How would you improve the Showa Era?

For the discussion of Toho produced and distributed films or shows released before 1980.
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three
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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by three »

GodzillaRangerPrime wrote:Weren't the films pre-DAM already appealing to kids.

Ya don't need to dumb down things, make things goofy, and talk down to kids because you found out they also watch this stuff.
well, they did. and they wanted to move in on a lucrative demographic. it's smart business -- and it produced some odd and unique films. either way, it's not terrible. i find that i skip watching one or two Showa films because i just can't stand 'em (G's Revenge, and Son of Godzilla...sorry but the heartwarming mood and atmosphere + story just don't appeal to me). other than that, the movies don't need much changing.

people like legion will take issue with the reasons you would like to alter these movies though, for two reasons.

first and foremost they come off as shallow, and second because you're offending many people's nostalgia and favorite films. i'm not calling you wrong or calling you out; that's just some stuff to keep in mind.
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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by GojiraFanMan »

It is hard to say what I would do to make the Showa films better because most of the things I would suggest to make it better were kind of unavoidable.

Obviously, one of my major issues with the later Showa movies is the excessive use of stock footage. I would say that is a problem and I wish it hadn't been the case, but at the same time, it was unavoidable due to the decreasing budgets.

OK I'll say this, how about smarter, less obvious use of stock footage. Ripping entire sequences from Destroy All Monsters and Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster is and giving it a darker tint is not going to trick me into thinking it is new footage or something.

A good example of using stock footage wisely was in Terror of Mechagodzilla. The shots of Mechagodzilla firing all his weapons were the exact same shots used in the previous film, but flipped to create the illusion of new footage, and also brilliantly intercut with Godzilla charging through to get to Mechagodzilla. It is a great and tense sequence that uses the cost cutting benefit of stock footage, while also managing to mask it at least a little bit while creating an exciting sequence.

Another thing I would suggest to make the Showa films better would have been to have Toho send all 15 films through the same US Distributor so we could actually get a Showa DVD Boxset here stateside, ha ha. But again, Home video was not even on the radar at that point, so it didn't really matter to Toho who distributed it, just as long as they got it on US soil.

Here's one, how about if The Gargantuas had actually been in Destroy All Monsters. They were easily the two biggest that weren't included and to see them crossedover with Godzilla in some capacity would have been amazing. But then again, that probably wouldn't work as well either since the main strength of War of the Gargantuas is the suit acting, and Haruo Nakajima can't play both Gaira and Godzilla. Godzilla was basically firmly his in the same way that Bugs Bunny was Mel Blanc's role, but he was so good at Gaira that it would be hard to picture another suit actor taking that up. So once again, that suggest wouldn't be possible.

OK, here's an improvement to the Showsa series that was entirely practical. How about making Minya actually look like a baby Godzilla? Come on!

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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by LegendZilla »

It has become utterly cliche to bitch about Kong's triumph over Godzilla in 1962, so here's my own idea on how it could've played out. They could've kept it ambigous as to whoever won.

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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by he-ba »

There's another topic going right now that you could have put this in....................
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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by LegendZilla »

he-ba wrote:There's another topic going right now that you could have put this in....................
So shall I repost this same message in that other thread?

Anyways, here's a few more suggestions on my behalf. For your information, most of these lie in the betterment of the financial department and pardon me if I have stated these before :

I saw the uncut version of Half Human on Dailymotion I believe, and while I ultimately have nothing against the final product, I'd say that it ultimately wasn't worth the effort from Toho if it was going to get banned. All the money they spent on it could've been added to the budget of Godzilla Raids Again.

I'd say Rodan would've been better off if they filmed it in black and white. One improvement it could've triggered is even more atmospheric mine scenes and the money they spent into making it color could've been added to the special effects, particularly with the creatures.

Also for financial reasons, a greater prevalence of stock footage would've been necessary thoughout the Showa era as a whole, albeit much more careful selective and not as excessive as the 1969-73 period. Face it guys, whether you like it or not stock footage is a necessity in filming. The problem is not the practice of stock-footage itself, but just the manner it is executed.

As for Kaiju suits, rather than having to go through the expensive efforts of building new ones entire from scratch, recycle different parts of past suits to add to newer suits, like how KiryuGoji's tail was used for FinalGoji.

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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by Jomei »

I would make more films using the Kingoji suit. Also, repair that Ghidorah suit or just make a new one.

Also more films with bigger roles for Toho's actresses besides Kumi Mizuno.

Also more Baragon. And Minya.
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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by Gojora »

let's see...
I think it would be remaking godzilla vs hedorah but more scarier and with more skulls.
DAM with the other monsters making more efforts rather than three also more spotlight for baragon.
Godzilla raids again with more longer fights.
Godzilla vs megalon with more shots of his tailslide!
Terror of mechagodzilla would mean replacing titanosaurus' roar, it's annoying to some people.
All monsters attack, making it like it was canon and with gabara being a real kaiju intstead of being a fake also replacing his roar.
And that's it....ish.
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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by LegendZilla »

Tyler wrote:I know he was becoming increasingly preoccupied with television, but I wonder how the series would have continued had Tsuburaya lived another decade or so.
I still think he would've retired not long after Destroy All Monsters.

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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by BARAGONZILLA »

I would make all of the movies more like the earlier ones.
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Re: How would you improve the Showa Era?

Post by Lain Of The Wired »

I would give Dr. Serizawa the moniker Dr. Serizawa: Murderer of Fish
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