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Countdown To Godzilla 2014: MusukoGoji Suit

Films: Son of Godzilla (1967)

Unquestionably the ugliest Godzilla suit, the Musuko-Godzilla had a thick body, a fat neck, small hands and crude, odd-looking dorsal plates. The head was horrible, with a stubby face, oversized mouth with crude teeth and large, glassy eyes placed high on the head and at right angles. This suit was equipped with movable eyes and eyelids. The Musuko-Godzilla would fortunately never again receive a starring role and appeared only once more, for water scenes in Godzilla on Monster Island.

Countdown To Godzilla 2014: Son Of Godzilla

Son of Godzilla, (released in Japan as Monster Island's Decisive Battle: Godzilla's Son (怪獣島の決戦 ゴジラの息子 Kaijū-tō no Kessen Gojira no Musuko)), is a 1967 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Jun Fukuda with special effects by Sadamasa Arikawa (supervised by Eiji Tsuburaya), the film starred Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, and Akihiko Hirata. The 8th film in the Godzilla series, it was also the second of two island themed Godzilla adventures that Toho produced with slightly smaller budgets than most of the Godzilla films from this time period. Continuing the trend of shifting the series towards younger audiences, the film introduced an infant Godzilla named Minilla.

The film was released straight to television in the United States in 1969 by the Walter Reade organization.

Plot
A team of scientists are trying to perfect a weather-controlling system. Their efforts are hampered by the arrival of a nosy reporter and by the sudden presence of 2-meter tall giant praying mantises. The first test of the weather control system goes awry when the remote control for a radioactive balloon is jammed by an unexplained signal coming from the center of the island. The balloon detonates prematurely, creating a radioactive storm that causes the giant mantises to grow to enormous sizes. Investigating the mantises, which are named Kamacuras (Gimantis in the English-dubbed version), the scientists find the monstrous insects digging an egg out from under a pile of earth. The egg hatches, revealing a baby Godzilla. The scientists realize that the baby's telepathic cries for help were the cause of the interference that ruined their experiment. Shortly afterwards, Godzilla himself arrives on the island, demolishing the scientist's base as he rushes to defend the baby. Godzilla kills two of the Kamacuras during the battle while one manages to fly away to safety, Godzilla then adopts the baby.

The baby Godzilla, named Minilla, quickly grows to about half the size of his father, and Godzilla instructs him on the important monster skills of roaring and using his atomic ray. At first, Minilla has difficulty producing anything more than atomic smoke rings, but Godzilla discovers that stressful conditions (i.e. stomping on his tail,) or motivation produces a true radioactive blast. Minilla comes to the aid of Reiko when she is attacked by a Kamacuras, but inadvertently awakens Kumonga (Spiga in the English-dubbed version), a giant spider that was sleeping in a valley. Kumonga attacks the caves where the scientists are hiding, and Minilla stumbles into the fray.

Kumonga traps Minilla and the final Kamacuras with his webbing, but as Kumonga begins to feed on the deceased Kamacuras, Godzilla arrives to save the day. Godzilla saves his son and they work together to defeat Kumonga by using their atomic rays on the giant spider. The scientists finally use their perfected weather altering device on the island and the once tropical island becomes buried in snow and ice. As the scientists are saved by an American submarine, Godzilla and Minilla begin to hibernate as they wait for the island to become tropical again.

Cast
Akira Kubo as Goro Maki
Tadao Takashima as Dr. Tsunezo Kusumi
Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Hujisaki
Bibari "Beverly" Maeda as Saeko (Reiko) Matsumiya
Yoshio Tsuchiya as Hurukawa
Kenji Sahara as Morio
Ken'ichiro Maruyama as Ozawa
Seishiro Kuno Tashiro
Yasuhiko Saijo as Suzuki
Susumu Kurobe as Weather observation airplane captain
Kazuo Suzuki as Weather observation aeronaut
Wataru Oomae as Weather observation airplane radio operator
Tyoutarou Tougin as Weather observation airplane crewman
Ousmane Yusef as Submarine captain
Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla (Water scenes only)
Yū Sekida and Seiji Onaka as Godzilla, The King of the Monsters who, while battling Kumonga and Kamacuras, trains his son to become the monster prince.
Little Man Machan as Minilla, the Son of Godzilla who aids his father in fighting Kumonga and Kamacuras
Kumonga, a giant spider and the main antagonist of the film.
Kamacuras, a giant praying mantis.

Box Office
In Japan, the film sold approximately 2,480,000 tickets.

Reception
Son of Godzilla has received generally positive reviews. The film currently holds a 63% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

English Version
Shortly after the film's Japanese release, Toho had Son of Godzilla dubbed into English by Frontier Enterprises in Tokyo. As with nearly all Toho international versions, the dubbed version corresponds directly to uncut Japanese film. Frontier Enterprises owner William Ross dubs Dr. Kusumi (Tadao Takashima), while the part of Goro Maki (Akira Kubo) is dubbed by Burr Middleton, son of Charles B. Middleton. This version of the film was released on video in 1992 by PolyGram Video, Ltd. in the United Kingdom.

In the United States, Son of Godzilla was distributed directly to television by the Walter Reade Organization in 1969. The movie was re-dubbed by Titan Productions, Inc in New York. Peter Fernandez wrote and directed the dubbing script and voiced Goro Maki. Walter Reade Organization deleted almost all of the pre-credit sequence. All that remains in this version is a brief shot of Godzilla roaring and approaching the camera. The opening credits are also deleted, although the underlying footage is still present. In both English dubs, the monsters Kamacuras and Kumonga are called "Gimantis" and "Spiega", respectively. The character, "Saeko", is also called "Reiko" in both dubbed versions.

The original US version of the film was the one seen on American television and home video for over thirty years. In 2004, Tri-Star Home Video released the international version (and optional Japanese audio track) on DVD. The international version was later broadcast on Turner Classic Movies in 2008.

Trivia
Son of Godzilla is very similar to the previous year's Ebirah, Horror of the Deep. Both take place largely on a south pacific island populated by monsters, and both include a "native girl" among the cast. Also, both end in a similar way, with the heroes waving goodbye to the monsters as the island is destroyed/frozen. The similarities are due to the faces behind the scenes that worked on both films, including director Jun Fukuda and music composer Masaru Sato.
The suit in this film, MusukoGoji, was used again in Godzilla vs. Gigan for the water scenes.
Son of Godzilla is the last Showa era film that takes place within a set continuity, as the next year's Destroy All Monsters took place 32 years after the events of this film. 1969's All Monsters Attack hardly picks up where Son of Godzilla left off, and the next five films (1971's Godzilla vs. Hedorah through 1975's Terror of MechaGodzilla) fare no better in terms of tying the 1960's and 1970's films together in one, flawless timeline. What happens to Godzilla, his son, and the other monsters between 1967 and 1971 (between the films Son of Godzilla and Godzilla vs. Hedorah) is up to the viewer to decide.

DVD Release
Sony Pictures
Released: December 14, 2004
Aspect ratio: Anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1)
Sound: Japanese (2.0), English (2.0)
Supplements: Trailers for Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Steamboy, and Kaena: The Prophecy
Region 1
Note: English dub track is Toho's international version
Rated PG for some sci-fi monster violence

CREATURE FEATURE : Weapons Edition - Oxygen Destroyer

The Oxygen Destroyer (オキシジェン・デストロイヤ, Okishijen Desutoroiyā) was a fictional weapon of mass destruction used to kill Godzilla in the 1954 Godzilla film, Gojira.

Origins
It was the invention of Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, who feared the power of the device that he created.

History
Showa Series
Gojira
The weapon was first revealed to Emiko Yamane by Daisuke Serizawa when they were in his lab. He demonstrated it on a tank of fish, which were instantly reduced to skeletons.

Fearing that it would lead to another arms race, the doctor sacrificed himself as he detonated his device underwater, killing both Godzilla and the chance that his device would become a weapon.

Heisei Series
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
The Oxygen Destroyer would carry on a larger role, and was later revealed to have awoken prehistoric creatures that mutated into the monster Destoroyah in the 1995 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. That film also noted that "if it had been used on the ground, it's quite obvious that Tokyo would've become a cemetery."

The chemical reaction initiated by the weapon (which is the actual part that destroys the oxygen) also powers one of Destoroyah's attacks, a beam of micro-oxygen, in the shape of a double-helix, with the destructive power of the Oxygen Destroyer itself.

Millennium Series
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla
In Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla, the Oxygen Destroyer didn't dissolve Godzilla's skeleton, and Kiryu's blueprints incorporated the original Godzilla's skeleton within it to make the design process and construction less strenuous.

Mechanisms
The device works by releasing a chemical stored within it's spherical center. Once released, the chemical (dubbed Micro-Oxygen) reacts violently with the water, isolating oxygen molecules and splitting them. The molecules are then liquified. This means that any organism exposed to the chemical will first suffocate from the lack of oxygen, and then disintegrate. Depending on the amount of the oxygen destroying chemical released, the body of the victim will either be eaten down to the bone or destroyed completely. When used to its full potential, the Oxygen Destroyer will leave no remains.

Filmography
Gojira
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (Stock Footage)
Godzilla Against MechaGodzilla (Stock Footage)

Trivia
It should be noted that even though many weapons have been created to kill Godzilla, the Oxygen Destroyer is the only man-made weapon to accomplish this task.
The Oxygen Destroyer prop is the oldest remaining Godzilla prop known, first being used in 1954 and recently seen in 2013, being displayed at the Godzilla Encounter, making the prop over 59 years old at the time.

Countdown To Godzilla 2014: SoshingekiGoji Suit

Films: Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla’s Revenge (1969), Godzilla vs the Smog Monster (1971) and Godzilla on Monster Island (1972)

One of the more popular Godzilla designs, the Soshingeki-Godzilla featured a well proportioned, bell-shape body with a pronounced breast bone, a long neck and a head somewhat similar to the Daisenso-Godzilla, with defind brows and fairly menacing eyes. The eyes on this costume did not move, though the eyelids flutter briefly in the scene when King Ghidora flies overhead at Mt. Fuji. The Soshingeki-Godzilla had the most starring roles, though by counting “unofficial” water/stunt shots, the Daisenso-Godzilla appeared in more movies. Aside from slightly different brows, the Soshingeki-Godzilla was not changed in Godzilla’s Revenge. In Godzilla vs the Smog Monster, the suit had rounded eyes, while the mouth had a frowning expression. In Godzilla on Monster Island, the suit had sharper eyes with movable eyelids. Unfortunately in the last two films, especially Godzilla on Monster Island, the Soshingeki-Godzilla was in an obviously dilapidated condition. For these three films, the Soshingeki-Godzilla has also been nicknamed All Kaiju (All Monsters)-Godzilla, Hedogoji and Gigan-Godzilla.

Countdown To Godzilla 2014: Destroy All Monsters

Destroy All Monsters, released in Japan as Kaijū Sōshingeki (怪獣総進撃, lit. "Charge of the Monsters"), is a 1968 Japanese Science fiction Kaiju film produced by Toho. The ninth entry in the original Godzilla series, it stars Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi and Yoshio Tsuchiya. Produced in celebration as Toho's 20th kaiju film, it was also originally intended to be the final Godzilla film, and as such, was given a bigger budget than the past few productions. Set at the end of the 20th century, the film features many of Toho's earlier monsters, eleven in all. The film was also the last to be produced by the main creators of the Godzilla character, with Ishirō Honda directing, Eiji Tsuburaya supervising the special effects (with Sadamasa Arikawa actually directing), Tomoyuki Tanaka producing, and Akira Ifukube handling the film's score.

The film was released theatrically in the United States in the Spring of 1969 by American International Pictures.

Plot

At the close of the 20th century, all of the Earth's kaiju have been collected and confined in an area known as Monsterland, by the United Nations Science Committee, in the Ogasawara island chain. A special control center is constructed underneath the island to ensure the monsters stay secure, and serve as a research facility to study them.

When communications with Monsterland are suddenly and mysteriously severed, and all of the monsters begin attacking world capitals, Dr. Yoshida of the UNSC orders Captain Yamabe and the crew of his spaceship, Moonlight SY-3, to investigate Ogasawara. There, they discover that the scientists, led by Dr. Otani, have become mind-controlled slaves of a feminine alien race identifying themselves as the Kilaaks, who reveal that they are in control of the monsters. Their leader demands that the human race surrender, or face total annihilation.

Godzilla attacks New York City, Rodan invades Moscow, Mothra lays waste to Beijing, Gorosaurus (wrongly identified as Baragon) destroys Paris, and Manda attacks London, which is set in to motion to take attention away from Japan, so the aliens can establish an underground stronghold near Mt. Fuji in Japan. The Kilaaks then turn their next major attack on Tokyo, and without serious opposition, become arrogant in their aims, until the UNSC discover the Kilaaks have switched to broadcasting the control signals from their base under the Moon's surface. In a desperate battle, the crew of the SY-3 destroy the Kilaak's lunar outpost and return the alien control system to Earth.

With all of the monsters under the control of the UNSC, the Kilaaks unleash their hidden weapon, King Ghidorah. The three-headed space monster is dispatched to protect the alien stronghold at Mt. Fuji, and battles Godzilla, Minilla, Mothra, Rodan, Gorosaurus, Anguirus, and Kumonga (Manda, Baragon and an unnamed Varan are also present but do not take part in the battle). While seemingly invincible, King Ghidorah is eventually overpowered by the combined strength of the Earth monsters and is killed. Refusing to admit defeat, the Kilaaks produce their trump card, a burning monster they call the Fire Dragon, which begins to torch cities and destroys the control center on Ogasawara. Suddenly, Godzilla attacks and destroys the Kilaak's underground base, revealing the Earth's monsters instinctively know who their enemies are. Captain Yamabe then pursues the Fire Dragon in the SY-3, and narrowly achieves victory for the human race. The Fire Dragon is revealed to be a flaming Kilaak saucer and is destroyed. Godzilla and the other monsters are eventually returned to Monsterland to live in peace.

Cast

Akira Kubo as Captain Katsuo Yamabe

Jun Tazaki as Dr. Yoshido

Yukiko Kobayashi as Kyoko Manabe

Yoshio Tsuchiya as Dr. Otani

Kyoko Ai as Kilaak Queen

Andrew Hughes as Dr. Stevenson

Kenji Sahara as Nishikawa, Moon Base Commander

Godzilla, The King of the Monsters and the primary monster protagonist who gathers all the Monster Island residents together to fight King Ghidorah.

Minilla, the Son of Godzilla who helps his father.

Anguirus, a giant ankylosaurus creature who is a close ally of Godzilla's and helps him fight off King Ghidorah.

Rodan, a giant pteranodon who aids Godzilla and the others in the battle with King Ghidorah.

Mothra Larva, a divine, caterpillar-like deity who aids in the fight against King Ghidorah.

Gorosaurus, a giant dinosaur that helps defeat King Ghidorah.

Kumonga, a giant spider who joins the fray with the Monster Island residents.

Manda, a giant sea serpent

Baragon, a small, dinosaur-like monster.

Varan, a gliding lizard-like reptile.

King Ghidorah, the main monster antagonist of the film, a three-headed space dragon.

Original Screenplay

There was an initial screenplay with the preliminary title All Monsters Attack Directive, which would have many of the same elements used in the final product. The difference, however, was in the monster line-up. This first draft included several monsters that would appear in the final film, such as Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Rodan, Baragon, Varan, Kumonga, and Manda. The final two monsters were Maguma (from 1962's Gorath) and Ebirah (from 1966's Godzilla vs. the Sea Monster). Maguma was to be one of the guardians of the Kilaak base with Baragon, who would have been the ones to fend off the SDF. Ebirah's role is unknown. The film’s title was later changed to Kaiju Soshingeki (Charge of the Monsters), and Ebirah and Maguma were replaced with Anguirus, Minilla (Godzilla's son) and Gorosaurus.

U.S. Version

American International Pictures released the film theatrically in North America in 1969. The Americanization was handled by Titan Productions (formerly Titra Studios).

Among the changes for the U.S. release:

Deleted: Opening credits; Moved to the end of the film and changed to white credits against a black background with the original Ifukube cue.
Deleted: Shot of Minilla covering his eyes while King Ghidorah drops Anguirus.

In the Japanese version, the credits come right after the Moonlight SY-3 blasts off at the beginning of the movie. The American version moved the credits to the end of the picture.

This version has been replaced on home video and television by Toho's international version. While uncut and letterboxed, it features an English dub track produced by William Ross' Tokyo-based Frontier Enterprises in 1968.

Critical Reception

Destroy All Monsters has received acclaim. The New York Times did not review the film upon release, but film critic Howard Thompson gave it a positive review on a re-release at a children's matinee with the Bugs Bunny short, Napoleon Bunny-Part, in December 1970. He commented that "the feature wasn't bad at all of this type. The trick photography and especially the blended sweep and skill of the miniature settings provided the visual splash. The human beings, with good dubbed English voices, were a personable lot as they wrestled with some outer space culprits who had rounded up Japan's favorite monsters and turned them against the planet earth."

Among modern critics, Steve Biodrowski of Cinefantastique wrote, "In the end, Destroy All Monsters is too slim in its storyline, too thin in its characterizations, to be considered a truly great film. It is not as impressive as the original Godzilla, and it is not as hip as Monster Zero. But for the ten-year-old living inside us all, it is entertainment of the most awesome sort." Matt Paprocki of Blogcritics said the film is "far from perfect" and "can be downright boring at times" but felt that "the destruction scenes make up for everything else" and "the final battle is an epic that simply can't be matched".

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a "certified fresh" rating of 80%.

Home Media Releases

ADV Films

Released: 1999

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.35:1) (non-anamorphic)

Sound: English 2.0

Region 1

Note: Contains Toho's International Version; No interactive menu.

ADV Films

Released: May 18, 2004

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.35:1) (non-anamorphic)

Sound: English 2.0

Supplements: CD soundtrack album

Region 1

Note: 50th Anniversary Edition; Includes CD soundtrack album and new cover art but film disc is identical to 1999 edition.

Media Blasters/Tokyo Shock [Note that the Media Blasters version is currently out of print.](Also on Blu-ray)

Released: November 8, 2011

Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.35:1)

Sound: Japanese, English (AIP Dub), English (International Toho Dub)

Supplements: Audio Commentary, Image Galleries, Lobby Cards, Press Books, Poster Art, Trailers, Radio Spots, Production Art

Region 1 (Region free Blu-ray)

Legacy

In Godzilla: The Series, the three-part "Monster Wars" story appears to have been inspired by Destroy All Monsters, with aliens taking control of Zilla Jr. and other giant creatures and using them to attack the world's cities in preparation for invasion. At the end, their island hideout is used as a secret reserve for the surviving monsters.

Godzilla director Gareth Edwards has expressed an interest in making a sequel to his 2014 movie that is inspired by Destroy All Monsters.

Diamond's Previews List Godzilla Minimates And Mechagodzilla Bank

Diamond's Previews has listings for both the Godzilla Minimates Set and the Mechagodzilla Bust Bank, which retail for $19.99 and $22.99, respectively.

Godzilla 2014 Interview Sound Bites

Godzilla 2014 B-Roll Footage

Godzilla End Credits Released, Akira Takarada Still In Them

While I'm not going to post the whole end credits, they are very long, I'm posting the cast portion *warning possible spoilers* they list Akira Takarada as a Japanese Immigration Agent. It has been said that his role was cut from the film so is this an error, is he getting credited even though he is not in it, will his role be put back in for the Blu-ray/DVD releases, contractual obligation for the studio? Guess we will find out.

Cast

Ford Brody: AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON
Young Ford: CJ ADAMS
Dr. Ishiro Serizawa: KEN WATANABE
Joe Brody: BRYAN CRANSTON
Elle Brody: ELIZABETH OLSEN
Sam Brody: CARSON BOLDE
Vivienne Graham: SALLY HAWKINS
Sandra Brody: JULIETTE BINOCHE
Admiral William Stenz: DAVID STRATHAIRN
Captain Russell Hampton: RICHARD T. JONES
Sergeant Tre Morales: VICTOR RASUK
Lieutenant Commander Marcus Waltz: PATRICK SABONGUI
Jump Master: JARED KEESO
Bomb Tracker: LUC RODERIQUE
HALO Jumper JAMES PIZZINATO
PO#1 MartinezCATHERINE LOUGH HAGGQUIST
Boyd: ERIC KEENLEYSIDE
Mine Team Member: PRIMO ALLON
Lead Guerrilla Fighter: GEORGE ALLEN GUMAPAC JR.
Takashi: KEN YAMAMURA
Stan Walsh: GARRY CHALK
Hayato: HIRO KANAGAWA
Nervous: EngineerKEVAN OHTSJI
Team Member #1: KASEY MAZAK
Team Member #2: TERRY CHEN
Team Member #3: MAS MORIMOTO
Captain Freeman: JAMES D. DEVER

Japanese Immigration Agent: AKIRA TAKARADA
Mom in Japanese Jail Waiting Room: YUKO KIYAMA
Dad in Japanese Jail Waiting Room: TAKESHI KUROKAWA
Goth Dressed Boy: JAMES YOSHIZAWA
Gruff Smuggler: JASON FURUKAWA
Whelan: BRIAN MARKINSON
Jainway: TY OLSSON
Huddleston: AL SAPIENZA
Fitzgerald: GARDINER MILLAR
Crow’s Nest Tech #2: KURT MAX RUNTE
Muto Crow’s Nest Tech #1: PETER SHINKODA
Muto Crow’s Nest Tech #2: BILL MARCHANT
Muto Crow’s Nest Tech #3: CHRISTIAN TESSIER
Muto Base Camp Guard: DERRICK YAMANAKA
Muto Crane Operator: PETER KAWASAKI
Muto Base Camp Security #1: JASON RIKI KOSUGE
Muto Base Camp Security #2: HIROYOSHI KAJIYAMA
Muto Base Camp Security #3: TETSURO SHIGEMATSU
Head Nurse: JILL TEED
National Guard #1: DEAN REDMAN
Military Analyst: TAYLOR NICHOLS
Thach: ANTHONY KONECHNY
PO #3: ELI GOREE
Akio: JAKE CUNANAN
Akio’s Mother: YUKI MORITA
Akio’s Father: WARREN TAKEUCHI
Survivor: CHUCK CHURCH
Missile Tech #1: DALIAS BLAKE
Missile Tech #2: LANE EDWARDS
Transport Vessel Soldier: TODD SCOTT
Young Girl on Beach: ZOE KRIVATSY
Father on Beach: SERGE M. KRIVATSY
Mother on Beach: LISE KRIVATSY
Pilot: JOSH COWDERY
Beret Leader: STEVEN M. MURDZIA
Airport Worker: KEO WOOLFORD
Older Woman at Beach Bar: LYNNE HALEVI
Older Man at Beach Bar: MARTIN KOGAN
FEMA Worker: SANDY RITZ
Lead Lightning Pilot: TOBY LEVINS
Army Soldier: ERIC BREKER
Ordinance Tech: JESSE REID
Evacuation Worker #1: AARON PEARL
Evacuation Worker #2: AMY FOX
Officer: RICH PAUL
Bus Driver: DEE JAY JACKSON
SFPD Cop: KYLE RIEFSNYDER
Golden Gate Navy Man on Deck: MICHAEL DENIS
SF School Bus Kid #1: MELODY B. CHOI
SF School Bus Kid #2: TAYA CLYNE
SF School Bus Kid #3: ERIKA FOREST
SF School Bus Kid #4: BEN HARRISON
SF School Bus Kid #5: GRAYSON MAXWELL GURNSEY
Praying Soldier: JUSTIN BLAYNE LOWERY
Government Spokesperson: MARCI T. HOUSE
Dispatch Officer: CHRIS SHIELDS
Airman: ZACH MARTIN
Civilian Analyst #1: DARREN DOLYNSKI
Civilian Analyst #2: P. LYNN JOHNSON
SF Ground Troop #3: LEIF HAVDALE
Airforce Loadmaster: ANTONIO ANAGARAN
Bucket Brigadier: KEVIN O’GRADY
Akio Photo Double: ZACHARY CHOE
Stunt Coordinators: JOHN STONEHAM, JR., JAKE MERVINE
2nd Unit Stunt Coordinator: LAYTON MORRISON
HALO Jump Stunt Coordinator: JT HOLMES

Godzilla 2014 World Wallpapers Being Revealed

It seems different sites in different countries are starting to post images (wallpapers) of Godzilla in different cities, so far we have Rome, Hong Kong, and Paris, all have the same feel as the San Francisco one, images below.

Movie Monsters, Monster Movies And Why 'Godzilla' Endures

From NPR.org

There have been hundreds of monster movies over the years, but only a handful of enduringly great movie monsters. Of those, only two were created for the screen: King Kong, the giant ape atop the Empire State Building, and his Japanese heir, Godzilla, the city-flattening sea monster who's a genuinely terrific pop icon. He not only stars in movies — Hollywood is bringing out a new Godzilla on May 16 — but he's even played basketball with Charles Barkley in a commercial for Nike.

It's been six decades since Godzilla first hit the screen, and to celebrate the big guy's birthday, Rialto Pictures is releasing Ishiro Honda's 1954 original — in a restored, 60th-anniversary edition — in theaters. I've seen Godzilla many times since I was a kid, but watching it again, I was struck that it might be the best single film about the terrors of the nuclear age.

I suspect you know the plot. It begins when American H-bomb tests in the Pacific disturb the watery environment that's the home of Gojira, as the monster is called in Japanese. After sinking assorted ships, this enormous beast winds up in Tokyo, where he stomps on buildings, flosses with power lines and blasts citizens with his radioactive bad breath. When the army is unable to stop him, the only hope is a new invention called the Oxygen Destroyer. But its idealistic creator is reluctant to reveal it for fear it will become a weapon — just look at the destruction that followed from splitting the atom.

Yet even as the inventor says this, the movie itself is offering us the seductive spectacle of violent ruin. And make no mistake: Destruction is great to look at. There's an amoral pleasure to be had in watching Godzilla reduce Tokyo to fiery rubble, rather like the beauty of seeing those napalmed palm trees flare like matches in Apocalypse Now or the illicit thrill of seeing the White House get obliterated in Independence Day — before Sept. 11, of course. Quite clearly, it's this joy in destruction that helped make Godzilla influential, especially in Hollywood, which over the past half-century has fed the worldwide audience's appetite for images of spectacular violence.

That said, Godzilla's real strength lies not in its effects — impressive for the time — but in its underlying emotional and cultural seriousness. It's not simply that the music is often doleful rather than exciting or that we see doomed children set off Geiger counters. The movie has a gravity that comes from being created in a Japan that knew what it was to have children die from radiation poisoning and to see its capital city in flames. Both drawn to and terrified of the monster's power, the movie is steeped in Japan's traumatic historical experience. It has weight. It means something.

Godzilla's resonance is also inseparable from something else that once defined the best monster movies — a sense of compassion for the monster. Boris Karloff's Frankenstein may have been scary, but we also felt his frailty and fear at being hunted. King Kong was dangerous, sure, but his eyes were charged with almost human feeling when he gazed at Fay Wray. The same is true of Godzilla, who starts out wreaking havoc but, by the film's end, takes on a melancholy, sad-faced grandeur.

These days, our pop culture doesn't encourage such identification. Ever since Jaws and Alien and Predator, whose creatures are ruthless murder machines, our monsters have increasingly become soulless things to be destroyed. Consider today's favorite monster, the zombie. Although zombies could hardly seem more human — heck, they just were human — the walking dead have no individuality and run in packs. They basically exist to have their heads shot off in movies and TV shows that resemble video games.

Godzilla is not remotely like this. In Jim Shepard's wonderful short story "Gojira, King of the Monsters" — part of his collection titled You Think That's Bad — Shepard offers a fictionalized account of the making of the movie. At one point, Shepard has director Ishiro Honda explain why the vanquishing of Godzilla feels so sad, and his words sum up brilliantly what gives Godzilla its strange power. "By the time the movie ends," Honda says, "[Godzilla] is like a hero whose departure we regret. It's like part of us leaving. That's what makes it so hard. The monster the child knows best is the monster he feels himself to be."

Godzilla 2014 Fiat Commercial

Godzilla likes italian!

4 More Godzilla Movie Clips

Countdown To Godzilla 2014: All Monsters Attack

All Monsters Attack, released in Japan as Godzilla, Minilla, Gabara: All Kaijū Daishingeki (ゴジラ・ミニラ・ガバラ オール怪獣大進撃, lit. "Godzilla, Minilla, and Gabara: All Monsters Attack'"), is a 1969 Japanese Kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Ishirō Honda, the film starred Tomonori Yazaki, Eisei Amamoto, and Kenji Sahara. The 10th film in the Godzilla series, this was also the first film specifically geared towards children. While credited with the special effects work, Eiji Tsuburaya was not directly involved with the production of this film. The "Special Effects Supervised by" credit was given out of respect, since he was still the head of the Visual Effects Department. The effects were handled by Ishirō Honda himself, with assistance from Teruyoshi Nakano.

The film was released theatrically in the United States in the winter of 1971 by Maron Films as Godzilla's Revenge, where it was paired up nationwide on a double bill with Island of the Burning Damned.

Plot
Ichiro Miki (Tomonori Yazaki) is a highly imaginative but lonely latchkey kid growing up in urban (and at that time, polluted) Tokyo. Every day he comes home to his family's empty apartment. His only friends are a toymaker named Shinpei Inami (Eisei Amamoto) and a young girl named Sachiko (Hidemi Ito). Every day after school, Ichiro is tormented by a gang of bullies led by a child named Sancho (Junichi Ito), whom Ichiro has nicknamed "Gabara." To escape his loneliness, Ichiro sleeps and dreams about visiting Monster Island. During his visit he witnesses Godzilla battle three Kamacuras and Ebirah, a giant sea monster. Ichiro is then chased by a rogue Kamacuras and falls into a deep cave, but luckily avoids being caught by Kamacuras. Shortly afterwards, Ichiro is rescued from the cave by Godzilla's Son, Minilla. Ichiro quickly learns that Minilla has bully problems too, as he is bullied by a monstrous ogre known as Gabara.

Ichiro is then awoken by Shinpei who informs him that his mother must work late, again. Down on his luck Ichiro goes out to play, but is then frightened by the bullies and finds and explores an abandoned factory. After finding some souvenirs (tubes, a headset, and a wallet with someone's license), Ichiro leaves the factory after hearing some sirens close by. After Ichiro leaves, two Bank Robbers (played by Sachio Sakai and Kazuo Suzuki) who were hiding out in the factory learn that Ichiro has found one of their drivers licenses and follow him in order to kidnap him.

Later, Ichiro dreams again and reunites with Minilla. Together they both watch as Godzilla fights Ebirah, Kumonga, and some invading Jets. Then in the middle of Godzilla's fights, Gabara appears and Minilla is forced to battle him, and after a short and one-sided battle Minilla runs away in fear. Godzilla returns to train Minilla how to fight and use his own atomic ray. However, Ichiro is woken up this time by the Bank Robbers and is taken hostage by them for taking their stuff and as a means of protection from the authorities.

Out of fear and being watched by the thieves, Ichiro calls for Minilla's help and falls asleep again where he witnesses Minilla being beaten up by Gabara again. Finally, Ichiro helps Minilla fight back at Gabara and eventually Minilla wins, catapulting the bully through the air by a seesaw-like log. Godzilla, who was in the area watching comes to congratulate his son for his victory, but is ambushed by a vengeful Gabara. Luckily after a short brawl, Godzilla beats down Gabara and sends the bully into retreat, never to bother Minilla again. Now from his experiences in his dreams, Ichiro learns how to face his fears and fight back, gaining the courage to outwit the thieves just in time for the police to arrive and arrest them. The next day, Ichiro stands up to Sancho and his gang and wins, regaining his pride and confidence in the process. He also gains their friendship when he plays a prank on a billboard painter.

English Version
The film was dubbed in English and released in North America on December 8, 1971 by Maron Films as Godzilla's Revenge on a double bill with Island of the Burning Damned. Maron Films later re-released the movie on a double bill with War of the Gargantuas.

There are some minor alterations between the Japanese version and the English dubbed version:

All Japanese-speaking dialogue is dubbed to English, by using English-speaking voice actors.
The Japanese version featured a vocal song over the opening credits (Kaiju no Māchi or March of the Monsters), sung by Risato Sasaki and the Tokyo Children's Choir, and issued on the Japanese label, Crown Records. While the English dubbed version features a jazzy instrumental entitled "Crime Fiction", composed by Ervin Jereb.
In the original Japanese version, Minilla was voiced by voice actresses, Midori Uchiyama and Michiko Hirai respectively. In the English dubbed version, Minilla is renamed "Minya", and he is given a cartoony male voice.
In the Japanese version, the two thieves' names were never mentioned in the film, but their names were shown on the credits. In the English dubbed version, the leader is given the name "Roy," but his partner's name is never mentioned in the film.

Cast
Tomonori Yazaki as Ichiro Miki
Kenji Sahara as Kenkichi "Tack" Miki
Eisei Amamoto as Shinpei Inami
Hidemi Ito as Sachiko
Junichi Ito as Sancho (Mitsukimi-bully)
Sachio Sakai as Bank Robber Senbayashi
Kazuo Suzuki as Bank Robber Okuda
Marchan the Dwarf (suit actor) as Minilla
Midori Uchiyama (voice)
Michiko Hirai (voice)
Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla
Yasuhiko Kakuko as Gabara
Yû Sekida (voice)
Yukiko Mori as Sachiko's Mother
Yoshiko Miyata as Landlady of the Inn  

Box Office
In Japan, the film sold 1,480,000 tickets. This was over a million tickets less than the previous Godzilla film, Destroy All Monsters (and it was the first Godzilla film to sell less than 2 million tickets).

DVD Releases
Classic Media
Released: Original Japanese version with English dubbed version as part of the Toho Master collection; originally supposed to be released in September 2007 but was made an "exclusive" to the Godzilla Toho Master Collection Box Set in November 2007, this and Terror of Mechagodzilla, it was released separately on April 29, 2008.
Region 1
Note: Part of the Toho Collection

Simitar Entertainment
Released: May 6, 1998 (under the name Godzilla's Revenge)
Aspect Ratios: Widescreen (2.35:1) letterboxed; full frame (1.33:1)
Sound: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Supplements: Godzilla trailer collection; Godzilla video art gallery; trivia game; DVD-ROM (screen savers, printable art galleries)
All regions

Sony Wonder (Classic Media)
Release date: September 17, 2002
Aspect Ratio: Full frame (1.33:1)
Supplements: Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters video game preview

Trivia
All Monsters Attack is considered by many fans to be the worst official Godzilla film.
All Monsters Attack is similar to Gamera: Super Monster because both were made in the Showa era, have a large amount of stock footage, having a kid as the main protagonist, and are considered the worst in their respective series.
This is one of three films in which monsters speak. The other two are Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, but it was translated by the Shobijin, and Godzilla vs. Gigan.
In a number of promotional images both Anguirus and Gorosaurus are seen in occasion, even though they both made cameos. It's possible that they were originally supposed to have a bigger role within the film and possibly help Minilla against Gabara (as some of the images suggest).

Although Ichiro says Rodan lives on Monster Island, he does not make any kind of cameo in the entire movie.

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Countdown To Godzilla 2014: Godzilla Vs. Hedorah

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (ゴジラ対ヘドラ Gojira tai Hedora?), is a 1971 Japanese science fiction kaiju film produced by Toho. Directed by Yoshimitsu Banno and featuring special effects by Teruyoshi Nakano, the film starred Akira Yamauchi, Toshie Kimura, and Hiroyuki Kawase. The 11th film in the Godzilla series, the film had a strong anti-pollution message with director Banno being inspired after visiting a polluted beach near Yokkaichi.

The film was released theatrically in the United States in the Spring of 1972 by American International Pictures as Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster.

Plot
The microscopic alien lifeform Hedorah feeds on Earth's pollution and grows into a poisonous, acid-secreting sea monster. After it sinks an oil tanker and attacks Dr. Yano and his young son Ken, scarring them both, Hedorah's toxic existence is revealed to the public. Ken has visions of Godzilla fighting the world's pollution, and insists Godzilla will come to humankind's aid against Hedorah.

Hedorah metamorphoses into an amphibian form, allowing it to move onto land to feed on additional sources of pollution. Hedorah is confronted by Godzilla. Hedorah is easily overpowered by Godzilla and retreats into the sea. It returns shortly thereafter in a flying saucer shape demonstrating new, even deadlier forms which it can switch between at will.

Thousands of people die in Hedorah's raids and even Godzilla is overwhelmed by Hedorah's poisonous emissions. As hope sinks, a party is thrown on Mt. Fuji to celebrate one last day of life before humankind succumbs to Hedorah. Ken realizes that Godzilla and Hedorah have come to Mt. Fuji as well for a final confrontation.

Dr. Yano has determined that drying out Hedorah's body may destroy the otherwise unkillable monster. The JSDF swiftly constructs two gigantic electrodes for this purpose, but their power is cut off by Godzilla and Hedorah's violent battle. Godzilla energizes the electrodes with his atomic ray, dehydrating Hedorah's outer body. Hedorah sheds this outer body and takes flight to escape, but Godzilla propels himself through the air with his atomic ray to give chase. Godzilla drags Hedorah back to the electrodes and continues to dehydrate it until Hedorah dies. Godzilla tears apart Hedorah's dried-out body and dehydrates the pieces until nothing remains but dust.

With Ken calling after him, Godzilla returns to the sea, but not before glaring threateningly at the surviving humanity whose pollution spawned Hedorah. The question arises: Could it happen again?

Cast
Akira Yamauchi as Dr. Toru Yano
Toshio Shiba as Yukio Keuchi
Hiroyuki Kawase as Ken Yano
Keiko Mari as Miki Fujiyama
Toshie Kimura as Toshie Yano
Godzilla, the King of the Monster and the titular kaiju character who comes to Japan's rescue to defeat Hedorah.
Hedorah, the main antagonist of the film and the Smog-Monster, Hedorah is a protean, sludge like enemy from Outer Space.

Production
Kenpachiro Satsuma, the actor who played Hedorah, was struck with appendicitis during the production. Doctors were forced to perform the appendectomy while he was still wearing the Hedorah suit, due to the length of time it took to take off. During the operation, Satsuma learned that painkillers have no effect on him.

On a side note, this was the only time we see Godzilla fly under his own power. He uses his atomic ray as jet propulsion. Director Banno reportedly added the scene to provide a light moment in what is otherwise a fairly dark film compared to many of those which preceded it.

Yoshimitsu Banno was so pleased with Godzilla vs. Hedorah that he started writing another Godzilla film. An unnamed project, dubbed Godzilla vs. Hitodah on the site, was his first attempt, but he abandoned it in favor of a direct sequel to his 1971 Godzilla film called Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2. However, Tomoyuki Tanaka, who was hospitalized during the production of Godzilla vs. Hedorah was extremely dissatisfied with the final product and went as far as to tell Banno that he had "ruined Godzilla." So Tanaka immediately barred Banno from making another Godzilla film. In fact, Banno was never allowed to direct another Toho film again and was reduced to assistant director for Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974) and as overseer of the animated TV show Cashan: Robot Hunter (1988).

According to Banno though, from later interviews conducted with him, Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2 was actually still being worked on after he was removed from the project. Although who the new director would have been is unknown, but Jun Fukuda seems the most likely candidate considering that he would step up to direct the next three Godzilla films. If the film was going to keep its Africa setting at this stage is not known. The project was eventually scrapped, and three more proposed projects would be introduced that following year before finally settling on Godzilla vs Gigan (1972).

American International Pictures theatrical poster for the
1972 U.S release of Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster.

English Versions
The film was released in April 1972 by American International Pictures under the title Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster. There were several small alterations: dialogue was dubbed to English, and the song "Save the Earth" (based on a song in the original Japanese version of the film) was added. This version was rated 'G' by the MPAA, and the same version was given an 'A' certificate by the BBFC for its UK theatrical release in 1975.

The AIP version has been replaced in the North American home video and television markets (including Sony's DVD) by Toho's international version, titled Godzilla vs. Hedorah. This version features a different English dub dubbed by Axis International and also lacks the English-language song, Save the Earth.

Reception
Critical reaction to the film has been mixed, with some embracing its eccentricity and others deriding it.

Japan Hero said the film is "recommended for Godzilla fans, but don't expect much out of it," adding that while "the special effects appear to be pretty good" and "watching it in its original [Japanese] language does make the movie more tolerable," "the character designs ... are bad" and "the music ... really kills the movie." Monster Zero criticized the film's production values and said that it "succeeds in carrying the series over the edge into strictly kid's stuff" and "begins the series' inexorable slide into oblivion." Stomp Tokyo said the film has "many obvious, crippling flaws" but added that "there are some good things," praising the monster action in particular.

American Kaiju called the film "a confused Godzilla non-epic that doesn't seem to be sure just who it was made for in the first place." DVD Talk said it "earns points for trying something new, to break away from what was fast becoming a tired formula. The film isn't as entertaining as Godzilla vs. Gigan or Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, but it is more original and daring, and ... fans will want to pick [it] up."

The U.S. dubbed version was featured in the 1978 book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time.

Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla) and Kenpachiro Satsuma (Hedorah), stage a fight as part of publicity for the film's release in Japan.

Box Office
In Japan, the film sold 1,740,687 tickets.

Home Media Releases
Kraken Releasing - Blu-Ray
Released: May 6, 2014
Picture: AVC-1080P (2.35:1)
Sound: Japanese and English (DTS-HD Mono)
Subtitles: English
Extra: Original Japanese Theatrical Trailer
Note: 86 Minutes
MPAA Rating: PG for sci-fi monster violence and brief mild language

Sony Pictures DVD
Released: October 19, 2004
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.35:1) Anamorphic
Sound: Japanese (2.0), English (2.0)
Supplements: Trailers for Kaena: The Prophecy, The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra and Steamboy
Region 1
Rated PG for sci-fi monster violence and brief mild language.

DigitalDisc DVD
Released: Unknown
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Sound: English Mono
Supplements: On Double Feature DVD with Godzilla vs. Megalon
Region 1
rated PG for sci-fi monster violence and brief mild language.

Orion Pictures VHS
Released: 1989
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Sound: English Mono
Orion release of AIP's version of the film

Legacy
After Yoshimitsu Banno finished directing Godzilla vs. Hedorah, he began work on creating another installment in the Godzilla series. Like his first Godzilla movie, Banno had wanted the next film to have a strong message against pollution. The initial idea was that a mutant starfish-like monster battles Godzilla. However, he scrapped this idea and wrote what was going to be Godzilla vs. Hedorah 2. In it, Godzilla was to fight another Hedorah, this time in Africa. Due to Tomoyuki Tanaka's reaction to Banno's first Godzilla film, this was never realized.

Director Yoshimitsu Banno spent several years trying to acquire funding for a 40-minute IMAX 3D Godzilla film starring a new version of Hedorah called Deathla. The project was tentatively titled Godzilla 3D: To The Max. With Banno currently working as a producer on Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures upcoming Godzilla reboot, the Godzilla 3D: To The Max project was scrapped.

Trivia
This was the first Godzilla film made in the 1970s, and the eleventh entry in the series.
This was the first film in several years to neither reuse an old monster (not counting Godzilla) or recycle footage from a previous movie in the series. This is noteworthy since the previous five films (made between 1965-1969) had increasingly done both.
Hedorah's origin is also unique for it is the only monster to be created from pollution.
Hedorah's only other appearance is in Godzilla: Final Wars, where it appears alongside Ebirah in a single scene cameo and is defeated almost immediately. It is never stated what purpose Hedorah has in attacking Tokyo, and it is possible that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. In all likelihood, this appearance was merely as an extra monster to make the Xilien forces appear more numerous because the costume was on hand.