SciFi JAPAN TV EXTRA: Smog Monster Director

[kpa]

This week SciFi JAPAN TV presents a 20 minute EXTRA featuring Yoshimitsu Banno, director of 1971’s GODZILLA VS HEDORAH and Executive Producer on Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ GODZILLA. Mr. Banno discusses working with Akira Kurosawa and Eiji Tsuburaya, directing HEDORAH, his efforts to make the IMAX short film GODZILLA 3-D, his involvement in the new GODZILLA, and more!

http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2014 ... e-edition/

[21st Century Boy]

I can't wait for the English release of that E-book! Best episode of Sci-Fi Japan TV yet!

[three]

that answered a few questions about Hedorah for sure, and having heard his peace about what he tried to convey, i will say my understanding of (and appreciation for) Hedorah the character and the film itself is a little different.

i'm still not a huge fan, (i think this Tanaka fellow and i would agree on how we feel about the movie) but this really helps me from the perspective of someone who previously just though the film was stupid to really catch the profoundness of what was going on there. before it just came off as a children's movie with a pretentious message, but that's not how i see it anymore.

now i really can't wait to hear from the director of SOS. i loved that one, so this is going to be a long four days.

[LegendZilla]

Watching this, I got a whole new level of respect for the man. Honda, Tsuburaya, Ifukube, and Tanaka are often called Godzilla's fathers. I have a title for Banno as well: Godzilla's savior.

The fact that once it became clear he wouldn't be able to make the Godzilla film he wanted and willingly gave the rights back to Toho so that Legendary could do it with him as an Executive Producer instead of director is something I've never heard many do before. And his passion for the character and the franchise is as if he was with Godzilla since 1954.

It's a shame we will probably never see his other ideas for Godzilla in film, but one can hope that maybe, just MAYBE, Legendary could fund some direct to animated videos for his ideas. I'm still very interested in what else he has up his sleeve after Hedorah and what the original IMAX movie would have been like.

Sadly the movie he made just can't decide what it wanted to be. In several parts it wants to be macabre and allegorical like the original, in other parts it wants to be an acid-induced camp fest.

[three]

^ I would agree with that if I hadn't heard his own personal perspective. The change in position I had stems from thinking like you did, then hearing directly from the source what the intent was. I may not like the film, but there a new understanding there.

Credit to KPA/Keith (I think it's Keith) for really helping open my eyes to what's behind the suit and screen. It's much appreciated.

[20th Century Boy]

Watching this, I got a whole new level of respect for the man. Honda, Tsuburaya, Ifukube, and Tanaka are often called Godzilla's fathers. I have a title for Banno as well: Godzilla's savior.

The fact that once it became clear he wouldn't be able to make the Godzilla film he wanted and willingly gave the rights back to Toho so that Legendary could do it with him as an Executive Producer instead of director is something I've never heard many do before. And his passion for the character and the franchise is as if he was with Godzilla since 1954.

It's a shame we will probably never see his other ideas for Godzilla in film, but one can hope that maybe, just MAYBE, Legendary could fund some direct to animated videos for his ideas. I'm still very interested in what else he has up his sleeve after Hedorah and what the original IMAX movie would have been like.

Sadly the movie he made just can't decide what it wanted to be. In several parts it wants to be macabre and allegorical like the original, in other parts it wants to be an acid-induced camp fest.

I think it's brilliant how it shifts tone so much. It's a movie about everything. Sometimes the issue of pollution is seen through the mind of a child and sometimes it's seen through the irresponsible but idealistic youth culture and sometimes it's seen as a cynical folly of man. Such changing viewpoints inevitably bring about tonal shifts and the result is bizarre and fantastic.