Discussion: When did the Showa Age go Wrong?

[TokyoVigilante]

I'm just saying they have basically the same premise with the same plot points. There isn't anything in a plain synopsis of either film to suggest that it's kiddy. They're both dark and morbid and show the devastation and fallout of nuclear weapons/industrial pollution in a very blunt fashion and both feature various bits of secondary sub-text that's interesting to look at.

[The Dark Uniter]

Gojira-Fan wrote
However, Godzilla Vs. Hedorah is a lot more Avant-grade then Gojira. While both have a dark tone and similar plots, both are very different in their style.

I agree. Gojira was completely dark with no lightheartedness whatsoever whereas Godzilla vs Hedorah, its dark however has some light elements and is more tippy.

[StonedHope]

.... I think this German trailer (that used Ifukbe music in it) shows how much better the film could have been IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_Q_fjID68

I think its funny as hell how in the German cuts they always throw in talk of Frankenstein.
It appears that in the trailer their call Hedorah a creation of Frankenstein. So in the movie do they change it saying that Hedorah was created by Frankenstein and not pollution??? There by changing the theme of the movie.

[Lord Gappa]

A mysterious creature sinks ships and strikes at Japan under the cover of night, with said creature being the creation/embodiment of a major contemporary political/social issue. Military struggles to deal with it, scenes of the general publics reaction to the threat, and a one-eyed scientist comes to the rescue with a device that can save the day.

Which movie am I describing?

Pirates of the Carribean?

[NSZ]

.... I think this German trailer (that used Ifukbe music in it) shows how much better the film could have been IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_Q_fjID68

I think its funny as hell how in the German cuts they always throw in talk of Frankenstein.
It appears that in the trailer their call Hedorah a creation of Frankenstein. So in the movie do they change it saying that Hedorah was created by Frankenstein and not pollution??? There by changing the theme of the movie.

I wonder what would happen if we pulled the G fanbase out of Germany and had them watch the movies in their original form?

[StonedHope]

.... I think this German trailer (that used Ifukbe music in it) shows how much better the film could have been IMHO.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_Q_fjID68

I think its funny as hell how in the German cuts they always throw in talk of Frankenstein.
It appears that in the trailer their call Hedorah a creation of Frankenstein. So in the movie do they change it saying that Hedorah was created by Frankenstein and not pollution??? There by changing the theme of the movie.

I wonder what would happen if we pulled the G fanbase out of Germany and had them watch the movies in their original form?

They'd be like, "wo ist das Frankenstein?" (where is the Frankenstein?)

[DaikaijuSokogeki!]

How is HEDORAH's story even the least bit childish?

Cuz it has a kid as the lead and, like, y'know, that means it's a, like, kid's movie, y'know?

Eh. I don't think that makes it childish

Of course not. The movie isn't childish, it's meant to be a deathly serious Godzilla film (aside from the flying sequence). The director and writer (fyi, same guy who co-wrote Gojira) chose to make a kid the lead character because it's an interesting viewpoint. It puts a unique spin on an otherwise grim story full of death and despair. The kid's undying hope that Godzilla will save Japan lightens up those around him as they try to figure out a way to stop Hedorah.

[Goji]

Sorry if i seem to be bashing Godzilla vs Hedorah, i LOVE this film to death, i'm just saying it's just....wierd.

Wait, so you "love" it now? Make up your mind man!

@ Goji: The young protagonist, the flashy array of colors, and the overall not-so-serious soundtrack could give off the childish vibe to some people, but I definitely could see a dark tone trying to break through in it.

I think people mistake weird for childish. The whole movie is weird as all get out (night clubs with fish, Godzilla flying, etc), but that doesn't make it kiddy.

Contradict yourself much?


I can see that most (if not all) of the senior members here have already explained why the film isn't deserving of it's "childish" label. The excuse that "the movie has a kid in it, so it's kiddy" just doesn't fly. It's not that cut and dry. I get the impression that a lot of people who dismiss the film so easily have never really given the film a chance, or really care to. I'm not saying it was the best film since the original, but it was most definitely the most grim.

[King Caesar]

^ I was pointing out that it COULD give off a childish vibe, but in all reality, it is dark and "grim". Then in the second comment I pointed out that weird stuff and...ya know. Whatever, I'm not feeling like debating. You're right, I'm wrong. There.

[KaneLocke]

I get the impression that a lot of people who dismiss the film so easily have never really given the film a chance, or really care to

I actually used to fall into this category. The film was off-putting (even to the point of giving me nightmares) as a young viewer. It's strange use of sounds and colors was... almost disturbing.

But those same reasons are why I've come to respect the film. It is soooo different from ANY other Goji film I've ever seen.

[Cimmerian Dragon]

When the budgets got slashed.

Also, I love Astro-Monster, but it opened the floodgates for endless alien plots that didn't bring much new to the table. Once the basic premise of successive films grew too similar, there wasn't much to justify their existence (except DAM, and that's just for the gimmick of the huge kaiju cast). We had things like All Monsters Attack and Hedorah that tried to set themselves apart, though everyone can debate how successful they were.

[Tohosaurus]

When the budgets got slashed.

Also, I love Astro-Monster, but it opened the floodgates for endless alien plots that didn't bring much new to the table. Once the basic premise of successive films grew too similar, there wasn't much to justify their existence (except DAM, and that's just for the gimmick of the huge kaiju cast). We had things like All Monsters Attack and Hedorah that tried to set themselves apart, though everyone can debate how successful they were.

That's a good point there. That's a criticism myself about the hyper-repetitive alien takeover plots in the Showa era.

[The Dark Uniter]

Yeah, I agree. The alien takeover plots during the later films are getting repetitive.

[TokyoVigilante]

While they are repetitive, they are all really distinct;

Xilians want to turn Earth into a colony for its water supply.

Kilaaks suck and have no reason for almost anything they ever did.

The Nebulans wanted to committed Galactic genocide to achieve world peace (and preserve the children? Kill them more humanely?)

The Seatopians attacked out of vengeance.

The Simians were losing their planet to the gravitational pull of a black hole and wanted Earth for a new planet.

[Tyler]

Kilaaks suck and have no reason for almost anything they ever did.

Kind of like the ones from Battle in Outer Space.

[TokyoVigilante]

At least the ones from Battle in Outer Space had stuff that looked cooler.

[shinmattiathekaiju]

While they are repetitive, they are all really distinct;

Xilians want to turn Earth into a colony for its water supply.

Kilaaks suck and have no reason for almost anything they ever did.

The Nebulans wanted to committed Galactic genocide to achieve world peace (and preserve the children? Kill them more humanely?)

The Seatopians attacked out of vengeance.

The Simians were losing their planet to the gravitational pull of a black hole and wanted Earth for a new planet.

Kilaaks wanted a hot planet.

[Tohosaurus]

While they are repetitive, they are all really distinct;

Xilians want to turn Earth into a colony for its water supply.

Kilaaks suck and have no reason for almost anything they ever did.

The Nebulans wanted to committed Galactic genocide to achieve world peace (and preserve the children? Kill them more humanely?)

The Seatopians attacked out of vengeance.

The Simians were losing their planet to the gravitational pull of a black hole and wanted Earth for a new planet.

Distinct for us, probably. I mean I find each alien race distinct myself but if I watch it with far more casual friends, it's more like "So the plot is aliens again?"

I just watched Battle in Outer Space with the commentary on last night. Makes me smile because NOTHING looks real.

[TokyoVigilante]

Kilaaks wanted a hot planet.

Is that something that didn't get mentioned in the International dub? skreeonk ADV copy. But they're still the blandest and least visually interesting invaders that ever came from Toho.

Distinct for us, probably. I mean I find each alien race distinct myself but if I watch it with far more casual friends, it's more like "So the plot is aliens again?"

I just watched Battle in Outer Space with the commentary on last night. Makes me smile because NOTHING looks real.

That's just a case of people watering down the plots and not paying attentions to the details of the movie they're watching; these aren't even finer details, their motivations are often in the basic synopsis of the film in question. It would be like if I marathoned the Harry Potter films and groaned "Uugh, Hogwarts and Voldemort again?"

Battle in Outer Space is an enjoyable little sci-fi boggle. It's not really notable and mostly forgettable, but it's an breezy little alien invasion movie.

[shinmattiathekaiju]

Kilaaks wanted a hot planet.

Is that something that didn't get mentioned in the International dub? skreeonk ADV copy. But they're still the blandest and least visually interesting invaders that ever came from Toho.

Woah,easy buddy.

DAM is my favourite Godzilla movie of all time along with Gojira and Godzilla vs Biollante.