Interviews Discussion Thread

[JVM]

Today's TK update is an interview with David Kalat. Toho Kingdom has been increasingly turning to - very well-done!- interviews as a great source of commentary and content and I've enjoyed them. I thought it was time to have a dedicated thread for them.

The main thing I want to know is why David Kalat apparently doesn't know the Bionic Monster story, heh

[omgitsgodzilla]

The main thing I want to know is why David Kalat apparently doesn't know the Bionic Monster story, heh

I'm not sure I'm remembering what you're referring to offhand, but I'm pretty sure he details the whole Bionic/Cosmic Monster name thing in his book.

I was pretty excited to see that interview; I loved his book (I've got the older version) and I really enjoy his audio commentaries. He always sounds really genuinely enthusiastic and there's a lot of great information as well.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

David Kalat's and Ed Godziszewski's interviews are really good. It's always good to hear from knowledgeable fans.

[JVM]

The main thing I want to know is why David Kalat apparently doesn't know the Bionic Monster story, heh

I'm not sure I'm remembering what you're referring to offhand, but I'm pretty sure he details the whole Bionic/Cosmic Monster name thing in his book.

I was pretty excited to see that interview; I loved his book (I've got the older version) and I really enjoy his audio commentaries. He always sounds really genuinely enthusiastic and there's a lot of great information as well.

Here it is:

I distinctly remember seeing previews on TV [for "Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster"] and insisting my parents take me—and as a part of that memory, I also remember that the TV preview called the first feature Godzilla vs. The Bionic Monster. Now, I may be remembering that wrong—and unfortunately there's no easy way for me to fact check this, unless someone involved in distributing it back in 1976 wants to step forward and clarify.

It might just be awkward choice of words on his part, but I'm not sure I can be blamed for interpreting that as "I swore I saw it referred to as Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster but it seems like that never happened" which only seems off to me because I've seen the posters with the original title online before and I've known the supposed popular story for almost the entirety of my Godzilla fandom. I suppose it's possible the story's been busted, or something - I'm not a historian. But still, it struck me as an odd statement coming from someone as genuinely intelligent as David Kalat.

I'm not taking a dig, I like the guy and enjoyed his commentary work, for the record.

[omgitsgodzilla]

From the book:

Gojira tai Mechagojira [sic] first appeared in the United States courtesy of Cinema Shares as Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster. Universal Pictures threatened to sue, claiming the title infringed on their copyright of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Cinema Shares dutifully changed the title to Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster, but not before milking the publicity for all it was worth.

I'm not sure why he's uncertain about it now; maybe he meant he hasn't since seen any TV spots or promos using the original title and isn't sure if he's remembering it correctly. Seems like he was aware of the title change, though.

[JVM]

From the book:

Gojira tai Mechagojira [sic] first appeared in the United States courtesy of Cinema Shares as Godzilla vs. the Bionic Monster. Universal Pictures threatened to sue, claiming the title infringed on their copyright of The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. Cinema Shares dutifully changed the title to Godzilla vs. the Cosmic Monster, but not before milking the publicity for all it was worth.

I'm not sure why he's uncertain about it now; maybe he meant he hasn't since seen any TV spots or promos using the original title and isn't sure if he's remembering it correctly. Seems like he was aware of the title change, though.

Now that is very strange. Thanks for the info.

I can only imagine he considers that story plausible but unverified, for whatever reason.

[MM Raids Again]

TEH BUMP!

Got two interviews submitted and ready to be posted. One that has been part of something in the works for months (see the toys section for a preview) with a huge gallery along with it. The second is the third of the "fan spotlights" to focus on known artists, collectors, Youtube personalities, etc in our fandom.