He can shoot arrows from his leg and boomerangs from his ears, but his signature move is his 'Breaster' - a row of cannons on his chest. His enemies range from the usual dinosaur types to a bipedal cluster of Froot Loops. Of the two shows, this one is aimed at a younger audience and is actually more fun. However, that is not a recommendation to seek them out. Both shows are still bad.
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Super Inframan' [1975]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: An Ultraman rip-off
Sub or Dub? Dub

Despite being heavily indebted to the likes of TV's 'Ultraman', this 1975 Shaw Brothers film was surprisingly entertaining. A subterranean race decides to conquer the world, unleashing earthquakes and the like to force the planet's surrender. Head Boffin of the Science Headquarters (NB. Any resemblance to Ultraman's 'Science Patrol' is purely coincidental) decides to initiate the Inframan project, injecting one of the top officers with a serum to turn him a robotic superman who can grow in size. Kung-fu versus Kaiju mayhem ensues.

There's definite fun to be had watching quick-fire kung-fu battles with human and/or giant-sized monsters. Unfortunately, the costumes are the weakest link here. They look terrible, more worthy of a cheap Saturday morning series than a theatrical release. The sets are the usual flashing lights and revolving chairs, like a budget Bond film, but they fit with the general feel of the movie. The Head Boffin's wig is rather too distracting, though. There are some good set pieces, such as the fight with the skeleton-like minions, and the robots with the Slinky arms (which took me right back to my childhood, remembering the frustration of trying to unravel twisted Slinkies). What the hell, I had fun with this one - moreso than several Toho entries from the 70s.
 

Neglify

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Film 26 - Terror of Mechagodzilla

I gotta stop being sober when I watch these.

2/5
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Zone Fighter' [TV] [1973]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Sub

'Zone Fighter' is another 'Ultraman'-like TV series with a twist - this one exists within the Godzilla universe, with some epiosdes directed by Ishiro Honda and Jun Fukado. An alien race known as the Garogas have previously destroyed the planet Peaceland. One family survived the destruction and have made their way to Earth. The Garagos have now set their sights on Earth, and the Zone family do all they can to prevent a similar destruction here. There are able to transform into superheroes and/or, as in the case of the titular Zone Fighter, to giant size to defeat the obligatory monsters - Terro-Beasts - that are dispatched each episode.

I managed to cobble together 5 sub-titled episodes, featuring such luminaries as Godzilla and King Ghidorah. The plots are pretty fast paced but easy to follow, more or less. Being a Toho production, the kaiju are pretty good though the sets are basic. If I had seen this as a child, I would have pestered the hell out of my parents to buy me Zone Fighter's flying car, which would have gone well with my 'Spy who loved me' Lotus Esprit toy. The Garagos have a weird robot-insect look, but I liked how the human-looking minions had webbed fingers. All in all, these passed the time and the addition of recognisable monsters was a plus, but ultimately I'm not a fan. I still want that car, though.
 

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BONUS: 'Gamera: Super Monster' [1980]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Daiei's answer to Godzilla
Sub or Dub? Sub

Gamera's Greatest Hits.

Aliens are once again out to conquer Earth, but three female alien super-heroines are out to stop them. The super-heroines are undercover and have taken unassuming jobs such as a pet store owner, Mazda car saleswoman and a teacher. But with some nifty arm movements, they can transform into super-heroines and... wait for Gamera to show up and fight stock footage monsters.

This is a real low-point in a rollercoaster of a franchise. The film starts well (with stock footage, I believe, from other Daiei films I haven't seen) with a rip-off of 'Star Wars', complete with John Williams-sounding music. Things rapidly go downhill. The main super-heroine looks like she belongs in The Human League - very 80s - and the acting on show here is atrocious. The effects are poor and make no sense - their van is equipped with a music keyboard that transforms it into a type of spaceship after hitting the right notes. Characters spend a lot of the time on a beach pointing offscreen at the stock footage shenanigans of Gamera as he fights previously defeated foes. The attacking alien race are only ever heard, not seen (budgetary restraints, I assume) and the film ends with a couple of acts of self-sacrifice. The only worthy thing about the film is that women make up the main characters, which is unusual, but that's not much to go on. There are anime dream sequences and a dig at Gamera's rival Godzilla in a poster that gets knocked over. And that's it. It's otherwise unmemorable, poorly acted, mostly stock footage and cheap. You're welcome.
 

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Film 27 - Godzilla vs. Biollante

Even Godzilla knows that you gotta stop and smell the roses every now and then.

3/5
 

Garp

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Week 27: 'Godzilla vs. Biollante' [1989]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes.
Sub or Dub? Sub

In this direct sequel to 'Godzilla 1985', Japan is clearing up after the latest attack while rival factions are hell-bent on locating stray scraps of Godzilla skin, for benign and nefarious purposes. After his daughter is killed by one of these factions, scientist Dr. Shiragami cross-breeds a rose with his daughter's cells, seemingly to no effect. When he is lured back to the GMO business, he adds Godzilla's DNA to the plant-human hybrid, unwittingly creating Biollante. When terrorists resurrect Godzilla, will Biollante be Japan's savior or their newest enemy?

'Godzilla vs. Biollante' has a lot going on. Fortunately, most of it is good. The issue of genetically modified organisms is interesting and ahead of its time and adds a twist to what could have been a rather bland kaiju otherwise. Biollante evolves from a giant though not necessarily threatening rose to a massive mobile flora-beast with the mouth of a crocodile. It's incredibly impressive, as is Godzilla himself, both as a suit and the close-up robotic head. Other models fare equally well, though the buildings lack detail.

The story can get convoluted - I wasn't always sure who was after what and why - but I enjoyed the addition of the ESP school. The moment each child's hand shot up with a drawing of Godzilla was particularly Spielbergian, I thought. It lacks some of the goofy fun of the 60s Godzilla films, but certainly an improvement over the 70s, overall.
 

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BONUS: 'Gunhed' [1989]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: A Godzilla sequel idea that was reworked without him.
Sub or Dub? Dub

In a dystopian future, computers have waged war on humans. Computer chips are more valuable than gold, and people are willing to go to extreme lengths to procure them. One island becomes the battleground for both the human-computer war and a fight for the chips. Dark and gritty mayhem ensues.

 Honestly, I'm not even sure if the above paragraph accurately represents what the film is about. I had great difficulty keeping up. The filmmakers were much more intent on recreating the look of 'Terminator', 'Aliens' and their ilk on screen, with the plot taking a backseat. In that, they succeeded; this film looks amazing. The sets are impressive, the models likewise. Only the cyborg looks lacklustre in comparison. Acting is fair (Brenda Bakke is pretty but bland), there's the obligatory 80s synth-pop soundtrack and was it just me, or did the Gunhed machine sound like Arnie?

The film I saw credited Alan Smithee as director, and I'm not sure why, as Masato Harada is credited elsewhere. Maybe it was re-edited for the US market against Harada's wishes, though I can't find anything to back that up. Anyway, worthwhile for the visuals, but more power to you if you can discern a plot.
 

Garp

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Week 28: 'Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah' [1991]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Sub

When people from the future arrive in Japan, warning that Godzilla has completely destroyed their country and must be stopped, present day humans agree to travel back in time to 1944, when Godzilla was just a dinosaur. But when King Ghidorah turns up again in 1992, with no Godzilla around to stop him, the real plan is uncovered. 

'Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah' takes some of the more fantastical elements of the Showa era and mixes it up with the enhanced effects of the newer Heisei period, not altogether successfully. The time travel aspect is unique, adding origin stories for both of the titular kaiju, but the 'twist' is obvious to anyone who has ever seen even a handful of Godzilla films. You basically can't trust anyone who turns up unexpectedly, whether they be from space or the future, it seems.

The acting is also sub-par, especially the Westerners, though the effects are still good. Honestly, though, it's not memorable; I watched it two nights ago and I'm already struggling to recall anything about it, good or bad. Not a ringing endorsement for the film, I suppose.
 

Garp

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BONUS: 'Thunder of Gigantic Serpent' [released 1988]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Think 'King Kong' but with a giant snake.
Sub or Dub? Dub

Scientists have produced a formula to make things big. Evil cackling villain wants said formula to Rule The World. Ted Fast, blonde Western kung-fu expert, is out to stop him. Meanwhile, an annoying young girl has befriended a snake. If you can't see how these storylines converge, you need to get out more.

I watched a poor copy of this film - like someone had filmed it off the TV on VHS and uploaded it on dial-up - and the dubbing is the worst I've ever heard, but I can't completely blame my lack of interest in 'Thunder of Gigantic Serpent' on that. It is a bad film nonetheless.

The film has constantly shifting styles. We are subjected to wholesome scenes of a young girl enjoying quality time with her abnormally large serpent - playing ball and the like - with bloody massacres with machine guns. Ted Fast seems to have wandered in from another movie altogether, and his spots don't have much to do with anything else going on.

The effects range from a snake on a wire (so that it can nod its head when the young girl talks to it), to a hand puppet, to a full-size model she can ride. No, they're not very good, though I was pleased to see that Gigantic Serpents have issues with bridges as much as Japanese kaiju do. At one point, scenes from what looked like an actual different movie were spliced in of a dam being destroyed.

Over halfway through I realised that this was a modern take on 'King Kong', with the expected ending, but the film added a bizarre, unexpected and unnecessary coda with Ted Fast again. It almost made the hour and a half worthwhile. 

Nah, not really. This was terrible and I will no doubt look back on this from my death bed and regret that I squandered so many heartbeats and breath on it.
 

Neglify

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Film 28 - Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah 1991

what is this I don't even

2/5
 

Garp

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Week 29: 'Godzilla vs. Mothra' [1992]
Is Godzilla in it? Yes
Sub or Dub? Sub

A meteorite crashes into the sea, awakening Godzilla; an egg emerges on a distant island; Japan's answer to Indiana Jones is captured whilst attempting to steal an ancient idol. These storylines converge as Mothra, Godzilla and newcomer Battra battle in a throwback to the Showa era movies.

Following on from the convoluted plots of the previous Heisei films, 'Godzilla vs. Mothra' seems childidhly simplistic in comparison. It's little more than a rehash of Mothra's earlier appearances on celluloid, with large dollops of fan service along the way. I can well imagine Mothra die-hards cheering on opening night as her multi-colored egg first appears, or the map reveals the title 'Infant Island'.

The film starts well, being a fun Indiana Jones homage/rip-off with collapsing temples and collapsing rope bridges. The film becomes full-on Showa fantasy when the obligatory 'twins' turn up (though not actually twins, which is distracting). Unfortunately, this is where I began to lose interest. The film seems to have had a reduced budget; the effects are poor (cityscapes look far from realistic) and Battra looks like he was made for either a different era or maybe even a Gamera film instead. Mothra as larvae looks plastic. Still, the underwater battle works well. Battra fares slightly better once he metamorphosizes  and Godzilla retains his previous mean look. The acting ranges from adequate to hammy, with the third appearance of Miki the psychic, who doesn't get to do much and is perhaps there just for continuity.

The semi-backstory of Mothra is interesting, though the shoe-horned environmental message is getting a bit old by now. Mothra fans probably love this one - it's bright, colorful and easy to follow. Not being one of them, I was left disappointed.
 

Garp

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BONUS: ‘The Three Treasures’ AKA ‘The Birth of Japan’ [1959]
Is Godzilla in it? No. Godzilla connection: Features kaiju, with effects by Eiji Tsuburaya
Sub or Dub? Sub
 
This 3 hour film relates the story of Yamato Takeru, a legendary Japanese prince, and his adventures and travails. I watched it over two nights, with Part one being the more enjoyable night.
 
To start with, the film looks good. Cinematography, overall, is well done, with lush landscapes and mostly impressive sets and costumes. The film was said to be Japan’s answer to ‘The Ten Commandments’, but reminded me more of the Sinbad movies in look and feel. Toshiro Mifune takes the lead, but was a tad overwrought for my tastes.
 
I was naturally most interested in seeing Orochi, the 8-headed monster, though it’s not the most important part of the film. ‘The Three Treasures’ intermingles the main story of Yamato Takeru with flashback story-telling of Japan’s legends, which tends to result in odd pacing and a disjointed plot. Yamato is basically being set up by his father’s advisers, who want him out of the way so that their preferred candidate becomes King. When it is believed that Yamato has killed his brother, the King is persuaded to send him on suicide missions against other foes. However, he keeps winning and coming back.
 
Orochi looks pretty good – a marionette – as do other effects, especially a climatic volcano eruption and flood. It’s also the only film in which I recall seeing a young girl get turned into a comb.
 
Ultimately, though, the film is long and can be slow. The love story in Part two dragged on far too long for me. As an epic, it works, as it is long and lavish. Overall, I’m glad I saw it, but I don’t want to endure it again for a long time to come.
 

Jrzag42

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^I just checked the Wikipedia page as I often do for movies that seem interesting. Apparently there was a US release that was cut down to 112 minutes. Do you plan on watching that at any point to compare and see if the shorter length fixes the slow pace?

Anyways, I might try to track down the film (original 3 hour version), because it sounds really interesting.
 

Garp

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I bought the 3 hour DVD from vendio.com, but it looks like it's since been uploaded to the internet archive, if you're interested. Honestly, I don't see me searching for the US version, as I probably wouldn't watch it for a very long time, but if you come across it, let me know. Never say never.
 
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