Talkback Thread #7: Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

[Ben Shapiro]

Ah yes, Daiyo’s classic sprite sheet

[Gojirawars 03]

This one is inoffensive to me. It's not really bad, but its definitely not good...
It's just kinda there...

[Terasawa]

It’s “just kinda there” in regards to its place in the Godzilla chronology. Nothing happens in this movie that affects later films and it doesn’t really draw on events from earlier entries either. But that’s hardly a knock against it.

[Ben Shapiro]

It’s “just kinda there” in regards to its place in the Godzilla chronology. Nothing happens in this movie that affects later films and it doesn’t really draw on events from earlier entries either. But that’s hardly a knock against it.

Agreed, I find it to be one of the more entertaining entrees in the series.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

This one is inoffensive to me. It's not really bad, but its definitely not good...
It's just kinda there...

What makes it "definitely not good"

[eabaker]

This one is inoffensive to me. It's not really bad, but its definitely not good...
It's just kinda there...

What makes it "definitely not good"

Yeah, gotta say, while I wouldn't consider it a standout of the series, I'd call it a competently told, engaging story, with some neat production design elements, a likable cast, and a decent musical score. Not a home run, but fully up to the baseline standards of "good."

[Terasawa]

This one is inoffensive to me. It's not really bad, but its definitely not good...
It's just kinda there...

What makes it "definitely not good"

No beam locks.

[Ben Shapiro]

This one is inoffensive to me. It's not really bad, but its definitely not good...
It's just kinda there...

What makes it "definitely not good"

No beam locks.

Lol this is epic.

Maybe if they ever remake Ebirah, Horror Of The Deep, they’ll throw in a beam clash between Ebirah and Godzilla if we’re lucky.

[Ivo-goji]

It’s “just kinda there” in regards to its place in the Godzilla chronology. Nothing happens in this movie that affects later films and it doesn’t really draw on events from earlier entries either.

It's positively bizarre when people say things like that about any Godzilla film, but it makes especially little sense here where the turning point between Godzilla's status as feared sometimes-villain-sometimes-defender and his later more actively heroic persona took place.

Like imagine if this movie didn't exist and the series leapt immediately into Godzilla the Sympathetic Single Dad right off the heels of humanity trying to exile him into outer space forever in Monster Zero.

[Terasawa]

It’s “just kinda there” in regards to its place in the Godzilla chronology. Nothing happens in this movie that affects later films and it doesn’t really draw on events from earlier entries either.

It's positively bizarre when people say things like that about any Godzilla film, but it makes especially little sense here where the turning point between Godzilla's status as feared sometimes-villain-sometimes-defender and his later more actively heroic persona took place.

Like imagine if this movie didn't exist and the series leapt immediately into Godzilla the Sympathetic Single Dad right off the heels of humanity trying to exile him into outer space forever in Monster Zero.

Great point, I hadn’t even considered that. It’s definitely a crucial film for Godzilla’s development.

[Zarm]

And what of the Giant Condor? The world would be a poorer place without him. We have EHotD to thank for him, if nothing else.

[eabaker]

And what of the Giant Condor? The world would be a poorer place without him. We have EHotD to thank for him, if nothing else.

As such, this movie is extremely important for its role as a prequel to Godzilla's Revenge.

[Dr. Professor]

And what of the Giant Condor? The world would be a poorer place without him. We have EHotD to thank for him, if nothing else.

You make the most sense out of anyone around here. My life would be nothing without the Giant Condor.

[Zarm]

And what of the Giant Condor? The world would be a poorer place without him. We have EHotD to thank for him, if nothing else.

As such, this movie is extremely important for its role as a prequel to Godzilla's Revenge.

You know, it's said as a joke, but realistically, without the jet attack, Ebirah battles, and Giant Condor scene, I don't think they would have had enough Jungle Island footage to make Godzilla's Revenge feasible. They either would have had to change up the setting to a more generic countryside and basically just had this a 'greatest hits of King Ghidorah' movie, or make a different, more expensive movie that didn't rely much on stock footage. And if they hadn't made Godzilla's Revenge for a cheaper amount and found it to be successful, who knows if we would have gotten any of the following films.

So an argument could be made that without this movie, we wouldn't have had anything past Destroy All Monsters, because Toho might not have been convinced that they could make things profitably enough. And without Mechagodzilla, we lose a fair amount out of the Heisei, Millennium, and Anime eras as well.

Is that reaching? Absolutely! But, without this movie, there is the potential for an unpredictable ripple effect throughout the rest of the post-Destroy All Monsters franchise, up to and including the scenario described here.

[LSD Jellyfish]

I am inclined to believe without EHOTD, SOG would probably be drastically different. I can’t confirm what I’m about to say, but I garuntee it being on an island, made SOG a lot more similar. The island duology sortve also created a lot of great fodder Kaiju, Ebirah, Kamaucuras, and Kumonga, so it’s all good.

I also never really thought of EHOTD being the film that really develops Godzilla as a character. The human protagonists are afraid of him, and I believe that there’s even a reference to the damage he caused in past movies, but even by the end they want Godzilla to survive the explosion because they used him as a tool to possibly overthrow a bigger threat.

Also Red Bamboo is a criminally underrated/uniquee part of the franchise that should be revisited.

[Freebleeper]

I found this one quite significant as it officially would make Godzilla a hero as yes in Ghidrah, the three headed monster he did help the human race against Ghidrah but still immediately the next film he's under alien control to wreck havoc and just seeing the human characters in Ebriah, Horror of the Deep encouraging him to leave the island before the atomic bomb destroys and than are happy he did made it pretty much makes him an official hero in the series now.

[Spuro]

I found this one quite significant as it officially would make Godzilla a hero as yes in Ghidrah, the three headed monster he did help the human race against Ghidrah but still immediately the next film he's under alien control to wreck havoc and just seeing the human characters in Ebriah, Horror of the Deep encouraging him to leave the island before the atomic bomb destroys and than are happy he did made it pretty much makes him an official hero in the series now.

Jesus I thought this was Eabaker for a moment thanks to that avatar. I was wondering why he was suddenly pulling out the emojis.

[eabaker]

I found this one quite significant as it officially would make Godzilla a hero as yes in Ghidrah, the three headed monster he did help the human race against Ghidrah but still immediately the next film he's under alien control to wreck havoc and just seeing the human characters in Ebriah, Horror of the Deep encouraging him to leave the island before the atomic bomb destroys and than are happy he did made it pretty much makes him an official hero in the series now.

Jesus I thought this was Eabaker for a moment thanks to that avatar. I was wondering why he was suddenly pulling out the emojis.

Hahaha!

I changed my pic a couple of months ago, though.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Hell even through most of Son of Godzilla he is viewed as a threat. He even causes my inadverdant destruction when he first comes ashore.

[Gojirawars 03]

This one is inoffensive to me. It's not really bad, but its definitely not good...
It's just kinda there...

What makes it "definitely not good"

No beam locks.

Nah, just the fact that Godzilla barely shows up until like an hour in, and even then, his design looks off (even for mid-Showa suit standards) and his personality is more like that of King Kong, due to the sudden replacement, which I assume is the only reason Godzilla is as "heroic" as he is in this film. Not to mention the fight is literally just a game of 1965 green-screen volleyball.

The Giant Condor is a blessing upon this Earth, however. He's easily the most important and most powerful kaiju in the franchise. so powerful that Godzilla is helpless against his power, and pleads for mercy, which the gracious Condor grants him. I mean, even the editor wasn't able to show a single shot of the Condor onscreen for more than half a second, because no-one can handle that much sheer power for more than a second.