Spyderco Forums

I hate the American version of Godzilla. The film makers hearken back to the cheezy 1970's Japanese Godzillas. He is a big cuddly friend of humanity.

Godzilla is the enemy of life! He is a monster! He must be destroyed. The original Godzilla, and Gigantis the Fire Monster were the right way to go. 1980's, 90's, 2000's, and the more recent Shin Godzilla, where it is a giant monster seeking to destroy everything is the best Godzilla.

Enough with these cute pets!

I don’t like either of the American Godzillas (the Matthew Broderick film was even worse than the current Godzilla).

Same with Rodan (original Japanese name: Radon). The 1956 original was excellent.

As a kid, I liked all the old Toho Godzilla films up through the ‘60s, but my favorite then and now still remains the 1954 original, Japanese version, Gojira...not the American version with Raymond Burr edited into it. The original Godzilla/Gojira is my favorite of the old-school classic movie monsters. Back in the early ‘70s I used to own all of the old Aurora monster model kits; King Kong, Godzilla, Frankenstein, Dracula, Wolfman, Phantom of the Opera, the Mummy, the Hunchback, the Witch, the Creature, the Forgotten Prisoner, etc.

Shin Godzilla was superior to either of the American versions, but I still prefer the original over it.

Jim

Shin Gojira was very terrifying indeed. Imagine a Godzilla that continually evolves to counter whatever humanity throws at you...and the ending shot was creepy to the max. Humanlike godzilla spawn? :eek: :eek: :eek:

Yeah, I still like the original best of all. I had all of those models, too.

I agree that Shin Godzilla was creepy in many ways. They did a nod to the original in that movie. It is far and away better than the big budget American films. I guess they thought a friendly monster was more appealing. It isn't.

What I want is a Godzilla movie that scares the crap out of me and makes me understand the terror such a monster would really be like.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 06, 2020 8:25 pm

I hate the American version of Godzilla.

DUDE! There is only ONE Lizard King, and his creators initials are B.O.C.

I always liked Mosura tai Gojira, when I was a kid.

I also love old Japanese action shows. Kamen Rider was one of my favorites.

RustyIron wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 06, 2020 11:18 pm

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Fri Nov 06, 2020 8:25 pm

I hate the American version of Godzilla.

DUDE! There is only ONE Lizard King, and his creators initials are B.O.C.

I've not thought about that group in years. That takes me way back.

Yeah I always liked the Blue Oyster Cult song of "GODZILLA" :cool:

I've also been told that Jeffrey Bezos ( Amazon CEO) is the "GODZILLA of Greed"

The Japanese versions of the GODZILLA movie I always thought were quite weird because the Japanese actors words didn't match what was coming out of their lips. :rolleyes:

JD Spydo wrote: ↑

Sat Nov 07, 2020 9:07 am

The Japanese versions of the GODZILLA movie I always thought were quite weird because the Japanese actors words didn't match what was coming out of their lips. :rolleyes:

Not weird, but English-dubbed for Western audiences. The originals in Japanese language with subtitles are better.

Jim

That Godzilla song by BOC was one of their best, IMO.

One of the most memorable things about the old Godzilla movies were the soundtracks by Akira Ifukube. In fact, a lot of people I knew who also watched the Godzilla (and other kaiju) movies back in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s like I did also found them memorable. The 1950s and 60s Japanese kaiju soundtracks were the best classic monster movie soundtracks ever. IIRC, a couple of the old tracks were also used in Shin Godzilla, as a tribute. Below were some of my favorites from the old era:

Opening theme used in original Japanese-language version (Gojira):

https://youtu.be/AUxJ8P3bH8k

Japanese Military March:

https://youtu.be/CiY5j5QvcdQ

Another version of the Military March used in Kaiju Daisenso/Invasion of Astro Monster (AKA Monster Zero) and some of the other 1960s Godzilla movies. This version reminds me of flying saucers wobbling and crashing into mountains:

https://youtu.be/n5mqi1oTSmc

Jim

I like all the different Godzilla treatments except where they made him asexually reproduce randomly where ever he was at. :p

I even like the ones where he does the Curly from the three stooges " Woob, Woob" stuff wiping off his forehead during the battle.

These movies really were all about entertainment and some of the battles against monster zero/Gidorah with Rodan and the worm version of Mothera were all about entertainment and didn't take themselves too seriously. Just what I wanted on a Saturday matinee showing on the local UHF channel in the 60's and early 70's. I've rewatched a few on "Comet" and enjoyed them just as much a year ago or so.

My wife always laughs at my love for the “man in the rubber suit” movies.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 08, 2020 12:15 am

My wife always laughs at my love for the “man in the rubber suit” movies.

Actually, I think people underestimate how difficult it was to film the old kaiju films in those ‘rubber suits’. According to Haruo Nakajima, the man who played Godzilla in all of the ‘50s and ‘60s Godzilla films, the original Godzilla suit was made of ready-mixed concrete and weighed 220 pounds. He almost drowned filming at least one scene of Godzilla in the water. In subsequent films, they had to make the suits lighter. TBH, I even liked the ‘60s Godzilla, even when they gave him a frog face and made him a protector of earth.

Also, imagine how difficult it was to set up and film those old-school monster battles. Far more difficult to film (and IMO, 100x more entertaining) than CGI.

Jim

I always felt kind of bad for Godzilla. I mean yeah, I'd kill him in self defense too, but it doesn't mean I'd have to like it. I thought he was a kinda cute monster.

Gigantis the Fire Monster, one of Godzilla's offspring, was not as good of a movie as the original Godzilla, but I still enjoyed it. The ending was not as good. There is no way to kill a Godzilla by burying it in ice.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 08, 2020 11:46 pm

Gigantis the Fire Monster, one of Godzilla's offspring, was not as good of a movie as the original Godzilla, but I still enjoyed it. The ending was not as good. There is no way to kill a Godzilla by burying it in ice.

The version of that I saw was called ‘Godzilla Raids Again’. I actually didn’t care for it much. The only Godzilla that was ever killed was the original (I’m not counting the atrocious 1998 American Godzilla).

Not Godzilla movies, but other Toho kaiju films I liked a lot include ‘Frankenstein vs Baragon’ and its sequel, ‘The War of the Gargantuas’ (original title: Frankenstein’s Monsters: Sanda vs Gaira). Also, the undersea sci-fi movie ‘Atragon’, which introduced the sea serpent Manda, that later appeared in ‘Destroy All Monsters’.

Jim

I think my memory of the old Godzilla movies as a child are a lot better than the movies. Remembering them on the big drive-in theaters when I was in elementary school and would cover my eyes because they were so scary, I guess we get a little jaded as we get older. Clash of the Titans use to scare me too, then in the late 70's Darth Vader came along...

One of my favorite cartoons growing up was Battle of the Planets (G-Force/Gatchaman). Always liked the style the Japanese artists took with stuff like that. Hadn't thought about that show in a long time :o

Doc, I'm resurrecting this thread to post this uncut, remastered, original Japanese version, Gojira (Godzilla) from 1954. This original version is my all-time favorite classic monster movie. Because this version is so much deeper than simply a monster movie. It is a metaphor for the horrors of war, and only the Japanese version captures that. IMO, still the best Godzilla movie ever made, bar none.

https://youtu.be/nn-Wg1NU32I

Jim

Awesome! Thanks!

I have to get my fix of Godzilla, from time to time and this will help.

In my opinion they should ban Americans from making Godzilla movies. Their sappy, wokeness really ruins it. Godzilla is a monster. It is horror. It is war against an unstoppable foe with all of the carnage and suffering. Even the Japanese lost it in the 1960's and 70's.

Doc Dan wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 03, 2022 11:22 pm

I have to get my fix of Godzilla