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    Godzilla, kaiju and tokusatsu movies!

    Roar!

    There's been a few mentions of Godzilla films, but no dedicated thread since Godzilla Final Wars came out a few years back, so I thought I'd rectify that!

    Judging by rmoxon's avatar and some of Prinny's movie night updates, I'm guessing I'm not the only person who'd rather watch a man in a rubber suit trampling on a scale model of Tokyo than some cgi cheating.

    Thought I'd make a place for you to list your top 3 or 5 films/shows and discuss which films you like and why.

    I got into them when I was at school and a kid in the year above said to check out the crazy films on Channel 4 after Vic Reeves' Big Night Out. This was their "Creature Feature" season, back when Channel 4 used to show cult stuff like Jackie Chan films and not Big Brother ad nauseum.

    Thought I'd get the ball rolling:

    1. Godzilla Vs. Megalon.
    This is the first Godzilla film I saw and it got me hooked. It's regarded as one of the worst Godzilla films, but I love it! It's got a crazy 70's J-Funk soundtrack, an inventor, giant monster tag-team fighting and the amazing Jet Jaguar. I really liked the story too.

    2. Terror of Mechagodzilla
    It starts with a re-cap of Godzilla's first encounter with his mecha counterpart and soon turns into pure melodrama as shamed scientist, Shinz? Mafune is forced to control Titanosaurus by a mysterious organisation keeping his daughter alive. What's not to love about a battle with a robot Godzilla?

    3. Godzilla Vs. Gigan
    Espionage, Godzilla Tower, monsters talking, hold-ups with sweetcorn and escape plans while giant monsters battle in the background.

    I only saw the original Godzilla when it was recently re-released and I saw it at the IMAX! It was an amzing night and the film is a lot darker than some of the later films.

    So... any other fans on here?

    #2
    Ah, the thread of kings (Ghidorah, probably. Or maybe Caesar).

    Of the kaiju films I've seen so far, I'd have to say these are my favourites -

    (In no order)

    Godzilla vs Monster Zero
    One of the first Godzillas I saw, this has a good balance of action and story. The aliens are hilarious, but it's quite a lavish production really. The Highland Fling bit is ... forgivably entertaining. Always been a fan of King Ghidorah and the mad noises he makes.

    Giant Monsters All Out Attack
    I watched this with the missus and she actually enjoyed it! Baragon is 'cute' apparently. It was nice to see Godzilla as the bad guy for a change, and the effects were pretty good for such a traditional mash-up.

    Frankenstein Conquers the World

    A massive surprise this one, it had me gripped throughout. The gradual scaling up of effects as the monster gets bigger and bigger is fantastic, and at last the version out there on dvd includes the climatic battle against the octopus. Good performances throughout, and a totally different effort to the norm.

    There's loads of others I really like; Destroy All Monsters, Gamera the Invincible, King Kong Escapes and Godzilla 2000 are just a few.

    There's also the shelf full of dvds yet to be watched that I've tracked down over the years - Mothra, War of the Gargantuas, Yongary, The X From Outer Space, Gorath, Daimajin Trilogy, Pulgasari, 1990s Gameras, and Gappa.

    I have a soft spot for Western monster movies too - Them! and Gorgo are particular faves, and I'd like to track down stuff like Roger Corman's Attack of the Crab Monsters.

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      #3
      I'm really curious about Pulgasari because its background story is so surreal.

      North Korean leader, Kim Jong-il (he's so ronery), kidnapped South Korean director Shin Sang-ok and his actress wife, Choi Eun-hee, because he's a big film fan and wanted to start the North Korean movie industry.

      Judging by the clips I've seen online, I can see why he's not cleaned up at the Oscars!

      I might check out some of the later Gamera flicks as they look pretty sweet.

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        #4
        I love the earliest Gamera films. The US version of Gammera the Invincible is a really nice watch - loads of grainy black and white footage of mock interviews with experts and meetings in the UN (I think) spliced into the original film. Then filming style itself is quite downbeat and underplayed, and the whole thing has this wonderful grittiness about it, in stark contrast to the kiddie-comedy antics of early 70s Gamera fims. There's some tremendous effects work in those later 90s Gameras, I haven't watched the whole films, just bits and bobs.

        I got Pulgasari off yesasia and haven't watched it yet, but the noise the big monster makes when it fires a bolt from its mouth just cracked me up. Bwweeepppp!

        The Daimajin films have tremendous effects, btw, and have a really unique setting for that stye of film.

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          #5


          Check this out! Especially the youtube clip at the bottom of the page.


          G Trailer 1

          G Trailer 2

          And I've no idea if this got released on dvd: I think it's a short film:

          Guilala - X Strikes Back!
          Last edited by prinnysquad; 24-01-2010, 18:43.

          Comment


            #6
            check out cinemassacres guide to godzilla movies on youtube

            Comment


              #7
              Superb. I loved their guide to Top 10 Giant Movie Monsters too.

              The Giant Claw! "As big as a battleship!"

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                #8
                Just looking at my list of stuff still to get from Toho and other companies in the kaiju, tokusatsu and space genres:

                TOHO:
                The Mysterians 1957
                Varan The Unbelievable 1958
                Matango (Attack of the Mushroom People) 1962
                Atragon 1964
                Dogora 1964
                The Green Slime 1968
                Yog: The Monster From Space (Space Ameoba) 1970
                War in Space 1977
                Battle in Outer Space 1959
                The H-Man 1958
                Latitude Zero 1969
                Sayonara Jupiter 1984

                DAIEI:
                Warning From Space 1956
                Gamera vs Gaos 1967
                Gamera vs Guiron (Attack of the Monsters) 1969
                Gamera vs Jiger (Gamera vs Monster X) 1970
                Gamera vs Zigra 1971

                TOEI:
                Terror Beneath the Sea 1966
                The Magic Serpent 1966

                CENTURY:
                Monster Wangmagwi 1967 (apparently impossible to find, locked away in Korea somewhere)

                RANKIN-BASS/TSUBURAYA:
                The Last Dinosaur 1977

                So annoying that so much of this stuff is tough to get, or Region 1 only.

                Has anyone read Godzilla On My Mind by William TsuTsui? That's a good read, if somewhat critical of some films, but you can tell he loves the genre.

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                  #9
                  Watched King Kong Escapes again. Wow, the model work is really good! The sequence where that little craft travels across the water to the island was spot on. I miss modelwork in films

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                    #10
                    I love the fact the bad guy is called Doctor Who. I expected him to spend the whole film saying "NO! Not that Doctor Who, infidel!"

                    Mechanikong is awesome.

                    May have to switch my avatar back from my current Golden Harvest themed one!

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                      #11


                      Who? Hu? It is I, that's who!





                      Plus Linda Miller is quite tasty

                      Comment


                        #12
                        I love that sequence in the bottom photo where they launch Mechanikong from the base.

                        Reminds me of the great bit in Terror of Mechagodzilla where they're talking in front of all the repairs going on in the background on Mechagodzilla.

                        I've trawled for suitable pics and failed, sorry!
                        Last edited by QualityChimp; 26-02-2010, 13:43.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Ok i'm here

                          So yeah got into Godzilla myself with Channel 4's "Creature Feature" which ran iirc Invasion of the Astro Monster all the way up to Terror of Mecha Godzilla, so the camp, cheesey Godzilla is what i was bought up on.....

                          and then later on in the 90's around 95 - 96 was it Manga Released Godzilla vs King Ghidorah and Vs Mothra and i was like where the hell did these come from, they look modern and cool.....Well M11 in GvsKG isnt cool....HES ****ING INSANELY COOL lol

                          So coming to 2000 - 2001 i see on amazon in the US VHS's of Destroyah, Biollante, Space Godzilla so i order them up ( at the time i had just had a put of money left me ) and get myself a VHS player that plays NTSC....and thats it the sickness started.

                          Now i own every Godzilla movie on DVD, mainly so i can watch them in Japanese now ( although i can still watch the dubs of the ones i watched as a kid lol ) plus other Toho classics like Atragon, Space Ameoba, Baragon, the Mothra Trilogy etc and of course all of the Gamera movies, and if you have seen my
                          Collection i moved into Toys and Statues.

                          So my top 5 Godzilla. I'm gonna split this down because i dont think you can compare the 60/70's ones to the newer ones as they offer such different tones...

                          So Old Skool Showa top 5!

                          5.Son of Godzilla

                          I know its so stupid but i love little Minilla and the scenes of him training are so good, its the best sort of cheese.

                          4.Godzilla vs Ebirah

                          I think this one is all nostalgia, again its pretty bad, but seeing G fight the worst Vulture puppet EVER made is a pure joy. Also gets extra points for G ripping off Ebirah's claw and open and closing it lol

                          3. Godzilla vs Megalon

                          I know alot of fans dont like this, it is a pretty terrible movie but there hasnt been a day where i haven't shouted out loud megalon, MEGALON MEEGALON!!! Also i love Megalons Design, Jet Jaguar is both amazing and terrible all in the same space, Gigans in it ffs!! It is a classic, i might even argue its one of the greatest comedies ever made lol

                          2. Destroy all Monsters

                          Godzilla, Minilla, Gorosaurus, Kumonga, Anguirus, Baragon, Varan, Mothra, Rodan and Manda. Then throw in King Ghidorah. I love this film in everyway, its the purest form of Godzilla imo, The Aliens, The monsters, the story line....all perfect. It should be first but...

                          1. Godzilla Vs Gigan

                          Gigan. My fave Kaiju ever just such a fantastic design, i love how hes fierce yet cowardly, if this film had anyone else in it wouldnt be my number one. as for the rest of the movie, its a joy it really is, i actually like the plot....Giant Beetle men building a fun park to take over the world....now thats a ****ing plot!

                          I like the fact the fat guy makes a guy faint with a corn on the cob, i like th fact they put a stupid drawing up in the lift and to then top it all off with Godzilla & Anguirus vs Gigan and Ghidorah....oh man and then throw in more BLOOD than you ever seen in a Godzilla movie lol its just so good!! Also godzilla and Anguirus have a chat lol.

                          So now Heisei and Millenium 89 - 2004 top 5 ( ok 6)!

                          6. G vs Biollante

                          Not the most action packed movie but i think this one out of all the Heisei Series had the perfect Godzilla Suit before he went waaay too bulky, also i think Biollante is just so well designed and a fresh twist on the creation of a monster then add to that some very impressive wide shots of Godzilla fighting Biollante ( she just looks so HUGE!! ) and you have a nice serious, atmospheric addition to the series.

                          5. G vs Megaguirus

                          I loved the G2K suit, it was a fantastic suit imo but the Movie was terrible, where as this i really liked, it had a bit of an "Alien" vibe to it and the special effects were getting better and better..

                          4. G VS King Ghidorah

                          M11. Need i say more? Probably the greatest android in anything ever! Mecha King Ghidorah was pretty cool too

                          3. G Vs Destoryah

                          This had to be in there, again a bt of an "Alien" vibe to it, but it all comes down to that final scene and the credit roll, you can't call yourself a Godzilla fan if you dont get shivers when you see that.

                          2. Tokyo SOS

                          It was just really really enjoyable and a lot better than G vs Mechagodzilla before it, plenty of action, everything looks great.....its just a great movie Godzilla or not.

                          1. GMK

                          Now when i read that the Director who did the 90's Gamera Trilogy was doing the next Godzilla film i was over joyed and boy did he deliver. This movie is nigh on Godzilla perfection, i just love the fact that Godzilla is a Menace and that Ghidorah is the Hero this time, couple that with a fantastic pace and amazing special effects and you have my fave ( Seirous ) Godzilla movie hands down. If you havent seen this BUY IT NOW!

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Woah i wrote a lot lol

                            If anyone reads it all, i mention the 90's Gamera Trilogy i URGE any Kaiju fan to pick these up, Legion and Iris are 2 of THE best Monster movies you will ever see and i cannot recommend them enough.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Some good write ups there Neo. I got into them staying up late watching the c4 creature feature too. I see you missed off the smog monster I reckon that is in a genre all of it's own. Also I love the way Manda on the old flicks goes HHSSTTTT!

                              HHHSSSTTT! HHHSSSSSSSSTT!

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