Talkback Thread #2: Godzilla Raids Again (1955)

[Rodan]

It's quite an enjoyable monster movie in its own right. It's closer to standard genre material than the first, but considerably more somber than most. It's also the last time in the Showa series (not counting non-Godzilla kaiju films like Rodan) that things aren't a little tongue-in-cheek, so it has that going for it as well. Not that tongue-in-cheek isn't good, but there's some novelty in how seriously this movie plays out. The characters, while not as memorable or integrated into the moral conflict as the first film's, are engaging enough and offer interesting common-working-class roles not often seen in later films as the movies begin to rely more and more heavily on scientists, reporters (which are cool), and even astronauts to stay close to the plot.

I definitely enjoy rewatching it from time to time, especially because I'm so familiar with the original and it feels like a nice change of pace.

[Giga Kaiju]

They're acting like how characters would act in a situation like they are in. It does little things like that to consider.

[Dannybeane]

While the American cut of this is awful, I always felt the Japanese cut received a lot more flak than it deserved. Yes it is a little slower paced than the later showa films and yes it doesn't have the emotional gut punch of Gojira but it is still heaps better than 99% of the sci-fi muck that was coming out in the late 50s. As I am sure has been stated the fight between Anguirus and Godzilla is one of the best of the series. Also I like the fact that we see the events of this film through the eyes of everyday fisherman and citizens rather than the holy trinity of military/scientist/reporter that are usually the main characters.

[Rodan]

holy trinity of military/scientist/reporter that are usually the main characters.

Actually, the military protagonists are wholly artifacts of the Heisei and Millenium series. While the Showa films sometimes provide an extended military boardroom sequence or two, not a single one joins a main cast. The closest it ever comes is spaceship crew of Destroy All Monsters.

[Shhh! The Octopus]

In this film Godzilla and Angilas are a couple of Dinosaurs that are awakened by Atomic Bomb fallout.
Now Godzilla was obviously irradiated since he's radioactive and spews a radioactive ray from his mouth just like the original in the 1954 film.

What I don't get is why Angilas wasn't radioactive too since he was awakened by the same fallout as Godzilla.

Is it possible that he originally was going to be and spew a radioactive beam as well?

I ask because I saw these old stills and a drawing from the Manga that depicts him as such.
http://oi68.tinypic.com/2hncll0.jpg
http://oi66.tinypic.com/2n85w5v.jpg

[Giga Kaiju]

Nice. Didn't know about those two stills. Nice find, dude.

I guess to make him different so that the two wouldn't be able to do the Atomic Breath that much. And it stuck as only for Godzilla, I guess.

[daveblackeye15]

There's a picture of Rodan having a breathe weapon too and possibly briefly in the movie too. Now if there's a still or artwork of the original Mothra and Varan breathing fire we'd have all the originals covered.

[Lain Of The Wired]

There's a picture of Rodan having a breathe weapon too and possibly briefly in the movie too. Now if there's a still or artwork of the original Mothra and Varan breathing fire we'd have all the originals covered.

Rodan HAD a "breath weapon"

And this shits just for poster effect, it doesn't mean Anguirus was supposed to breath attack or anything, this was just a thing Toho did to most of the Showa posters and promotional pics for effect and that's it.

[Shhh! The Octopus]

And this shits just for poster effect, it doesn't mean Anguirus was supposed to breath attack or anything, this was just a thing Toho did to most of the Showa posters and promotional pics for effect and that's it.

How often did they have kaiju breathing fire (that weren't supposed to breathe fire) on their publicity materials? For it to appear on the Manga as well (like Baragon destroying Paris from DAM) leads me to believe there was an original intent here at the very least. Plus it gels with the origin of the monsters. If both are revived by radiation why would only one monster be radioactive and the other isn't?

Another example of a weapon that appeared in publicity materials would be Gigan's beam weapon on the Godzilla vs Gigan poster and related publicity materials. Jun Fukuda said he wanted to give Gigan a beam weapon but for whatever reason it never materialized on screen so there was at least an intent there rather then some random weapon appearing on a poster.

[Lain Of The Wired]

And this shits just for poster effect, it doesn't mean Anguirus was supposed to breath attack or anything, this was just a thing Toho did to most of the Showa posters and promotional pics for effect and that's it.

How often did they have kaiju breathing fire (that weren't supposed to breathe fire) on their publicity materials? For it to appear on the Manga as well (like Baragon destroying Paris from DAM) leads me to believe there was an original intent here at the very least. Plus it gels with the origin of the monsters. If both are revived by radiation why would only one monster be radioactive and the other isn't?

Another example of a weapon that appeared in publicity materials would be Gigan's beam weapon on the Godzilla vs Gigan poster and related publicity materials. Jun Fukuda said he wanted to give Gigan a beam weapon but for whatever reason it never materialized on screen so there was at least an intent there rather then some random weapon appearing on a poster.

^ Back to the Gigan beam assumption again I see, well, time to explain this one AGAIN...
Gigan was never meant to have a beam weapon, the jewel from his forehead was to give him some Buhdist hightend sensory thing, but it got axed because it didn't seem like an thing a cyborg would have.
And IDK, Baragon's shown to have gravity beams, and production stills show Megalon with an ultrasonic death beam from his mouth, i dont remember them ever having those attacks in the movies, its all for effect, unless you can find some sort of article around that mentions an Anguirus beam...

And how often did Toho have their kaiju illustrated to breath fire when they didn't? Quite often, Mothra comes to mind, don't remember her having fire breath, do you? No? Didn't think so

[Shhh! The Octopus]

^ Back to the Gigan beam assumption again I see, well, time to explain this one AGAIN...

First of all lay off the attitude. Ok. I don't know you. I have never spoken to you before. So don't talk down to me.
Second of all the plan was to have some sort of weapon/jewel on his head. It got axed but it was turned into a beam in publicity materials. So whether it was a beam or a sensory jewel or whatever the fact is there was intended to be something there.

And IDK, Baragon's shown to have gravity beams

Became an oral beam instead. So he still shot a long range weapon from his mouth.

and production stills show Megalon with an ultrasonic death beam from his mouth,

Became those napalm bombs instead. So you see he was still intended to launch a long distance weapon from his mouth.

Mothra comes to mind, don't remember her having fire breath, do you? No? Didn't think so

Shoots silk. Long distance weapon.

So whether its silk, napalm bombs, oral beam or fire, death ray, gravity beams, the fact is all these these kaiju all had long distance oral attacks. The attacks just changed in terms of their design and aesthetics but they all had it.

Angilas on the other hand was never given an oral weapon in the film. It seems kind odd they would give him a long distance weapon out of the blue in publicity materials just for dramatic effect without some sort of intent like the other kaiju had. Since all these other kaiju had their weapons changed but still retained weapons it leads me to believe their was some sort of intent for Angilas to have a weapon rather than some random aesthetic in publicity materials.

[Giga Kaiju]

Yeah. Even so, it still looks kind of odd to see all of those creatures have atom-ray-esque abilities with them, like Godzilla.

And if you want to add another monster that did it somehow in its publicity, shall I remind of Gabara and his electro-kinetic-type-of-attack on a picture for his movie...?

[Shhh! The Octopus]

I just want to mention something about the Gigan beam. Nakano was asked about the beam in an interview in Cult Movies and specifically stated it was meant to be a beam. Whether it was meant to be a high intensity laser meant to slice through buildings or some Buddha thought power is really irrelevant because what you see in the movie poster is exactly what was intended to be used in the film. I found the interview Teruyoshi Nakano did in Cult Movies #12.

I was very much interested in the sixth sense of human beings at the time. I knew that many statues of Buddha had auras around their heads, and I had read an article about strange rays coming out of the foreheads of human beings. So I originally intended to have a ray come out of Gigan's forehead. However I changed my mind because the ability didn't seem to fit the cyborg. It fit only human beings. That's why I didn't use it. Gigan had a very strong and angular form. It was enough to express the great power of the monster, so the laser beam wasn't needed.

So that image wasn't something the poster designers and publicity people simply used for artistic sakes. It was intended to be in the film originally.

[Lain Of The Wired]

I just want to mention something about the Gigan beam. Nakano was asked about the beam in an interview in Cult Movies and specifically stated it was meant to be a beam. Whether it was meant to be a high intensity laser meant to slice through buildings or some Buddha thought power is really irrelevant because what you see in the movie poster is exactly what was intended to be used in the film. I found the interview Teruyoshi Nakano did in Cult Movies #12.

I was very much interested in the sixth sense of human beings at the time. I knew that many statues of Buddha had auras around their heads, and I had read an article about strange rays coming out of the foreheads of human beings. So I originally intended to have a ray come out of Gigan's forehead. However I changed my mind because the ability didn't seem to fit the cyborg. It fit only human beings. That's why I didn't use it. Gigan had a very strong and angular form. It was enough to express the great power of the monster, so the laser beam wasn't needed.

So that image wasn't something the poster designers and publicity people simply used for artistic sakes. It was intended to be in the film originally.

Yeah. That's what I said in my post about Gigan…

And like I said, there's nothing on paper that's ever even hinted to the concept of giving Anguirus a beam attack, so its safe to assume that its just an effect for the poster to give it that "edge"

[Cookson]

Would you guys watch this film differently if it, along with Gojira, were prequels to the new Godzilla: Resurgence film?

[UltramanGoji]

Would you guys watch this film differently if it, along with Gojira, were prequels to the new Godzilla: Resurgence film?

A reference in the new film wouldn't change the quality of the old film. I'm not sure why my opinion would change based on that.

[Godzillian]

Would you guys watch this film differently if it, along with Gojira, were prequels to the new Godzilla: Resurgence film?

No. It magically becoming a prequel to a film 60+ years later wouldn't fix it's problems.

[g2vd]

"And now you must die!"-Kobayashi

Best line ever.

[Lain Of The Wired]

Would you guys watch this film differently if it, along with Gojira, were prequels to the new Godzilla: Resurgence film?

Lol…
That wouldn't fix the pacing problem in this film…
Or how lousy the English dub is

[Ivo-goji]

I have a more positive view of this film than most other fans. I like it's serious tone and the down-to-earth, realistic depiction of the evacuation/destruction/aftermath readjustment. It might be the most grounded film in the series. Appropriately, it introduces the very down-to-earth Anguirus, who looks awesome in this movie and gives us a great animalistic fight scene.

Not the most impressive entry in the franchise, but certainly underrated. One my most frequently rewatched Godzilla titles.