The Godzilla Thread - Plus other giant monsters, no matter how popular or obscure

[TVB]

Forget Barbenheimer Godzillaheimer is where it's at!
View attachment 5544641

Barbie: first product was introduced in Japan

Oppenheimer and Godzilla: we got some work to do

 

[Illuminati Order Official]

Again, despite having only a tiny $15 million budget, Minus One still looks better than many of the $200 million plus films coming out of Hollywood.

Seriously, how did this film pull that off?

Same way Hollywood used to do it back when they knew how to make good movies - by creativity and working around their limitations. Turns out throwing billions of dollars at something doesn't automatically make it good.

 

[Kari Kamiya]

Funny how in 2023, we got two movies about the bomb with different perspectives on it. One was made by Hollywood in which they deeply inhale their own farts explore the psyche of the real person who made the bombs because the government paid him to only to be appalled when it's used for its intended purpose, and added boobs to it for some reason. The other was made by Japs who're still reeling from the horrors of the bombings but it's about a character who's haunted by war deciding something needed to be done about it even if it means he has to die to save his country, and there's no boobs to be had but they compensate with creature gore.

Then you compare the budgets of 15 million and 100 million and ask yourself "Which is more impressive from a technical and story-telling standpoint?", and you remember the hatesink that is Hollywood always stealing thunder from those who don't lick the WEF's boot and that Oppenheimer will win Oscars while Godzilla Minus One won't.

 

[Clown College 2nd Year]

Funny how in 2023, we got two movies about the bomb with different perspectives on it. One was made by Hollywood in which they deeply inhale their own farts explore the psyche of the real person who made the bombs because the government paid him to only to be appalled when it's used for its intended purpose, and added boobs to it for some reason. The other was made by Japs who're still reeling from the horrors of the bombings but it's about a character who's haunted by war deciding something needed to be done about it even if it means he has to die to save his country, and there's no boobs to be had but they compensate with creature gore.

Then you compare the budgets of 15 million and 100 million and ask yourself "Which is more impressive from a technical and story-telling standpoint?", and you remember the hatesink that is Hollywood always stealing thunder from those who don't lick the WEF's boot and that Oppenheimer will win Oscars while Godzilla Minus One won't.

While I do agree with you I also have to ask whether anyone gives a shit about the oscar's anymore? I think the last time I watched and actually cared was way back in 2003 when ROTK won best picture. Like many facades in our crumbling society I think a hell of lot more people know or at least are starting realize what an absolute joke hollywood is. Not trying to be contrarian or anything but your post did give me some deep thunks about the current state of entertainment.

 

[LightDragonman1]

This may be weird, but Minus One almost reminded me of First Blood, mainly in terms of how it tackled the themes of survivor's guilt and wartime trauma in veterans. Heck, one scene involving the main characters emotional breakdown felt very similar to the ending of that movie.

 

[el bandito loco]

I wonder how long we are looking at for a US home video release. I'm assuming we're getting an English dub for it but I hope they don't learn the wrong lesson from it having a successful states release and bring it back to theaters with it and just instead throw it on a bluray.

I'm extremely glad it's doing well and hope that it makes wide releases of future movies a given but I do think this movie did sort of get lucky. it had a lot of factors working for it. comparatively low budget, nothing else came out recently for the pg13 market anyone would be seeing, and I think there was probably plenty of normal Joes who assumed this was a monsterverse movie walking in. personally I think it was a mistake to not dub it for theatrical release here, although I would have went to a subtitled showing if there was one anyway.

I think what this does prove though is there's no reason not to wide release some of these Japanese action movies because their budgets are low enough they will most likely make extra profit in the states. I don't know that your average guy would have liked shin ultraman or kamen rider but the fact those movies were understandable without watching a show they haven't seen I think people would have at least went. I'm in Missouri and the limited release showings were sold the fuck out when I went to see those at a theater that does more indie and foreign releases, and minus one was close at a 4pm show in just a regular small town movie theater. I've thought the same thing about certain anime movie releases too, a friend and I saw the last 4 DBZ movies at limited releases and they made no sense to me, I get why its a limited release for a gundam movie in the states but dragon ball is guaranteed to make money. I think Godzilla has the same brand recognition if not bigger and the fact the Japanese films don't cost half a billion dollars pretty much guarantees they can hit half of their budget or more here. It helps the movie is great but still.

 

[draggs]

I'm a member of the subtitle master race but I don't object to GOOD dubs. Which are like 0.1% of dubs even in the year of our Lord current year

 

[el bandito loco]

I'm a member of the subtitle master race but I don't object to GOOD dubs. Which are like 0.1% of dubs even in the year of our Lord current year

I prefer dubs tbh especially with Godzilla movies they're a big part of the franchise identity in my mind but I'd rather watch any new ones subtitled the first time to see the actual intent before I get used to the dubbed version. that being said, I just think financially they'd probably do better with a GA to have dubs in theaters.

 

[draggs]

I prefer dubs tbh especially with Godzilla movies they're a big part of the franchise identity in my mind but I'd rather watch any new ones subtitled the first time to see the actual intent before I get used to the dubbed version. that being said, I just think financially they'd probably do better with a GA to have dubs in theaters.

Well of course the Showa and early Heisei dubs are great. All those Boston guys GODZILLER

 

[Elite Miko]

I hate how people try to make Godzilla or in this case, Minus One, as some sort of political thinkpiece when it's nothing more than saying using nuclear weapons is bad. It's not taking a side on an issue or making a real group of people look cartoonishly evil which would it be political at that point. It's about the people of Japan coming together to stop a threat that is way bigger (literally and figuratively) than a war.

 

[Carnavoyeur]

Of all of the Godzilla films, I've only watched the original and Shin prior to this. I enjoyed all of them. What are some other must-watch Godzilla films?

 

[el bandito loco]

Of all of the Godzilla films, I've only watched the original and Shin prior to this. I enjoyed all of them. What are some other must-watch Godzilla films?

It kinda depends on what you want out of em. I'd recommend GMK because it's tonally got some serious shit going on and it could ease you into the more goofy monster fight shit that's a huge part of the series. my favorite one is probably vs Biollante or vs the Smog Monster but it really just depends on what you want. If you like the original, minus one and shin I'd recommend 85 but they're really the only ones like that. the 60s and 70s movies are goofy monster mashes and the 90s ones are more serious in tone but equally as out there with weird time travel shenanigans and shit and the 2000s ones are a weird mix of the aesthetics and tones of both earlier eras.

 

[Point and Laugh]

After watching both trailers, and planning to see GMO this weekend, all I keep thinking is the Hollywood Godzilla is Jesus Godzilla and Japanese Godzilla is the opposite. Not the devil or anything, but American Godzilla is here to save us, Japanese Godzilla is here to fuck up your whole day.

 

[Carnavoyeur]

It kinda depends on what you want out of em. I'd recommend GMK because it's tonally got some serious shit going on and it could ease you into the more goofy monster fight shit that's a huge part of the series. my favorite one is probably vs Biollante or vs the Smog Monster but it really just depends on what you want. If you like the original, minus one and shin I'd recommend 85 but they're really the only ones like that. the 60s and 70s movies are goofy monster mashes and the 90s ones are more serious in tone but equally as out there with weird time travel shenanigans and shit and the 2000s ones are a weird mix of the aesthetics and tones of both earlier eras.

Thx m8. I like when everything's played straight and kaiju are treated as threatening and horrific monsters. I really love the Ultra series (hence my username) and prefer the episodes that are darker and scarier and have more of an X-Filss vibe to them. I'll probably end up watching everything at some point but considering how many films there are I wanted to know if there's any gems that I should watch first.

 

[Hal]

Alright that was the best movie I've ever seen in a theater loved every second of it

 

[el bandito loco]

Thx m8. I like when everything's played straight and kaiju are treated as threatening and horrific monsters. I really love the Ultra series (hence my username) and prefer the episodes that are darker and scarier and have more of an X-Filss vibe to them. I'll probably end up watching everything at some point but considering how many films there are I wanted to know if there's any gems that I should watch first.

yeah then you should watch Godzilla 85, then maybe try it's sequels they get kinda stupid as they go on but I like them. I definitely think you'll like GMK from 2001, it's got a sort of homage to Ultra Q thing going on with its TV news crew gang, and Godzilla is a scary pissed off motherfucker the whole movie smashing hospitals and shit. and you might like the two that came out after that Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, & Tokyo SOS. it's not Godzilla but if you haven't seen them you should watch the 90s Gamera trilogy. I still think as far as traditional guy in suit kaiju movies they're unmatched.

 

[The Nothingness]

Of all of the Godzilla films, I've only watched the original and Shin prior to this. I enjoyed all of them. What are some other must-watch Godzilla films?

Mothra vs. Godzilla is listed as one of the best in the franchise and you don't need to see the Mothra film that came out prior since this one does an abridged version of her backstory. The next installments after MvG, Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster and Invasion of Astro-Monster (aka Godzilla vs. Monster Zero) are the ones that establish King Ghidorah as Godzilla's major nemesis and transition the Big G into his Earth defender role. Since Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla was already mentioned, I will recommend the first introduction to the robotic doppelganger: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). It is a bit graphic since Japanese cinema was also experimenting with the gritty style of 1970s Hollywood but not too gruesome. The follow-up, Terror of Mechagodzilla, is the last of the Showa era (even though when Godzilla comes back to the big screen, the emperor is still Hirohito) as the director of the original, Ishiro Honda, gives a proper send-off to the King of the Monsters.

 

[TVB]

After watching both trailers, and planning to see GMO this weekend, all I keep thinking is the Hollywood Godzilla is Jesus Godzilla and Japanese Godzilla is the opposite. Not the devil or anything, but American Godzilla is here to save us, Japanese Godzilla is here to fuck up your whole day.

Which American Godzilla? If you're referring Legendary Pictures Godzilla, then yes he's truly the son of Godzilla. For TriStar Pictures/Roland Emmerich's own OG Zilla, he's not worthy of god. But I will say this about the latter, at least there were a lot of fish

 

[el bandito loco]

my favorite of the Showa era (barring the original of course) is Vs The Smog Monster. It's the only one I didn't grow up with and own on tape, I had thought I had seen them all but at some point around 2012 or something I looked up a list and went through my tapes and DVDs and it was the only one I didn't have and so I bought it on ebay and it blew my mind at how fuckin' weird it is. the music in particular has this really weird vibe that every time Godzilla shows up with his theme for the movie it makes him seem drunk or something. there's also that hilarious save the earth song, the monster turning people to skeletons, the weird disco vibe, random animation and heavy handedness of the story. I totally understand why it's basically the black sheep of the series but at least unlike Godzilla's Revenge (the other black sheep) it's interesting and not a slog to sit through.

when I was a kid my two favorites of the first era were the original mechagodzilla and monster zero/astro monster. weirdly enough I associate Showa Godzilla with the hardware store because for whatever reason they had a rack of $5 videos up front by the counter so my dad would let me grab one once a month when we were in there for whatever it was he was buying and that's where I ended up getting the majority of them. the hesei and millennium movies I got when they were newly released here from the video store. It's kind of a shame the way the older dubs aren't getting rereleases I shelled out for that criterion set when it came out without looking into it and was super disappointed that some only had the Japanese versions and the rest where the toho export dubs which are way worse quality wise then some of their (albeit usually more altered) original dubs. It was cool to see the original versions in HD but having those even in SD as a bonus feature would have been nice because with all the home video releases its sometimes difficult or near impossible to find the same versions as my old beat up videos. I have the whole franchise on blu ray now and it also sucks the American version of 1985 is nowhere to be found because although the Japanese export version is better there is still some good stuff probably lost on official releases forever in the Raymond Burr Dr. Pepper cut

 

[Godzilla1984]

There are Raymond Burr supercuts on YouTube, and that's all that is worth watching from Godzilla 1985.
I'm going to cheat my favorite Showa Godzilla film, other than the original, being Return of Godzilla.
Movie chronology, it's the first Heisei Godzilla film, but it is the last Showa Godzilla film since the period ended in 1989, but just before Godzilla vs. Biollante released.