Godzilla likes italian!
Saturday, May 3, 2014
Countdown To Godzilla 2014: All Monsters Attack
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
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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).
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Friday, May 2, 2014
Countdown To Godzilla 2014: Godzilla Vs. Hedorah
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.
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?
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).
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| American International Pictures theatrical poster for the 1972 U.S release of Godzilla vs. The Smog Monster. |
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.
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| Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla) and Kenpachiro Satsuma (Hedorah), stage a fight as part of publicity for the film's release in Japan. |
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.
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Thursday, May 1, 2014
Countdown To Godzilla 2014: Godzilla Vs. Gigan
The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States in 1978 by Cinema Shares as Godzilla on Monster Island.
Giant insectoid aliens from a dying planet in "Space Hunter Nebula-M" plot to colonize the Earth. The aliens assume the forms of dead humans and work as the development staff of the peace-themed theme park, World Children's Land, the centerpiece of which is "Godzilla Tower". The Nebula-M aliens plan to use the space monsters Gigan and King Ghidorah, guided by two "Action Signal Tapes," to wipe out human civilization.
Manga artist Gengo Kotaka stumbles onto their plan after being hired as a concept artist for the park. When Gengo and his friends accidentally obtain one of the Action Signal Tapes and play it, Godzilla and Anguirus hear the signal and realize something is amiss. Godzilla sends Anguirus to investigate. When Anguirus approaches Tokyo, the Japan Self Defense Forces, misunderstanding the monster's intentions, drives him away.
Anguirus reports back to Monster Island, and Godzilla follows him back to Japan to save the Earth from Gigan and King Ghidorah. The aliens attempt to kill Godzilla with a lethal laser cannon hidden inside Godzilla Tower, but Gengo and his companions destroy the tower along with the aliens. After a lengthy fight, Godzilla and Anguirus force Gigan and King Ghidorah back into space and then Godzilla and Anguirus swim back to Monster Island, but not before Godzilla turns around and gives a roar of triumph, thanking to his friends.
Hiroshi Ishikawa as Gengo Kotaka
Yuriko Hishimi as Tomoko Tomoe
Minoru Takashima as Shosaku Takasugi
Tomoko Umeda as Machiko Shima
Toshiaki Nishizawa as Kubota, Head of Children's Land
Zan Fujita as Fumio Sudo
Kunio Murai as Takashi Shima
Gen Shimizu as Commander of Defense Forces
Koreyoshi Nakamura as Priest (as Zeko Nakamura)
Kuniko Ashihara as Middle-Aged Woman
Akio Murata as Editor of Comics Magazine
Noritake Saito as Henchman
Yasuhiko Saijô as Henchman
Naoya Kusakawa as Henchman
Wataru Ômae as Henchman
Haruo Nakajima as Godzilla / Background Comic Editor / JSDF Officer
Kenpachiro Satsuma as Gigan (as Kengo Nakayama)
Kôetsu Ômiya as Anguirus / Laser Radar Operator
Kanta Ina as King Ghidorah
Production
After attempts to make another Hedorah movie failed, Toho begun work on a very different project with Godzilla vs. the Space Monsters: Earth Defense Directive. The script called for a total of six monsters, including the creation of three new kaiju: Gigan, Megalon, and Majin Tuol(a giant Daimajin like statue). The film was not to be though, and the idea was reworked into The Return of King Ghidorah, before that project was canned as well.
Although this particular film idea was scrapped, elements from it would be used in later Toho films, as Gigan and the Godzilla Tower would appear in this finished product as well as its sequel (Gigan has also become a staple in the video games, and re-appeared in 2004's Godzilla: Final Wars), and Megalon would go on to star in that sequel entitled Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973).
The Return of King Ghidorah was to be a more extravagant version of what would ultimately become Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972). Despite the similar plot to what the movie became, the original concept had a rather large monster cast. On the alien side, King Ghidorah was touted as the project's character to beat, unlike the final draft which placed greater focus on Gigan. The cyborg monster was also fairly different at this stage, still having a scythe-like hand, but also a spiked ball and chain on the other. They were to work alongside another new monster called Mogu, a flying beast that could fire an oral weapon from its maw.
Unfortunately, the project's budget was ultimately far too modest for the idea's in this early script. At the minimum, it would have required three new suits in the form of Gigan, Mogu and Varan, the latter of which only had a small prop used for it in Destroy All Monsters (1968) since the original suit was heavily modified beyond recognition when it was loaned for filming of the Ultraman TV series. Taking the budget under consideration, Mogu was dropped while Rodan and Varan were replaced by Anguirus, to take advantage of the new suit that had been created in 1968 for the monster. King Ghidorah's name was dropped from the title, and the film became Earth Destruction Directive: Godzilla vs. Gigan.
Box Office
In Japan, the film sold approximately 1,780,000 tickets.
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| Cinema Shares theatrical poster for the 1978 U.S release of Godzilla on Monster Island. |
In 1978, Cinema Shares, the company responsible for the North American distribution of the released of slightly cut version of the international version of Godzilla vs. Gigan in North America. This version was re-titled Godzilla on Monster Island despite the fact that about a minute of the film actually takes place on Monster Island.
Very few edits were made, although Cinema Shares made several cuts to obtain a G-rating from the MPAA:
The title card reads "GODZILLA ON MONSTER ISLAND" and the laser beam effect from the Japanese credits sequence is gone.Godzilla On Monster Island was frequently shown in television syndication throughout the 80s, and it aired several times on The Sci-Fi Channel before being replaced by the widescreen international version in 2002. In 1988, New World Pictures picked up the home video rights to Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Toho provided New World Video with prints of the international versions, now titled Godzilla vs. Gigan and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, respectively. The dubbing was the same, but both films were now restored to their full length. These versions were subsequently re-released on video in 1992 by Starmaker Video, in 1997 by Anchor Bay and in 2004 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The Sony DVDs feature newly remastered prints of Toho's original international versions.
Gengo calls his girlfriend "a hard bitch " under his breath. Cinema Shares muted the entire soundtrack when the word " bitch " is muttered.
Two scenes of Godzilla bleeding from Gigan's attacks are trimmed. Gigan also cuts Anguirus in his snout with his abdominal saw, which is also edited out.
While Godzilla and Anguirus swim away at the end of the movie, Godzilla turns and blasts the camera with his radioactive breath (lifted from the opening of the film). The energy beam fills the camera, over which the words "THE END" are superimposed.
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| Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla), Kenpachiro Satsuma (Gigan), Koetsu Omiya (Angilias) and Kanta Ina (King Ghidorah, suspended by wires) put on a show in front of school kids as part of publicity for the films's release in Japan. |
Earth Attack Mission: Godzilla vs. Gigan - Translated Japanese title.
Godzilla vs. Gigan - Toho's official English title and current home video title.
Godzilla on Monster Island - American theatrical release title.
War of the Monsters - UK theatrical release title.
Soundtrack
The majority of the film's soundtrack consists of recycled cues from previous Toho films such as Frankenstein Conquers the World, Atragon, King Kong Escapes and several other Godzilla films. Akira Ifukube, who composed the music in all those movies, receives credit in the film. In addition to those stock tracks, several themes composed by Ifukube for the Mitsubishi Pavilion at Expo '70 are used throughout the movie. A new song called "Godzilla March," sung by Susumu Ishikawa and composed by Kunio Miyauchi, plays at the end of the film. Isikawa also performed two more new songs ("Go! Go! Godzilla" and "Defeat Gigan") that were released on the soundtrack album.
Home Media Releases
Sony Pictures
Released: October 19, 2004
Aspect Ratio: Widescreen (2.35) anamorphic
Sound: Japanese (2.0), English (2.0)
Supplements: Trailer for The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra
Region 1
Note: Contain's Toho's 'International Version' English dub track.
MPAA Rating: PG for sci-fi monster violence and some language.
Includes footage and dialogue cut from previous U.S. versions.
Kraken (Section23 Films) Releasing the first U.S. Blu-ray release on May 6, 2014.
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