Unveiling the Mystery of Godzilla As Godzilla x Kong dominates box offices, we’re reminded of the 70-year legacy of a creature that has become an international symbol. From its conception in post-war Japan to its latest CGI iterations, Godzilla has evolved while maintaining its iconic status. The Birth of a Legend The original Gojira, directed by Ishiro Honda, struck a chord with its 1954 audience, embodying the fears of an era. The kaiju was a direct response to nuclear anxieties, with producer Tomoyuki Tanaka stating, the theme of the film was the terror of the bomb. A Symbol of Nature’s
The post Exploring Godzilla’s 70-Year Reign as Cinema’s Iconic Monster first appeared on TVovermind.
The post Exploring Godzilla’s 70-Year Reign as Cinema’s Iconic Monster first appeared on TVovermind.
- 4/11/2024
- by Steve Delikson
- TVovermind.com
Robert Zemeckis' blockbuster "Back to the Future Part II" was released in November 1989, and it expanded on the lore from the first. In the 1984 original, Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) went back in time to the 1950s when his parents were teenagers ... and not terribly interested in each other. To ensure he gets born, Marty has to arrange circumstances so that his mom and dad start dating. In "Part II," Marty is enlisted by Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) to travel to the far-flung future of 2015 to make sure that his kids stay out of legal trouble; this will be easy to do, as Marty's son (also Fox) happens to look just like him.
And, no, hoverboards aren't real. That was a rumor Zemeckis started himself.
The "Back to the Future" movies play fast and loose with causality but offer audiences a chance to feel like they're smart. In short, they're a hoot,...
And, no, hoverboards aren't real. That was a rumor Zemeckis started himself.
The "Back to the Future" movies play fast and loose with causality but offer audiences a chance to feel like they're smart. In short, they're a hoot,...
- 2/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The first trailer for upcoming MonsterVerse movie "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" featured a baby Kong and a new giant ape villain called Skar King, but both were overshadowed by the star of the show: Pink Godzilla.
Though Godzilla is most commonly associated with his classic white-blue atomic breath, director Adam Wingard isn't the first filmmaker to experiment with the color spectrum when it comes to Godzilla's most lethal power. There have been a dozen different continuities featuring the giant lizard, who has been reinvented and redesigned both drastically and subtly over the years.
The pink-glowing version of Godzilla is the same one that was featured in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' "MonsterVerse" movies -- starting with "Godzilla" in 2014 and most recently appearing in the spin-off series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters." But even within the decade-long lifespan of the MonsterVerse, we've also seen other versions of the big...
Though Godzilla is most commonly associated with his classic white-blue atomic breath, director Adam Wingard isn't the first filmmaker to experiment with the color spectrum when it comes to Godzilla's most lethal power. There have been a dozen different continuities featuring the giant lizard, who has been reinvented and redesigned both drastically and subtly over the years.
The pink-glowing version of Godzilla is the same one that was featured in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures' "MonsterVerse" movies -- starting with "Godzilla" in 2014 and most recently appearing in the spin-off series "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters." But even within the decade-long lifespan of the MonsterVerse, we've also seen other versions of the big...
- 2/7/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
When the monster was invented in 1954, Godzilla stood as a symbol of nuclear devastation. Indeed, in March of 1954, shortly before Ishiro Honda's film "Gojira" was made, a group of fishermen aboard the ship Daigo Fukuryu Maru was exposed to radiation from a nearby American nuclear bomb test in the Bikini Atoll. One of the fishermen died of radiation poisoning and their fish were irradiated, causing a public panic about the safety of their food and the effects nuclear fallout may be having on the local fauna. As all cineastes know, Godzilla was an animal mutated by nuclear tests, turning into a nuclear-powered, unstoppable force of destruction. Godzilla echoed the devastation of the nuclear bomb that Japan had suffered at the hands of America. Honda's original "Gojira" is a somber and downbeat film about how weapons of mass destruction will never be done destroying us.
In the years since...
In the years since...
- 1/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When the original Godzilla movie was being developed, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka hired author Shigeru Kayama to write the treatment that was then fleshed out into a screenplay by Takeo Murata and Ishirō Honda. And when the first sequel, Godzilla Raids Again, was in the works, it was again Kayama that provided the initial story. Kayama then wrote novelizations for both Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again – but while those books were first published in 1955, they never received an English translation. Until now. On October 3rd, the University of Minnesota Press will be publishing a book that contains English translations of the Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again! Copies can be pre-ordered at This Link.
The translations of Kayama’s text were handled by Jeffrey Angles, professor of Japanese at Western Michigan University, who also wrote a new afterword for the book.
Here’s the description of the Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again...
The translations of Kayama’s text were handled by Jeffrey Angles, professor of Japanese at Western Michigan University, who also wrote a new afterword for the book.
Here’s the description of the Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again...
- 8/4/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Ssff & Asia 2023, one of the largest international short film festivals in Asia accredited by the Academy Awards, began online screenings on Thursday, April 27, ahead of the opening ceremony which will be held on Tuesday, June 6.
Today, on May 9th, to commemorate Ice Cream Day, we will world premiere the online screening of “I Scream Fever” directed by Tetsuya Chihara of Lemon Life (art director and design producer) and starring Kotona Minami, Yumi Adachi, and Utaha (Wednesday Campanella), Marika Matsumoto, and Hattori (Macaroni Enpitsu). (Until 07/10)
URL:https://shortshorts.org/2023/news-reports/iscreamfever/
This work is a spin-off short film version of the feature film “Ice Cream Fever” directed by Tetsuya Chihara, which will be released on July 14th. Miwa (Minami Kotona), the main character who had lost her mother (Yumi Adachi), dances with Takako (Utaha), a high school student she met in Shibuya, and with her aunt Miwa (Marika Matsumoto), her heart...
Today, on May 9th, to commemorate Ice Cream Day, we will world premiere the online screening of “I Scream Fever” directed by Tetsuya Chihara of Lemon Life (art director and design producer) and starring Kotona Minami, Yumi Adachi, and Utaha (Wednesday Campanella), Marika Matsumoto, and Hattori (Macaroni Enpitsu). (Until 07/10)
URL:https://shortshorts.org/2023/news-reports/iscreamfever/
This work is a spin-off short film version of the feature film “Ice Cream Fever” directed by Tetsuya Chihara, which will be released on July 14th. Miwa (Minami Kotona), the main character who had lost her mother (Yumi Adachi), dances with Takako (Utaha), a high school student she met in Shibuya, and with her aunt Miwa (Marika Matsumoto), her heart...
- 5/12/2023
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Godzilla was once a monster well suited for Cold War symbolism, but times changed. And as written in the book Japan’s Favorite Mon-star, author and film historian Steve Ryfle suggested “the breakup of the Soviet Union and the fading of the global nuclear threat” may have played a part in Toho’s drastic decision to kill off its most celebrated character.” Death wasn’t unheard of for Godzilla; after all, the atomic monster perished in its first two appearances. The only difference in 1995 was Godzilla was no longer a mere metaphor for ruin and despair. So much had changed since Tomoyuki Tanaka’s creation embodied the nuclear horrors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. Godzilla had somehow become a hero, albeit a complicated one in the ‘90s and onward.
While the last leg of the Shōwa age depicted Godzilla as Japan’s foremost protector, the next installment of movies...
While the last leg of the Shōwa age depicted Godzilla as Japan’s foremost protector, the next installment of movies...
- 12/9/2022
- by Paul Lê
- bloody-disgusting.com
Whether you refer to it as Godzilla or Gojira, Toho's monstrous creature is able to stir fear in the hearts of many just by mentioning its name alone. After all, who wouldn't be intimidated by a massive lizard-like creature with atomic breath? Even when ignoring the poignant anti-war and anti-nuclear weapon messaging that was essential in developing Godzilla as a character, the beast is one scary Sob, and you certainly wouldn't want your city to be the subject of his ire.
Although the creature has firmly established itself as the most well-known kaiju in the world, its name actually has a pretty funny origin legend. We call it a legend for reasons you will soon find out, but Godzilla is not its original name. Rather, it's the American anglicization of Gojira, itself a portmanteau of gorilla and the Japanese term for whale, kujira. I suppose that if you squint, that...
Although the creature has firmly established itself as the most well-known kaiju in the world, its name actually has a pretty funny origin legend. We call it a legend for reasons you will soon find out, but Godzilla is not its original name. Rather, it's the American anglicization of Gojira, itself a portmanteau of gorilla and the Japanese term for whale, kujira. I suppose that if you squint, that...
- 11/13/2022
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Once upon a time, "Gojira" was a creature of the atomic bomb. This is no longer the case. Through years of evolution, "Gojira" drifted from nuclear anxieties. Its successors developed their own iconography: moths, plants, three-headed dragons. In the process, these monsters became inhabitants of a fantasy world drifting further and further from our own. This does not mean that new kaiju movies are bankrupt per se. The Heisei "Gamera" films of the 1990s are genre films, concerned only with being the best giant monster movies they can be. Yet they are some of the best films of their era regardless, with their own memorable characters and ideas. 2016's "Shin Gojira" reclaimed its titular monster as a political metaphor. Rather than drive audiences away, it instead became a major critical and commercial success in Japan. Kaiju still have life in them yet.
Even so, the original "Gojira" stands alone in film history.
Even so, the original "Gojira" stands alone in film history.
- 10/9/2022
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
It’s another CineSavant review of a movie largely unavailable, especially the original Japanese version. This third Ishirô Honda / Eiji Tsuburaya outer space action epic is probably the best Toho science fiction feature ever, an Astral Collision tale in which the drama and characters are as compelling as the special effects. Nothing can stop a colossal planetoid heading toward Earth, but science comes to the rescue with the biggest construction job ever undertaken by mankind. The fine screenplay generates thrills, suspense and human warmth. It also takes place in the far, far future: 1980.
Gorath
CineSavant Revival Screening Review
Not On Region A Home Video
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 88 83 min. / Yôsei Gorasu
Starring: Ryô Ikebe, Yumi Shirakawa, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara, Jun Tazaki, Ken Uehara, Takashi Shimura, Seizaburô Kawazu, Takamaru Sasaki, Kô Nishimura, Eitarô Ozawa, Hideyo Amamoto, George Furness, Ross Benette, Nadao Kirino, Fumio Sakashita, Ikio Sawamura, Haruo Nakajima.
Gorath
CineSavant Revival Screening Review
Not On Region A Home Video
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 88 83 min. / Yôsei Gorasu
Starring: Ryô Ikebe, Yumi Shirakawa, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Akihiko Hirata, Kenji Sahara, Jun Tazaki, Ken Uehara, Takashi Shimura, Seizaburô Kawazu, Takamaru Sasaki, Kô Nishimura, Eitarô Ozawa, Hideyo Amamoto, George Furness, Ross Benette, Nadao Kirino, Fumio Sakashita, Ikio Sawamura, Haruo Nakajima.
- 3/30/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In the aftermath of World War II, Japan's Toho Co., Ltd. assembled a team of filmmakers – co-writer and director Ishirō Honda, producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, co-writer Takeo Murata, and special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya – to create a new kind of movie monster. Originally conceived as a walking metaphor for nuclear annihilation, Godzilla roared onto screens in Honda's genre-defining 1954 masterpiece, Gojira. The film captured the imagination – and embodied the fears – of an entire nation. Now 65 years later, the Godzilla series is fully recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest running film franchise in history with a whopping 35 films starring the titular beast. The latest entry, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, is the next chapter in Warner Bros Pictures' and Legendary Pictures' cinematic "MonsterVerse", following in the massive footsteps of Gareth Edwards' Godzilla (2014) and Jordan Vogt-Roberts' Kong: Skull Island (2017). Co-written and directed by Mike Dougherty (of the...
- 5/31/2019
- by Adam Frazier
- firstshowing.net
Don Kaye May 29, 2019
The three-headed flying dragon remains Godzilla’s greatest and most dangerous enemy.
He’s considered Godzilla’s greatest nemesis, the Joker to the big green guy’s Batman. The Thanos to the kaiju monsters’ Avengers. He is King Ghidorah, the three-headed flying dragon of alien origin who first showed up in the Toho series of giant monster movies back in 1964 and has reappeared a number of times ever since, always out to destroy Earth, Godzilla and the latter’s allies. After making his last live-action appearance in a Japanese monster movie in 2001, Ghidorah will arrive in an American kaiju film for the first time next week, when he stars in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Ghidorah (who was also briefly known in America as “Ghidrah” early in his career) is a massive, armless, golden-scaled winged dragon, with three heads, two tails and one hell of a powerful...
The three-headed flying dragon remains Godzilla’s greatest and most dangerous enemy.
He’s considered Godzilla’s greatest nemesis, the Joker to the big green guy’s Batman. The Thanos to the kaiju monsters’ Avengers. He is King Ghidorah, the three-headed flying dragon of alien origin who first showed up in the Toho series of giant monster movies back in 1964 and has reappeared a number of times ever since, always out to destroy Earth, Godzilla and the latter’s allies. After making his last live-action appearance in a Japanese monster movie in 2001, Ghidorah will arrive in an American kaiju film for the first time next week, when he stars in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.
Ghidorah (who was also briefly known in America as “Ghidrah” early in his career) is a massive, armless, golden-scaled winged dragon, with three heads, two tails and one hell of a powerful...
- 5/26/2019
- Den of Geek
In an industry increasingly fueled by franchises, it came as little surprise when Legendary Entertainment used their splashy Comic-Con 2014 appearance to confirm their intentions to develop their so-called “MonsterVerse.” Hot on the heels of the release of Gareth Edwards’ “Godzilla,” Legendary announced they had picked up the rights to other classic Toho beasts Mothra, Rodan and King Ghidorah, teasing the audience with a title card that read “Conflict: inevitable. Let them fight.”
But before those inevitable battles can hit the big screen, there was a necessary amount of groundwork to lay. Enter Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ “Kong: Skull Island,” this weekend’s big release and the second entry in the burgeoning MonsterVerse. While Vogt-Roberts’ Vietnam War era-set adventure drama works well enough on its own, the film also introduces a slew of new monsters that make it clear that there are all kinds of M.U.T.O. (MonsterVerse for “Massive Unidentified...
But before those inevitable battles can hit the big screen, there was a necessary amount of groundwork to lay. Enter Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ “Kong: Skull Island,” this weekend’s big release and the second entry in the burgeoning MonsterVerse. While Vogt-Roberts’ Vietnam War era-set adventure drama works well enough on its own, the film also introduces a slew of new monsters that make it clear that there are all kinds of M.U.T.O. (MonsterVerse for “Massive Unidentified...
- 3/11/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Jim Knipfel May 31, 2019
With a new King Kong vs. Godzilla movie coming soon from Warner Bros., we look back at the original simian vs. saurian showdown.
After basking in international acclaim for magically bringing King Kong and a fistful of dinosaurs to life in 1933, stop-motion giant Willis O’Brien suddenly found it very difficult to scratch up any work.
After the same year’s obligatory Son of Kong, it would be another 16 years before he got any substantial film work, and even then it was just a smattering. He worked on Mighty Joe Young, The Black Scorpion, and The Giant Behemoth, but as beautiful as the results were, O’Brien’s technique was simply far too slow and laborious, and too expensive for most B-monster movie productions. Finally recognizing he had himself become a dinosaur, he decided to take a different track.
In the last decade of his life, O...
With a new King Kong vs. Godzilla movie coming soon from Warner Bros., we look back at the original simian vs. saurian showdown.
After basking in international acclaim for magically bringing King Kong and a fistful of dinosaurs to life in 1933, stop-motion giant Willis O’Brien suddenly found it very difficult to scratch up any work.
After the same year’s obligatory Son of Kong, it would be another 16 years before he got any substantial film work, and even then it was just a smattering. He worked on Mighty Joe Young, The Black Scorpion, and The Giant Behemoth, but as beautiful as the results were, O’Brien’s technique was simply far too slow and laborious, and too expensive for most B-monster movie productions. Finally recognizing he had himself become a dinosaur, he decided to take a different track.
In the last decade of his life, O...
- 9/15/2015
- Den of Geek
**Massive spoilers for every Godzilla movie, with the exception of the 2014 reboot, and Mothra follow**
August 6th and 9th, 1945 forever changed the course of history. When the first nuclear bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, World War II ended, but a new fear was born that dominated the thoughts of all men, women, and children for decades to come. The Cold War, atomic bomb testing, a cartoon turtle telling children to “duck and cover”, and this new technology that had the actual potential to literally end the world changed the perception of what was scary. Art reflects life, so cinema began to capitalize on these fears. Gone were the days of creepy castles, cobwebs, bats, vampires, werewolves, and the other iconic images that ruled genre cinema in film’s earliest decades. Science fiction was larger than ever and giant ants, giant octopi, terror from beyond the stars, and...
August 6th and 9th, 1945 forever changed the course of history. When the first nuclear bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, World War II ended, but a new fear was born that dominated the thoughts of all men, women, and children for decades to come. The Cold War, atomic bomb testing, a cartoon turtle telling children to “duck and cover”, and this new technology that had the actual potential to literally end the world changed the perception of what was scary. Art reflects life, so cinema began to capitalize on these fears. Gone were the days of creepy castles, cobwebs, bats, vampires, werewolves, and the other iconic images that ruled genre cinema in film’s earliest decades. Science fiction was larger than ever and giant ants, giant octopi, terror from beyond the stars, and...
- 11/4/2014
- by Max Molinaro
- SoundOnSight
Skull Island as seen in the 1933 original
After a surprise announcement at this year’s Comic-Con, Legendary Pictures has announced a director and leading actor for the King Kong prequel, Skull Island. The film, set to be released in November 2016, will be directed by The Kings of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. The director recently directed several episodes of FX’s dark romantic comedy You’re the Worst and is attached to direct the film adaptation of Metal Gear Solid. The film will star Thor and The Avenger’s Tom Hiddleston, who recently starred in Only Lovers Left Alive and will appear in next year’s Guillermo del Toro horror film Crimson Peak, which will also be produced by Legendary.
With a screenplay by Godzilla scribe Max Borenstein, the film aims to delve deeper into the mysterious and dangerous island. Skull Island continues Legendary’s streak of giant monster movies, as...
After a surprise announcement at this year’s Comic-Con, Legendary Pictures has announced a director and leading actor for the King Kong prequel, Skull Island. The film, set to be released in November 2016, will be directed by The Kings of Summer director Jordan Vogt-Roberts. The director recently directed several episodes of FX’s dark romantic comedy You’re the Worst and is attached to direct the film adaptation of Metal Gear Solid. The film will star Thor and The Avenger’s Tom Hiddleston, who recently starred in Only Lovers Left Alive and will appear in next year’s Guillermo del Toro horror film Crimson Peak, which will also be produced by Legendary.
With a screenplay by Godzilla scribe Max Borenstein, the film aims to delve deeper into the mysterious and dangerous island. Skull Island continues Legendary’s streak of giant monster movies, as...
- 9/16/2014
- by Max Molinaro
- SoundOnSight
In 1954, the world was given one of its biggest cinematic icons in the form of Godzilla. The brainchild of producer Tomoyuki Tanaka, director Ishiro Honda, and special effects designer Eiji Tsuburaya, Godzilla was conceived as an anti-nuclear war film, a dark movie about destruction and human responsibility that would later go on to be the basis for a Saturday morning cartoon series. While the symbolism of the character might be lost on some of its later adaptations, the power of the monster is ever present throughout his 60-year history. Join us below for our latest "Origins & Evolutions" piece, in which we cover all the films and many of the other appearances of Godzilla.
- 5/14/2014
- Comingsoon.net
Jim Knipfel Jun 3, 2019
Sure Godzilla vs. Mothra is a giant monster movie, but it’s a giant monster movie about an enormous Moth.
The Toho universe has always operated under a different set of rules. Cities are flattened then rebuilt in days, but insurance premiums never go up. The existence of giant monsters, even those from outer space, is taken for granted, but drop a humanoid alien into the mix and it’s inevitably met with suspicion and doubt (“Are you really really Sure you’re an alien?”). Psychics and giant robots are commonplace, and the ever-hopeful self-defense force always rolls out the same array of weapons that’ve never worked in the past.
As the Godzilla franchise marched on through the ‘90s and into the early 21st century, it seemed to become more solidly grounded in a comprehensible and recognizable reality. Human characters were believable, even a little world weary,...
Sure Godzilla vs. Mothra is a giant monster movie, but it’s a giant monster movie about an enormous Moth.
The Toho universe has always operated under a different set of rules. Cities are flattened then rebuilt in days, but insurance premiums never go up. The existence of giant monsters, even those from outer space, is taken for granted, but drop a humanoid alien into the mix and it’s inevitably met with suspicion and doubt (“Are you really really Sure you’re an alien?”). Psychics and giant robots are commonplace, and the ever-hopeful self-defense force always rolls out the same array of weapons that’ve never worked in the past.
As the Godzilla franchise marched on through the ‘90s and into the early 21st century, it seemed to become more solidly grounded in a comprehensible and recognizable reality. Human characters were believable, even a little world weary,...
- 3/20/2014
- Den of Geek
It’s been a long time in the works, but Media Blasters has announced that they will release Godzilla vs. Megalon and re-release Destroy All Monsters on Blu-ray and DVD this July:
“(New York City) Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to announce the first time North American/U.S. Blu-ray releases of Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs. Megalon. Both Godzilla classics will be released individually on DVD and Blu-ray and as a box set to follow the wide theatrical release of the new Hollywood-produced Godzilla.
Destroy All Monsters (1968) is universally considered the strong fan favorite of the entire Godzilla series! It’s an all-star monster rally of epic proportions featuring Toho’s greatest and wildest mammoth monsters in the ultimate, all-out rumble! See Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, Minya, Spiega, Baragon, Gorosaurus, Manda and Varan in all their titanic glory! The film was...
“(New York City) Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to announce the first time North American/U.S. Blu-ray releases of Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs. Megalon. Both Godzilla classics will be released individually on DVD and Blu-ray and as a box set to follow the wide theatrical release of the new Hollywood-produced Godzilla.
Destroy All Monsters (1968) is universally considered the strong fan favorite of the entire Godzilla series! It’s an all-star monster rally of epic proportions featuring Toho’s greatest and wildest mammoth monsters in the ultimate, all-out rumble! See Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, Anguirus, Minya, Spiega, Baragon, Gorosaurus, Manda and Varan in all their titanic glory! The film was...
- 3/12/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Jim Knipfel May 31, 2019
After 16 movies, Godzilla 1985 stomped a fine line between sequel, remake, and reboot. In that regard, it was ahead of its time.
In the early ‘70s it became clear to everyone, audiences and Toho executives alike, that the once-majestic Godzilla franchise was taking a precipitous slide down the crapper. There were reasons for this. A number of behind-the-scenes figures fundamentally responsible for the films’ early greatness (most notably director Ishiro Honda and special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya) either left the franchise for other projects or died. Combine that with shrinking budgets that hit the special effects department first, and the on-screen results started looking pretty shabby. Increasingly tattered monster costumes were re-used from film to film; once-elaborate miniature cities became rows of balsa wood boxes, and as a last resort, fight scenes from earlier films were edited into new films to save time and money.
Beyond that Godzilla himself had changed,...
After 16 movies, Godzilla 1985 stomped a fine line between sequel, remake, and reboot. In that regard, it was ahead of its time.
In the early ‘70s it became clear to everyone, audiences and Toho executives alike, that the once-majestic Godzilla franchise was taking a precipitous slide down the crapper. There were reasons for this. A number of behind-the-scenes figures fundamentally responsible for the films’ early greatness (most notably director Ishiro Honda and special effects genius Eiji Tsuburaya) either left the franchise for other projects or died. Combine that with shrinking budgets that hit the special effects department first, and the on-screen results started looking pretty shabby. Increasingly tattered monster costumes were re-used from film to film; once-elaborate miniature cities became rows of balsa wood boxes, and as a last resort, fight scenes from earlier films were edited into new films to save time and money.
Beyond that Godzilla himself had changed,...
- 3/9/2014
- Den of Geek
Today, September 26th marks the 70th anniversary of Fleischer Studios Superman Animated Shorts. Widely regarded as one of the definitive interpretations of the Man of Steel, this series of 10 minute animated shorts consisted of 17 Superman adventures, the first nine were produced by Fleischer Studios while the following eight instalments were produced by Famous Studios.
Fleischer Studios was founded in 1921 by Polish cartoonist Max Fleischer, and his younger brother Dave. The studio stood out among other animation companies thanks to their rotoscoping technique. Rotoscoping, invented by Max, allowed animators to trace over live action models, leading to a more fluid and realistic look in the movements of cartoon characters. They were also home of Betty Boop, one of the most popular cartoon creations of all time. In 1939, burdened by the censorship of the recently introduced Hays Code, the studio decided to put an end to their Betty Boop series. Instead they...
Fleischer Studios was founded in 1921 by Polish cartoonist Max Fleischer, and his younger brother Dave. The studio stood out among other animation companies thanks to their rotoscoping technique. Rotoscoping, invented by Max, allowed animators to trace over live action models, leading to a more fluid and realistic look in the movements of cartoon characters. They were also home of Betty Boop, one of the most popular cartoon creations of all time. In 1939, burdened by the censorship of the recently introduced Hays Code, the studio decided to put an end to their Betty Boop series. Instead they...
- 9/26/2011
- by Tom Ryan
- Obsessed with Film
Last month, we reported on Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla vs. Megalon coming to Blu-ray. While Godzilla vs. Megalon‘s release date was set for November 29th at that time, the release date for Destroy All Monsters has just been revealed.
“Amid a flurry of escalating internet rumors, Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to announce and confirm the acquisition of two vintage Toho produced Godzilla classics- Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs. Megalon! For the first time, both films will be re-mastered in high definition and released on DVD and Blu-ray! Destroy All Monsters will receive a worthy deluxe treatment to provide fans with a noticeable upgrade from its previous DVD incarnation. Godzilla Vs. Megalon marks the first time that this long sought after title will be officially released uncut and widescreen on DVD and Blu-ray. Both films will feature exciting extras!
Destroy All Monsters...
“Amid a flurry of escalating internet rumors, Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to announce and confirm the acquisition of two vintage Toho produced Godzilla classics- Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs. Megalon! For the first time, both films will be re-mastered in high definition and released on DVD and Blu-ray! Destroy All Monsters will receive a worthy deluxe treatment to provide fans with a noticeable upgrade from its previous DVD incarnation. Godzilla Vs. Megalon marks the first time that this long sought after title will be officially released uncut and widescreen on DVD and Blu-ray. Both films will feature exciting extras!
Destroy All Monsters...
- 8/15/2011
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
We're still doing the Happy Dance of Kaiju Mayhem here at the Dread Central offices about two vintage Godzilla flicks hitting Blu-ray and some new details have surfaced! Dig it!
From the Press Release
Amid a flurry of escalating internet rumors, Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to officially announce and confirm the acquisition of two vintage Toho produced Godzilla classics- Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs. Megalon! For the first time, both films will be re-mastered in high definition and released on DVD and Blu-ray! Destroy All Monsters will receive a worthy deluxe treatment to provide fans with a noticeable upgrade from its previous DVD incarnation. Godzilla Vs. Megalon marks the first time that this long sought after title will be officially released uncut and widescreen on DVD and Blu-ray. Both films will feature exciting extras and supplementary materials to be announced soon!
Destroy All Monsters...
From the Press Release
Amid a flurry of escalating internet rumors, Media Blasters Inc. and their Tokyo Shock label are proud to officially announce and confirm the acquisition of two vintage Toho produced Godzilla classics- Destroy All Monsters and Godzilla Vs. Megalon! For the first time, both films will be re-mastered in high definition and released on DVD and Blu-ray! Destroy All Monsters will receive a worthy deluxe treatment to provide fans with a noticeable upgrade from its previous DVD incarnation. Godzilla Vs. Megalon marks the first time that this long sought after title will be officially released uncut and widescreen on DVD and Blu-ray. Both films will feature exciting extras and supplementary materials to be announced soon!
Destroy All Monsters...
- 7/13/2011
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
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