Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films (1954-1975)

[El_Fez]

Originally Posted by Kaiju no Kami

YHowever, the movie features way too much political banter and 30 minutes could have easily been chopped out of the film. Also, I did not need to know the job title to every single character nor know every single room they were in. I was waiting for a scene of them taking a piss to pop up and we'd get a subtitle saying, "Third Floor Left Corner Male Bathroom."

That's kind of the whole point of movie, in both the endless political banter, endless meetings, subcommittees and experts and with the constant subtitles to the extreme.

Also, something being satire doesn't mean that it's also suppose to be funny. Satire can cover irony, exaggeration, ridicule, or humor. So, while the end result may produce a chuckle, that isn't necessarily the original intent - and it certainly isn't the point.

[Mister B Gone]

I love Shin Godzilla. The Godzilla designs are so uncomfortable and weird its borderline disturbing to me.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

You don’t like the original film?

It's OK, but I like the 1933 King Kong a lot better because Kong has a personality and the movie is more fun. The original Godzilla looks neat, but it isn't a lot of fun. The Fleischer Superman cartoon with Godzilla is tons of fun.

In Shin Godzilla, I liked the crazy morphing states marching through the streets on parade, but the rest of the story was tedious. But I don't watch Godzilla movies for story. The less story, the better... unless it involves discotheques, native villagers on remote islands, baby monsters or children who befriend giant reptiles.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by bigshot

It's OK, but I like the 1933 King Kong a lot better because Kong has a personality and the movie is more fun. The original Godzilla looks neat, but it isn't a lot of fun. The Fleischer Superman cartoon with Godzilla is tons of fun.

In Shin Godzilla, I liked the crazy morphing states marching through the streets on parade, but the rest of the story was tedious. But I don't watch Godzilla movies for story. The less story, the better... unless it involves discotheques, native villagers on remote islands, baby monsters or children who befriend giant reptiles.

It’s not really supposed to be fun.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

It’s not really supposed to be fun.

That's true, but that doesn't mean he has to personally enjoy it either. Star Wars isn't meant to be a horror film, but that doesn't make it wrong to say you weren't into it because you're more into horror. It just doesn't happen to align with your tastes.

[Ishingun]

Originally Posted by bigshot

The less story, the better... unless it involves discotheques, native villagers on remote islands, baby monsters or children who befriend giant reptiles.

What about aliens in Planet of the Apes masks painted green? Or any of the aliens that seem to pop up like cockroaches in 60's/70's Japan. I'm always down for Godzilla vs Aliens.

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by omgitsgodzilla

That's true, but that doesn't mean he has to personally enjoy it either. Star Wars isn't meant to be a horror film, but that doesn't make it wrong to say you weren't into it because you're more into horror. It just doesn't happen to align with your tastes.

I wasn’t saying he has to like it.

[omgitsgodzilla]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

I wasn’t saying he has to like it.

True enough, but all he said was that he didn't like it, to which you responded that it wasn't supposed to be fun, which he wasn't saying it should have been. Regardless, not really a big deal.

Anyway, one thing I did notice about the allocation of the discs in this set is that what I consider the peak of the Showa series -- Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidrah, and Astro-Monster -- are all together on one disc. Thought that was kind of neat.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

It’s not really supposed to be fun.

Fun is more fun than not fun!

My point is, when you are making a movie with a sweaty guy in a rubber lizard suit stomping on train sets, why would you not want it to be fun? The giant monkey climbing the Empire State building was amazing, exciting, scary and FUN. I think Godzilla should be fun. It's a fun idea.

[monwobbbo]

Originally Posted by Ishingun

What about aliens in Planet of the Apes masks painted green? Or any of the aliens that seem to pop up like cockroaches in 60's/70's Japan. I'm always down for Godzilla vs Aliens.

don't forget the Kilaaks or the denizens of Planet X. aliens always seemed to make a G film better.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by El_Fez

That's kind of the whole point of movie, in both the endless political banter, endless meetings, subcommittees and experts and with the constant subtitles to the extreme.

Also, something being satire doesn't mean that it's also suppose to be funny. Satire can cover irony, exaggeration, ridicule, or humor. So, while the end result may produce a chuckle, that isn't necessarily the original intent - and it certainly isn't the point.

I just can’t get just into a satirical Godzilla film that isn’t funny and is packed with endless political banter and endless meetings. No disrespect to those who like it however.

[bongozoid]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

It’s funny how when someone enjoys Shin or a film that someone hates in this thread, the ones who dislike it have to jump on them to explain why they don’t like it. Hitting the good old ignore button on a few.

Seems to be a bit of a correlation between people that hate Shin Godzilla and people that think this set is trash because it doesn't include all the terrible US dubs. Those people want one sort of Godzilla "movie".

[BluProofie]

Originally Posted by bigshot

Fun is more fun than not fun!

My point is, when you are making a movie with a sweaty guy in a rubber lizard suit stomping on train sets, why would you not want it to be fun? The giant monkey climbing the Empire State building was amazing, exciting, scary and FUN. I think Godzilla should be fun. It's a fun idea.

Well, the original film was created as a reaction to the Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It was meant to be a horror film. I wasn’t saying your wrong for wanting it to be fun! Just was trying to explain why it isn’t compared to the sequels.

[monwobbbo]

Originally Posted by bongozoid

Seems to be a bit of a correlation between people that hate Shin Godzilla and people that think this set is trash because it doesn't include all the terrible US dubs. Those people want one sort of Godzilla "movie".

well that is hardly confined to Godzilla fans. guys wanting "perfect" releases seems to be universal throughout most threads. as for the "terrible" US dubs that you have wrong. the US dubs in most cases (for showa era) were superior to the international dubs. the reason they were commissioned to begin with was that what they were given sucked. also keep in mind that for people of a certain age those dubs are what we grew up with and important to the experience.

[WaverBoy]

Originally Posted by bongozoid

Seems to be a bit of a correlation between people that hate Shin Godzilla and people that think this set is trash because it doesn't include all the terrible US dubs. Those people want one sort of Godzilla "movie".

I don’t think the set is trash, just disappointing, and will pick it up at some point at the most reduced price possible. But I agree, I do want one sort of Godzilla movie, one that doesn’t bore me to tears with endless statically shot meetings and unfinished CGI effects.

[bongozoid]

Originally Posted by monwobbbo

well that is hardly confined to Godzilla fans. guys wanting "perfect" releases seems to be universal throughout most threads. as for the "terrible" US dubs that you have wrong. the US dubs in most cases (for showa era) were superior to the international dubs. the reason they were commissioned to begin with was that what they were given sucked. also keep in mind that for people of a certain age those dubs are what we grew up with and important to the experience.

I grew up with the dubs.

Again, you've proven my point about wanting a certain type of movie when it comes to Godzilla.

[bigshot]

Originally Posted by BluProofie

Well, the original film was created as a reaction to the Nagasaki and Hiroshima. It was meant to be a horror film.

The 1933 King Kong was about how modern technology is powerless against the raw forces of nature, and how beauty could kill the beast. It was a horror film, but it was fun. Horror is better with a touch of fun- a wink to the audience, a bit of black humor, incredibly dumb heroes who walk right into the spider's web. Giant monster films have an extra need for this because the premise of twenty foot tall ants, three story gorillas, 50 foot women and giant dinosaur lizards is already a fun concept to start with. If you go for socially relevant and bleak, you're sucking a lot of the life out of it.

But then I feel the same way about superheroes. I think it's nuts to play grown men running around in underwear and capes as Hamlet. I think you had to grow up after these things were already around for a while to take these things that seriously. The original audience knew to take it as a fun carnival ride, not expect it to make important statements. I'm sure in ten or fifteen years there will be deadly serious Indiana Jones or Star Wars movies, and people will look back at the originals and ask why they were so goofy... and the answer will be the same. They were goofy because they were supposed to be fun.

[monwobbbo]

Originally Posted by bongozoid

I grew up with the dubs.

Again, you've proven my point about wanting a certain type of movie when it comes to Godzilla.

how so? i pointed something out without taking sides at all. i see no issue with wanting a certain option (in this case the AIP dubs). i never said i wouldn't buy the set because of this or any other supposed issue with it. at this point i'm going to have to ask you to back up your statement as it is pretty vague.

[stvn1974]

Originally Posted by bigshot

The 1933 King Kong was about how modern technology is powerless against the raw forces of nature, and how beauty could kill the beast. It was a horror film, but it was fun. Horror is better with a touch of fun- a wink to the audience, a bit of black humor, incredibly dumb heroes who walk right into the spider's web. Giant monster films have an extra need for this because the premise of twenty foot tall ants, three story gorillas, 50 foot women and giant dinosaur lizards is already a fun concept to start with. If you go for socially relevant and bleak, you're sucking a lot of the life out of it.

But then I feel the same way about superheroes. I think it's nuts to play grown men running around in underwear and capes as Hamlet. I think you had to grow up after these things were already around for a while to take these things that seriously. The original audience knew to take it as a fun carnival ride, not expect it to make important statements. I'm sure in ten or fifteen years there will be deadly serious Indiana Jones or Star Wars movies, and people will look back at the originals and ask why they were so goofy... and the answer will be the same. They were goofy because they were supposed to be fun.

I agree with everything in this post, especially the part about current Superhero films.

[RalphoR]

The great thing about Godzilla movies is there are plenty to go around. You can easily find several that fit your fancy and several that don't. Everyone is happy....just ask :

[Show spoiler]cast_godzillavskingghidorah05.JPG