#now watching 1961 Mothra

[adm-starblitzsteel-4305]

On this day April 1...

Happy Birthday Emi Itō and Yumi Itō!!!

And I'm gonna watch the EngDub film of the 1961 film Mothra on YouTube! Go search it and it's FREE TO DOWNLOAD.

[thezanyarthropleura]

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is... my favorite Godzilla movie?

Or: how the MonsterVerse changed my mind after 10 years.

I hate to be that person in a fandom who's constantly saying things like "the old stuff was great, but the new stuff sucks!" however, when it comes to the kaiju genre... for a time, I unfortunately got pretty close to that. I once rolled my eyes at the notion of the "Kaiju Renaissance," and how between Legendary and Toho it had "something for everyone" and thought that for me, that was only really true if you counted some of the IDW comics, the 12-minute Godzilla vs. Megalon short film, and the renewed availability/merchandising for the originals - which means I've recently seen about 20 classic films I never had before, including some of my new favorites, so in that sense, it sort of did feel like a Renaissance. It just wasn't feeling, at the time, like the newer movies had much to offer for me personally.

It isn't that I had a great many negative things to say about the MonsterVerse films, I just... didn't have a lot of positive things to say either. Due to a number of things I can now look back on as mostly minor nitpicks, there was a sense that they didn't even belong to the fandom I loved at all, and Toho's offerings as of late... had felt pretty much the same. Now, I'll have you know I do in fact love the heck out of Godzilla: Minus One, and in a way, that film feels like a great "part one" of my change in attitude toward the new kaiju boom, but in the end, I like it more because it's an excellent film overall than specifically because it's a kaiju film.

The Godzilla solo films, or films where kaiju are presented exclusively or almost exclusively as an antagonistic force, are *in theory* some of my least favorites of the bunch. I end up holding quite a few of them very highly on their own merits as movies, but what I'm mainly looking for in these films actually started with the original Mothra film in 1961 - the expansion of the genre from disaster film into urban/contemporary fantasy, and the treatment of giant monsters as spiritual, cultural, supernatural forces that can represent a whole slew of things other than a threat or crisis.

Now, if that just sounds like a fancy way of saying "giant monsters beating the crap out of each other" then you're not entirely wrong. I do love a good hero story, and it informs a lot of which films end up being my favorites. But there are other factors I find exceptionally strong in many of the classic films - personal resonance with the human element, the interaction of the human and monster elements, the overall uniqueness and earnestness of the story being told - that I just wasn't finding with the MonsterVerse.

...Until now

GXK SPOILERS AHEAD!

I went in not expecting too much from this movie. From all the hype surrounding it, I was prepared for a monster brawl I could sit back and have a good time watching, and that was about it. I thought the opening Hollow Earth scenes were cool (if a little gory), I laughed out loud in the theater at Doug's appearance, and since I was already spoiled on Scylla's death, I didn't take it too badly (she was my favorite of the MV original Titans, but since I wasn't that invested, it was easy enough to switch back into "oh, we were never supposed to care about them" mode).

Things changed as we got introduced (mainly re-introduced) to the human cast. It was specifically the car scene, with Ilene picking Jia up from school and the short conversation they have in sign, that resonated especially well and gave me the sudden hope that this film was, in fact, going to have a very strong emotional core. It sets both of them up for deeper, more personal character arcs than they had in their previous appearance in Godzilla vs. Kong, and that only continued as we got more scenes with them, and then added Bernie into the cast.

There's something I really love about the Ilene and Bernie scene - Bernie is, in a sense, a meme character, in that his laser-focused self-interest is continually played for laughs, but then we put him in a scene with an increasingly emotional and desperate Ilene. The contrast between the two of them cuts deep at the appeal to underlying humanity that we see play out with this cast, in small moments, across the rest of the movie. Jia was already the best character in the MonsterVerse, but she has an even stronger pull when we've been introduced to a deep emotional angst looming in the background of all her scenes. Ilene's worries about her strained relationship with her daughter are carried through and don't ever feel like they've been left behind for the sake of expediency. Bernie has always had a few serious notes to his character, but even though the jokes continue, his insecurity around being hounded by skeptics is eventually played seriously and he becomes much more than the memes by the end of this film. Trapper doesn't feel quite like he gets a complete arc of his own, but as the new addition, he has a great vibe and acts as a supportive presence for everyone else's arcs.

GxK is very much a "quirky people in a situation have decided to support each other" movie, reminding me very strongly of Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966), which previously held the title of my personal favorite Godzilla movie. And yet, given this specific cast of characters, both in literal dynamic parallels and how enjoyable they are to watch, I can't help but also draw favorable comparisons to the Heisei era Gamera films - which I hold in their own, higher tier that eclipses anything that's come out of the Godzilla franchise. I'd specifically mention Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995) as probably the closest comparison, both in character and overall tone. Both of those movies are already in my top ten, along with a few other comparable films like Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster (1964), which also has similar vibes in the human cast but far more direct parallels on the monster side.

As for the tone - great. GxK has one kaiju sex joke and one Skull Island style death, in something that feels like a "last hurrah" for the MonserVerse's previous sense of humor, but after that, it takes on a certain Showa-style earnestness for even the fantastical story being told. When there is humor, it has more to do with the characters' personalities playing off one another, and IMO, it works very well (I still think it could do with less green/yellow blood splatter and monster gore in general, but most of that is also kept to the beginning of the movie). Overall, the film doesn't feel like it's making fun of itself or the genre it's in, or if it does, it's doing so more tastefully than some previous entries.

It's probably well known by now that Godzilla himself isn't in this movie all that much, mainly relegated to Kong's backup - which is fine by me, as that's actually more or less my exact favorite use of Godzilla. He doesn't need to be the main character, or a significant narrative focus, he doesn't even need to be an outright hero, he just needs to be convenient. Godzilla showing up in all his glory, to make a situation at least slightly better for someone I care about, so I can cheer him on. That's all I ask, and this film finally delivers that. The best I can figure, the previous MV films either made him too brutal/vengeful or made his enemies too sympathetic, or some combination of the two, such that he never felt like he had that big hero moment I was looking for until now. But Scar King is just enough of a love-to-hate villain that it easily tilts the moral compass in Godzilla's favor, and this film even does make a point of having a few moments where Godzilla chooses to set his rage aside and spare a former enemy (Scylla and Tiamat notwithstanding. RIP to them, I guess).

Now, as for Kong - I've never been a Kong fan. I don't have much interest in watching previous Kong movies outside of Toho's versions and sometimes the 2005 film. The classic take on the character, with the kidnapping elements and inevitable tragedy, just doesn't appeal to me, but even when I wasn't quite sold on the MonsterVerse, one of the things I did acknowledge was that it was actually starting to make me like Kong. This film cements that, and I have zero problems that it's more of Kong's movie over Godzilla's (and for as much of the movie as the trailers spoiled, I'm really glad they managed to hide almost everything to do with Suko. His story has so much more depth than "Kong adopts a cute baby ape," it's actually wonderful).

(I could also gush at length about Mothra, but most if it would probably be incomprehensible. Just know that despite her small role and short screentime, she's at some of her very best here).

So yes, a MonsterVerse film has, as far as I can tell, somehow topped my list of favorite Godzilla films, and is now up there competing with Heisei Gamera and the third Rebirth of Mothra movie for my top pick in the genre. But the next question is, did one good movie actually change my mind about the whole MonsterVerse?

...Kind of, yeah. With as much as GxK made me love Ilene, Jia, and Bernie, I now immensely enjoy Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and I've found myself rewatching it many, many times just to see more of them, not to mention also appreciating it a lot more as Kong's film. Mothra and especially the focus on Monarch as an organization also brings me back to Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), whose characters I've since reevaluated and found that I also quite enjoy. Kong: Skull Island (2017) remains an enjoyable popcorn movie for me, also elevated slightly for being a Kong film and having Skull Island and Iwi lore, and Godzilla (2014)... is also part of the continuity, I guess. I do enjoy a lot of what it has to offer, but it's probably my least favorite.

To get serious for a moment, these days every new release, in any fandom I'm in, makes me feel like it might be the last one I get to enjoy, if not the last one period. And if that ends up being true about this movie, then at least I'd be able to say that as far as I'm concerned, the kaiju genre, if not human media in general, has gone out on a high note.

I'm not in a place where I can concern myself at all with sequels or spinoffs, anything we might get in the future. But for now, this is a good movie, and I'm going to be enjoying the heck out of it. I've seen it in theaters three times and counting. I bought the novelization audiobook and have listened to it twice so far. I'm writing a fanfic. I keep impulse-buying the playmates toys. I started learning sign language. I'm choosing to be not at all normal about this movie and if the world ended with it being my entire personality, maybe at least in some sense I'd die happy.

So from me, a classic kaiju film snob who could talk at length about how Japanese films from as early as the 1950s and 60s have more progressive values and better storytelling than modern Hollywood, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire gets an absolutely GLOWING recommendation. Somehow.

...and in case I don't see you, so long and that's a lot of fish.

[digitalkaijustudios]

For a film called King Kong vs Godzilla, the fight scenes were....were--well they were technically fight scenes!

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1z0wjfCVffD7Y2OteSUUuA?si=086b81134ed647c2

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/AHfKmSzcTfA

KO-FI: https://ko-fi.com/digitalkaijustudios

In celebration of King Kong’s first appearance in the Godzilla franchise, we have a bonus episode for our Ko-Fi supporters where we discuss King Kong (1933). Check out the Ko-Fi for that and more monster movie discussions!

This Friday, August 2nd we will be talking Mothra vs Godzilla (1964). This is not to be confused with Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). You can legally find this for free on services like Tubi, Crackle, Amazon Freevee, and Pluto TV. Ko-Fi Titan subscribers can check out our Mothra (1961) bonus episode now!

This is a clip from episode 4 of Gorilla Whale: A Godzilla Watch-Along, Podcast by Digital Kaiju Studios. This podcast is hosted and produced by Kevin Carpenter and Kayla Knutson. Art by Ashlee Hart.

[swordfangs]

Godzilla fan here!! I've just got into Godzilla about 3 months ago and Im looking for some more films or comics to watch/read in my spare time! Do you have any film or comic recommendations for beginners?

Hi! I am a fan of Godzilla, but I would say it's very surface level from a die-hard fan or something like that. I only know movies and I've only watched SOME movies (and played Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters on Xbox with my brother when I was in 3rd grade), so unfortunately I can't help with comics or anything like that.

I have put my thoughts down below, but if there are any other godzilla fans with suggestions, feel free to reblog or reply with your own thoughts!

If you're looking for anything SERIOUS, the first Godzilla (1954), Shin Godzilla, and Godzilla Minus One. By serious, I mean that they're meant to... be taken seriously/mean something. The people plots are always a bit silly, but I think Godzilla Minus One did pretty good with the people. I really like these films!

Now... the older movies (I'm so sorry I am not at all familiar with the eras to explain), they're a bit on the silly side. I think in my childhood I've seen a good amount of them, but I hardly remember them and I've only seen like 3 movies as of recent. I think as a beginner, you should watch at least the ones that introduce well known kaiju to just get familiar with them (Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla). So Mothra (1961), Rodan (1956), Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974). Actually, throw in King Kong (1933) in there too.

BUTTTT, the silliest of the sillies:

Godzilla vs Megalon (1973) I think is a silly movie classic. Stupid Bug and Stupid Robot Alien and Robot Man and Stupid Lizard go crazy. There is a well known gif of Godzilla doing a crazy ass move from this movie. I would post it here, but I think one should just watch the movie and see what happens. LOL

One movie that is so outrageous is Godzilla: Final Wars (2005). Now, this movie was originally the last time Godzilla appeared in any Japanese Film BEFORE they made Shin Godzilla in 2016, so there is lots of homage to lots of kaijus. The plot is grand but like... batshit wild. I enjoyed every minute of it. Though if you were planning on watching all movies or something like that, save this one. A fun finale that's not really a finale anymore.

I also just want to throw out there the Monsterverse series (Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island (2017), Godzilla: King of Monsters (2019), Godzilla vs Kong (2021)). I would say the first two movies are decent, plot wise. When you hit Godzilla: King of Monsters does the plot go a little haywire. These movies pay a lot of homage to kaiju in general, and its definitely pandering to kaiju fans in cheesy ways, but I still think they're funny and a fun watch with friends with how crazy it gets.

Hopefully that was a little helpful. I will also throw in Wikizilla, a youtube channel that does many informational videos about Kaiju and everything Godzilla. Sometimes I just listen to them talk about different kaijus as I do something. Maybe just picking a favorite kaiju is a way to go and just stem to whatever movies feature them! (My favorite is Gigan!)

[theyilinglaozus]

The 2024 Godzilla Marathon

Hullo, hullo! So; at the end of 2023 my family and I caught a rather horrible strain of covid, which left us housebound for two weeks. During that time, my father and I decided to use my Apple TV trail to watch Monarch, and ever since I've been on a kick with reliving some childhood nostalgia by rewatching (and for a lot of titles, watching for the first time!) a bunch of Godzilla movies. Oh. And this year marks 70 years for the franchise. So it seemed like the perfect chance to celebrate. I'm hoping this list will keep track of all things Godzilla while I take on this task. Now I don't plan to watch every movie made because there is a lot, and the quality can differ. But, let's see how much fun I have. Here is my best of ... Godzilla movies list on MDL; which I intend to update as I go along with the titles I really enjoyed.

Watched (Japanese)

Godzilla (1954) - review here.

Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Mothra (1961)

King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

Shin Godzilla (2006)

Godzilla: Minus One (2023)

Watched (English)

Godzilla (1998)

Godzilla (2014)

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

Monarch season 1 (2023)

Godzilla X Kong: The New Age (2024)

Watched (Animation)

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters (2017)

Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)

Godzilla: The Planet Eater (2018)

Next to watch (downloaded)

Rodan (1956)

Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Ghidorah, The Three Headed Monster (1964)

Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974)

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Priority

GAMERA -rebirth- (2023) (currently watching)

[frankendykes-monster]

On revisiting Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)

Mothra vs. Godzilla is an interesting film to say the least.  On the surface it looks like nothing special, if anything you could call it an example of how Japanese science fiction films were stagnating only a decade after Godzilla (1954), considering this film barely does anything new, just aping material that was already handled by its two predecessors: Mothra (1961) and King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962).  But somehow it’s become one of the most beloved entries in the series and something of a gold standard for everything that came after.

Mothra vs. Godzilla opens with a title credit sequence over a hurricane, with Godzilla’s theme from 1962 transitioning into an instrumental version of Mothra’s theme.  The hurricane has caused property damage along the Japanese coast, but most notable is the washing ashore of a giant egg.  We soon get introduced to Ichiro, a news reporter, Junko, a news photographer, and Dr. Miura, the leader of a scientific team called in to study the egg, who serve as our three main three heroes for this story.  The egg is bought by Happy Enterprises, headed by a Mr. Kumayama, who is in turn financially backed by a younger Mr. Torahata, who plan to turn the area surrounding the egg into an amusement park.  They and the three leads are both confronted by Mothra’s twin priestess fairies from Infant Island about returning the egg (the current adult Mothra is nearing the end of her life, and the egg secures Mothra’s legacy), and the efforts to retrieve it are also squashed, forcing the fairies and the indigenous people of Infant Island to turn their backs on the outside world.  When Godzilla appears, having also been caught up in the hurricane and thrust onto the mainland, he immediately goes onto another rampage, and it seems the best option is to ask Mothra for help (personally I find it humorous that there needs to be some reason for monsters to fight in these early films given they’d eventually go at it on instinct).  Some arguing is done but the fairies and Infant Islanders agree in return for the possibility of a better world to be built.  Both Kumayama and Torahata are killed in Godzilla’s attacks, and the monster seemingly can’t be stopped, as even the adult Mothra succumbs to battle, before the newly hatched larvae from the egg eventually stop Godzilla, and all seemingly returns to normal, in a cautiously optimistic way, as the protagonists have vowed to make a world better for everyone.

Mothra vs. Godzilla switches from the intense anti-commercialism satire of King Kong vs. Godzilla to some more general anti-capitalist themes.  Near the opening when the damage of the hurricane is being documented by Ichiro and Junko, and unnamed capitalist protests about such possible news coverage as it could damage public opinion on an industrial project being built there.  Later the same capitalist protests about the protagonists returning to test the area for radiation (as Godzilla is buried in the general vicinity and is contaminating the soil).  There’s some inherent ridiculousness that’s openly stated about Kumayama buying the egg in general, but the cost is 1,224,560 yen (i.e. the logic is since a chicken egg costs 8 yen, and the giant egg is approximately 153,820 times larger, it’s a fair price).  It’s explained “[the egg is] not private property, the public can watch it incubate for an admission fee.”  A musical cue used in the series to hint at some under-the-surface tension and dread is used in this film when we discover that the egg’s incubator has been built and is already operational.  Kumayama later stiffs the fishing village who brought the egg to shore out of the money he owes them, only to later on in the film be scalped by his superior Torahata (the two of them turning on each forces Torahata to shoot Kumayama, and in turn Torahata has wasted too much time before Godzilla destroys the hotel they’re in).  Torahata is explained to have originally been some trust fund kid to some larger businessman before heading up his own endeavors.  When the public discovers that it’s Mothra’s egg and it will not be returned, Kumayama effortlessly throws a PR stunt to counteract.

Functionally it’s a repeat of the plot from the first Mothra film, only here it’s Mothra’s egg and not the twin fairies that have not been kidnapped.  I feel as if everything works smoother here as this film definitely has more weight to the proceedings and isn’t nearly as theatrical; the villian in Mothra, Clark Nelson, is often times a bit too exaggerated.  (There’s something to be said about how Kumayama and Torahata have zero concern about provoking the wrath of Mothra considering she partly destroyed Tokyo and NYC in the previous film in the effort to get her fairies back; I guess it’s more accurate than capitalists just giving up possible investments.)  I’ve seen some fans vouch for Mothra as anti-colonialist story but this film allows concepts such as that much more room to breathe given how the Infant Islanders have actual agency in the story, turning down the possibility of Mothra fighting Godzilla on behalf of Japan, whereas in the previous film they didn’t have much of anything to do given Mothra immediately goes on the attack upon discovery that the fairies were kidnapped.

The rather dense first 30 minutes of the film gives way to the reveal that Godzilla was also thrust ashore by the hurricane, and buried underground in the process, before reawakening.  The entire film shifts into a mode of immediate urgency, as everyone now has to confront Godzilla.  A lot of Godzilla’s scenes are far more detached than what else the film has to offer, as we’re following mostly nameless crowds fleeing and evacuating and JSDF officials trying to handle the situation.  Once again it resembles the previous film, which had all the main characters more closely associated with King Kong.  This film spends a much more notable amount of time showcasing military strategies being implemented against Godzilla with tanks and land mines and air strikes and giant electrocuted nets being thrown at him.  I think it’s this film that fully established that while Godzilla could take a beating, the character is functionally indestructible, as nothing leaves any lasting damage.

Even though this film isn’t as upfront with the nuclear text as the first Godzilla film (which openly compared the coming of Godzilla to the atomic bomb attacks and brought up Godzilla being born out of hydrogen bomb tests as the most likely origin), it’s still the only other entry in the Showa series aside from that first film which brings it up in any meaningful capacity.  Initial news reports call Godzilla “the atomic monster”, and when our protagonists first ask for Mothra’s help because of the attacks, the Infant Island chief shoots back with, “it’s your fault for playing with the devil fire!”  Both on a narrative and thematic level, Godzilla and the age of nuclear warfare are one and the same, and everyone from Kumayama/Torahata to any number of offscreen civilians to the people of Infant Island to even Mothra must contend with Godzilla; a deadly force that threatens everyone.  Godzilla’s characterization in this matches with the first film more so than the previous two; Godzilla Raids Again doesn’t have much interesting to say given it’s a cash-in sequel, and the explicitly comedic tone of King Kong vs. Godzilla makes him out to be much more jovial than expected, taking delight in dishing out death and destruction.  (An added detail in this film is the subtle inquiry that Godzilla is like a natural disaster, you can only move out of the way in the same capacity that you can’t physically fight a tsunami or a hurricane.  This was an element of the first film with Godzilla’s first landing being obscured by a hurricane or the electrical towers set up outside Tokyo resembling sand bags defending against a flood.)  But this film is the only sequel of the Showa era to maintain Godzilla in a purely threatening, antagonistic role.

The decision to feature both Mothra and Godzilla in a single film does produce more interesting results than having done so with King Kong.  King Kong vs. Godzilla only really happened because Kong, in the real world, was the only extremely notable giant monster of the movies prior to Godzilla, and this limitation extends into the film with how the characters remarked over how their individual rampages were like a ratings battle, with constant “who’s going to win?” fights over the stronger of the two.  There’s much more thematic depth with this entry, even on immediate visual level; Mothra is quite dainty and gentle compared to how dark and brutal Godzilla is.  (Kong was blown up from approximately 20 feet to 45 meters to fight Godzilla for that film, and this film does so in turn.  Mothra was absolutely massive in the first film with a wingspan of 250 meters, she’s been shrunk to 135 for this film.  Whether it’s succumbing to radiation or just a natural part of Mothra’s life cycle is never openly mentioned.)  The first Mothra film made mention of how nuclear testing occurred near Infant Island because no one knew an indigenous population lived there, and upon seeing it, both the characters and the audience discover a lush paradise that has somehow survived the radioactive fallout.  This film stands in stark contrast; when the protagonists land on Infant Island, we discover it’s become a desolate graveyard, with only a hidden oasis being what sustains the local population.  It’s not just that the egg was stolen, the Infant Islanders are initially non-compliant because their home has been destroyed.  (For narrative purposes, Ichiro, Junko, and Miura function as representatives for the outside world, and are confronted about the atomic age despite them, you know, being Japanese.  It works in context of the rest of the series wherein nuclear warfare isn’t blamed on any single country and is viewed as something that threatens the human race equally regardless of nationality.)  Bringing in Godzilla as the overarching threat thematically completes the mythos surrounding Mothra.  Mothra has the upper hand during the entire initial fight, what with her being able to fly and Godzilla being a slow lumbering animal, but one hit of Godzilla’s atomic breath is all it takes to finish her off.

Director Ishiro Honda has mentioned that the driving thesis across all his films (except maybe Matango) is the quest for peace amongst people, considering Honda embraced pacificism following WWII.  Mothra vs. Godzilla is possibly the least subtle about this, with the scene where Junko makes a statement to the Infant Islanders might as well being directly aimed at the audience.  “I understand why you don’t trust us, but even as we speak many are dying because of Godzilla.  Many of them are good people, but even bad people have a right to live.  You may call it divine retribution...but all are equal before the gods.  They don’t choose sides.  Please.  We need your help.”  Mothra eventually appearing to stop Godzilla comes alongside the fairies stating “we always keep our promises”, a reversal of the unnamed capitalist saying the same line about his industrial project being completed by the target date.

Some have complained that the final act loses steam, as the film has already finished on a thematic level, with the antagonists killed by Godzilla and the vows of a better future already ensured.  To which I respond if some people have ever heard of the concept of a final action scene, but I digress; what caught my eye with this viewing is that Godzilla’s final targets are a group of schoolchildren on an island that can’t escape because all the boats have already left.  The protagonists are able to have time to rescue them as the Mothra larvae contend with Godzilla, and it stands in contrast to the first Godzilla film where we know that children are amongst the body count, children suffer from radiation exposure by being in Godzilla’s presence alone, and had to see their parents die in front of them.  Children in this film being rescued without harm feels like the closest this film gets to putting “a better world” into action, moreso than just a means to artificially increase the runtime.

The ending is what gets me.  It essentially combines the endings of the first Godzilla and Mothra films.  Godzilla was killed in the first film but forced back into the sea in this one, but regardless, while the immediate danger has been averted, nuclear testing still occurs, the conditions that allowed Godzilla to come into existence haven’t changed.  With Mothra, she is able to return to Infant Island with what is hers and the Infant Islanders’ been rightfully returned.  They’re sobering and delightful respectfully, but combined we know that forces that created Godzilla have also terribly weakened Mothra and her people, and a better world being made by the protagonists includes rectifying this specific situation.  You know the scene in Ratatouille (2008) where Remy shows his brother that while strawberries and bananas taste good on their own, the flavor is far greater when eaten together?  Yeah.

[sneek-m]

I realized I haven’t updated my Now Watching log for movies since April. Here are movies I’ve watched since the last update, in watched order:

Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train (Haruo Sotozaki, 2020)

Children of the Sea (Ayumu Watanabe, 2019)

Mothra (Ishiro Honda, 1961)

Love Exposure (Sion Sono, 2008)

Ride Your Wave (Masaaki Yuasa, 2019)

I absolutely loved Love Exposure and Ride Your Wave. The former, I watched in the course of three nights. Mothra was enjoyable. The Demon Slayer movie and Children of the Sea were whatever to me. Great theme songs, though.

[draken049]

Godzilla King of The Monsters Review

So...the other day I went and finally seen Godzilla King of The Monsters and holy balls was it amazing. I have not been filled with so many different emotions from any Godzilla film before this one. Shin came close but King of The Monster?

...It was beautiful. The whole movie is beautiful. The story is simple, the message is clear and standard for the franchise, the characters both human and monster were amazing. The score was heart wrenching and it makes any fan feel like they are watching a pride and true Godzilla film from the homeland of Japan.

I was sitting in a theater room with only six other people, three couples, all of which had an affection for the franchise and the character of Godzilla. By the time the credits rolled, all of us were clapping and even some, myself included, were crying. IT’S ABSOLUTELY CRIMINAL THAT THIS MOVIE IS DOING POORLY...though...it’s not the movies fault...no. In fact, this is really on the hands of Hollywood and the blatant pacing issue it has. This movie is by definition a definitive summer blockbuster but thanks to Avengers Endgame...-grumble grumble grumble- another awesome movie...-grumble grumble grumble- being THE box office monster that it’s been, there just wasn’t any spare change for the film that is undoubtedly the better film for summer. Then of course there was also Detective Pikachu and John Wick Chapter 3 and Aladdin...just too many large named movies coming out within such a short span. There’s no room to breathe, at all and I believe that among these large movies, they all could have benefit if they were not released on the heels of Avengers Endgame.

Now with my two cents being said, I would absolutely love to point out that this is NOT, I repeat, IS NOT your typical Hollywood movie. It just isn’t and you’d be lying to yourself if you said otherwise. What I saw was a movie made by a devout fan of Godzilla, made for the people who LOVE and CHERISH each film in the franchise. This is a movie that was fun filming, fun creating and it made itself known that this IS a Godzilla movie. If you say that the characters are trash, the plot is trash, or the monsterverse is trash...then I’m sorry, you should just stop watching these movies all together or go back and watch the older movies. Yea, you can have your opinions but they’re wrong, they straight up just are. 

Non-Spoiler Territory Ahead

There’s so much this film does right and none that I can see that would make it deserve ill-wanted words. The tone of the movie is excellent. It provides us as viewers with an ever escalating landscape. There’s much more to lose here than there was in Godzilla (2014), that if something isn’t done, we’re going to be in for a world of hurt. The world is affected by the actions of Jonah and his eco-terrorism group to the point that even they would be affected if the source of the problem wasn’t dealt with. 

The character dynamics between Emma, Madison and Mark are simplified but nonetheless strong. It’s your typical family member lost, dad becomes a spiraling drunk, mom isolates herself and arguably loses her sanity and the daughter is left with the fallout from both but is forced to be by moms side. There’s much talk and allusion to redemption which is strongly paid off by two parties, even though I think one was less deserving than the other. Jonah has a motive that is much larger than just some action film bad guy and it needs to be known that he only partially succeeds but never fully gets what he wants. This gives him every reason to be the dark human element of Godzilla vs. Kong. Even by the time the credits rolled, you could tell exactly that he was planning something far more dangerous than what we were given. Dr. Serizawa is a penultimate character that is the yin to Godzilla’s yang. We see that he is still a devout believer that Godzilla is the key to balance among the Titans. His interaction and care for the large deity is something to really behold and it absolutely tugs your heart when it comes to giving the big lovable guy a good kick in the nuclear tank. 

The monsters themselves are all unique despite only seeing like what? Four new titans? The behemoth(????), the octo-spiderboi, a second female muto, and the large mountainboi. They are each dynamic in a way that they almost encapsulate a piece of cinematic history in the areas if which they appeared which I really wouldn’t put past Michael Dougherty because he is a horror anthology guru. However, the four that really shine above the rest are Rodan, Ghidorah, Godzilla and Mothra. 

Rodan; The Fire Demon...such a badass moniker. His initial appearance really draws on his Showa portrayals, being associated with the volcanos that both take and giveth his life. His design is MUAH, perfection. The mix of traditional reptile skin and possible fire feathers really give Rodan a naturalistic but also a unique look for the world of the Monsterverse. I really think he is the most animalistic of the four titular Titans, his actions reflective to that of an eagle or hawk but also as an aggressive bird when Ghidorah finally enters Rodans airspace. 

Godzilla; King of the Monsters...a much deserving title for the apex super predator. I was well and truly shocked when it’s revealed that Godzilla is or was worshiped by ancient peoples of an advanced civilization. His mannerisms, animalistic display intelligence and cunning flesh him out to be this thinking creature. His reservations about humanity is just but he develops an inherent trust of humanity thanks to Dr. Serizawa. It’s this trust that makes Godzilla feel like this unsung and much needed hero of the world. His leadership and stature among the worlds Titans seems akin to Aaragorns position when he finally takes up the mantle of king in Lord of the Rings. They both now have lives to look over and keep in line, to be the order and balance that the title of king implies. I want to point out that with the revelation that Godzilla has an actual home and was worshiped, that this is inspired from the Heisei Gamera films where an advanced civilization create Gamera in order to defend them from the Gyoas. All Alpha models of Gamera were sunk to the bottom of the ocean floor, creating this vast landscape of ancient bodies. The feeling there feels identical to the feeling you get when entering Godzilla’s domain. 

Ghidorah...The One Who Is Many...Sweet baby Zilla...All I can say is that this Ghidorah, this false king, is by far the most intricate, the most developed and the most critically thinking version of Ghidorah in the history of the franchise. He is not one creature but three and feels like three creatures with one body. Each head thinks and acts independently, the right is the follower but hyper aggressive, more so than the middle head. The right will do what is needed by the middle while the middle head is actively the leader. This one is unique because it looks like he is the one pulling the strings, the one actively strategizing and the one getting things done. The left head, I think is adorable...is liiiike just there it feels like. He’s a crucial part to Ghidorah sure but he seems like that one dog who’s hell bent on barking at you but gets distracted when he sees a squirrel and then all of his attention is on that one squirrel. I love it. I really do because it just solidifies that this Ghidorah has independent thought for each head, allowing it different personalities. His roar is genuinely terrifying but also sounds pretty damn close to the his Toho counterpart in the same way Rodan and Godzilla sound similar to their Toho counter parts. 

Mothra...my mothra...GOD WHY IS SHE SO FREAKING PERFECT!?!?!?!?!?! Mothra; The Queen of the Monsters...She is so beautiful, so majestic and hands down THE best monster of the movie for me. What makes her stand out from her Toho incarnations is that this gorgeous lady is actively searching for Godzilla. She doesn’t wish to fight him and as the film suggests, the two have a symbiotic relationship. To me, I believe that the Mosura and Gojira species actively fight together or at the very least come to the aid of one another. Her hovering over the location of Godzilla’s home seems to be odd at best if she were just looking to fight. Now that doesn’t mean I think the two go for booty calls with one another like Barnes thinks. Though, I do feel like this Mothra is highly sentient if not overly tied to the notion of her species naturally fighting alongside Godzilla’s species. She is also a reaallllll scrapper, even though most of her time was spent fighting Rodan. I would have loved loved LOVED to see her fight against Ghidorah at full strength. Her song also plays which is a newly created version of her 1961 musical composition. Any time that she’s on screen and that music plays, I will cry cry cry CRY!!! It’s beautiful in every sense of the word. Her devotion to Godzilla is admirable and her assistance is amazing. 

The climactic battle is a sensation of fighting, roars, destruction’s galore, and a visual spectacle. By the end and Godzilla standing tall, your heart will be filled bliss. However, stand tall until the after credits scene!

LITTLE RANT

So I’m not gonna say what’s at the end for the after credits scene, or at least not until I make a Spoiler Ridden Review but I see so many people claim that mechas or a Mecha-Godzilla type weapon will come to fruition. Yea, okay it’d be cool but where the bloody hell are you going to get that much finite resources let alone a power source strong enough to run the damn thing? Just because the military has a flying super carrier doesn’t mean that a Super X weapons system or a Mecha-Godzilla is going to come to the monsterverse any time soon. When this franchise began (the Monsterverse), it was clear that these movies are grounded in a reality where our resources are not unlimited. You have to stop and think about just how much it’d be to cost for these kinds of weapons let alone if it’s going to work. The amount of metals and other resources you need, it’s just unruly. Maybe if we found a way to harvest resources from stars or planets then sure but in the reality of the Monsterverse, that’s just not going to happen.

FINAL VERDICT: 10000000/10 MUST SEEE!!!!

[brokehorrorfan]

Blu-ray Review: Mothra

After watching Mothra slay in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, I was eager to revisit the Queen of the Monsters’ earlier work. Mill Creek Entertainment has serendipitously released her original film (known in its native Japan as Mosura) on Blu-ray in Steelbook packaging. Godzilla's Ishirô Honda - who helmed numerous other Japanese monster movies, including King Kong vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, Rodan, and Destroy All Monsters - directs with numerous other Godzilla alumni on both sides of the camera.

Following their success with Godzilla in 1954, Japanese studio Toho was quick to dominate the kaiju (giant monster) market like Godzilla on Tokyo. Not only did they immediately begin churning out Godzilla sequels, but they also introduced several creatures in standalone films before crossing them over with King of the Monsters. The first came in 1956 in the form of Rodan, then 1958's Varan the Unbelievable, and finally Mothra in 1961. The latter went on to become widely popular, second on to Godzilla in its number of film appearances.

When atomic testing off the coast of the presumed-uninhabited Infant Island uncovers mysterious natives, ruthless capitalist Clark Nelson (Jerry Itô) charters a scientific expedition to the island. After trudging through a jungle of mutated vegetation, the crew discovers two tiny, identical women (Emi and Yumi Itô of the singing duo The Peanuts). After saving the crew from a life-threatening plant, the twin fairies plea for the cessation of nuclear testing. Seeing an opportunity to exploit them for a quick buck, Nelson later returns to abduct the small beauties.

Tenacious newspaper reporter Senichiro "Bulldog" Fukuda (Furankî Sakai, Shogun), photographer Michi Hanamura (Kyōko Kagawa, Tokyo Story), and scientist Shin'ichi Chûjô (Hiroshi Koizumi, The Return of Godzilla) investigate the crimes, but they’re unable to stop the twins from telepathically summoning the legendary monster known as Mothra to rescue them. Back on Infant Island, a 100-meter egg soon hatches, from which a massive caterpillar-like creature emerges and makes its way to Tokyo, taking down anything and anyone in its way.

Mothra began as a story written by three novelists - Shin'ichirô Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta - with each one tackling one act of the story. Screenwriter Shin'ichi Sekizawa (King Kong vs. Godzilla) then streamlined the concept into a more cohesive script, but, like the bulk of early kaiju movies, it's heavy on dialogue with limited action until the finale. Mothra isn't born until halfway through the film, and that's only the larvae state; she doesn't emerge from the cocoon in her final imago form until the last 15 minutes.

The plot unsurprisingly borrows a lot from Godzilla's proven formula - including thinly-veiled, anti-nuclear social commentary - but it also utilizes elements from King Kong. Beyond the obvious parallels of strange creatures from exotic islands being captured and treated like circus animals, the monsters are both sympathetic. While Mothra lacks the emotional impact of Kong, its titular monster only causes harm as a means to protect itself and the fairies. Mothra also adds a rare feminine perspective to the kaiju oeuvre, supplemented by more fantastical and comedic components.

Mothra's city destruction - a highlight of any solo kaiju movie - isn't as exciting as that inflicted by bipedal monsters, as neither the larval nor the winged form has the ability to stomp or smash its surroundings. Although the puppetry is well-done and the intricate miniature work shows a great sense of scale, it lacks the charm of a person in a suit. True to its nature, the colorful, graceful creature is more welcoming than menacing.

Mothra’s Blu-ray debut includes both the original cut (in Japanese with English subtitles) and the re-edited American version (dubbed in English) that was released stateside the following year. The latter features minor cuts throughout the movie to run about 10 minutes shorter, which occasionally helps the pacing, but the original version is recommended. Regardless, the film looks as rich in high definition as its attractive Steelbook packaging, even if the seams in the special effects are more apparent with the vibrant picture.

Mill Creek’s Blu-ray ports over an audio commentary by Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa co-authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski, which previously appeared on Sony's DVD release of the film. The thorough track is obviously scripted, but the information is delivered swiftly, and the alternating voices break up the monotony. Special features are rounded out by a trailer, a teaser, and a gallery featuring promotional images and posters.

Mothra is available now on Steelbook Blu-ray via Mill Creek Entertainment.

[locke-writes]

A View of The Unknown

Or rather here is a movie recommendation list made up primarily of underrated, unknown (or oft forgotten), and cult classic films as of: July 28, 2019.

Tagging: @panro-musiclover

1890′s

Boxing Cats (1894)

Boxing Kangaroo (1895)

The Sprinkler Sprinkled (1895)

A Hallucinated Alchemist (1897)

1900 - 1939

Going to Bed Under Difficulties (1900)

Fire! (1901)

The Man With the Rubber Head (1901)

Rip Van Winkle (1903)

The Infernal Cauldron (1903)

Antony & Cleopatra (1908)

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde (1908)

The Cowboy Millionaire (1909)

Baseball & Bloomers (1911)

The Inferno (1911)

Robin Hood (1912)

At Midnight (1913)

Atlantis (1913)

The House of Darkness (1913)

The Wishing Rings (1914)

The Crazy Clock Maker (1915)

The Prisoner of Zenda (1915)

The Mystery of the Leaping Fish (1916)

The Outlaw and His Wife (1918)

The Ghost of Slumber Mountain (1918)

The Cinema Murder (1919)

Victory (1919)

Satan (1920)

Dracula's Death (1921)

The Fire Eater (1921)

The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse (1921)

A Debt of Honour (1922)

The Grass Orphan (1922)

Håxan (1922)

When Knighthood Was In Flower (1922)

Ashes of Vengeance (1923)

Raskolnikov (1923)

Ballet Mécanique (1924)

The Dark Angel (1925)

Smoldering Fires (1925)

Zander the Great (1925)

Kid Boots (1926)

The Triumph of the Rat (1926)

The Drop Kick (1927)

London After Midnight (1927)

Midnight Taxi (1928)

Sweeney Todd (1928)

The Terror (1928)

The Viking (1928)

A Knight in London (1929)

Bride of the Regiment (1930)

The Girl Said No (1930)

Manslaughter (1930)

The Temporary Widow (1930)

Bought! (1931)

Night Nurse (1931)

The Beast of the City (1932)

Devil and the Deep (1932)

Freaks (1932)

Blood Money (1933)

Design For Living (1933)

The Ghost Camera (1933)

The Vampire Bat (1933)

Viktor und Viktoria (1933)

You Made Me Love You (1933)

The Black Cat (1934)

Death Takes A Holiday (1934)

Little Man, What Now? (1934)

Black Fury (1935)

Crime and Punishment (1935)

Mad Love (1935)

Werewolves in London (1935)

Mr Deeds Goes To Town (1936)

Pennies From Heaven (1936)

The Awful Truth (1937)

La Grande Illusion (1937)

Madame X (1937)

Maid of Salem (1937)

The Prince and the Pauper (1937)

Young and Innocent (1937)

Woman Against Woman (1938)

Each Dawn I Die (1939)

Four Feathers (1939)

In Name Only (1939)

It's A Wonderful World (1939)

The Spy In Black (1939)

1940 - 1969

Arise My Love (1940)

Crimes At The Dark House (1940)

Dead Man's Shoes (1940)

My Favorite Wife (1940)

The Shop Around the Corner (1940)

Man-Made Monster (1941)

Meet John Doe (1941)

One Night in Transylvania (1941)

American Empire (1942)

The Black Sheep of Whitehall (1942)

There Was A Father (1942)

Angels of Sin (1943)

Cabin in the Sky (1943)

Calling Dr Death (1943)

Edge of Darkness (1943)

Heaven Can Wait (1943)

The Leopard Man (1943)

Yellow Canary (1943)

The Children Are Watching Us (1944)

Crime By Night (1944)

It Happened Tomorrow (1944)

Melody of Murder (1944)

The Body Snatcher (1945)

Detour (1945)

The Lost Letter (1945)

A Royal Scandal (1945)

The Beast With Five Fingers (1946)

The Big Sleep (1945)

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

The Razor's Edge (1946)

Gentlemen's Agreement (1947)

Devil in the Flesh (1947)

Kiss of Death (1947)

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)

Bicycle Thieves (1948)

Monkey's Paw (1948)

Noose (1948)

The Red Shoes (1948)

Blue Swords (1949)

The Red Pony (1949)

The Secret Garden (1949)

The Black Rose (1950)

Death Is A Caress (1950)

Destination Moon (1950)

Edge of Doom (1950)

The Flame and the Arrow (1950)

Death of a Salesmen (1951)

The Idiot (1951)

The Thing From Another World (1951)

Your Day Will Come (1951)

The Quiet Man (1952)

The Beggar's Open (1953)

The Blue Gardenia (1953)

By The Light of the Silvery Moon (1953)

Escape By Night (1953)

From Here To Eternity (1953)

House of Wax (1953)

Man on a Tightrope (1953)

Shane (1953)

Tokyo Story (1953)

Robinson Crusoe (1954)

The Caine Mutiny (1954)

Sabrina (1954)

Seven Samurai (1954)

Battle Cry (1955)

Blackboard Jungle (1955)

East of Eden (1955)

Marty (1955)

Giant (1956)

Please Murder Me (1956)

Fear Strikes Out (1957)

Night of the Demon (1957)

The Quiet American (1958)

A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)

The Death Ship (1959)

House on Haunted Hill (1959)

Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1959)

The Broken Pots (1960)

Circus of Horrors (1960)

The Dark at the Top of the Stairs (1960)

Exodus (1960)

Eyes Without A Face (1960)

Girl of the Night (1960)

The Human Vapor (1960)

The Little Shop of Horrors (1960)

The Ninth Circle (1960)

Please Don't Eat the Daisies (1960)

Portrait in Black (1960)

Purple Noon (1960)

Testament of Orpheus (1960)

The Time Machine (1960)

The Village of the Damned (1960)

Antigone (1961)

A Bomb Was Stolen (1961)

The Children's Hour (1961)

Homicidal (1961)

The Human Condition (1961)

The Long and the Short and the Tall (1961)

Mothra (1961)

Mysterious Island (1961)

Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

The Young Savages (1961)

Advise & Consent (1962)

Big and Little Wong Tin Bar (1962)

The Brain That Wouldn't Die (1962)

Carnival of Souls (1962)

Experiment In Terror (1962)

The Exterminating Angel (1962)

Five Miles to Midnight (1962)

Knife in the Water (1962)

Long Days Journey Into Night (1962)

Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Moon Pilot (1962)

The Trial (1962)

A View From The Bridge (1962)

Charade (1963)

Diary of a Madman (1963)

Lilies of the Field (1963)

A Matter of Choice (1963)

Mother of the Bride (1963)

Passenger (1963)

The Raven (1963)

Sunday in New York (1963)

Take Her, She's Mine (1963)

Toys in the Attic (1963)

Walking the Streets of Moscow (1963)

First Men In the Moon (1964)

Of Human Bondage (1964)

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

Chronicle of a Boy Alone (1965)

The Collector (1965)

Flight of the Phoenix (1965)

Lord Jim (1965)

Nightmare Castle (1965)

Tattooed Life (1965)

Alfie (1966)

Arabesque (1966)

Chimes at Midnight (1966)

Daisies (1966)

Come Spy With Me (1967)

Far From the Madding Crowd (1967)

The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967)

The Flim-Flam Man (1967)

Oedipus Rex (1967)

Paranoia (1967)

The Trip (1967)

Ulysses (1967)

The Boston Strangler (1968)

Destroy All Monsters (1968)

The Doll (1968)

The Girl on a Motorcycle (1968)

High School (1968)

The Sea Gull (1968)

The Secret Life of an American Wife (1968)

Signs of Life (1968)

What So Bad About Feeling Good? (1968)

The Assassination Bureau (1969)

The Color of Pomegranates (1969)

Don't Drink the Water (1969)

I'm An Elephant, Madame (1969)

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)

A Talent For Loving (1969)

What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? (1969)

1970-1999

Alex In Wonderland (1970)

Catch-22 (1970)

Diary of a Mad Housewife (1970)

Dionysus in '69 (1970)

How Do I Love Thee? (1970)

I Never Sang For My Father (1970)

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

Michael The Brave (1970)

Of Gods and the Undead (1970)

The Phantom Tollbooth (1970)

There's A Girl In My Soup (1970)

The Traveling Executioner (1970)

The Beguiled (1971)

Bless the Beasts and Children (1971)

The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971)

The Devil Has Seven Faces (1971)

Drive, He Said (1971)

Land of Silence and Darkness (1971)

The Panic In Needle Park (1971)

Straw Dogs (1971)

Villain (1971)

Willard (1971)

1776 (1972)

Aguirre, Wrath of God (1972)

The Assassination of Trotsky (1972)

Frogs (1972)

The Scientific Cardplayer (1972)

Solaris (1972)

The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972)

They Only Kill Their Masters (1972)

Badlands (1973)

Blue Blood (1973)

Cops and Robbers (1973)

The Day of the Dolphin (1973)

The Long Goodbye (1973)

Love and Pain and the Whole Damn Thing (1973)

Soylent Green (1973)

Westworld (1973)

Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore (1974)

At Home Among Strangers (1974)

The Clockmaker (1974)

Gone in 60 Seconds (1974)

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Rhinoceros (1974)

Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Brother, Can You Spare A Dime (1975)

Chronicle of the Years of Fire (1975)

Cornbread, Earl and Me (1975)

Deep Red (1975)

Graveyard of Honor (1975)

The Land That Time Forgot (1975)

Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)

Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975)

Tommy (1975)

The Bricklayers (1976)

The Devil's Playground (1976)

Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000 (1976)

The Killer Inside Me (1976)

The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976)

Logan's Run (1976)

Backroads (1977)

The Prince and the Pauper (1977)

Death of a President (1977)

The Disappearance (1977)

Eraserhead (1977)

New York, New York (1977)

The Other Side of Midnight (1977)

Pete's Dragon (1977)

The Serpent's Egg (1977)

Wizards (1977)

The Big Fix (1978)

Coming Home (1978)

Days of Heaven (1978)

Germany In Autumn (1978)

Midnight Express (1978)

Remember My Name (1978)

Bloodline (1979)

City on Fire (1979)

A Perfect Couple (1979)

Skatetown, USA (1979)

The Dogs of War (1980)

Heaven's Gate (1980)

Rude Boy (1980)

Stalker (1980)

An American Werewolf In London (1981)

Escape From New York (1981)

Fever (1981)

My Bloody Valentine (1981)

Time Bandits (1981)

Tuck Everlasting (1981)

Alone in the Dark (1982)

Android (1982)

Another Way (1982)

The Beastmaster (1982)

The Border (1982)

Butterfly (1982)

Cannery Row (1982)

Creepshow (1982)

Diner (1982)

Fanny and Alexander (1982)

The Flight of Dragons (1982)

Moonlighting (1982)

The Plague Doctors (1982)

The Pokrovsky Gate (1982)

Tex (1982)

The World According To Garp (1982)

Betrayal (1983)

The Big Chill (1983)

Brainstorm (1983)

Christine (1983)

Daniel (1983)

The Dead Zone (1983)

The Dresser (1983)

The Honorary Consul (1983)

The Illusionist (1983)

The King of Comedy (1983)

Rumble Fish (1983)

The Scarlet and the Pipe (1983)

The Survivors (1983)

Trading Places (1983)

The Ice Pirates (1984)

The Killing Fields (1984)

The Last Starfighter (1984)

Repo Man (1984)

Rhinestone (1984)

A Year of Quiet Sun (1984)

Better Off Dead (1985)

The Black Cauldron (1985)

Fletch (1985)

Fright Night (1985)

Mask (1985)

Re-Animator (1985)

A Room With A View (1985)

9 1/2 Weeks (1986)

The Adventures of Milo and Otis (1986)

An American Tale (1986)

Back to School (1986)

Bue Velvet (1986)

Peggy Sue Got Married (1986)

River's Edge (1986)

Seize the Day (1986)

Sid and Nancy (1986)

Terrorizers (1986)

Voyage to Nowhere (1986)

Youngblood (1986)

Batteries Not Included (1987)

Chronicle of a Death Foretold (1987)

Cross My Heart (1987)

Deadline (1987)

The Hidden (1987)

Ishtar (1987)

Less Than Zero (1987)

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne (1987)

The Lost Boys (1987)

Mannequin (1987)

Maurice (1987)

Number One With A Bullet (1987)

The Pick Up Artist (1987)

Roxanne (1987)

Wings of Desire (1987)

Withnail and I (1987)

The Year My Voice Broke (1987)

Biloxi Blues (1988)

Bright Lights, Big City (1988)

Dead Ringers (1988)

Earth Girls Are Easy (1988)

Johnny Be Good (1988)

The Music Teacher (1988)

Painted Faces (1988)

Permanent Record (1988)

The Prince of Pennsylvania (1988)

Stealing Heaven (1988)

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1988)

We Think The World Of You (1988)

Working Girl (1988)

Wuthering Heights (1988)

Young Guns (1988)

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)

Chances Are (1989)

Dead Calm (1989)

Drugstore Cowboy (1989)

I Love, You Love (1989)

Loverboy (1989)

See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)

Signs of Life (1989)

UHF (1989)

Vampire's Kiss (1989)

Weekend At Bernies's (1989)

Darkman (1990)

Flatliners (1990)

The Freshman (1990)

Joe Versus The Volcano (1990)

Problem Child (1990)

Quigley Down Under (1990)

Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

Vincent & Theo (1990)

King Ralph (1991)

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Raise the Red Lantern (1991)

The Babe (1992)

The Crying Game (1992)

Death Becomes Her (1992)

Encino Man (1992)

Howard's End (1992)

Jámon Jámon (1992)

School Ties (1992)

Toys (1992)

Benny & Joon (1992)

Dave (1992)

Dazed and Confused (1992)

Heart and Souls (1993)

In the Name of the Father (1993)

Malice (1993)

Money For Nothing (1993)

The Night We Never Met (1993)

The Piano (1993)

The Remains of the Day (1993)

Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993)

So I Married An Axe Murderer (1993)

Swing Kids (1993)

The Three Musketeers (1993)

Tombstone (1993)

The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert (1994)

Airheads (1994)

Corrina, Corrina (1994)

Only You (1994)

The Pagemaster (1994)

Quiz Show (1994)

Stargate (1994)

When A Man Loves A Woman (1994)

The Arsonist (1995)

Babe (1995)

The Basketball Diaries (1995)

Before Sunrise (1995)

Demon Knight (1995)

Dolores Claiborne (1995)

Empire Records (1995)

Forgotten Silver (1995)

Four Rooms (1995)

Funny Bones (1995)

Hackers (1995)

Home For The Holidays (1995)

Kids (1995)

Mallrats (1995)

Powder (1995)

The Quick and the Dead (1995)

Sabrina (1995)

Crime that Changed Serbia (1995)

Tommy Boy (1995)

Before and After (1996)

The Birdcage (1996)

Bottle Rocket (1996)

The Crucible (1996)

The Fan (1996)

Fear (1996)

From Dusk till Dawn (1996)

Glory Daze (1996)

Marvin's Room (1996)

Michael (1996)

Mr Holland's Opus (1996)

Multiplicity (1996)

Primal Fear (1996)

Pusher (1996)

Shall We Dance (1996)

Sling Blade (1996)

Somersault in a Coffin (1996)

Swingers (1996)

That Thing You Do! (1996)

Trainspotting (1996)

Amistad (1997)

Anastasia (1997)

Boogie Nights (1997)

The Boxer (1997)

Chasing Amy (1997)

Dante's Peak (1997)

The Fifth Element (1997)

Fools Rush In (1997)

Funny Games (1997)

Gattaca (1997)

Lawn Dogs (1997)

Life is Beautiful (1997)

My Best Friends Wedding (1997)

The Postman (1997)

The Rainmaker (1997)

Romy and Michelle's High School Renion (1997)

Wag the Dog (1997)

American History X (1998)

Antz (1998)

Can't Hardly Wait (1998)

Godzilla (1998)

Great Expectations (1998)

Home Fries (1998)

The Interview (1998)

Meet Joe Black (1998)

Music From Another Room (1998)

A Night At the Roxbury (1998)

Of Freaks and Men (1998)

Overnight Delivery (1998)

Patch Adams (1998)

Phantoms (1998)

Pleasantville (1998)

Quest for Camelot (1998)

Return To Paradise (1998)

Rounders (1998)

Rushmore (1998)

Sliding Doors (1998)

Velvet Goldmine (1998)

What Dreams May Come (1998)

After Stonewall (1999)

All the Little Animals (1999)

The Astronauts Wife (1999)

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Big Daddy (1999)

The Bone Collector (1999)

But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)

The Cider House Rules (1999)

Dogma (1999)

EDtv (1999)

eXistenZ (1999)

Galaxy Quest (1999)

Girl, Interrupted (1999)

The Iron Giant (1999)

Monkeybone (1999)

Mystery, Alaska (1999)

Mystery Men (1999)

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Notting Hill (1999)

Office Space (1999)

Snow Falling On Cedars (1999)

Summer of Sam (1999)

2000-Now

28 Days (2000)

Almost Famous (2000)

Bedazzled (2000)

Best in Show (2000)

Billy Elliot (2000)

Dracula 2000 (2000)

Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)

High Fidelity (2000)

Keeping the Faith (2000)

Shadow of the Vampire (2000)

Spring Forward (2000)

Unbreakable (2000)

Bubble Boy (2001)

Disco Pigs (2001)

Donnie Darko (2001)

Ghost World (2001)

Josie and the Pussycats (2001)

Kate & Leopold (2001)

The Others (2001)

Rock Star (2001)

Saving Silverman (2001)

Swordfish (2001)

The Musketeer (2001)

City of God (2002)

Equilibrium (2002)

The Pianist (2002)

Possession (2002)

Punch-Drunk Love (2002)

The Quiet American (2002)

All the Real Girls (2003)

Danny Deckchair (2003)

Gothika (2003)

Green Butchers (2003)

A Guy Thing (2003)

The Room (2003)

School of Rock (2003)

Shattered Glass (2003)

The Station Agent (2003)

Timeline (2003)

Win A Date With Tad Hamilton (2004)

Hidalgo (2004)

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

The Girl Next Door (2004)

13 Going on 30 (2004)

Garden State (2004)

The Village (2004)

Layer Cake (2004)

Raise Your Voice (2004)

Closer (2004)

The Wedding Date (2005)

The Island (2005)

Red Eye (2005)

Just Like Heaven (2005)

Shopgirl (2005)

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

Aeon Flux (2005)

Grandma's Boy (2006)

Aquamarine (2006)

Failure to Launch (2006)

She's the Man (2006)

Thank You For Smoking (2006)

V For Vendetta (2006)

Slither (2006)

Just My Luck (2006)

The Omen (2006)

Little Man (2006)

My Super Ex-Girlfriend (2006)

Little Miss Sunshine (2006)

The Illusionist (2006)

Employee of the Month (2006)

The Prestige (2006)

Let's Go To Prison (2006)

The Fall (2006)

Disturbia (2007)

Hannibal Rising (2007)

Waitress (2007)

Bug (2007)

Eagle vs Shark (2007)

No Reservations (2007)

The Brothers Solomon (2007)

Sydney White (2007)

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

The Martian Child (2007)

Margot at the Wedding (2007)

August Rush (2007)

In Bruges (2008)

Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Be Kind Rewind (2008)

Charlie Bartlett (2008)

Paranoid Park (2008)

Funny Games (2008)

21 (2008)

My Blueberry Nights (2008)

The Foot Fist Way (2008)

The Midnight Meat Train (2008)

The Rocker (2008)

The House Bunny (2008)

Ghost Town (2008)

My Best Friend's Girl (2008)

RocknRolla (2008)

Repo! The Genetic Opera

Fanboys (2009)

Incendiary (2009)

Fired Up! (2009)

Ghost of Girlfriends Past (2009)

The Brothers Bloom (2009)

The Ugly Truth (2009)

Adam (2009)

Big Fan (2009)

Gamer (2009)

Splice (2009)

Bronson (2009)

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

The Road (2009)

A Single Man (2009)

The Collector (2009)

Fish Tank (2009)

Legion (2010)

Repo Men (2010)

The Losers (2010)

The Trotsky (2010)

Cyrus (2010)

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

Salt (2010)

Never Let Me Go (2010)

Easy A (2010)

I Love You Philip Morris (2010)

Blue Valentine (2010)

Take Shelter (2011)

Sanctum (2011)

Paul (2011)

Limitless (2011)

Jane Eyre (2011)

Source Code (2011)

Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (2011)

Hanna (2011)

We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

Priest (2011)

Super 8 (2011)

Fright Night (2011)

The Ides of March (2011)

Anonymous (2011)

Warrior (2011)

Dream House (2011)

In Time (2011)

Young Adult (2011)

Premium Rush (2012)

Would You Rather (2012)

Chronicle (2012)

This Means War (2012)

Wanderlust (2012)

A Royal Affair (2012)

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (2012)

Lawless (2012)

For A Good Time, Call (2012)

The Words (2012)

Looper (2012)

Seven Psychopaths (2012)

Side Effects (2013)

Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Stoker (2013)

Mud (2013)

Byzantium (2013)

The Kings of Summer (2013)

Bad Words (2013)

The Way, Way Back (2013)

Prisoners (2013)

Frank (2014)

Chef (2014)

Rosewater (2014)

The Equalizer (2014)

The Drop (2014)

This Is Where I Leave You (2014)

A Walk Among the Tombstones (2014)

Dracula Untold (2014)

Me and Earl And the Dying Girl (2015)

Chappie (2015)

Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015)

The Gift (2015)

The End of the Tour (2015)

Burnt (2015)

Mr Right (2016)

Jane Got A Gun (2016)

Midnight Special (2016)

Everybody Want Some! (2016)

Green Room (2016)

Money Monster (2016)

The Fundamentals of Caring (2016)

Anthropoid (2016)

Loving (2016)

Frank & Lola (2016)

Paterson (2016)

Sleight (2017)

Table 19 (2017)

Dean (2017)

Brigsby Bear (2017)

You Were Never Really Here (2018)

First Reformed (2018)

Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot (2018)

Blindspotting (2018)

Juliet, Naked (2018)

Hunter Killer (2018)

[balmungkriemhild]

so i watched both Godzilla KotM and Mothra’s 1961 film last night

long story short, now i’m kinda obsessed with a certain large moth

[biondinoya]

Godzilla KotM - Final Review (Plot & stuff, Spoiler Alert!)

Now that I've watched the movies 5 times in different theaters, I think it's time for me to give a proper and final review for my long-awaited favorite movie, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. As a monster and dragon fanatic, it's difficult to find a movie that can satisfy my appetite nowadays. It is why I've waited for this movie for so long.

We had a bunch of superhero movies already, we need more monster movies! (or at least that's what I felt as a monsters-fan).

I made a review before, but it deals more with the monsters. You can check it here.

 Now let's begin with the movie plot. Spoiler alert, so beware!

The Plot

Monarch managed to create a device named ORCA. It's a device that could emit frequency to communicate to the Titans (kaiju term on this movie). After successfully using it to calm down larva Mothra, the device is stolen by a group of eco-terrorist to wake Ghidorah in Antarctica. Monarch sees Godzilla threatened by something and they decide to follow him. They fly with their mothership named Argo to Antarctica. The eco-terrorist with the help of Dr. Emma Russel wakes Ghidorah up. Godzilla approach Ghidorah and they engage in a fight. After knocking Godzilla down. Godzilla wakes up but Ghidorah manages to fly away.

The Monarch then flies to Isle De Mara. On their way to Mexico, Emma explains to Monarch that this is the only way to restore the balance of planet Earth. Then she awakens Rodan who is slumbering in a volcano. Rodan's roar turns to call both Godzilla & Ghidorah. The Monarch then successfully lured Rodan to follow them. They bring Rodan to Ghidorah who flies in the middle of a thunderstorm. Ghidorah knocked Rodan out. Ghidorah turns to Monarch, but Godzilla ambushes him. They both fight underwater and Godzilla is taking advantage, he even decapitated one of Ghidorah's head. Unfortunately, the US Navy is launching a new prototype weapon named Oxygen Destroyer. The missile hit both Godzilla and Ghidorah. Ghidorah survived the blast and flew away, while Godzilla is heavily damaged and seemingly get killed. Ghidorah regrows his head and awakens other Titans. Rodan returns to Ghidorah, submitting himself to obey Ghidorah as an Alpha.

Meanwhile, in another place, Mothra has transformed herself from a cocoon into her butterfly form. She then flies to some ocean where coincidently meets with Monarch. She tries to call for Godzilla, and Godzilla is responding, proving he's not dead. The Monarch then sends a team to help regen Godzilla, who is located undersea. Dr. Serizawa sacrifices himself by manually detonating the nuke, which revives Godzilla and increases his power.

In Boston, Madison is stealing the Orca and broadcasts the device in Fenway Park. The frequency managed to calm down the Titans rampage. Ghidorah comes to Boston to destroy the Orca. Right before he wants to blast Madison, Godzilla fires his atomic breath, throwing Ghidorah and saves Madison.

Godzilla then engaged in the third battle with Ghidorah. In the middle of battle, Mothra arrives to help Godzilla, but she is intercepted by Rodan. Rodan was then stabbed critically by Mothra. The bird is seemingly dead, but the butterfly is heavily damaged, leaving her to stand weak to help Godzilla. Ghidorah overpowers Godzilla, and Mothra sacrifices herself to shield Godzilla from Ghidorah. The destroyed butterfly turns into ashes and rains down to Godzilla, transferring her energy to help Godzilla. Ghidorah then tries to kill Godzilla and absorb his life-force.

Mark, Emma & Madison then lure Ghidorah away with Orca, trying to get Godzilla to heal. Emma drives away with Orca, allowing the Monarch people to escape. Ghidorah follows Emma, and Godzilla is recovered. Godzilla turns into Fire Godzilla (I believe it's Burning Godzilla), he's glowing red and melting everything around him. He blasts some sort of nuclear energy pulse to Ghidorah twice before finally he kills Ghidorah and reverting to a normal state. After that, the Titans arrive and bow down to Godzilla, including Rodan.

Few years after, the eco-terrorist is buying a Ghidorah dead-head in Mexico.

The End

Reference to the Originals

Now based on the plot, I want to point out some that really pay homage to the originals (outside the ‘newspaper ending credit’ because it's too fast to follow).

1. Dr. Serizawa is a character from the original Godzilla 1954. He founded Oxygen Destroyer and sacrificed himself to killed Godzilla with that weapon. He killed Godzilla underseas, wearing a very similar deep-diving suit. Now In this movie, he's the one who believes in Godzilla. He also the one who sacrifices himself to resurrect Godzilla.

2. Ghidorah is a space dragon, true to the original Showa. His most powerful attack that when he eats powerplant, is referring to Grand King Ghidorah from Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998). He blasts the gravity beam through his mouth and wings. In the original Showa era movies, Godzilla alone can't defeat Ghidorah. It's also presented here. Also when he tried to kill and absorb Godzilla's energy is referring to Kaizer Ghidorah from Godzilla Final Wars (2004).

3. Dr. Illen & Dr. Ling is referring to the original twin-fairies, who have faith in Mothra (1961) and other movies.

4. Godzilla's fire form (or Burning form) is directly taken from Godzilla VS Destoroyah (1995). His pulse blast attack also appears in Godzilla VS King Ghidorah (1991).

5. Mothra's death often occurs in the original movies.

6. The discovery of one of Ghidorah's head is referring to Godzilla VS King Ghidorah (1991). Instead of only one head, the originals had his full body except for the missing middle head.

7. The music theme for Godzilla & Mothra is faithful to the original.

The Cut Flaws

The perfect movie doesn't exist. No matter how good it was, it has flaws. Through 5 times of watching it, here I try to identify where the flaw occurs in the movie in terms of the cuts.

1. The first one is Oxygen Destroyer's blast impact seems not that powerful. I do think it could cause collateral damage to anything around it.

2. The scene when Godzilla is dropped from the sky by Ghidorah. Madison and friends are opening her mouth in awe, while the dust is blowing through them. They should close their mouth when it happens, or at least cough afterward.

3. Godzilla's final energy blast that killed Ghidorah. It looks immensely powerful, so the impact on everything near him should be more devastating than that.

4. I don't think any person is brave enough to face Ghidorah as Emma and Madison did. Emma is chased by a dragon that is bigger than a building, and so with Madison. I think everyone would be passed out in such situation.

5. Ghidorah's gravity beam that attacked Madison in Fenway Park radio tower is weaker than it is supposed to be. That gravity beam should immediately blow the building.

6. Mark is looking at Mothra who flies outside the Navy boat, suddenly he already inside the boat.

7. It's not a flaw but we don't have the cut of Madison's very first trailer "Hello? Is anybody there?".

8. Some people bring up the problem with the logic of how Godzilla can stand in the water when he roars after get resurrected. If only they know Godzilla's other greatly absurd skills, that wouldn't be a problem. :D

The Storytelling

The original Godzilla 1954 movie is dark and depressing. But the rest of the movies take Godzilla in many different directions, and the most well-known of them is the monster's brawl. It has become the tradition of Godzilla movies, while not always. It's known among fans that if you're watching Godzilla movies, it's the monster's brawl that you're looking for. Most of the stories are absurd and not like that blockbuster-Hollywood-style. Most of them but not all.

Godzilla 2014 marks the debut of the first Hollywood movie that stays true to the original Godzilla. The movie is directed by Garreth Edwards. His way of directing the movie is slow-build, revealing the monsters to the audience bit by a bit. It's more like watching a human perspective on Godzilla. I think this way of storytelling works very well for me, although I also agree that there's not enough Godzilla in Godzilla movie even at its climax scenes. However, Gareth's style has made it introduce Godzilla as a very big monster.

Now Godzilla King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty. Mike is a true fan of Godzilla, I can assure you. He throws more monster scenes in the movie. WITHOUT forgetting to pay respect to Garreth's style of directing since he did it first. I've watched the movie 5 times, and I think he's balancing Garreth's style into what the fans wanted. The fans wanted more monster scenes. I think he did a good job of doing a balance of respecting Garreth's style and fans' demands. For me, you get a good amount of monster scenes still with the human perspective.

I'll make a comparison to MCU Avengers for now, since it's a very popular franchise. Now in some context, Godzilla King of the Monsters felt like Avengers, they have many BIG characters in one movie. However, MCU has the chance of introducing each one of the heroes through each own movie. And it's made in Hollywood (which has a greater chance to be known worldwide).  In terms of Hollywood-made, Godzilla, unfortunately, doesn't have this chance although he spanned 32 movies already from TOHO. Add that to many of his absurd movies, making it even harder to access the general audience. He managed to be made in Hollywood in 1998, but it's not the true Godzilla that the fans hoped for. You don’t get enough introduction to each monster in Hollywood. For the general audience who have less knowledge of Godzilla, this could present a problem.

As for the story writing and plot, I don't find any problem with enjoying this movie despite any cut flaws. If you compared it to other original Godzilla movies, the story of this movie is made more sense and acceptable. Even I saw kids love it and it’s nice! Sure as a fan it would be cool to see if Godzilla does his silly things like dancing or flying kick, but I'm not sure the general audience would approve.

Where to Watch

So here in Indonesia, I watched the movie in 5 different cinemas. 3 standard cinemas, 1 IMAX, and 1 Dolby Atmos Cinema. If you want a superb quality for the image, go for IMAX. But if you want to really feel the roars and explosions, then go for Dolby Atmos. 

I personally found Dolby Atmos is the best experience for watching the movie.

Personal Conclusion

My very first introduction to Godzilla is from his toys and I love him ever since. Then my first experience of his movie is The Invasion of Astro Monster, also the first time I learned his absurdity and silliness. But that doesn’t stop me from being a fan, instead, I dig deeper into his lore and find it fascinating and entertaining. I was a huge monster fan after all.

So in my opinion, Godzilla King of the Monsters is the best Godzilla movie produced in Hollywood ever. It's the movie that I've wanted to watch for so long. It's indeed the ONLY movie that truly I hyped for this year. The music score is amazing, the VFX is amazing. Seriously, the music alone is outstanding. Go check them out on Watertower Music channel on Youtube.

 As a true fan of Godzilla, I'll rate this movie 15/10. But if I put myself as a casual viewer and as objective as I could it would be 8/10. Great Sci-Fi Fantasy movie.

Thank you, Michael Dougherty, Legendary & Warner Bros for making such great movie. I really love it.

Long live the king.~

[digitalkaijustudios]

Move over Don Draper! It’s all about the OG ad guy on Episode 4 of Gorilla Whale—Mr. Tako. He’s well dressed, ambitious, and he’s gonna exploit these creatures for tons of money! On this week’s episode Kevin and Kayla take on King Kong vs Godzilla (1962). OG Godzilla director, Ishiro Honda is back—and by God if the studios are gonna milk this cash kaiju he’s gonna be there to make some art about it.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1z0wjfCVffD7Y2OteSUUuA?si=086b81134ed647c2

YOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/AHfKmSzcTfA

KO-FI: https://ko-fi.com/digitalkaijustudios

In celebration of King Kong’s first appearance in the Godzilla franchise, we have a bonus episode for our Ko-Fi supporters where we discuss King Kong (1933). Check out the Ko-Fi for that and more monster movie discussions!

Next week, on Friday August 2nd we talk Mothra vs Godzilla (1964). This is not to be confused with Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992). You can legally find this for free on services like Tubi, Crackle, Amazon Freevee, and Pluto TV. Ko-Fi Titan subscribers can check out our Mothra (1961) bonus episode now!

This is a clip from episode 4 of Gorilla Whale: A Godzilla Watch-Along, Podcast by Digital Kaiju Studios. This podcast is hosted and produced by Kevin Carpenter and Kayla Knutson. Art by Ashlee Hart.

[kaijureview]

Kaiju Profile

Name: Mothra

Films: Mothra (1961), Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964), Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964), Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (AKA, Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster) (1966), Destroy All Monsters (1968), Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992), Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994), Rebirth of Mothra (1996), Rebirth of Mothra II (1997), Rebirth of Mothra III (1998), Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003), Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)

Mothra is a kaiju that first appeared in Toho's 1961 film Mothra and has appeared in several Toho films since, most often as a recurring character in the Godzilla franchise. She is typically portrayed as a colossal sentient caterpillar or imago moth, accompanied by two miniature humanoids, known as the fairies, speaking on her behalf. Unlike other Toho monsters, Mothra is a largely heroic character, having been variously portrayed as a protector of her own island culture, the Earth, and Japan. She is one of Toho’s most popular monsters, and second only to Godzilla in her total number of film appearances. Polls taken during the early 1990s indicated that Mothra was particularly popular among women, who were at the time the largest demographic among Japan's movie-going audience, a fact that prompted the filming of 1992's Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth, which was the best-attended Toho film since King Kong vs. Godzilla.

Mothra’s story starts out when she hatches from an egg on Infant Island after her priestesses, the twin fairies, are abducted by a Rosilican capitalist hoping to exploit them as media celebrities. And by exploit I mean keep them as slaves in a cage and force them to sing in nightly shows. But jokes on him because the song they sing every night is the song that awakens and summons Mothra.

The larval Mothra swims to Tokyo wrecking a lot of shit on the way and cocoons herself around the Tokyo Tower. After surviving having her cocoon set on fire and upon reaching her adult form, Mothra flies to Rosilica's capital and wrecks even more shit until someone finally shoots the bastard holding her priestesses captive and returns them to her. At which point she wishes peace and happiness upon humanity. Which sounds a little hollow considering she just finished killing countless people.

In her next appearance in Mothra vs. Godzilla, we see that Mothra reincarnates herself through her own offspring. When a Mothra egg appears on the coast of Japan, it is instantly exploited as a tourist attraction. Because I guess no one learned their lesson the first time. Mothra's priestesses attempt to negotiate the return of the egg to Infant Island, but are told to get lost. Then Godzilla attacks Japan, (who could have seen that coming?) forcing humanity to go running to a now embittered Mothra for help like a bunch of little bitches.

Mothra shows up to help anyways. Maybe she was showing her benevolence by coming to the aid of those who scorned her, or maybe she just felt like she owed humanity one after all the people she killed in the last movie... But she ends up getting killed in the fight. But then two larvae emerge from the egg and defeat Godzilla by encasing him in a cocoon.

In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, it is revealed that only one of the larvae survived. We can’t very well have Mothra reincarnated into two Mothras after all... King Ghidorah is in town doing what King Ghidorah does, so the remaining larva convinces Godzilla and Rodan (who are both still villains at this point in the series) to join forces with her in order to fight him, and thus it’s Mothra who converts Godzilla and Rodan to the status of heroes for the first time.

This movie has a strange but rather amusing scene where the humans are watching Mothra try to convince Godzilla and Rodan to help her and they have a whole argument about it while the fairies translate everything the monsters are saying for the human observers. It should also be pointed out that Mothra remains in her larva state through the entire movie.

The larva ultimately gains adulthood between movies and is back in her adult form when she appears in Ebirah, Horror of the Deep. But she spends most of the movie just lying around being sung to by her worshipers until the very end of the movie when she finally decides to get up and go save a group of slaves taken from Infant Island to a terrorist base on Letchi Island, just as the base is undergoing a self-destruct sequence. She doesn’t show up until after Godzilla has already taken care of Ebirah, promptly gets shot at by Godzilla (I guess the truce is over) and then takes off with the human cast, flying them to safety, leaving Godzilla to deal with the exploding island on his own.

Another larva appears in Destroy All Monsters, living alongside other monsters in Monsterland, never telling us what happened to the previous incarnation of Mothra or why she isn’t on Infant Island. Along with the other monsters, Mothra is briefly enslaved by the Kilaaks, who force her to attack Beijing and later join Godzilla in the destruction of Tokyo. The Kilaaks' mind control is ultimately broken, and Mothra joins the other monsters in the final battle against King Ghidorah. 

In Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth, it it revealed that Mothra is a guardian of the Earth who presided over an advanced civilization over 12,000 years ago. When the civilization created a device designed to control the Earth's climate, the Earth responded by creating the black Mothra, Battra - which Mothra defeated, but not before the civilization was wiped out. Another Mothra egg is discovered in 1993 on Infant Island by the Marutomo real estate agency, which seeks to, you guessed it... exploit it and Mothra's priestesses for profit. The egg hatches during a fight between Godzilla and a resurrected Battra, and the larva later attacks Tokyo in order to save its priestesses. You’d think they would have seen that coming...

Eventually Mothra attains her adult form, then briefly fights Battra, but this is after Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah and all of its time travel shenanigans, so Godzilla is back to being evil again. So Mothra and Battra finally bury the hatchet and join forces to fight Godzilla.

Battra dies in the attempt, and Mothra pledges to fulfill Battra's role in preventing a meteorite from devastating the Earth in 1999. Because I guess that was a thing...

In Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, Mothra becomes aware of SpaceGodzilla's advance towards Earth while she’s off in space heading towards that meteorite, and sends her priestesses to warn Earth of his arrival. And that was it for her involvement in that movie.

The Rebirth of Mothra trilogy is an alternate universe separate from the Heisei continuity, and involves some stuff about Mothra being the last remaining member of a species of giant moths who guard the Elias' civilization, a dragon named Desghidorah, whom Mothra fights, and Mothra getting killed by Desghidorah only to be replaced by her son, Mothra Leo.

In Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, we get classic Mothra back, but we are again in an alternate continuity where Mothra is portrayed as having been one of the three guardians of Yamato, originating 1,000 years before the events of the film. Mothra was imprisoned in Lake Ikeda, only to be reawakened in 2001 to halt Godzilla's destruction of Tokyo. She fights alongside Baragon and King Ghidorah (because he’s a good guy in this continuity apparently...) but she gets killed and transfers her spirit to King Ghidorah so he can finish the job.

In Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. the Mothra from the original 1961 film send her priestesses to demand that Japan dismantle the anti-Godzilla weapon Mechagodzilla or face destruction, as she considers the cyborg to be against the natural order, having been created using the bones of the first Godzilla. (Because if you missed it, the first Godzilla died a while back and Baby Godzilla took his place.) Shit doesn’t go well and Mothra attempts to fight the second Godzilla alongside Mechagodzilla, but is killed in the process. Then two larvae hatch on Infant Island, and reach Tokyo in order to fight Godzilla, whom they encase in a cocoon, (deja vu?) which is then transported into the ocean by Mechagodzilla.

Then we get Godzilla: Final Wars, which ignores the continuity of the previous film, because why not? It’s not like we finally just got the original Mothra back after 4 movies of alternate realities or anything... This time it establishes that Mothra protected the Earth 10,000 years ago from the cyborg Gigan. Sure... Whatever... In the distant future, Gigan returns, under the control of the Xiliens, and is confronted by Mothra. In the ensuing battle, Mothra catches fire, but manages to kill Gigan by ramming into it and exploding. She may die, but she dies like a badass.

And that will be the last we see of Mothra until the upcoming Godzilla: King of the Monsters scheduled for 2019, which is again, a new continuity... Which only leaves me wondering... Whatever happened with that damned meteorite that was going to hit earth in 1999?!

[fallynleaf]

i just finished watching Mothra (1961) for the first time, and i guess i’m a Mothra stan now

[wittypenguin]

What Have We Learned?

Things we now understand after watching 25 hours and 46 minutes of kaijû weirdness (not including re-watching most films to get details and then comparing my notes vs IMDb’s quotes, plus trivia entires, and then composing reviews to clarify in my own mind what’s going on in the ‘plot’ and various other things). Realistically, we’re looking at a devotion of 48–50 non-contiguous hours of viewing and mental attention to movies featuring guys wearing big rubber suits.

Throughout the entire experience, I’ve watched courtesy of the above entry in the Criterion Collection (Spine #1000) which I got on sale but would have gladly paid full price, had I known just how much pleasure I’ve got from seeing these. Watching the extras on Disc 8, I can see just how much work went into the cleaning-up of the images to make them nearly free of scratches and flaws. Honestly, it’s like night and day when you see the flat colour and hail-like scratches on the frames after watching them in pristine condition for all those hours.

I’ve only watched with the Japanese dialogue and English sub-titles, unless the only option I had was English; as was the case with King Kong vs Godzilla. After hearing the audio for so many Japanese films now — plus Yôjinbô, Tsubaki Sanjûrô, Rashômon, and Shichinin no samurai — it’s tempting to start learning some Japanese. There’s a whole bunch of sounds and groups of words which I’m starting to recognize but do not actually know what they mean per se. The subtleties of hai are something I am certainly starting to get already. I know nothing of actual Japanese characters, however, so while I might recognize the “Hepburn Roman Characterization” of Shichinin no Samurai, the notion of learning an entirely new alphabet so as to also recognize 七人の侍 seems a trifle more daunting. From a distance, the idea of learning Japanese from kaijū films seems cool and fun and an intriguing challenge; but once one gets in up to one’s waist, the notion undoubtedly has much more heavy lifting than being able to point at a hillside and scream “あなたが実行する必要がありますか、巨大なハゲタカがあなたを食べるでしょう！” (or “Anata ga jikkō suru hitsuyō ga arimasu ka, kyodaina hagetaka ga anata o taberudeshou!” if you prefer).

That said, I noticed a heck of a lot of ‘borrowed words’ from English in the films! The following list is not complete, but it’s most of them.

Borrowed words

helicopter

Engine (as in ‘I am having trouble with the engine of my plane’)

Typhoon (although we may have borrowed from them)

handlebag (handbag)

zero (the numeral)

drums (as in oil drums)

Geiger Counter

Remote Control

Oxygen Destroyer

Stop! (as an order to a vehicle)

Blue Mountain (some variety of coffee)

gas (as in a vapour)

Space Titanium

Radar

Maser (as in ‘Maser Cannon’)

Driver (as in ‘screwdriver’)

OK

Thank you (this may have been used in the same way we would use the French, however)

Titanosaurus Controller

Piano (granted, we would call a koto by its name, so not too surprising) 

Musical saw (ibid)

tower (as in Tokyo Tower)

action (as in ‘action films’)

microphone

orchestra

prescore (as in ‘music composed before the score is created’)

Screen (as in ‘movie screen’)

camera

happy ending (as in a story element)

Producers (the film role)

story (as a script element)

scenario (ibid)

Other things we can learn by watching these films

Less useful, but the following things can be approached as ‘rules’ to an extent. They should not be considered to be set in stone by any stretch of the imagination, however. There are a large number of times that the films contradict themselves when considering one film after another, and sometimes even within the same scene. After all, when people saw the Giant Octopus in King Kong vs Godzilla, a number of fans cried out for ‘more octopus,’ and so Honda-sensei obliged with an octopus the next kaijû film he did, which was set in the mountains, a location where octopuses are considered ‘rare.’

Anyway, with that veeeeeery flexible matter in mind, here are things I’ve noticed can/will invariably happen:

Japanese harbours are surrounded by refinery equipment prone to attract kaijû for the destruction of

Everything will burn, no matter what it may be made of (which may actually be true)

If it can’t burn, it may burn anyway

If it really can’t burn, then it’ll probably explode or fall on people or both

People will always be in the way of the monster

Railways attract monsters like honey does bees

Ships within 5 miles of any monster will be swept up by a storm and be driven towards them, then either zapped or smashed, with no reason other than the monster feels like it

Aliens will always attack, and so will subterranean peoples

Monsters can be made to defend humans from other monsters, but only if you’re willing to make it a sport for them

When all else fails and you still haven’t got the help of your chosen kaijû, sing at it

It is pointless to fire missiles at a monster, but it is important to do so as it is the expected thing

All aliens hide their ugly forms (and all aliens are ugly)

Co-operation to solve a common problem — and all problems worth solving are common — is the only way forward. Compassion and love will see you through. 

People are flexible and play many roles

At one point I was trying to keep track of actors who appeared multiple times in these films, so as to create some sort of bananas story about how one person had ancestors who appeared in Kurosawa-sensei’s films, and then their descendent appeared in theses daft films, but they only were one person in the Godzilla Universe… If I had actually kept track of everyone I would go insane. I have no doubt someone, somewhere, has a spreadsheet with this information in it. I do not want it, please do not send it to me.

However, here are two actors whose credits boggle the mind when looked at:

Takashi Shimura (chronological according to the setting of the stories)

Woodcutter - Rashômon set in… 15xx…? (1950)

Rōnin Kambei Shimada - Seven Samurai set in 1586 (1954)

Information Bureau Director Hiroshi Shimomura - Japan’s Longest Day about the very last day of WWII in Japan (1967) 

Chief Detective Sato - Stray Dog (1949)

Palaeontologist Dr. Kyohei Yamane - Gojira (1954)

Palaeontologist Dr. Kyohei Yamane - Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

Newspaper Editor - Mothra (1961)

Psychiatrist Dr. Tsukamoto - Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Akihiko Hirata (eye-patch wearing man)

Dr. Daisuke Serizawa, slayer of kaijû - Godzilla (1954)

Chief Detective Okita - Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster

Captain Yamoto - Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

Environmental researcher Fujisaki - Son of Godzilla (1967)

Professor Hideto Miyajima - Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla (1974)

Dr. Shinzô Mafune - Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Don’t forget that the last two of Hirata-san’s appearances over-lap each other’s time line, are direct contradictions of character, and they were possibly done within a few months of each other. Imagine Harrison Ford showing up in The Rise of Skywalker as some ancient fry cook who dispenses poisoned blue milk to the followers of the Rebellion. 

Now the following one is my favourite character actor in Japanese film. I’m positive this list is incomplete, as he did little appearances is seemingly any film Toho produced from 1950 through to his death in the mid-’70s. Once you get to know his face and the way he moves, he sticks out a mile, no matter how much make-up or weird wardrobe you cover him with. He’s fabulous and had the kind of career I once would have killed for.

Ikio Sawamura 

Constable Hansuke - Yôjinbô (1961)

Elderly Slave - Godzilla vs. The Sea Monster 

Priest blessing egg - Mothra vs Godzilla (1964)

Honest Fisherman - Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

Elderly Slave on Devil’s Island - Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

Fisherman #1 - Furankenshutain no kaijû: Sanda tai Gaira 

Witch Doctor - King Kong vs. Godzilla

There are a bunch more but his final appearance was in Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) as Mafune's Silent Butler. He passed away a few months after filming was complete but before it was released.

In conclusion…

All in all, I have had more fun watching all of this lunacy than one probably should. I’ve really been impressed with the storytelling, acting, and the model work (especially in the 1960s). I am probably going to watch most of them again at least once more before I put this aside and begin watching some other series off films with which I’ll become obsessed.